Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Surrey shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Surrey offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Surrey at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Surrey? Wrong! If the Surrey is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Surrey then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Surrey? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Surrey and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Surrey wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Surrey then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Surrey site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Surrey, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Surrey, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

{{Infobox England county| name = Surrey | motto = | map = ] | status = [Ceremonial counties of England & [Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England county | origin = [Historic counties of England | region = [South East England | arearank = [List of Ceremonial counties of England by Area | area_km2 = 1663 | adminarearank = [List of Administrative shire counties of England by Area | adminhq = [Kingston upon Thames
(extraterritorially) | iso = GB-SRY | ons = 43 | nuts3 = UKJ23 | poprank = [List of ceremonial counties of England by population | popestdate = {{English statistics year--> | pop = {{English cerem counties|POP=Surrey--> | density_km2 = {{English cerem counties|DEN=Surrey--> | adminpoprank = [List of non-metropolitan counties of England by population | ethnicity = 95.0% White
2.2% S. Asian | council = ]
Surrey County Council
http://www.surreycc.gov.uk/ | exec = {{English county control|CTY=Surrey--> | mps = *[Peter Ainsworth (English politician) [Conservative Party (UK) | subdivmap = ] | subdivs = #[Spelthorne
  • Runnymede (district)
  • Surrey Heath
  • Woking (borough)
  • Elmbridge
  • Guildford (borough)
  • Waverley, Surrey
  • Mole Valley
  • Epsom and Ewell
  • Reigate and Banstead
  • Tandridge (district)
    • -->Surrey is a counties of England in the South East England of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire, and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of Greater London since 1965.

    Surrey is divided into 11 boroughs and districts: Elmbridge, Epsom and Ewell, Guildford (borough), Mole Valley, Reigate and Banstead, Runnymede (district), Spelthorne, Surrey Heath, Tandridge (district), Waverley, Surrey, Woking, Surrey. After the elections of 3 May 2007, the Conservative Party (UK) are in control of nine out of 11 councils in Surrey.

    On 3 August 2007 it was announced that 2007 United Kingdom foot-and-mouth outbreak had been 2007 United Kingdom foot-and-mouth outbreak near Guildford. This is the first discovery in the UK since 2001. Settlements and communications the highest point in Surrey See also list of places in Surrey. Surrey has a population of approximately one million people. The historic county town was Guildford, although the county administration was moved to Newington, London in 1791 and to Kingston upon Thames in 1893. The county council's headquarters have been outside the county's boundaries since 1 April 1965 when Kingston and other areas were included within Greater London by the London Government Act 1963. Recent plans to move the offices to a new site in Woking have now been abandoned. Surrey County Council press release January 17, 2006 Due to its proximity to London there are many commuter towns and villages in Surrey, the population density is high and the area is more affluent, on average, than other parts of the United Kingdom. Surrey is the most densely populated Shire Counties in England, and the most densely populated ceremonial county after Greater London, the Metropolitan county and Bristol. Much of the north east of the county forms part of the Greater London Urban Area. In the west, there is a conurbation straddling the Hampshire/Surrey border, including in Surrey Camberley and Farnham.

    Most English counties have nicknames for people from that county, such as a Tyke from Yorkshire and a Yellowbelly from Lincolnshire; the traditional nickname for people from Surrey is 'Surrey Capon', as it was well known in the later Middle Ages as the county where chickens were fattened up for the London meat markets.

    Physical geography , Surrey

    Surrey contains a good deal of mature woodland (reflected in the official logo of Surrey County Council, a pair of interlocking oak leaves). Among its many notable beauty spots are Box Hill, England, Leith Hill, Frensham Ponds, Newland's Corner and Puttenham & Crooksbury Commons. It is the most wooded county in Great Britain, with 22.4% coverage compared to a national average of 11.8% and as such is one of the few counties to not include new woodlands in their strategic plans. Box Hill has the oldest untouched area of natural woodland in the UK, one of the oldest in Europe.

    Much of Surrey is in the Green Belt (UK) and is rolling downland, the county's geology being dominated by the chalk hills of the North Downs. Agriculture not being intensive, there are many Common land and access lands, together with an extensive network of Rights of way in the United Kingdoms including the North Downs Way, a scenic long-distance path. Accordingly, Surrey provides much in the way of rural leisure activities, with a very large horse population. Towards the north of the county, the land is largely flat around Staines and bi-sected by the River Thames.

    The highest point in Surrey is Leith Hill near Dorking at 965 ft (294 m) above sea level.

    History British and Roman Surrey runs through SurreyBefore Roman times the area today known as Surrey was very probably governed by the Atrebates tribe centred at Calleva Atrebatum in the modern county of Hampshire. They were known to have controlled the southern bank of the Thames from Roman documents describing the nature of tribal relations between them and the powerful Catuvellauni on the north banks. In about 42AD King Cunobelinus or Cunobelin of the Catuvellauni died and war broke out between his sons and between King Verica of the Atrebates. The Catuvellauni invaded the Atrebatean lands, probably crossing the River Thames near modern Staines where the river could be forded. The Atrebates were defeated in the conflict, their capital captured and their lands made subject to the Catuvellauni now led by Togodumnus ruling from Camulodunum. Verica fled to Gaul and appealed for Roman aid. The Atrebates were allies with Rome during their invasion of Britain in 43AD. The territory of Surrey was traversed by Stane Street and other less well known Roman roads.

    After the Romans left Britain in c.410AD the territory of modern Surrey was officially part of Britannia Prima but was probably ruled by the successor realm of the Atrebates tribe. It has long been speculated that Guildford may have been the Astolat of King Arthur renown, however the legendary city is more likely to have been Calleva (modern day Silchester), the capital of the Atrebates, which resisted the Anglo-Saxons for many years.

