Merrow
| Merrow | |
| Surrey | |
|---|---|
 The Horse and Groom | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | TQ022508 |
| Location: | 51°14’47"N, -0°31’40"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 7,706 (2001) |
| Post town: | Guildford |
| Postcode: | GU1, GU4 |
| Dialling code: | 01483 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Guildford |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Guildford |
Merrow is a village in Surrey attached to the north-eastern corner of Guildford. It lies about two miles from the town centre, right on the edge of the ridge of hills that forms the North Downs.
Although now a relatively anonymous suburb, the village can trace its origins back many hundreds of years. According to the Institute for Name-Studies, Merrow means 'fat', literally, "probably referring to the high fertility of the land".[1]
Merrow is separated from Burpham by the New Guildford Line, the railway line between Guildford and Effingham Junction.
Churches
Parish church
The parish church of St John the Evangelist was built in the mid 12th century and a few early features have survived later additions, such as a Norman arch and a 13th-century chapel.
The churchyard is the burial place of the Onslow family.
There is a war memorial in the churchyard, dedicated to those who lost their lives in the First and Second World Wars. This was re-dedicated in 2002 following a restoration and research project part-funded by a Heritage Lottery Fund grant.
The church hall (The St John's Centre) is a focal point for the community and was reopened in 2001 following a major refurbishing and enlargement project.
Other churches
- Church of England: St John the Evangelist (parish church: see above)
- Methodist: Merrow Methodist Church
- Roman Catholic: St Pius X
History
The village grew up around a crossroads: where what is now the A25, the road between Guildford and Leatherhead, crossed the original road (Merrow Street) from Burpham to Dorking.
The oldest houses in the village can still be seen along these two roads, together with St John's Church and the Horse and Groom, a 17th-century coaching inn next door. The old Dorking road squeezes between the church and the inn, creating a significant bottleneck for modern motor traffic.
To the north is Clandon Park, once the home of the Onslow family, and now a National Trust property. The Onslows provided some of the earliest Speakers of the House of Commons, such as Arthur Onslow who held this post through the reign of George II.
Merrow remained a relatively small settlement right up to the 1950s, when the Bushy Hill estate was built. This development of several hundred houses was originally all council-owned, but since the 1980s, many have passed into private ownership.
Further expansion occurred in the mid 1980s. In the green-field site bordered by Burpham, the Bushy Hill estate and Clandon Park, the Merrow Park development was built, completely surrounding the old houses on Merrow Street. Comprising several thousand houses, Merrow Park is often considered a suburb in its own right and has its own shops, school and doctor's surgery.
Sport and leisure
Merrow is situated right on the edge of the North Downs. Guildford Golf Club, the oldest Golf Course in Surrey, is located on the Downs. A short walk from Merrow is Newlands Corner, a popular beauty spot in the Surrey Hills "Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty".
Merrow has a non-league football club (Merrow FC), a tennis club and a cricket club, as well as a fitness club (which was formerly known as "Dragons").
Merrow Dramatic Society is claimed to be the oldest amateur dramatic group in the Guildford area, having been in existence for over 80 years. Each year, the Society produces two plays, performed at the Electric Theatre in Guildford, and a traditional pantomime, put on at Merrow Village Hall (built 1909). They also take part in Drama Festivals (winning recently at both Guildford and Woking) and host their own variety evenings.
References
- ↑ "Merrow, Surrey". A Key to English Placenames. Institute for Name-Studies, School of English Studies, University of Nottingham. http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/~aezins//kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=8317. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Merrow) |
- Merrow Residents Association - includes news concerning developments in the Merrow area
- 1st Merrow Scout Group
- Merrow Village History
- History of Merrow, from Census records and 'travellers' tales'
- War memorial restoration project
- Record of stained glass windows in St John's Church