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Said
to be England's largest village, Cranleigh lies in
the Weald on the main route from Guildford to Horsham. The
name of the village is thought to derive from the large breeding
ground of cranes that once lived there. Later the crane became
a symbol of Cranleigh and currently adorns several monuments
in the village.
Cranleigh
remained an isolated agricultural community until the construction
of the Wey and Arun Canal in 1816. Transport links were further
improved by the opening of the railway line from Horsham to
Guildford in 1865. Local trade thrived and the population
of the village grew rapidly, taking advantage of the commuting
potential to London and the rest of Surrey.
The
village was originally called 'Cranley' but because of the
increase in postal traffic in the 1860s the Post Office insisted
that the spelling be changed to Cranleigh to avoid confusion
with Crawley in West Sussex.
When
the railway line was axed in 1965, Stockland Square, in the
centre of the village, was built on the site of the former
station. The recently refurbished square now boasts an attractive
range of shops.
St Nicholas
church stands at the southern end of the High Street. The
14th century building, restored in 1864, is now dwarfed by
a huge cedar of the Lebonan planted in 1863.
Cranleigh
Common is famous for its cricket green and Cranleigh Cricket
Ground claims to be the finest in England after the Oval.
Cranleigh School is one of the UK's leading public (ie private)
schools. It was founded in 1865 as the Surrey County School
for farmers sons and still has a its own farm today.
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Cranleigh