    The Saxon tribes and the sub-kingdom From around 480 AD Saxons from the south and Jutes from east invaded and began settling in the area and establishing a sub-kingdom probably with Middlesex overlords. At this time the area was sparsely populated and almost entirely forested. There was a local truce recorded in c.500 (possibly as a result of the Battle of Badon Hill) and only north and east Surrey were retained by the Anglo-Saxons. The westward expansion into British territory continued from c.550AD with some local British communities becoming marooned within the confines of Saxon Surrey, probably around Walton-on-Thames. From 568 the eastern border of Surrey and Kent is agreed and marked by a ditch. Local tribes named Æschingas, Godhelmingas (around Godalming (hundred)), Tetingas (around Tooting), Woccingas (between Woking and Wokingham), Basingas (the Blackwater Valley) and Sonningas (around Sonning) are known to have existed.

    In 661 the sub-kingdom took Mercia as its overlord. In 675 Surrey became one of the last portions of England to convert to Christianity when its sub-King Frithuwold of Surrey and his son were baptised. The name of the area at this time is recorded as Sudergeona or "southern region". In 685 Surrey changed allegiance and took Wessex as its overlord. In 690 the western border of Surrey was settled with Wessex; the tribal territories of the Sonningas became part of Berkshire and the Basingas became part of Hampshire. In 705 Surrey was transferred from the Middle Saxon diocese of London to the West Saxon diocese of Winchester. After 771 Surrey came under the rule of Offa of Mercia and was so until 823 when Surrey reverted to Wessex and so remained. Some historians have also speculated that the Nox gaga and the Oht gaga tribes listed in the Mercian Tribal Hidage refers to two distinct groups living in Surrey. They were valued together at 7,000 hide (unit).

    Sub Kings and Eorldermen of Surrey

    an unknown series of sub regulus until;



    an unknown series of Eorldermen until;



    an unknown series of Eorldermen until;



    The West Saxon shire The territory of Surrey was formally annexed by Wessex in 860 and became a Shire under the same model as the other counties of Wessex. It is around this time that the wars between the Ænglecynn and the Danes reach their height with Surrey becoming the arena for a number of key battles; most notably at the Battle of Ockley in 851 and the Battle of Farnham in 894.

    After the death of King Alfred the Great in 899 his son, King Edward the Elder was crowned on the Coronation Stone at Kingston upon Thames. The use of this stone before 902 is unknown but it seems likely that it would have been something of ancient spiritual or political significance. After him another six kings of England from the House of Wessex were crowned here, the last being Ethelred the Unready in 978.

    In 1011 it is recorded that Surrey was over-run by Danish forces led by Canute the Great before all of England submitted to them in 1016.

    In 1035, Canute died and during the uncertainty that followed the heirs of former Anglo-Saxon rulers attempted to restore the House of Wessex to the throne of Ænglalond. Ælfred Æþling the younger of the two heirs (his older brother being the future Edward the Confessor) landed on the coast of Sussex with a Normans mercenary body guard and attempted to make his way to London. In the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle there is an account of this fateful encounter:


    "As Ælfred and his men approached the town of Guildford in Surrey, thirty miles south-west of London, they were met by the powerful Earl Godwin of Wessex, who professed loyalty to the young prince and procured lodgings for him and his men in the town. The next morning, Godwin said to Ælfred: "I will safely and securely conduct you to London, where the great men of the kingdom are awaiting your coming, that they may raise you to the throne." This he said in spite of the fact that the throne was already occupied by the son of Knud, Harold Harefoot, and he was actually in league with King Harold to lure the young prince to his death." seen from the North Downs Way, Puttenham, Surrey "Then the earl led the prince and his men over the hill of Guildown (called today The Hog's Back and is the route of the A31 road), which is to the west of Guildford, on the road to Winchester, not London. Perhaps the prince had insisted on continuing his journey to his original destination, his mother’s court in Winchester, in any case, Godwin repeated his tempting offer; showing the prince the magnificent panorama from the hill both to the north and to the south, he said: "Look around on the right hand and on the left, and behold what a realm will be subject to your dominion." Ælfred then gave thanks to God and promised that if he should ever be crowned king, he would institute such laws as would be pleasing and acceptable to God and men. At that moment, however, he was seized and bound together with all his men. Nine tenths of them were then murdered. And since the remaining tenth was still so numerous, they, too, were decimated."

    "Ælfred was tied to a horse and then conveyed by boat to the monastery of Ely. As the boat reached land, his eyes were put out. For a while he was looked after by the monks, who were fond of him, but soon after he died, probably on February 5, 1036."

    Interestingly, during the 1920s the remains of several hundred soldiers, probably Normans, were found to the west of Guildford. They were bound and had been executed. The grave was dated to c.1040. It is likely that they were the guards of poor Prince Ælfred.

    After the Anglo-Saxon restoration through the accession of Edward the Confessor in 1042 Surrey remained unmolested until the Norman Conquest in 1066. Few remains of either the ancient British, the Roman, or the Saxon periods in Surrey exist. Stone Street and Ermine Street have left some vestiges, and Roman relics, of no great interest, have been found at various places.

