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Surrey

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Surrey is a ceremonial county located in South East England.

Surrey UK locator map 2010
Surrey UK locator map 2010

It sits near several other places like Kent to the east. To the south, you will find East and West Sussex. Hampshire and Berkshire sit along its western border. The north of the county touches Greater London.

Surrey - British Isles
Surrey - British Isles

This area is very crowded with many people living close together. Woking is the largest settlement in the whole county. Other busy towns include Guildford and Walton-on-Thames.

The land in Surrey changes a lot from north to south. A long ridge of chalk hills called the North Downs runs through the middle.

Boxhill surrey viewfromtop
Boxhill surrey viewfromtop

This ridge splits the crowded north from the quiet, rural south. Rivers like the Wey and the Mole flow through these hills. The north is mostly flat land near the Thames river basin. In the south, you will see the Surrey Hills and sandy heath lands.

Leith hill tower
Leith hill tower

These areas are great for walking on many long paths.

Surrey is a very green place with many trees. It has the most woodland in all of England.

Surrey shield
Surrey shield

About 22.4 per cent of the county is covered in woods. This is much higher than the national average of 11.8 per cent. One area called Surrey Heath has even more tree cover. In 2020, that district had 41 per cent tree cover. Because there are so many trees, the county does not plan to plant new woodlands.

Lawns at Wisley
Lawns at Wisley

History tells us that many different groups lived here long ago. Before the Romans arrived, tribes like the Atrebates lived in the area.

Stane Street
Stane Street

Later, the Romans built roads like Stane Street across the land. Small towns like Staines and Dorking grew during Roman times. After the Romans, the Saxons arrived and settled the land. The name Surrey might come from a word meaning "southern region."

By the year 825, the kingdom of Wessex took control of the area.

Today, Surrey is a place where people enjoy being outdoors. Many people live in the north, near the busy streets of London.

Woking town centre from the west
Woking town centre from the west

However, the south is perfect for quiet trips in nature. You can visit beautiful spots like Box Hill or Leith Hill. Leith Hill is the highest point in the county.

Guildford - Great Tower - geograph.org.uk - 3912930
Guildford - Great Tower - geograph.org.uk - 3912930

It is also the second highest point in all of southeastern England. People love to ride horses along the many bridleways found there.

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🖼️ Images & Media (27)
File:Surrey UK locator map 2010.svg
Surrey UK locator map 2010.svg
File:Surrey - British Isles.svg
Surrey - British Isles.svg
File:Surrey councils.svg
Surrey councils.svg
File:Boxhill surrey viewfromtop.jpg
Boxhill surrey viewfromtop.jpg
File:Leith hill tower.JPG
Leith hill tower.JPG
File:Woking town centre from the west.jpg
Woking town centre from the west.jpg
File:Stane Street.JPG
Stane Street.JPG
File:Surrey hundreds.svg
Surrey hundreds.svg
File:RunnymedeMagnacartaisle.jpg
RunnymedeMagnacartaisle.jpg
File:Guildford - Great Tower - geograph.org.uk - 3912930.jpg
Guildford - Great Tower - geograph.org.uk...
File:Waverleyabbeydormitory.jpg
Waverleyabbeydormitory.jpg
File:Nonsuch Palace watercolour detail.jpg
Nonsuch Palace watercolour detail.jpg

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