is a town in the
Tandridge District of
Surrey , England. It lies on the
A22 Eastbourne road south of
Croydon .
The original settlement was on the ridge above the modern town and is now called Caterham-on-the-hill. The modern town in the valley is a product of the Victorian age and the coming of the
Railway in 1856. The Victorian expansion of the town required the building of a much larger parish church (St Mary the Virgin) in 1866 but the old
Norman church of St Lawrence was retained and remains directly across the road from St Mary's.
From 1877 Caterham barracks on the hill was a depot for the foot guards regiments. In August 1975 a local public house (the Caterham Arms) which was frequented by soldiers was targeted by an
IRA bomb.
The barracks were closed in the 1990s and the site redeveloped for housing.
Caterham Cars makers of the
Caterham Seven sports car are based in Station Avenue although the cars are actually manufactured in
Dartford .
Caterham School is a co-educational day and boarding school for pupils aged 3 -18 years. It is situated on Harestone Valley Road near the outskirts of Caterham. It merged with Eothen School in 1995 to become a fully co-educational school, losing its motto from 'Omnia vinces perserverando' (Perserverance conquers all) and adopting the Eothen School motto 'Veritas sine timore' (Truth without Fear). The school has steadily improved its A-Level results and is now firmly establsihed in the Top 100 Independent Schools list.
Angus Deayton attended this school.
The small East Surrey Museum near the station houses a local history collection. It is open on Wednesdays and at weekends and admission is free.
- Page for Caterham in Kelly's Directory of Kent, Surrey & Sussex, 1891