    Medieval Surrey In 1088, William II granted William de Warenne the title of Earl of Surrey as reward for Warenne's loyalty during the rebellion that followed the death of William I of England. The chief subsequent event connected with it was the signing of the great charter at Magna Carta, and other public events were mostly intertwined with the history of the metropolis. However, Guildford Castle was captured by forces supporting Louis VIII of France of France in 1216, and in June 1497 the county was overrun by as many as 15,000 Cornish Rebellion of 1497 rebels heading for London. This would have been the first Brythonic army to move through Surrey for nearly 900 years. There was a brief battle just outside Guildford at Gil Down before the Cornish rebels marched north east through Banstead and right across Wallington (hundred) and Brixton (hundred) as far as Blackheath, London in Kent where they were eventually routed by an English army.

    Specimens of monastic buildings of early English date occur in Chertsey Abbey, Waverley Abbey and Newark Priory. These were all destroyed during English Reformation. It was also the home of the Merton Priory from 1114 until 1538. From the Saxon period up until Victorian era times Surrey was divided into the 14 hundred (division)s of Blackheath (hundred), Brixton (hundred), Copthorne (hundred), Effingham (half hundred), Elmbridge (hundred), Farnham (hundred), Godalming (hundred), Godley (hundred), Kingston (hundred), Reigate (hundred), Tandridge (hundred), Wallington (hundred), Woking (hundred) and Wotton (hundred).

    Modern history {{infobox historic district| |Name= Surrey |HQ= [Newington, London 1889 - 1893, [Kingston upon Thames from 1893 |Status= [Administrative county |Start= |End= |Replace= [Surrey |Image= |Civic= ] |PopulationFirst= 452,218Census of England and Wales 1891, General Report, Table III: Administrative counties and county boroughs |PopulationFirstYear= 1891 |PopulationLast= 1,002,832http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit_page.jsp?u_id=10152902 ''Surrey'', Vision of Britain, accessed October 17, 2007 |PopulationLastYear= 1971 -->

    The Local Government Act 1888 reorganised county-level local government throughout England and Wales. Accordingly, the administrative county of Surrey was formed in 1889 when the Provisional Surrey County Council first met, consisting of 19 aldermen and 57 councillors. The county council assumed the administrative responsibilities previously exercised by the county's justice of the peace in quarter sessions. The county had revised boundaries, with the north east of the historic county bordering the City of London becoming part of a new County of London. These areas now form the London Boroughs of London Borough of Lambeth, London Borough of Southwark and London Borough of Wandsworth, and the Penge Urban District area of the London Borough of Bromley. At the same time, the County Borough of Croydon became a county borough, outside the jurisdiction of the county council.

    For purposes other than local government the administrative county of Surrey and county borough of Croydon continued to form a "county of Surrey" to which a Lord Lieutenant and Custos Rotulorum (Chief Magistrate) and a High Sheriff were appointed.

    Surrey had been administered from Newington, London since the 1790s, and the county council was initially based in the sessions house there. As Newington was included in the County of London it lay outside the area administered by the council, and a site for a new county hall within the administrative county was sought. By 1890 six towns were being considered: Epsom, Guildford, Kingston, Redhill, Surbiton and Wimbledon.The Times, March 27, 1890 A decision to build the new County Hall (Surrey) at Kingston was made in 1891, and the building opened in 1893.David Robinson, History of County Hall, Surrey County Council

    The boundaries of the administrative county were little altered until 1965, the only significant changes being the extension of Croydon county borough's area on a number of occasions.

    By the 1930s most of the north of the county had been built over, becoming outer suburbs of London, although continuing to form part of Surrey administratively. In 1960 the report of the Royal Commission on Local Government in Greater London recommended that much of north Surrey (including Croydon) be included in a new "Greater London". The recommendations of the report were enacted in highly modified form in 1965 by the London Government Act 1963. The areas that now form the London Boroughs of London Borough of Croydon, Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames, London Borough of Merton, London Borough of Sutton and that part of London Borough of Richmond upon Thames south of the River Thames were transferred from Surrey to Greater London. At the same time part of the county of Middlesex, which had been abolished by the legislation, was added to Surrey. This area now forms the borough of Spelthorne.

    Further local government reform under the Local Government Act 1972 took place in 1974. The 1972 Act abolished administrative counties and introduced non-metropolitan county in their place. The boundaries of the non-metropolitan county of Surrey were similar to those of the administrative county with the exception of Gatwick Airport and some surrounding land which was transferred to West Sussex. It was originally proposed that the parishes of Horley and Charlwood would become part of West Sussex, however fierce local opposition led to a reversal of this under the Charlwood and Horley Act 1974.

    Economy Surrey is a prosperous county with a service based economy closely tied to that of London.

    This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Surrey at current basic prices published (pp.240-253) by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling.{| class="wikitable"|-! Year || Regional Gross Value AddedComponents may not sum to totals due to rounding || Agricultureincludes hunting and forestry || Industryincludes energy and construction || Servicesincludes financial intermediation services indirectly measured|-| 1995 || 12,177 || 116 || 2,414 || 9,647|-| 2000 || 19,811 || 103 || 3,288 || 16,420|-| 2003 || 22,790 || 99 || 3,394 || 19,297|}

    Waste management

    There are two active landfill sites in Surrey. One is at Albury, Surrey near Guildford. This site is managed by Sita (waste management).

    Major towns See List of places in Surrey

    The largest town in Surrey is Guildford with 66,773; Woking is a close second with a population of 62,796. The third largest town is Ewell with 39,994 people to the north of the county and the fourth is Camberley with 30,155 people in the west of the county. Towns with between 25,000 and 30,000 are Ashford, Surrey, Epsom, Farnham and Redhill, Surrey.

