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Where to Live in the Surrey Hills

Published Feb 12th 2025

6 mins read

Madeleine Simpson

Are you wondering where to live in the Surrey Hills? Garrington’s expert local knowledge will provide valuable insight to guide you in your search.

The Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) takes a prominent position as one of the most sought-after places to reside in the South East.

Conveniently close to London, the area is perfect for commuters who yearn for green surroundings while enjoying convenient access to the city.

The region offers top-notch educational opportunities and great transport links. This makes it perfect for young professionals, families, and retirees alike.

Boasting charming villages and historic market towns, the Surrey Hills are highly appealing to homebuyers. From quaint cottages to substantial family homes with land, you’ll be spoilt for choice.

Here we take a look at where to live in the Surrey Hills. These villages offer quiet, country living in this idyllic area.

Abinger Hammer

Abinger Hammer takes its name from its water-powered forge. Situated halfway between the market towns of Dorking and Guildford, it is the quintessential English village.

There is a small shop, a popular pub – The Abinger Hatch – and a village green. The latter is a well-loved spot for summer picnics, watching cricket, and paddling in the River Tillingbourne.

For those looking to stretch their legs further, the nearby Oxmoor Copse – an AONB – offers three acres of beautiful woodlands. Also, Abinger Roughs, an area of ancient woodland and footpath-edged fields offers lots of trails for families of all ages.

Shere

For those considering where to live in the Surrey Hills, Shere is an excellent option. Between the towns of Guildford and Dorking, it is a picturesque English village, with roots back to the Domesday Book.

It has tea rooms, a bubbling stream, independent shops, and an infant school (dating back to 1852). Additionally, there are two pubs, a quaint museum, and beautiful timber-framed houses. Gomshall train station is a short distance away for convenient travel links.

Shere is surrounded by breathtaking landscapes and is close to scenic wonders. Newlands Corner for example is popular with hikers and runners. There is also the Silent Pool, a still-water pond surrounded by evergreen box trees.

Shere is a sought-after location for filmmakers. Scenes from Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason and The Holiday were filmed against the backdrop of Shere’s quaint beauty.

Ockley

Ockley is a rural village close to the Sussex/Surrey border. It sits in the shadow of Leith Hill, the second-highest point in South East England and a popular walking spot.

The Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden offers a more sedate experience with ten acres of relaxing green space and ponds.

Ockley has a long history. A stretch of the A29 that runs through the village is part of an old Roman Road. There is also evidence that the area was a settlement right back to the Iron Age.

The village has a medieval parish church, a village hall, a doctor’s surgery, and two lively pubs. Once a month there is the Ockley Farmer’s Market selling local produce. Additionally, Ockley station provides rail links to London.

Hambledon

Hambledon is a pretty, rural village south of Guildford. It has a nursery school, cricket green, and a thriving village shop providing locally sourced produce that also hosts the Post Office.

A thriving pub – The Merry Harriers, and many local activities give Hambledon a real community feel. These include book clubs, cricket, rambling, pilates, and bridge in the Village Hall. Additionally, there is an annual Midsummer Festival.

Tucked away amongst fields and woodland, and with roots back to the Domesday Book, the village church offers scenic views of the surrounding rolling farmland and the National Trust-owned Hydon’s Ball, with its wonderful walks, peaceful heath, and woodlands.

With an abundance of tracks and bridleways offering panoramic views of hills and woodlands, the area is perfect for walkers, horse riders, and cyclists.

Chiddingfold

Chiddingfold lies near Haslemere and the West Sussex border. It has a lovely, picturesque village green overlooked by many pretty Georgian houses. The village has a forge, various shops, a coffee shop, and a pond.

It boasts one of the oldest inns in England, The Crown Inn pub. The village hall offers lots of events, including a bi-monthly cinema.

During the 14th and 17th centuries, Chiddingfold was an important centre for glass-making.

Chiddingfold Forest lies mainly within the village boundaries, offering over 1300 acres of woodlands for walks, and the chance to spot some of its rich birdlife.

Shamley Green

Shamley Green is one of the most sought-after villages for families searching for where to live in the Surrey Hills.

A family-friendly village just 4 miles south of Guildford, Shamley Green comprises two village greens, a popular Arbuthnot Hall, great community spirit, and plenty of amenities including two schools.

