Surrey is one of the most charming of English counties, but for those who think they know it, there are some surprises in store. The county is not all suburban gardens, rolling hills and quiet villages. History has been made here, tragedy has struck and fortune has smiled.
Surrey folk today might not notice, but the bridge they drive over may be 700 years old, or might be only the latest in a string of bridges that go back to Roman times. They may, if they go shopping in Epsom, make a purchase in a shop that was once home to Nell Gwyn, the witty mistress of Charles II. Others unknowingly walk on battlefields where brave men fought and died for the causes they believed in.
Those who think Surrey is a peaceful place might be surprised to hear that the army had to be called out to end a riot in Guildford that left houses in flames and a policeman dead. And there have been brutal murders aplenty; some of the killers ended up swinging from a gibbet, but others got away with their brutal crimes.
Not everything in Surrey has been a success either. Take the grandly named Staines, Wokingham & Woking Junction Railway which never got as far as Woking. Then there was the great playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan who moved to Leatherhead to find peace and quiet in which to work, but who got so distracted by the fine fishing that he didn’t write a single word the whole time he was there.
But Surrey is not all about the past. There is plenty to be seen today, be it theatres or country walks, wildlife or fine churches. Wherever you are going in Surrey, slip this book into your pocket and prepare to be surprised.