    Education Surrey has a Comprehensive school secondary education system with 53 state schools (not including sixth form colleges), but there are also 41 independent schools—a high proportion of school children in Surrey go to independent school. Most have sixth forms although Reigate, Spelthorne, Woking and Waverley districts tend to have separate sixth forms colleges. In England, on average 45.8% of pupils gain five good GCSEs including English and Maths; for Surrey's 10,300 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 52.7%: one of the highest in South East England (second after Buckinghamshire). The best performing state school is Gordon's School in Woking. The worst is the Jubilee High School in Addlestone. At A level, the county performs slightly under the England average. The best performing state school is The Ashcombe School in Dorking. The best school overall at A level is the independent Tormead School (female only) in Guildford. The independent schools generally perform better than state schools.

    GCSE results in 2006 by district council The following is the a list of the percentage of students who achieve 5 A-C grades at GCSE, by district council.

    Third level , Egham

    See also List of schools in the South East of England#Surrey and :Category:Education in Surrey.

    Places of interest Significant landscapes in Surrey include Box Hill, England just north of Dorking; the Devil's Punch Bowl at Hindhead; Frensham Common is home to a variety of plant, animal and birdlife; Frensham Great Pond houses assorted sailing activities whilst Frensham Little Pond provides places for picnics. Leith Hill to the south west of Dorking is the highest point in south-east England. Witley Common is heathland south of Godalming and is run by the National Trust and Surrey Hills AONB is an area of outstanting natural beauty (AONB).Manicured landscapes can be seen at Claremont Landscape Garden, south of Esher. The gardens here date from 1715. There is also Winkworth Arboretum south east of Godalming which was created in the 20th century. Royal Horticultural Society Garden Wisley is home to the royal horticultural society gardens.

    Surrey has important country houses such as Clandon Park, an 18th century Palladian mansion in West Clandon to the east of Guildford. Nearby there is Hatchlands Park in East Clandon, east of Guildford, was built in 1758 with Robert Adam interiors and a fine keyboard collection. Polesden Lacey south of Great Bookham is a regency architecture villa with extensive grounds. On a smaller scale, Oakhurst Cottage in Hambledon, Surrey near Godalming is a restored 16th century worker's home. Furthermore there is a museum the Rural Life Centre, Tilford which remembers this time.

    The county is linked with the River Wey and the Wey and Godalming Navigations. Dapdune Wharf in Guildford commemorates this and is home to a restored Wey barge, the Reliance. Furthermore on the River Tillingbourne, Shalford Mill is an 18th century water-mill which may be visited.

    There are many typical English villages including Holmbury St Mary which lies in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, close to the Greensand Way and North Downs Way. It was developed in the 19th century and still has a mainly Victorian era character as on the whole no new building is allowed. The youth hostel, constructed in the village in 1935, was the first purpose-built by the Youth Hostels Association. where the Magna Carta was signedHistorically Runnymede at Egham should not be overlooked. This is the site of the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215. Waverley Abbey and Chertsey Abbeys were very significant in medieval Surrey.

    Guildford Cathedral is a post-war cathedral built from bricks made from the clay hill on which it stands.

    Brooklands Museum recognises the motoring past of Surrey. The county is also home to Thorpe Park, a sister theme park of Alton Towers; and Legoland Windsor.

    Culture, arts and sport was the first ever oval style race track built for cars.The first known record of cricket was in Guildford, Surrey (see History of English cricket to 1696). Currently, the Surrey County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Surrey, although its largest ground, The Oval, which was once in Surrey, has been made part of Greater London. Surrey has numerous football teams (mainly non-League) including Woking F.C., Kingstonian F.C., AFC Wimbledon, Weybridge F.C. and Guildford City F.C..

    Surrey in film and books martian tripod in WokingSurrey has been mentioned in literature: in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter (character)'s only living relatives, the Dursley family, live in Little Whinging, a fictional town located in Surrey. The character Ford Prefect (character) from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy claimed to be from Guildford in Surrey, but in actuality he was from a small planet somewhere in the vicinity of Betelguese.Interestingly much of the central plot of Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett takes place in Dorking. Surrey was mentioned often in Aldous Huxley's novel Brave New World. Much of H. G. Wells's 1898 novella The War of the Worlds is set in Surrey with many specific towns and villages identified. The martians first land on Horsell Common on the north side of Woking, outside the Bleak House pub, now called Sands.

    Interestingly the late Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman mentions Camberley in his poem "A Subaltern's Lovesong". In contrast, Carshalton forms the literary backdrop to many of the poems by James Farrar.

    The county has also been used as a film location. Part of the movie The Holiday was filmed in Surrey: Kate Winslet's character Iris lived there and Cameron Diaz's character Amanda switched houses with her as part of a home exchange. In the 1976 film The Omen (1976 film), the scenes at the cathedral were filmed at Guildford Cathedral. The film I Want Candy (film) follows two hopeful lads from Leatherhead trying to break into the movies. Surrey woodland represented Germany in the opening scene of Gladiator (2000 film), starring Russell Crowe; it was filmed at Tilford near Farnham in Surrey.

    County Emergency Services Surrey is served by these emergency sevices.

