Surrey's Amazing Towns & Villages

Towns

Steeped in history with cobbled streets and twisting lanes, Surrey's market towns showcase beautiful timber-framed buildings, castle keeps and abbey ruins, alongside an eclectic mix of independent and national shops and restaurants.

• Epsom is an historic market town found just 15 miles south west of London. ItThe town is renowned the world over as the place where Epsom Salts were discovered and home to one of the world's oldest and most famous horse races, the Epsom Derby.
• Vibrant Guildford, the largest town in Surrey, brings together chic shopping and stylish places to eat and drink, surrounded by historic buildings, such as the iconic Guildhall and clock tower, theatres and entertainment venues.
• Farnham with is beautiful Georgian streets and historic architecture has arts at its heart and in 2013 the town was designated as England's Craft Town. The area's hop growing and brewing heritage is also still celebrated at the nearby Hogs Back Brewery in Tongham.
• Found amongst beautiful countryside by the River Wey, in Godalming you will find unique and individual shops in the historic High Street and Church Street. Did you know that Godalming was one of the first towns in the world to use electricity for street lighting?
• Situated to the north east of Surrey, Oxted is a vibrant, pretty and friendly town with an excellent range of food and drink outlets.
• Historic Dorking, surrounded by the beautiful Surrey Hills, is home to a thriving arts community, a renowned antiques and eclectic vintage shops quarter in West Street and is within easy reach of Denbies Wine Estate.
• Riverside Kingston -upon -Thames offers destination shopping and waterfront dining only 25 minutes from central London. Home to a bustling market for more than 800 years, and the place where Saxon Kings were crowned, the town now hosts a busy calendar of festivals and events throughout the year. It is also one of the major shopping destinations for the south east of England.

Villages

Explore village life in Surrey and you'll discover picture postcard cottages, local stores and village greens, along with welcoming pubs at the heart of the community. Unchanged for generations, a tour of the villages in Surrey offers the chance to step back in time and learn more about the region as well as some of its famous residents.

Visit England's oldest recorded village, Abinger Common, with dwellings dating back more than 7,000 years, or England's largest village, Cranleigh, a lovely quaint cafe called Cromwells, because it once used by Oliver Cromwell during the Civil War and a brilliant independent fashion house and cafe named "One Forty".

Find green-fingered inspiration in Bramley, home of acclaimed garden designer, Gertrude Jekyll or retrace the steps of the cast of blockbuster movies such as The Holiday or Bridget Jones in Shere.

Take a stroll in Holmbury St Mary to the road that inspired EM Forster to create Summer Street in Room with A View or visit the grave of famous journalist and explorer Sir Henry Morton Stanley in Pirbright.