(
Pronounced ) is a village in South-East
England . Sanderstead was formerly a parish of
Surrey , but since 1965 has been part of the
London Borough Of Croydon . It is on high ground at the edge of the built-up area of
Greater London . All Saints' Church dates from the
13th Century but was extensively altered in later periods.
Sanderstead Station is lower down the hill and has trains to
East Croydon and
London , and to
East Grinstead and
Uckfield . Having been a farming community in previous centuries, Sanderstead is now essentially a dormitory village for commuters to London and
Croydon .
There has been human habitation in the area since at least the
Roman period. A Romano-British homestead (small farming settlement) was discovered during the construction of one of the two junior schools of the village, Atwood. This was further excavated during the 1980s when the school was extended, revealing the remains of several round huts, hearths, a broach and pottery, some of which hailed from
North Africa .
One of the more curious aspects of Sanderstead is that it has no pub, unlike nearby
Warlingham which has around six. Rumours persist that this is due to the Manor of Sanderstead being Quaker Church land at one time, creating an unusual legal situation preventing the opening of one.
