Historically, Tadworth stayed a small, quiet farming community for most of its life. Unlike many nearby Surrey towns, it saw very little direct industrialisation even during the Victorian era, with local mills like the old post windmill continuing to grind grain the traditional way rather than switching over to steam power. It only really began to grow once the railway arrived in the 19th century, gradually turning the old rural hamlet into a commuter village for London.

Random fact: New Mill, a Grade II listed post mill in the area, is reputed to be the tallest surviving windmill of its kind in the whole of England.