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Bisected by the traffic-choked M25, this Home County
might, at first glance, appear to be the archetypal
commuter belt. Yet Surrey has somehow succeeded in
accommodating vast numbers of people without destroying
its natural beauty.
Even today it remains the most wooded county in Great
Britain and the escarpment of Box Hill, on the outskirts
of busy Dorking, boasts the oldest unspoiled area of
original woodland in the United Kingdom.
Large tracts of rolling countryside have survived the
building boom and throughout the region are extensive
commons, heaths and grasslands, all containing a wealth
of wildlife.
Many beautiful villages dot this pleasing landscape and
the North Downs, in particular, is a haven for nature
lovers, boasting hundreds of footpaths and bridleways.
Leigh Hill, near Dorking, is the highest point in
southeast England, soaring to 294m, or 965ft, above sea
level.
In prehistory the region was the stronghold of the
Atrebates tribe who controlled the southern bank of the
River Thames until they were defeated in battle by their
rivals, the Catuvellauni.
It was the Atrebates who, in an attempt to win back
their territory, formed an alliance with the Romans and
helped them invade Britain in 43AD.
There are reminders of those far-off days at the
Holmbury Fort Iron Age hill fort and in the remnants of
the Roman roads of Stane Street and Ermine Street.
The Saxons took control from the mid-fifth century and
the county became one of the last parts of England to
convert to Christianity. It was taken over by the
kingdom of Wessex in the seventh century. King Alfred’s
son Edward was one of seven kings to be crowned on the
Coronation Stone at Kingston upon Thames.
The region was also conquered by the Vikings who finally
gave way to French rule in the wake of the Norman
Conquest.
Given such a turbulent history it is no surprise that
Surrey has a number of old monastic buildings and a
magnificent Norman castle keep in Guildford.
Its finest stately home is Hampton Court Palace at
Richmond, a haunt of Henry VIII who rebuilt it in the
16th century. Originally owned by his archbishop,
Cardinal Wolsey, it contains the last medieval great
hall built for an English monarch. Its tennis court is
the oldest ‘real tennis’ court in the world still in
use, while its hedge maze has nine miles of paths.
Loseley House is another beautiful country home, built
in the 1560s for Elizabeth I to stay in. It boasts a
magnificent great hall, sumptuous panelling from Henry
VIII's Nonsuch Palace, his banqueting tents, a
minstrel's gallery, and carvings by Grinling Gibbons.
Other noteworthy mansions include 18th century Clandon
House, built by the Venetian architect Giacomo Leoni for
the 2nd Lord Onslow, the Palladian Hatchlands and the
Edwardian Polesden Lacey. The latter, set amidst
splendid downland scenery, was the scene of the future
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth the Queen’s Mother’s
honeymoon in 1923.
Surrey is a place of majestic gardens, the most famous
of which can be found at Richmond. The Royal Botanic
Gardens Kew has seven stupendous glasshouses containing
plants and trees from across the globe, as well as from
its oceans.
The world-famous Savill woodland garden lies within
Windsor Great Park at Egham, and covers 35 acres.
The county’s best-known museum is the Brooklands Museum
at Weybridge. It has a superlative collection of
historic racing cars, motorcycles, bicycles and aircraft
spanning 80 years. Brooklands was the first
purpose-built motor racing circuit in the world - and
the first place an Englishman flew an aircraft of his
own design.
Guildford’s Gallery Museum is housed in a 17th century
town house while a museum of rural life can be found at
Tilford.
Children, however, may prefer to head to some of the
area’s fun-loving theme parks. These include the
Chessington World of Adventures and the water-based
Thorpe Park.
Surrey’s largest town, Guildford, lies only 25 miles
from London yet still boasts a cobbled high street. It
is overlooked by one of the county’s best-known
landmarks, the Hog’s Back ridge on the North Downs.
With numerous fine Georgian buildings, a 20th century
cathedral, and its three-storey Norman keep, it has
retained some of its old-style charm and also has the
Dapdune Wharfe on the River Wey, one of Britain’s most
important historic waterways. The Wey was one of the
first British rivers to be made navigable, opening to
barge traffic in 1653.
A ‘must-see’ is Runnymede, near Egham. Now owned by the
National Trust, this water-meadow beside the River
Thames was where King John reputedly signed the Magna
Carta in 1215 to avert a rebellion by his barons.
A domed temple acts as a poignant memorial to the
signing, and nearby stands the John F Kennedy Memorial
on land ceded to the United States. A third memorial
pays tribute to the thousands of airmen who died
graveless in World War II.
Surrey, of course, has a remarkable sporting pedigree.
Former members of its cricket team – which plays at The
Oval - include some of England’s greatest batsmen. The
club took part in the earliest county match against Kent
on June 29th 1709.
But the region’s most famous sporting arena can be found
at Epsom – home to both The Oaks and The Derby horse
races.
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