    References

    External links




    {{Infobox England county| name = Surrey | motto = | map = ] | status = [Ceremonial counties of England & [Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England county | origin = [Historic counties of England | region = [South East England | arearank = [List of Ceremonial counties of England by Area | area_km2 = 1663 | adminarearank = [List of Administrative shire counties of England by Area | adminhq = [Kingston upon Thames
    (extraterritorially) | iso = GB-SRY | ons = 43 | nuts3 = UKJ23 | poprank = [List of ceremonial counties of England by population | popestdate = {{English statistics year--> | pop = {{English cerem counties|POP=Surrey--> | density_km2 = {{English cerem counties|DEN=Surrey--> | adminpoprank = [List of non-metropolitan counties of England by population | ethnicity = 95.0% White
    2.2% S. Asian | council = ]
    Surrey County Council
    http://www.surreycc.gov.uk/ | exec = {{English county control|CTY=Surrey--> | mps = *[Peter Ainsworth (English politician) [Conservative Party (UK) | subdivmap = ] | subdivs = #[Spelthorne
  • Runnymede (district)
  • Surrey Heath
  • Woking (borough)
  • Elmbridge
  • Guildford (borough)
  • Waverley, Surrey
  • Mole Valley
  • Epsom and Ewell
  • Reigate and Banstead
  • Tandridge (district)
    • -->Surrey is a counties of England in the South East England of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire, and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of Greater London since 1965.

    Surrey is divided into 11 boroughs and districts: Elmbridge, Epsom and Ewell, Guildford (borough), Mole Valley, Reigate and Banstead, Runnymede (district), Spelthorne, Surrey Heath, Tandridge (district), Waverley, Surrey, Woking, Surrey. After the elections of 3 May 2007, the Conservative Party (UK) are in control of nine out of 11 councils in Surrey.

    On 3 August 2007 it was announced that 2007 United Kingdom foot-and-mouth outbreak had been 2007 United Kingdom foot-and-mouth outbreak near Guildford. This is the first discovery in the UK since 2001. Settlements and communications the highest point in Surrey See also list of places in Surrey. Surrey has a population of approximately one million people. The historic county town was Guildford, although the county administration was moved to Newington, London in 1791 and to Kingston upon Thames in 1893. The county council's headquarters have been outside the county's boundaries since 1 April 1965 when Kingston and other areas were included within Greater London by the London Government Act 1963. Recent plans to move the offices to a new site in Woking have now been abandoned. Surrey County Council press release January 17, 2006 Due to its proximity to London there are many commuter towns and villages in Surrey, the population density is high and the area is more affluent, on average, than other parts of the United Kingdom. Surrey is the most densely populated Shire Counties in England, and the most densely populated ceremonial county after Greater London, the Metropolitan county and Bristol. Much of the north east of the county forms part of the Greater London Urban Area. In the west, there is a conurbation straddling the Hampshire/Surrey border, including in Surrey Camberley and Farnham.

    Most English counties have nicknames for people from that county, such as a Tyke from Yorkshire and a Yellowbelly from Lincolnshire; the traditional nickname for people from Surrey is 'Surrey Capon', as it was well known in the later Middle Ages as the county where chickens were fattened up for the London meat markets.

    Physical geography , Surrey

    Surrey contains a good deal of mature woodland (reflected in the official logo of Surrey County Council, a pair of interlocking oak leaves). Among its many notable beauty spots are Box Hill, England, Leith Hill, Frensham Ponds, Newland's Corner and Puttenham & Crooksbury Commons. It is the most wooded county in Great Britain, with 22.4% coverage compared to a national average of 11.8% and as such is one of the few counties to not include new woodlands in their strategic plans. Box Hill has the oldest untouched area of natural woodland in the UK, one of the oldest in Europe.

    Much of Surrey is in the Green Belt (UK) and is rolling downland, the county's geology being dominated by the chalk hills of the North Downs. Agriculture not being intensive, there are many Common land and access lands, together with an extensive network of Rights of way in the United Kingdoms including the North Downs Way, a scenic long-distance path. Accordingly, Surrey provides much in the way of rural leisure activities, with a very large horse population. Towards the north of the county, the land is largely flat around Staines and bi-sected by the River Thames.

    The highest point in Surrey is Leith Hill near Dorking at 965 ft (294 m) above sea level.

    History British and Roman Surrey runs through SurreyBefore Roman times the area today known as Surrey was very probably governed by the Atrebates tribe centred at Calleva Atrebatum in the modern county of Hampshire. They were known to have controlled the southern bank of the Thames from Roman documents describing the nature of tribal relations between them and the powerful Catuvellauni on the north banks. In about 42AD King Cunobelinus or Cunobelin of the Catuvellauni died and war broke out between his sons and between King Verica of the Atrebates. The Catuvellauni invaded the Atrebatean lands, probably crossing the River Thames near modern Staines where the river could be forded. The Atrebates were defeated in the conflict, their capital captured and their lands made subject to the Catuvellauni now led by Togodumnus ruling from Camulodunum. Verica fled to Gaul and appealed for Roman aid. The Atrebates were allies with Rome during their invasion of Britain in 43AD. The territory of Surrey was traversed by Stane Street and other less well known Roman roads.

    After the Romans left Britain in c.410AD the territory of modern Surrey was officially part of Britannia Prima but was probably ruled by the successor realm of the Atrebates tribe. It has long been speculated that Guildford may have been the Astolat of King Arthur renown, however the legendary city is more likely to have been Calleva (modern day Silchester), the capital of the Atrebates, which resisted the Anglo-Saxons for many years.

    The Saxon tribes and the sub-kingdom From around 480 AD Saxons from the south and Jutes from east invaded and began settling in the area and establishing a sub-kingdom probably with Middlesex overlords. At this time the area was sparsely populated and almost entirely forested. There was a local truce recorded in c.500 (possibly as a result of the Battle of Badon Hill) and only north and east Surrey were retained by the Anglo-Saxons. The westward expansion into British territory continued from c.550AD with some local British communities becoming marooned within the confines of Saxon Surrey, probably around Walton-on-Thames. From 568 the eastern border of Surrey and Kent is agreed and marked by a ditch. Local tribes named Æschingas, Godhelmingas (around Godalming (hundred)), Tetingas (around Tooting), Woccingas (between Woking and Wokingham), Basingas (the Blackwater Valley) and Sonningas (around Sonning) are known to have existed.

