The creators of a website providing historical information about Reigate need your help to piece together the final years of one of the town's grandest estates.

The site, www.deerings.co.uk, was set up by residents and focuses on the area surrounding Deerings Road, Croydon Road and Eversfield Road.

They are now hooked after uncovering events of almost 100 years ago when a mansion, Great Doods, whose land once covered the area, was demolished after standing for nearly 250 years.

Adrian Webb, a Deerings Road resident who looks after the site, explained: "The first time I ever saw a picture of Great Doods I was amazed.

"It was an astonishing 18-bedroom house, with vast greenhouses, huge timbered grounds, a fountain, a pond and a history going back a quarter of a millennium yet so far only one picture has turned up."

The picture was taken by an estate agent around 1906 when it was put up for sale.

Deeds from properties in Deerings Road include a document from 1897 which describes how the Great Doods estate was sold for development at a time when Reigate had started to expand residentially to the east and south-east.

The first houses began to appear in Deerings Road at the turn of the century and the mansion itself remained standing for almost another decade before being demolished and replaced with the houses which now stand at the foot of Croydon Road and Eversfield Road.

Adrian is keen to fill in the gaps and is appealing to residents to look through their heirlooms and attics in search of photographs, paintings, diaries or any accounts of the last years of the house which could add another side to this chunk of local history.

He says: "The history of Great Doods can be traced back to its first resident, Sir Edward Thurland, a member of parliament for Reigate who died in 1682.

"But there is so much more to discover, particularly about the events there during its final 100 years.

"Anyone who sees what this house looked like can't help but want to go back in time and see it in its full glory."

The desire to recreate the past became so strong that Adrian has attempted a digital recreation of Great Doods in colours using textures and features borrowed from some of Reigate's other historical buildings.

It is a slow and painstaking task, but he his determined to get it right.

He adds: "Every time I sit down for a few hours to work on the picture I become drawn into it.

"What did the gardens look like? Where did the staircases and balconies go when it was pulled down?

"Who tended the house and what did the interior look like? I believe that there must be more information hiding somewhere, it's just finding it."

Anyone who has any memories, photos or accounts of Great Doods can use the history bulletin board at www.deerings.co.uk to contribute towards the search.

l Or call the newsdesk on 020 8774 6584, email clovell@london.newsquest.co.uk or write to the address on page two.

Information supplied by Adrian Webb and www.deerings.co.uk