Cranleigh facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cranleigh |
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| Village | |
 Cranleigh High Street |
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 Coat of arms of Cranleigh |
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 Cranleigh
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| Area | 32.78 km2 (12.66 sq mi) |
| Population | 11,241 (Civil Parish 2011) |
| • Density | 343/km2 (890/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | TQ065385 |
| Civil parish |
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| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CRANLEIGH |
| Postcode district | GU6 |
| Dialling code | 01483 |
| Police | Surrey |
| Fire | Surrey |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament |
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Cranleigh is a lovely village in Surrey, England. It's about 8 miles (13 km) southeast of Guildford. Cranleigh is located in the northwest part of the Weald, which used to be a huge forest. In 2011, about 11,000 people lived here.
Contents
What's in a Name?
For a long time, until the 1860s, the village was spelled "Cranley." The Post Office asked people to change it to "Cranleigh" to avoid confusion with Crawley in West Sussex.
The name "Cranleigh" comes from old English words. "Cran" means "crane" (the bird), and "Lēoh" means "woodland clearing." So, Cranleigh means 'a clearing in the woods where cranes visited.' You can see cranes on the old drinking fountain in the village and on the local coat of arms.
A Look Back in Time
How Cranleigh Started
Cranleigh is partly on the Greensand Ridge, which is a hilly area. The highest point, Winterfold Hill, is about 700 feet (213 meters) high.
The local church, St Nicolas, was first built around 1170. It got its current look by the mid-1300s. Inside the church, there's a gargoyle that some people believe inspired Lewis Carroll to create the famous Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland!
In the 1600s, a famous person named Oliver Cromwell visited Knowle House in Cranleigh. His soldiers stayed in houses around the village.
Growing Up with New Transport
Cranleigh started to grow a lot because of better ways to travel. In 1816, the Wey and Arun Canal opened. This canal connected London to Littlehampton, helping boats move goods.
Later, in 1865, a railway line opened, connecting Horsham to Guildford. This was even faster than the canal, and soon the canal wasn't used much anymore. A special road called a turnpike was also built between Guildford and Horsham in 1818. You can see an obelisk (a tall, thin monument) that remembers this road.
Important People and Places
Three people really helped Cranleigh grow in the 1800s:
- Reverend John Henry Sapte: He helped start the National School in 1847 and Cranleigh School in 1865.
- Dr Albert Napper: With Reverend Sapte, he opened the first cottage hospital in the country in 1859. This hospital is still around today, thanks to local fundraising!
- Stephen Rowland: He brought gas and water supplies to the village. He also planned new roads and houses, and even opened a grocery store. One of the roads, Rowland Road, is named after him.
The village has had a cricket field since 1843. A department store called David Mann's opened in 1887, but it closed in 2021. The beautiful maple trees along the High Street were planted in 1890. Cranleigh's Village Hall opened in 1933, and a cinema called The Regal opened in 1936, staying open for over 60 years.
Cranleigh During World War II
During World War II, a place called Winterfold House near Cranleigh was used as a secret training school for spies! It was run by the Special Operations Executive (SOE). Famous spies like Violette Szabo trained there. In 2011, a special memorial was put up at Winterfold House to remember these brave people.
Sadly, during the war, a German V-1 flying bomb hit the infants' school in 1944. Luckily, it was a Sunday morning, so the school was empty and no children were hurt. Another bomb hit the village's gas holder, destroying it and a nearby cottage.
After the War
The Cranleigh railway station closed in 1965, about 100 years after it opened.
Where is Cranleigh?
Cranleigh village is about 7.7 miles (12.4 km) southeast of Guildford. The Cranleigh Waters stream flows through the village and eventually joins the River Wey. Winterfold Forest is a lovely woodland area to the north, and you can explore it using paths like the Greensand Way.
Nearby Areas
- Rowly: This neighborhood is just north of Cranleigh. It has some old, interesting buildings.
- Baynards: To the south, Baynards is a small area with a few buildings, separated from Cranleigh by a lake called Vachery Pond.
The village center is generally about 50–70 meters (164–230 feet) above sea level.
Learning in Cranleigh
Cranleigh School is a well-known independent boarding school in the village. It opened in 1865.
For state schools, there's Glebelands School (a secondary school), Cranleigh C of E Primary School, Park Mead Primary School, and St Cuthbert Mayne Catholic Primary School. Cranleigh C of E Primary School opened in 2008, combining two older schools.
Fun and Games
The Cranleigh Arts Centre offers lots of fun things to do, like movies, live music, plays, and workshops for all ages. It's run by volunteers.
The village also has a big public library and a leisure center with an indoor swimming pool.
Snoxhall Fields is a great place for outdoor activities, with fields and the path of the old railway line, which is now used for cycling and walking. You can also find the Bruce McKenzie Memorial Field there, where the Cranleigh Parkrun happens every week.
If you like sports, Cranleigh has a football club (Cranleigh F.C.), a cricket club, and a hockey club.
Every year, the Cranleigh Show is held, which is a traditional agricultural show with animals and displays. In 2023, a new 60-acre country park opened at Knowle Park, with a lake, walks, and a playground.
Places of Worship
Cranleigh has several churches:
- The Roman Catholic church, Jesus Christ Redeemer of Mankind.
- Churches for the Methodist and Baptist faiths.
- The Anglican church of St Nicolas, which is the oldest church in the village.
Getting Around
Trains (Past and Future)
Cranleigh railway station opened in 1865. It was the busiest station on the Cranleigh Line, with many people traveling to and from London. The station was closed in 1965. Today, the old railway path is part of the Downs Link, a popular route for walking and cycling.
There have been talks about possibly bringing train services back to Cranleigh in the future.
Roads and Buses
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Cranleigh is located near the A281 road, which connects Guildford to Horsham. You can also catch buses from Cranleigh to places like Guildford, Horsham, and Godalming.
Canal
The Wey and Arun Canal, which was used a long time ago, is slowly being restored.
Cool Places to See
Stocklund Square
This square is in the middle of the village on the High Street. It was built after the railway station was taken down in 1965. Today, you'll find shops like Sainsbury's, Oxfam, Pizza Express, and Costa Coffee here. It's a place where community events often happen.
Fountain Square
In 2006, the area around the big stone drinking fountain (built in 1874) was redesigned and named 'Fountain Square.' It's a nice spot with trees and planters, perfect for small community gatherings.
Winterfold House
Winterfold House is a large house north-east of the village. It was built in 1886 for Richard Webster, who later became a very important judge. During World War II, as you learned, it was used as a secret training school for spies.
Famous People from Cranleigh
Many interesting people have lived in or near Cranleigh:
- Anna Botting: A news presenter for Sky News.
- Joseph Longhurst: An artist who lived here in the early 1920s.
- G. H. Hardy: A famous mathematician.
- Jim Slater: A well-known businessman.
- Ringo Starr: The former drummer for The Beatles, and his wife Barbara Bach, lived nearby.
- Frank Swinnerton: A writer who lived in Cranleigh for over 50 years.
- Desmond Tutu: A very important leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, lived in the village for a short time in 1963 when he was a young priest. He wrote about how friendly the people were.
- Richard O'Brien: The creator of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, lived in Cranleigh and even named his house "Denton" after the fictional town in his show!
Images for kids
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Gaston Gate, Guildford Road, Rowly
See also
In Spanish: Cranleigh para niños