    In 661 the sub-kingdom took Mercia as its overlord. In 675 Surrey became one of the last portions of England to convert to Christianity when its sub-King Frithuwold of Surrey and his son were baptised. The name of the area at this time is recorded as Sudergeona or "southern region". In 685 Surrey changed allegiance and took Wessex as its overlord. In 690 the western border of Surrey was settled with Wessex; the tribal territories of the Sonningas became part of Berkshire and the Basingas became part of Hampshire. In 705 Surrey was transferred from the Middle Saxon diocese of London to the West Saxon diocese of Winchester. After 771 Surrey came under the rule of Offa of Mercia and was so until 823 when Surrey reverted to Wessex and so remained. Some historians have also speculated that the Nox gaga and the Oht gaga tribes listed in the Mercian Tribal Hidage refers to two distinct groups living in Surrey. They were valued together at 7,000 hide (unit).

    Sub Kings and Eorldermen of Surrey

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    The West Saxon shire The territory of Surrey was formally annexed by Wessex in 860 and became a Shire under the same model as the other counties of Wessex. It is around this time that the wars between the Ænglecynn and the Danes reach their height with Surrey becoming the arena for a number of key battles; most notably at the Battle of Ockley in 851 and the Battle of Farnham in 894.

    After the death of King Alfred the Great in 899 his son, King Edward the Elder was crowned on the Coronation Stone at Kingston upon Thames. The use of this stone before 902 is unknown but it seems likely that it would have been something of ancient spiritual or political significance. After him another six kings of England from the House of Wessex were crowned here, the last being Ethelred the Unready in 978.

    In 1011 it is recorded that Surrey was over-run by Danish forces led by Canute the Great before all of England submitted to them in 1016.

    In 1035, Canute died and during the uncertainty that followed the heirs of former Anglo-Saxon rulers attempted to restore the House of Wessex to the throne of Ænglalond. Ælfred Æþling the younger of the two heirs (his older brother being the future Edward the Confessor) landed on the coast of Sussex with a Normans mercenary body guard and attempted to make his way to London. In the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle there is an account of this fateful encounter:


    "As Ælfred and his men approached the town of Guildford in Surrey, thirty miles south-west of London, they were met by the powerful Earl Godwin of Wessex, who professed loyalty to the young prince and procured lodgings for him and his men in the town. The next morning, Godwin said to Ælfred: "I will safely and securely conduct you to London, where the great men of the kingdom are awaiting your coming, that they may raise you to the throne." This he said in spite of the fact that the throne was already occupied by the son of Knud, Harold Harefoot, and he was actually in league with King Harold to lure the young prince to his death." seen from the North Downs Way, Puttenham, Surrey "Then the earl led the prince and his men over the hill of Guildown (called today The Hog's Back and is the route of the A31 road), which is to the west of Guildford, on the road to Winchester, not London. Perhaps the prince had insisted on continuing his journey to his original destination, his mother’s court in Winchester, in any case, Godwin repeated his tempting offer; showing the prince the magnificent panorama from the hill both to the north and to the south, he said: "Look around on the right hand and on the left, and behold what a realm will be subject to your dominion." Ælfred then gave thanks to God and promised that if he should ever be crowned king, he would institute such laws as would be pleasing and acceptable to God and men. At that moment, however, he was seized and bound together with all his men. Nine tenths of them were then murdered. And since the remaining tenth was still so numerous, they, too, were decimated."

    "Ælfred was tied to a horse and then conveyed by boat to the monastery of Ely. As the boat reached land, his eyes were put out. For a while he was looked after by the monks, who were fond of him, but soon after he died, probably on February 5, 1036."

    Interestingly, during the 1920s the remains of several hundred soldiers, probably Normans, were found to the west of Guildford. They were bound and had been executed. The grave was dated to c.1040. It is likely that they were the guards of poor Prince Ælfred.

    After the Anglo-Saxon restoration through the accession of Edward the Confessor in 1042 Surrey remained unmolested until the Norman Conquest in 1066. Few remains of either the ancient British, the Roman, or the Saxon periods in Surrey exist. Stone Street and Ermine Street have left some vestiges, and Roman relics, of no great interest, have been found at various places.

    Medieval Surrey In 1088, William II granted William de Warenne the title of Earl of Surrey as reward for Warenne's loyalty during the rebellion that followed the death of William I of England. The chief subsequent event connected with it was the signing of the great charter at Magna Carta, and other public events were mostly intertwined with the history of the metropolis. However, Guildford Castle was captured by forces supporting Louis VIII of France of France in 1216, and in June 1497 the county was overrun by as many as 15,000 Cornish Rebellion of 1497 rebels heading for London. This would have been the first Brythonic army to move through Surrey for nearly 900 years. There was a brief battle just outside Guildford at Gil Down before the Cornish rebels marched north east through Banstead and right across Wallington (hundred) and Brixton (hundred) as far as Blackheath, London in Kent where they were eventually routed by an English army.

    Specimens of monastic buildings of early English date occur in Chertsey Abbey, Waverley Abbey and Newark Priory. These were all destroyed during English Reformation. It was also the home of the Merton Priory from 1114 until 1538. From the Saxon period up until Victorian era times Surrey was divided into the 14 hundred (division)s of Blackheath (hundred), Brixton (hundred), Copthorne (hundred), Effingham (half hundred), Elmbridge (hundred), Farnham (hundred), Godalming (hundred), Godley (hundred), Kingston (hundred), Reigate (hundred), Tandridge (hundred), Wallington (hundred), Woking (hundred) and Wotton (hundred).

