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THE PARISH CHURCH OF
ST NICOLAS
St Nicolas Church is at the western end of the village. The earliest parts of the church date from about 1170 and a new chancel and aisles were added in 1340, by which time the main structure had acquired the overall proportions we see today.

The massive proportions and shape of the tower indicate a period towards the end of the 12th century. The small upper lancet windows suggest that it was probably built with a view to providing fortification. The font dates from the 12th century whilst the lectern, with its unusual twisted stem, is either Dutch or German in origin and is from the 16th century. The chancel was extensively restored in the 19th century and the very fine hammer beam roof added.

Also of interest is a dripstone in the form of a grinning cat’s head (known as the “Cheshire Cat”) and said to have been the inspiration for the character in Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland.

One of the church’s most interesting memorials is to Richard Mower (who died in 1623), who discovered the beneficial effects of adding lime to the soil. Unfortunately the tablet by the porch has suffered badly by the weather so is illegible. Outside, the cemetery is dominated by a magnificent Cedar of Lebanon planted as a seedling in 1850 by John Sapte when he returned from his honeymoon in the Holy Land.

In 1944 a flying bomb exploded near the church destroying the church room and causing much damage to the infants school and church. Only three of the 14th century windows survived, although the replacement clear glass in the east window brings a striking amount of light to the nave and the chancel.

In 1996 alarming structural cracks were discovered on the tower and the west window was in danger of falling out. Funds were raised to carry out the necessary structural work and the window has been replaced with a faithful stone copy of the original dating from 1340.


CRANLEIGH SCHOOL
Cranleigh School, to the north of the village in Horseshoe Lane is Cranleigh’s public school opened in 1865, the same year as the railway arrived. It was originally intended for the education of the sons of the middle classes and is now recognised as one of the leading public schools in the country. The school caters for both day students and boarding pupils.

Most of the school structure dates from 1865 to designs in the Tudor style by Henry Woodyer. In 1929 the Connaught Wing and Speech Hall were added under the direction of the notable architect Sir Edwin Cooper. Both sections of the school now have splendid facilities and a new Sports complex was opened by Sir Richard Branson in June 2002. The annual tennis tournament previously held every August on the cricket green is now played out on the all-weather courts at the school. Today the sports facilities are available to individuals and clubs on application to the school. Also in the grounds is a challenging 9-hole golf course open to the public at certain times on application.


CRANLEIGH VILLAGE HOSPITAL
The Cranleigh Hospital was founded in 1859. It is claimed to be the first cottage hospital in England and is certainly the longest surviving one. Local antiquarians date the original cottage (which is now the dining room) to the 14th century. This cottage was donated rent-free by the local rector and was set up by Dr Napper to receive six patients. The hospital was an instant success and was maintained by local subscriptions and patients’ fees, which varied from three shillings and sixpence to ten shillings per week! The Hospital grew to accommodate 14 beds, a busy day hospital, therapy departments and a wide range of Consultant led out patient services. Currently the 14 beds and the day hospital are closed as an urgent and temporary measure due to financial pressures on the local NHS.

The League of Friends actively supports the hospital. Planning permission has been granted and funds collected to build a new hospital on donated land in the village. The project is led by Cranleigh Village Hospital Trust in partnership with the Parish Council and the League of Friends. A decision on the way forward will shortly be made by the new, Surrey Primary Care Trust as part of the Surrey wide consultation on NHS services. Meanwhile the hospital continues to provide a range of valued services to the community.


THE PUBLIC LIBRARY
Cranleigh Library is well situated in the High Street near shopping facilities. It offers a full range of services appropriate to a community the size of Cranleigh in addition to the normal range of book lending categories for all age groups. The Library has a collection of CD’s, DVD’s, video’s and playstation games. It offers an Internet connection and a printer for public use. There is a small collection of standard reference material but more specialised enquiries are passed through to the County Information Centre at Guildford. The Library also features a Local and Family History Centre operated by volunteers from the Cranleigh History Society.


ARTS CENTRE
Housed in the old National School in the High Street, the Cranleigh Arts Centre aims to foster the arts in the local community. It provides a home for local societies and offers facilities for education classes in art, crafts, history, French and bridge as well as offering after school and holiday courses for children. A variety of professional stage entertainment and small scale musical events are held during the year; exhibitions are held weekly in the gallery and the coffee bar is open daily. The Centre caters for all age groups and abilities, with special thought given to the very young and those who are disabled.

VILLAGE HALL
The Village Hall was opened in 1933, and underwent a major refurbishment in the 1990’s, recently it has had a new floor installed for the first time since it was built. It is run by the Parish Council and can be booked through the Parish Council Offices. It provides a superb facility for a wide range of events throughout the year such as exhibitions, fashion shows, dances, sales, and other functions.

The Village Hall contains the Millennium Wallhanging, which depicts the various events and influences in Cranleigh’s history as well as the scenes, signs, symbols and logos of present day life in the village.

It was created by over 85 local craftsmen and women during a two-year period and was unveiled by the Mayor of Waverley on March 19th 2000 to commemorate the millennium. The theme of the wallhanging is ‘Time’s arrow in Cranleigh’ and in approximately chronological order illustrates a progression of scenes from Roman times and culminates in the Crane - the symbol of the village, flying confidently into the next millennium, taking Cranleigh forward to the future.The wallhanging is on display whenever the Village Hall is used for meetings and gatherings.

Recently a weather vane has been placed over the porch to mark the long association with the twinned village of Vallendar in Germany. The weather vane is surmounted by a crane and an osier basket. The name Cranleigh or Cranley (as it was) is said to derive from the craneries at nearby Vachery and Baynards. The osier is a type of willow which once grew in abundance in the wet soil conditions and gave rise to a cottage industry of woven baskets, which found a multitude of uses in the area.

The iron sculpture outside was installed to mark the millennium and time capsules reflecting the life of the village at the time are buried beneath it.

Whilst every care has been taken in compiling this publication and the statements contained herein are believed to be correct, the publishers and promoters cannot accept responsibility for any inaccuracies. Reproduction of any part of this publication in any format, without permission, is strictly forbidden. Photograph acknowledgments: Pictures supplied by R Ainsworth, M. Miller, S. Whitehead and E. Whitehead.