Surrey (pop. 1,203,108) is an English county that lies south of London. It serves as a unit of local government. Surrey is one of the most prosperous counties in England. It is also known for its beautiful scenery and its many fine old buildings. Surrey covers an area of 642 square miles (1,663 square kilometers). The National Trust owns some parts of the county. Surrey’s administrative center is Reigate. The county has associations with many well-known people. The reformer William Cobbett and the economist Thomas Malthus were born in Surrey.
Surrey is also a ceremonial county. The British monarch appoints royal representatives, including a lord lieutenant and a high sheriff, to each of England’s ceremonial counties.
People and government
Customs and legends.
The curfew bell at St. Peters Church, Chertsey, rings every evening between Lady Day (March 25) and Michaelmas (September 29). The legend of Blanche Heriot is still remembered in the town. Knowing that her lover was to be executed at the time of the curfew, Heriot clung to the bell clapper to keep it from ringing. During the delay, an order to cancel the execution arrived. Thus, Heriot’s lover was saved.
Recreation.
Cricket is a popular sport in Surrey. The Surrey county cricket club plays most of its matches at the Oval, in London. Some well-known sporting events take place in Surrey. The National Rifle Association holds its annual meetings (target-shooting competitions) at Bisley. Horse races such as the Derby and the Oaks are held at Epsom Downs. Other race courses in Surrey are at Lingfield; Sandown Park, near Esher; and Kempton Park, near Walton-on-Thames. Men’s and women’s football (soccer) teams in the Surrey Football Association play championship matches in Dorking.
Local government.
Surrey is divided into 11 local government districts: Elmbridge, which includes the community of Esher; Epsom and Ewell; Guildford; Mole Valley, which includes Dorking and Leatherhead; Reigate and Banstead, which includes Redhill; Runnymede, which includes Chertsey; Spelthorne, which includes Staines; Surrey Heath, which includes Bagshot; Tandridge, which includes Caterham and Warlingham; Waverley, which includes Farnham; and Woking.
The Crown Court meets at Guildford. The Surrey Constabulary, the county’s police force, has headquarters at Guildford. The Metropolitan Police of Greater London police some parts of northern Surrey.
Surrey’s administrative center used to be at Kingston upon Thames. But Surrey’s border changed, and the town became part of Greater London in 1965. The Surrey county offices remained at Kingston upon Thames until 2021, when they moved to Reigate.
Economy
Service industries.
About three-quarters of Surrey’s workers are employed in service industries. These industries include banking, education, health care, finance, insurance, and catering. Many of Surrey’s residents travel to work in London.
Manufacturing.
Factories in Surrey produce a variety of products. Important products include chemicals, electrical goods, machinery, pharmaceuticals, and transportation equipment.
Agriculture.
Surrey farmers grow many products, such as flowers, fruit, and salad and other vegetables, for sale in London. Northern Surrey has many dairy farms producing milk for London. Some farmers on the North Downs keep sheep. Many farmers in the county keep pigs or poultry. Surrey’s most important grain crops include oats and wheat. Other important crops are Brussels sprouts, cabbages, fodder crops such as kale, and potatoes and other root vegetables.
Mining.
Surrey has one of the United Kingdom’s few deposits of fuller’s earth, an impure clay used in the Yorkshire wool industry and in oil refining.
Tourism.
Surrey has much good walking country. Thorpe Park attracts many visitors to its water activities, rides, and varied special attractions.
Transportation and communication.
Several important roads from London cross Surrey. The London-to-Portsmouth road, the A3, passes through Guildford and Hindhead. The M3 motorway (expressway) and the A30 run parallel through northwestern Surrey. The M23 and the A23 lead south from the county, toward Brighton and Hove and the south coast. The M25 crosses the county. The county is well served by railway services.
The county is served by BBC Radio Surrey and the independent radio station County Sound, based in West Sussex. Most towns have weekly newspapers.
Land
Location and size.
Surrey is bordered on the north by Greater London, the Bracknell Forest Unitary Authority, and the Windsor and Maidenhead Unitary Authority. Kent lies to the east, West Sussex lies to the south, and Hampshire lies to the west. The longest north-south distance in Surrey is about 25 miles (40 kilometers), and the longest east-west distance is about 37 miles (60 kilometers).
Land regions.
The North Downs are broadest in the east, where they reach about 880 feet (270 meters) above sea level. In the west, the chalk forms a narrow, steep-sided ridge called the Hog’s Back that reaches a height of about 500 feet (150 meters).
Sand and clay outcrops are located south of the North Downs. An outcrop of sandstone called Lower Greensand forms a range of hills in southern Surrey. In these hills, Leith Hill reaches a height of 965 feet (294 meters) above sea level. It is the highest point in southeastern England. Clays and sandstones of the Weald lie in southern Surrey.
Rivers.
Most rivers in Surrey flow northward into the River Thames. The most important river in Surrey is the Wey. The River Mole passes through a gap in the North Downs between Dorking and Leatherhead. The River Mole enters the Thames at Molesey, at a point opposite Hampton Court in London.
Climate.
Many hilly areas receive an average of more than 30 inches (760 millimeters) of rainfall every year. Some low-lying areas in northern Surrey receive an average of less than 25 inches (635 millimeters) a year. Wisley, in northwestern Surrey, has average temperatures of 39 °F (4 °C) in January and 63 °F (17 °C) in July.
History
The Pilgrims’ Way, which passes through Dorking and Reigate, was a prehistoric trackway (path formed by people or animals). Later, pilgrims on their way to Canterbury used the same trackway. The Saxons gave the county its name, which means southern district. In the 600’s and 700’s, Surrey came under the rule of the kingdoms of Kent, Mercia, and, lastly, Wessex. Danes attacked the county in the 800’s. Their destructive assaults continued until the early 1000’s.
The Norman invaders also greatly damaged the county. But they built castles and churches throughout Surrey. Compton, southwest of Guildford, has one of the finest Norman churches in England. Guildford became an important town in the Middle Ages. King John granted Magna Carta in 1215 at Runnymede, a meadow in the county.
During the 1500’s, the county enjoyed great prosperity. Many fine mansions were built at that time. Surrey suffered damage from bombs and rockets in World War II (1939-1945), but most of the historic buildings in the county survived.