    Modern history {{infobox historic district| |Name= Surrey |HQ= [Newington, London 1889 - 1893, [Kingston upon Thames from 1893 |Status= [Administrative county |Start= |End= |Replace= [Surrey |Image= |Civic= ] |PopulationFirst= 452,218Census of England and Wales 1891, General Report, Table III: Administrative counties and county boroughs |PopulationFirstYear= 1891 |PopulationLast= 1,002,832http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit_page.jsp?u_id=10152902 ''Surrey'', Vision of Britain, accessed October 17, 2007 |PopulationLastYear= 1971 -->

    The Local Government Act 1888 reorganised county-level local government throughout England and Wales. Accordingly, the administrative county of Surrey was formed in 1889 when the Provisional Surrey County Council first met, consisting of 19 aldermen and 57 councillors. The county council assumed the administrative responsibilities previously exercised by the county's justice of the peace in quarter sessions. The county had revised boundaries, with the north east of the historic county bordering the City of London becoming part of a new County of London. These areas now form the London Boroughs of London Borough of Lambeth, London Borough of Southwark and London Borough of Wandsworth, and the Penge Urban District area of the London Borough of Bromley. At the same time, the County Borough of Croydon became a county borough, outside the jurisdiction of the county council.

    For purposes other than local government the administrative county of Surrey and county borough of Croydon continued to form a "county of Surrey" to which a Lord Lieutenant and Custos Rotulorum (Chief Magistrate) and a High Sheriff were appointed.

    Surrey had been administered from Newington, London since the 1790s, and the county council was initially based in the sessions house there. As Newington was included in the County of London it lay outside the area administered by the council, and a site for a new county hall within the administrative county was sought. By 1890 six towns were being considered: Epsom, Guildford, Kingston, Redhill, Surbiton and Wimbledon.The Times, March 27, 1890 A decision to build the new County Hall (Surrey) at Kingston was made in 1891, and the building opened in 1893.David Robinson, History of County Hall, Surrey County Council

    The boundaries of the administrative county were little altered until 1965, the only significant changes being the extension of Croydon county borough's area on a number of occasions.

    By the 1930s most of the north of the county had been built over, becoming outer suburbs of London, although continuing to form part of Surrey administratively. In 1960 the report of the Royal Commission on Local Government in Greater London recommended that much of north Surrey (including Croydon) be included in a new "Greater London". The recommendations of the report were enacted in highly modified form in 1965 by the London Government Act 1963. The areas that now form the London Boroughs of London Borough of Croydon, Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames, London Borough of Merton, London Borough of Sutton and that part of London Borough of Richmond upon Thames south of the River Thames were transferred from Surrey to Greater London. At the same time part of the county of Middlesex, which had been abolished by the legislation, was added to Surrey. This area now forms the borough of Spelthorne.

    Further local government reform under the Local Government Act 1972 took place in 1974. The 1972 Act abolished administrative counties and introduced non-metropolitan county in their place. The boundaries of the non-metropolitan county of Surrey were similar to those of the administrative county with the exception of Gatwick Airport and some surrounding land which was transferred to West Sussex. It was originally proposed that the parishes of Horley and Charlwood would become part of West Sussex, however fierce local opposition led to a reversal of this under the Charlwood and Horley Act 1974.

    Economy Surrey is a prosperous county with a service based economy closely tied to that of London.

    This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Surrey at current basic prices published (pp.240-253) by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling.{| class="wikitable"|-! Year || Regional Gross Value AddedComponents may not sum to totals due to rounding || Agricultureincludes hunting and forestry || Industryincludes energy and construction || Servicesincludes financial intermediation services indirectly measured|-| 1995 || 12,177 || 116 || 2,414 || 9,647|-| 2000 || 19,811 || 103 || 3,288 || 16,420|-| 2003 || 22,790 || 99 || 3,394 || 19,297|}

    Waste management

    There are two active landfill sites in Surrey. One is at Albury, Surrey near Guildford. This site is managed by Sita (waste management).

    Major towns See List of places in Surrey

    The largest town in Surrey is Guildford with 66,773; Woking is a close second with a population of 62,796. The third largest town is Ewell with 39,994 people to the north of the county and the fourth is Camberley with 30,155 people in the west of the county. Towns with between 25,000 and 30,000 are Ashford, Surrey, Epsom, Farnham and Redhill, Surrey.

    Education Surrey has a Comprehensive school secondary education system with 53 state schools (not including sixth form colleges), but there are also 41 independent schools—a high proportion of school children in Surrey go to independent school. Most have sixth forms although Reigate, Spelthorne, Woking and Waverley districts tend to have separate sixth forms colleges. In England, on average 45.8% of pupils gain five good GCSEs including English and Maths; for Surrey's 10,300 pupils taking GCSE at 16 it is 52.7%: one of the highest in South East England (second after Buckinghamshire). The best performing state school is Gordon's School in Woking. The worst is the Jubilee High School in Addlestone. At A level, the county performs slightly under the England average. The best performing state school is The Ashcombe School in Dorking. The best school overall at A level is the independent Tormead School (female only) in Guildford. The independent schools generally perform better than state schools.

    GCSE results in 2006 by district council The following is the a list of the percentage of students who achieve 5 A-C grades at GCSE, by district council.

    Third level , Egham

    See also List of schools in the South East of England#Surrey and :Category:Education in Surrey.

