Cranleigh

The name is popularly believed to come from the large crane's breeding ground there; hence the crane on the top of the water fountain in the middle of the village, which was lately removed for the construction of a Sainsbury's supermarket in Stocklund Square (which was initially opposed by the majority but accepted as a good idea soon after it was built).

History

Situated in the Weald, a forested area not densely populated until the 19th century, Cranleigh has little of prehistoric or Roman interest. A spur of the Roman road between London and Chichester runs north west to Guildford past nearby Farley Heath, a temple site.

Related Topics:
Weald - 19th century - Prehistoric - Roman - London - Chichester - Farley Heath

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The village goes without a mention in the Domesday Book of 1085, although a population must have existed a century later large enough to warrant the building of the church. In common with other parts of the Weald, the forests supplied the timber which fuelled the ironworking which, apart from peasant agriculture, was the only employment.

Related Topics:
Domesday Book - 1085

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Any growth could only come by improvements in transport; in 1813 the Wey and Arun Canal was authorised, passing a few miles to the west of the village. This route linked London (via the Thames and the Wey) with Littlehampton (via the Arun). However, the canal traffic was completely eclipsed by the railway in 1865, and the canal fell into disuse. A turnpike road was also built between Guildford and Horsham, the opening of which is commemorated by an obelisk near the church.

Related Topics:
1813 - Wey and Arun Canal - Thames - Wey - Littlehampton - Arun - 1865 - Turnpike - Obelisk

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This growth in transportation provided the initial stimulus for the typical Surrey village pattern of commuting, followed by the growth of a local service sector, except that Cranleigh was big enough to generate a good deal of light industrial employment itself.

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Cranleigh is proud of its hospital, the first cottage hospital in the country. It has survived many attempts to close it, through fundraising by the local community.

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