A county town, not a village
Guildford was granted its royal charter in 1257 and has been Surrey's county town ever since, with a High Street lined with historic buildings and a seventeenth-century Guildhall clock still projecting over the pavement. Its castle keep, built not long after the Norman Conquest, is one of the few surviving Norman royal castles in the country.
Housing across a larger town
Guildford's housing stock is far more varied than the villages around Cranleigh, ranging from Victorian terraces close to the town centre to postwar estates on the outskirts and newer developments near the University of Surrey. Garage types vary just as widely, from small single garages on older streets to larger integral garages on more recent estates.
Its own borough council
Guildford Borough Council, rather than Waverley, handles planning and building control here, reflecting the town's status as its own borough separate from the villages around Cranleigh.
Frequently asked questions
Does Guildford fall under the same council as Cranleigh?+
No. Guildford Borough Council is a separate authority from Waverley Borough Council, which covers Cranleigh.
What's Guildford best known for?+
Its cobbled High Street, Norman castle keep and modern cathedral on Stag Hill, along with its role as the county town of Surrey.
Nearby areas
Services
Useful local links
- Waverley Borough Council – Do I need planning permission? — The planning authority covering Cranleigh and most of the surrounding villages, including Ewhurst, Alfold, Dunsfold, Bramley and Wonersh.
- Guildford Borough Council – Do I need planning permission? — The planning authority covering Guildford, Shere, Peaslake and Chilworth, a separate borough from Waverley.
- Mole Valley District Council – Do I need Planning Permission? — The planning authority covering Ockley, Walliswood, Okewood Hill and part of Holmbury St Mary, a separate district from Waverley.
- GOV.UK – Planning permission: when you need it — Government guidance on when planning permission is required in England and Wales.
- GOV.UK – Party Wall etc. Act 1996 guidance — Government guidance on notifying neighbours and resolving disputes over shared or boundary walls, relevant to attached garage conversions.
- Planning Portal – Garage conversion — National guidance on when planning permission is needed for a garage conversion in England.
- Planning Portal – Outbuildings — National guidance on permitted development rules for garden buildings and outbuildings, including height and coverage limits.
- Surrey Hills National Landscape — The designated landscape covering many of the villages around Cranleigh, including Ewhurst, Peaslake, Hascombe and Shere.