Hotels in Surrey

Surrey consists of undulating lowlands, crossed in the north from east to west by the chalk ridge of the North Downs. In the hilly south is a band of uplands, again running from east to west, including Leith Hill, the highest point in southeast England at 294 m (965 ft). The main rivers are the Wey, on which Guildford stands to the west, and the Mole to the east; both rivers flow northwards to join the River Thames. To the southeast of Guildford, the Surrey Hills have been designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Surrey was part of the Kingdom of Mercia in the 7th century, but in 823 it became part of Wessex. By the time of the Norman invasion it formed part of the Kingdom of Harold II, and William the Conqueror's army ruthlessly subjugated it toward the end of the 11th century. The main activity in the county during the Middle Ages was sheep farming, but by the 16th century a textile industry had grown at Farnham, Godalming, and Guildford, and market gardening had begun to be of importance. Henry VIII built a house at Nonsuch Park, utilising the forests in the area for hunting, and by the early 17th century the medicinal springs at Epsom were discovered, transforming the town into a popular spa during the 17th and 18th centuries.

Today there is much pleasant countryside in Surrey, and the county is largely devoted to agriculture. Due to its close proximity to the capital however, Surrey is fairly heavily populated, with large numbers of London commuters among its residents.