*REYGATE, (Surrey) 20 cm. 24 mm. from London, stands in the Vale of Holmsdale, with hills on each side. It is an ancient
Bor. by prescription, with the same constitution as Blechingley. It had a castle, built in the Saxons time, on the E. side
of the T. and called Holms-Castle; some ruins of which are still to be seen, particularly a long vault, with a room at the
end big enough to hold 500 persons; where, it is said, the Barons, who rose against K. John, had their private meetings.
Its Mt.-house was formerly a chapel, dedicated to Tho. Becket. The weekly Mt. on Tu. was procured by charter from Edw II.
and its monthly one on W. from K. Cha. II. who at his Rest. granted the manor and castle, which had been in possession of
Ld. Monson, to his brother, the D. of York; and at the Rev. K. William gave them to Ld. Somers; upon whose death they came
to the late James Cocks, Esq; father of the present Ld. of the manor. Under the hill, on the S. side of the T. is a great
house, formerly a priory; the site of which, late in the possession of Mr. Parsons, was purchased of the trustees of Ld,
Mordaunt, by his grandfather, Sir John, Ld.-mayor of London. The place, where it stood, still goes by the name of
Crouched-Friars. This T. has sent members to Pt. from the first, gives title of Baron to the E. of Peterborough, and has a
ch. sc. The Fairs here are W. in Easter-week, Whit-M. and St. James's. The neighbourhood abounds with fullers-earth, and
medicinal plants and herbs. The famous E. of Shaftsbury had a home in this T. to which he often retired, to avoid company.
It is now a private gentleman's seat, who has laid out and planted a small spot of ground in so many little parts, as to
comprise whatever can be supposed in the most noble seats; so that it may properly be called a model. The inh. call it the
World in in one acre.