Mines in Surrey

Surrey's mining is all soft rock and all underground: the Upper Greensand along the foot of the North Downs gave the freestone known as Reigate stone, cut from adits since Saxon times and built into the White Tower, Hampton Court and Canterbury Cathedral, while the Folkestone Beds beneath the towns gave the fine silver sand worked for glassmaking. Neither industry left much of a mark at surface, which is why Surrey's mines are known locally as caves.

Record created: 24 August 2026 · Last researched: 24 August 2026