    Places of interest Significant landscapes in Surrey include Box Hill, England just north of Dorking; the Devil's Punch Bowl at Hindhead; Frensham Common is home to a variety of plant, animal and birdlife; Frensham Great Pond houses assorted sailing activities whilst Frensham Little Pond provides places for picnics. Leith Hill to the south west of Dorking is the highest point in south-east England. Witley Common is heathland south of Godalming and is run by the National Trust and Surrey Hills AONB is an area of outstanting natural beauty (AONB).Manicured landscapes can be seen at Claremont Landscape Garden, south of Esher. The gardens here date from 1715. There is also Winkworth Arboretum south east of Godalming which was created in the 20th century. Royal Horticultural Society Garden Wisley is home to the royal horticultural society gardens.

    Surrey has important country houses such as Clandon Park, an 18th century Palladian mansion in West Clandon to the east of Guildford. Nearby there is Hatchlands Park in East Clandon, east of Guildford, was built in 1758 with Robert Adam interiors and a fine keyboard collection. Polesden Lacey south of Great Bookham is a regency architecture villa with extensive grounds. On a smaller scale, Oakhurst Cottage in Hambledon, Surrey near Godalming is a restored 16th century worker's home. Furthermore there is a museum the Rural Life Centre, Tilford which remembers this time.

    The county is linked with the River Wey and the Wey and Godalming Navigations. Dapdune Wharf in Guildford commemorates this and is home to a restored Wey barge, the Reliance. Furthermore on the River Tillingbourne, Shalford Mill is an 18th century water-mill which may be visited.

    There are many typical English villages including Holmbury St Mary which lies in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, close to the Greensand Way and North Downs Way. It was developed in the 19th century and still has a mainly Victorian era character as on the whole no new building is allowed. The youth hostel, constructed in the village in 1935, was the first purpose-built by the Youth Hostels Association. where the Magna Carta was signedHistorically Runnymede at Egham should not be overlooked. This is the site of the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215. Waverley Abbey and Chertsey Abbeys were very significant in medieval Surrey.

    Guildford Cathedral is a post-war cathedral built from bricks made from the clay hill on which it stands.

    Brooklands Museum recognises the motoring past of Surrey. The county is also home to Thorpe Park, a sister theme park of Alton Towers; and Legoland Windsor.

    Culture, arts and sport was the first ever oval style race track built for cars.The first known record of cricket was in Guildford, Surrey (see History of English cricket to 1696). Currently, the Surrey County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Surrey, although its largest ground, The Oval, which was once in Surrey, has been made part of Greater London. Surrey has numerous football teams (mainly non-League) including Woking F.C., Kingstonian F.C., AFC Wimbledon, Weybridge F.C. and Guildford City F.C..

    Surrey in film and books martian tripod in WokingSurrey has been mentioned in literature: in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter (character)'s only living relatives, the Dursley family, live in Little Whinging, a fictional town located in Surrey. The character Ford Prefect (character) from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy claimed to be from Guildford in Surrey, but in actuality he was from a small planet somewhere in the vicinity of Betelguese.Interestingly much of the central plot of Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett takes place in Dorking. Surrey was mentioned often in Aldous Huxley's novel Brave New World. Much of H. G. Wells's 1898 novella The War of the Worlds is set in Surrey with many specific towns and villages identified. The martians first land on Horsell Common on the north side of Woking, outside the Bleak House pub, now called Sands.

    Interestingly the late Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman mentions Camberley in his poem "A Subaltern's Lovesong". In contrast, Carshalton forms the literary backdrop to many of the poems by James Farrar.

    The county has also been used as a film location. Part of the movie The Holiday was filmed in Surrey: Kate Winslet's character Iris lived there and Cameron Diaz's character Amanda switched houses with her as part of a home exchange. In the 1976 film The Omen (1976 film), the scenes at the cathedral were filmed at Guildford Cathedral. The film I Want Candy (film) follows two hopeful lads from Leatherhead trying to break into the movies. Surrey woodland represented Germany in the opening scene of Gladiator (2000 film), starring Russell Crowe; it was filmed at Tilford near Farnham in Surrey.

    County Emergency Services Surrey is served by these emergency sevices.

    References

    External links






    University of Surrey - Guildford
    University of Surrey - Guildford ... Innovative research brings quantum computers one step closer. Complex computer encryption codes could be solved and new drug design developed ...

    School of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences - University of Surrey ...
    Information about SBMS at University of Surrey ... Skip navigation and go straight to content. This website is designed to be viewed with web browsers that support W3C web ...

    Surrey Police Homepage
    Focused at the Surrey community and beyond, with current issues, reference and advisory material. Also includes policing news, press excerpts, stories, serious crime details, road ...

    Surrey Police > Careers
    The Surrey Police web site is focused at the Surrey Community and beyond, with current issues, reference and advisory material. Also included: Policing News, Press Releases ...

    Surrey County Council Home Page
    Information on news, job vacancies, Council services and financial information.

    University of Surrey - Department of Mathematics - Home
    Department of Mathematics and Statistics.

    Surrey County Cricket Club (Surrey CCC) Home
    News, views and interviews plus player profiles and statistics, previews and daily match reports on every game.

    University of Surrey - Department of Electronic Engineering - Homepage
    Offers a wide range of both undergraduate and postgraduate courses in an environment where teaching and research are well integrated.

    Surrey SU Students Union - The Home for Surrey SU University Students
    Contains bulletin board to post messages on, useful reference for Surrey students

    Department of Economics - University of Surrey - Guildford
    Provides faculty and curriculum information and selected downloadable working papers.

     

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