---

 

 

 

Surrey Leasing

Did You Know?

Surrey is home to the only windmill in the world that is consecrated as a place of worship. Reigate Heath Windmill, which was last worked by wind in April 1862, was converted into a chapel of ease to St Mary's Parish Church, Reigate, in 1880.

Many famous musicians call Surrey home, including Kenney Jones from the Who, Brian May and Roger Taylor from Queen, while Freddie Mercury is buried in Woking’s Brookwood Cemetery. The original band members of Genesis all attended Charterhouse School in Godalming and guitar legend Eric Clapton, who was born in Ripley, now lives in Ewhurst.

The Saxons came to Surrey in the 5th and 6th centuries and the names of their tribes live on in modern place names such as Woking and Godalming. “Surrey” itself comes from the Saxon term Suthrige, or "southern kingdom".

Surrey is renowned for inspiring some of England's most influential writers; Jane Austen spent holidays at Great Bookham with Box Hill providing the setting for the picnic scene in Emma, while Sherlock Holmes creator, Arthur Conan Doyle, resided in Hindhead for 10 years and EM Foster in Abinger Hammer for over 20 years.

Surrey is officially England's most densely-wooded county, with more than one-fifth of its land area covered by trees. Featured in a whole host of blockbuster movies, you may well have spotted Surrey in Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Holiday and the James Bond film Skyfall, among others.

Many famous musicians call Surrey home, including Kenney Jones from the Who, Brian May and Roger Taylor from Queen, while Freddie Mercury is buried in Woking’s Brookwood Cemetery. The original band members of Genesis all attended Charterhouse School in Godalming and guitar legend Eric Clapton, who was born in Ripley, now lives in Ewhurst.

Although the area around Devil’s Punchbowl, in south-west Surrey, was notorious for highwaymen activity during the 1800s, one of Surrey’s most famous highwaymen, or highwaywomen, in this case, was Mary Frith. Known as Moll Cutpurse and active in the early 1600s, she is most notorious for stealing £250 from Sir Thomas Fairfax, Commander-in-Chief of the Parliamentarian armed forces.

Although the title of Duke is considered by many to be a highly prestigious one, there has only ever been one Duke of Surrey. Back in the 1300s, this honour belonged to Thomas Holland. But after engaging in a conspiracy against Henry IV, he was betrayed, seized by a mob and then beheaded. Since meeting his brutal end, the title seemingly hasn’t endeared itself to anyone else.

Many famous performers come from Surrey, many of which you’ll likely already know! For example, actors Tom Felton, Lily Collins, Bill Nighy, and Dame Julie Andrews all come from Surrey! There are also famous historical figures such as the author HG Wells and the enigma code genius, Alan Turing.