Surrey: Local History Resources

Surrey is famous for its green fields and beautiful woods inside the London commuter belt, and for being home to the village of Virginia Water where the average house price is more than £1 million.

Is Surrey Part Of London?

Surrey is a historic county most of which remains independent of London, but as the capital city grew the following boroughs of Surrey were absorbed into London:

Croydon

Kingston upon Thames
Lambeth
Merton

Richmond upon Thames
Southwark
Sutton

Wandsworth

So, for example:

The local government County Borough of Croydon was part of the historic county of Surrey until 1965, when it officially transferred to the London Borough of Croydon which is part of Greater London. Croydon is now in London and no longer in Surrey, and the same is true of Kingston, Lambeth etc.

The rest of Surrey remains a county separate to London, with its own local government administration and other local services run by and for the county of Surrey.

What Area Does Surrey Cover?

Surrey is a ceremonial and administrative county in the region called South East England. It is also firmly included as one of the ‘Home Counties’ which surround London.

The landlocked county of Surrey covers an area of 1,663 km², mostly urban but with rural pockets. Its north-east border reaches into London, yet Surrey also contains a lot of countryside including Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is the most wooded county in England.

The counties bordering with Surrey are:

Berkshire
Hampshire

West Sussex
Greater London
East Sussex

Kent.

What Cities Are In Surrey?

The English ceremonial county of Surrey does not contain a single city; even Guildford is a town and not a city despite having a university and a sizeable population.

Despite not having a city, Surrey is home to a number of large and market towns:

Addlestone
Banstead
Camberley

Caterham
Chertsey
Dorking

Egham
Epsom
Esher

Farnham
Frimley
Godalming

Guildford
Haslemere
Horley

Leatherhead
Lightwater
Oxted

Redhill
Reigate
Staines

Woking
Walton-on-Thames
Weybridge

The largest villages in Surrey include:

Ashtead
Bagshot

Cobham
Cranleigh
East Horsley

Ewell
Hindhead
Send

South Earlswood
Virginia Water
Warlingham

West Clandon
Whitebushes
Witley

Surrey History On Facebook

Memories, advice, old photos, videos and maps can easily be shared in Facebook groups. Those which have been set up to discuss Surrey’s past include:

Sunbury & Shepperton Local History

The County’s Local History Resources

You’ll find, on a separate page, a long list of UK local history and family history resources, many of which will contain evidence about Surrey’s past. In addition, the following places and societies exist to preserve and further knowledge of the county’s history:

Addlestone Historical Society
Albury History Society
Army Medical Services Museum

Ash Museum
Banstead History Research Group
Barnes and Mortlake History Society

Basingstoke Canal Visitor Centre
Berkshire Hampshire Surrey Heathlands Local History and Archaeology Research Forum
Betchworth Village Archives

Blackheath Village Archive
Bourne Hall Museum
Bourne Society

Bramley History Society
Brooklands Museum
Brookwood Cemetery Society

Byfleet Heritage Society
Buckland Website
Chaldon History Group

The Charlwood Society
Chiddingfold Archive
Chobham Village Website

Chobham Museum
Clandon Park
East Clandon History Group

Chertsey Museum and Chertsey Society
Cobham Conservation Heritage Trust
Crafts Study Centre

Cranleigh Arts Centre
Cranleigh History Society
Dapdune Wharf

Dorking Local History Group
Dorking Museum and Heritage Centre
East Surrey Museum

Effingham Local History Group
Egham Museum
Elmbridge Museum

Epsom and Ewell History Explorer
Epsom and Ewell History and Archaeology Society
Esher District Local History Society

Ewhurst History Society
Farnham Castle – Keep & Bishop’s Palace
Farnham – Museum of Farnham

Felbridge and District History Group
Gatwick Aviation Museum
Godalming Museum

Goddards
Grayshott Village Archive
Guildford Castle

Guildford House
Guildford Institute Library and Guildford Museum
Guildford Museum

Hale History Project
Haslemere Educational Museum
Hatchlands Park

Holmesdale Natural History Club
Holmesdale Natural History Museum
Holmwood History

The Homewood
Horley Local History Society
Horsley Countryside Preservation Society

Kempton Park Steam Engines
Leatherhead and District Local History Society
Leatherhead Museum of Local History

Lewis Elton Gallery, Guildford
The Lightbox , Woking
London Bus Museum

Loseley Park
Mercedes-Benz World
Merstham Village Website

Mickleham and West Humble Local History Group
Molesey History Society
Museum of Farnham

Museum of the National Rifle Association
Newdigate Local History Society
Normandy Historians

Nutfield Historic Buildings and Landscape
Oakhurst Cottage
Oatlands Heritage Group

Ottershaw Society
Outwood Album
Oxted and District History Society

Pirbright Historians
Polesden Lacey
Reigate Priory Museum

RH7 History Group
Royal Holloway, University of London Picture Gallery and Art Collections
Royal Logistic Corps Museum

Rural Life Centre, Tilford
Send and Ripley History Society
Send & Ripley Museum

Shalford Mill
Shere Museum
Spelthorne Museum
Spike Heritage Centre
Sunbury and Shepperton Local History Society
Surrey Archives
Surrey Fire Museum
Surrey Heath Museum
Surrey Heath Archaeology and Heritage Trust
Surrey Heath Local History Club
Surrey Heath Museum
Surrey History Centre, Woking
Surrey Infantry Museum
Surrey Police Museum
Tatsfield History Project
Thursley – Tweedsmuir Military Camp
Titsey Place
Walton-on-the-Hill and District Local History Society
Watts Gallery
Westcott Local History Group
Woking History Society and Friends of Woking Palace and Old Woking
Wonersh History Society
Wrecclesham History Project

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Thanks to Andrew Martin for use of the image shown at the top of this page.