areas within Surrey
The county of Surrey
Combined with its proximity to London and beautiful countryside, the county of Surrey is a very desirable place to live. Surrey is a county where ancient and modern sit comfortably together to create towns and picturesque villages with distinct English charm. Surrey has a population of approximately one million people, with many commuter towns and villages, and is more affluent, on average, than many other parts of the country. Surrey borders onto Berkshire, Greater London, Hampshire, Kent, East Sussex and West Sussex. Surrey has many attributes, including excellent rail and road transport links, the lowest crime rate of any county in England, good schools, traditional pubs, and quality shopping opportunities, some of the world's leading golf courses and a good selection of places of interest for all the family to visit.
A brief history
The name Surrey comes from the Old English 'sutherge', meaning southern district, and is first recorded in AD 722 as 'Suthrige'. The traditional nickname for people from Surrey is 'Surrey Capon', as it was well known in the later Middle Ages as the county where chickens were fattened up for the London meat markets. Until 1889 Surrey contained the area of the present-day London Boroughs of Lambeth, Southwark and Wandsworth. In 1965 the London Boroughs of Croydon, Kingston, Merton, Richmond (part) and Sutton were created and made part of Greater London, and the area of the present-day borough of Spelthorne was acquired from Middlesex. In 1974 local government reform caused Gatwick Airport and some surrounding land to be transferred to West Sussex.
Living in Surrey
People searching for property in Surrey will find there is a marked difference between the north and south of the county. Many of the towns on the north-eastern border of Surrey have become London Boroughs - Richmond, Sutton, Croydon and Kingston, and although still geographically in Surrey, they tend to be urban or suburban with a high density of housing. Moving south, Surrey becomes more rural and leafy, with rolling countryside and pretty villages with traditional pubs. Properties for sale in Surrey vary greatly in style and size, and include Georgian houses, Victorian terraced houses and late Victorian villas, mock Georgian houses and 1930s properties. Large sought after houses dating from the end of the 19th Century developed by one of England's most famous architects, Edwin Lutyens, can be found mostly south of Guildford. There are also brand new developments of executive style homes and apartments, some built individually and some in small estates. One of the most sought after places to live in Surrey is St George's Hill Estate in Weybridge which covers some 900 acres of land and contains its own tennis and golf club. This estate is, not surprisingly, a magnet for the rich and famous – Sir Cliff Richard has had a home there for 20 years - and properties command prices of £2m upwards.
People buying property in Surrey who would prefer to work locally than to commute into London will discover there are about 450 principal employers in Surrey, employing up to 140,000 people - or one third of all people employed in Surrey. Principal employers include the University of Surrey, BP, Legal and General and several large NHS hospitals.
Parents of children who are attending one of Surrey's universities might like to look at the selection of flats for rent in Guildford, or at the selection of houses to rent in Kingston advertised by the estate agents in these towns.
In Surrey you're sure to find your own way to feel at home. Families looking for property in Surrey will discover a diverse range of attractions. You could visit any number of places, including the grand palace of Hampton Court, historic Guildford Castle, the botanical gardens of Kew and the gardens of RHS Wisley in Woking; alternatively you could take the family on a boat trip on Dapdune Wharf in Guildford, to Brooklands Museum in Weybridge or to Thorpe Park in Chertsey. For a day at the races you could place your bets at one of Surrey's three racecourses - Epsom, Sandown or Lingfield. A must for wine lovers is a tour of Denbies Wine Estate in Dorking, which is England's largest and most spectacular vineyard. If shopping's high on your agenda there are plenty of places to shop, whether you're looking for antiques, a gift or a new sofa. Leatherhead has a mixture of large and small retailers in a pedestrian-friendly environment, and is particularly suited to the needs of disabled people. For large shopping centres with all the high street names, choose from Croydon, Kingston, Guildford, Woking or Camberley. Surrey features some of England's finest open spaces and areas of natural beauty. One of the most renowned beauty spots is Box Hill in Dorking, which is one of the best-known summits of the North Downs at 634 feet, and has many beautiful walks and spectacular views towards the South Downs. Surrey has the oldest working windmill in Britain at Outwood Common near Redhill. The Grade I listed structure was built in 1665 by Thomas Budgen, a miller from Nutfield. The surrounding area is National Trust common land and woodland where you can enjoy picnics and walks.
Travel and transport links in the county of Surrey
With its proximity to London, Surrey has long been referred to as a 'commuter belt', and when you look at the good transport links that exist you will understand why. If you work in London and are looking for an area to live that will transport you into London quickly, you should definitely consider searching for property in Surrey. This county is served by an extensive rail network which is one of the busiest in the UK, with links to London and two major airports – Heathrow and Gatwick. People searching for property in Chessington will find the train journey into Waterloo station is around 35 minutes, and if you're looking for property in Woking your train journey time would be just under 30 minutes. Road connections are also good. The M25 sweeps across the north of Surrey, linking with the national motorway network (in particular the M4, M3, M40, M1, M20, M26, M23 and M11).