There are two pubs, The Red Lion and Bricklayers Arms, a coffee shop, hairdressers, a thriving village store with a post office, and a cricket club.

Shamley Green is a ‘go-to’ for equestrian buyers with sandy soil, and there are plenty of period houses with stunning views.

Betchworth

Betchworth is a historic village at the foot of the North Downs, sitting between Reigate and Dorking. With beautiful chocolate-box cottages, a working forge, a thriving pub, a school, and a post office/village shop, Betchworth is idyllic. The village centre sits on the pretty River Mole.

There are 22 listed buildings in the area, including the local church and Betchworth House Estate. The Estate has around nine miles of agricultural land that can be walked around by the public. In nearby Brockham are the ruins of Betchworth Castle, a fortified medieval stone house.

Because of its location right in the heart of the countryside, Betchworth has plenty of trails for walkers, cyclists, and runners.

Frensham

Frensham is around 13 miles from Guildford and three miles from Farnham. Situated on the River Wey, this quaint village has a cricket green, a great village shop, a friendly pub and a school.

It is also famous for having two sandy ‘beaches’ at Frensham Great Pond (which is set within Frensham Common, an area of 922 acres of heathland).

These artificial beaches are set on a small 13th-century lake with a café, and the beautiful woodlands as a backdrop. Here you can enjoy sailing angling, and cold water/wild swimming.

On the northern part of the Great Pond, there are organised mental health wild swims. These allow participants to benefit from the well-being qualities of the clear water, nature, and community.

Frensham Little Pond – a smaller pond that does not allow swimming – is surrounded by heathland where you can enjoy long walks and picnics, it is also a sanctuary for wildlife.

Because of its quite unique offering (a quintessential English village, deep in the countryside but with a ‘beach’), Frensham is a popular film location, even doubling as the River Nile in the 1999 film “The Mummy”.

Schools in Surrey Hills

The Surrey Hills have excellent educational establishments, including some SEN schools.

There’s also a choice of higher education facilities, such as The University of Surrey, The University of Law, The University for the Creative Arts (UCA), and The Guildford School of Acting.

So, when considering where to live in the Surrey Hills you can rest assured that your children’s educational needs will be catered for. Here is a selection of the Surrey Hills’ excellent schools:

Primary schools in and around Surrey Hills

North Downs Primary School, Betchworth;
Trinity Oaks C of E Primary School, Horley;
Surrey Hills All Saints Primary School, Dorking;
Shere Infant School and Nursery;
Wonersh & Shamley Green CofE Primary School;
St Mary’s CofE Primary School Chiddingfold;
Abinger Common Nursery.

Secondary schools in and around Surrey Hills

Woolmer Hill School, Haslemere – a co-educational comprehensive academy with around 860 students aged from 11 years upwards;
Gleblands School, Cranleigh – a co-educational non-selective secondary school for ages 11 – 16;
King’s College Guildford is a co-educational academy for students aged 11 – 16 years. It has a partnership with the University of Surrey offering students a pathway toward post-16 education or training.

Independent schools near Surrey Hills

Cranleigh School, Cranleigh, a co-educational independent school, offering boarding and day education for pupils aged 13 to 18;
Hurtwood House, Dorking, co-educational boarding school and sixth form for pupils aged 15–19;
Frensham Heights School, Farnham – a co-educational independent school for pupils aged 3-19, with boarding and day school options.

Surrey Hills transport connections

If convenient travel links to London are a factor for you when considering where to live in the Surrey Hills, you have plenty of options.

Over 80 train stations serve the county of Surrey as a whole, and the Surrey Hills area is very well connected.

If you’re travelling from London to the Surrey Hills, trains run from London Waterloo to Box Hill – taking less than an hour. Direct routes also depart from Clapham Junction and Wimbledon. London Waterloo to Guildford is around 32 minutes for the fastest train.

Depending on which village you live in, you can also get trains from London Bridge, changing at Redhill and Gomshall (for Abinger Hammer) or direct from London Victoria to Ockley.

Some of the smaller villages that do not have a train station can still access London by rail, by using a nearby station. For example, Frensham village is served by Farnham station – around a ten-minute drive away – which goes into London Waterloo.

The M25 serves Surrey Hills giving easy access to London by road, and the A3 takes you to Portsmouth.

The nearest airports are Gatwick (around a 30-minute to one-hour drive away depending on where you live) and Heathrow (approximately one hour by road).