County Dossier
Surrey
A small shire with royal and Saxon roots.
Surrey is an inland county in southern England, blending urban, suburban, and rural landscapes. The north-east merges with London’s metropolitan area, including affluent towns such as Richmond upon Thames and Kingston upon Thames, alongside districts like Southwark and Lambeth.
At a glance
Surrey at a glance
A small shire with royal and Saxon roots.
- Sūþrige: ‘southern district’
- A shire by early 9th century
- Domesday Book: Suthrige
- Area: 759 sq miles
- Population: 2,975,836
- County Top: Leith Hill
County Geography
Surrey is bounded by the Thames to the north against Middlesex and Buckinghamshire, meets Berkshire to the west, Hampshire and Sussex on the south-western and southern sides, and Kent to the east. The county is organised by the river edge, the North Downs, and the valleys of the Mole and Wey.
The Thames edge, the chalk downs, the wooded country to their south, and the Wey-Mole route pattern give Surrey a strong county form. That geography is older and clearer than the reduced modern label.
Map Reference
View Surrey on the map
Surrey is the county. The map also shows lieutenancies and council areas that use the county name.
The county.
The lieutenancy.
Council areas.
Places and routes
Kingston upon Thames, Guildford, Epsom, Reigate, and Farnham show the county from royal Thames-side centre and county town to northern racecourse country, eastern downland gateway, and western market approach. Together they show Surrey as a Thames, downs, and western market-town county.
Connections
Surrey’s routes have long followed the Thames edge, crossed the Downs at gaps and ridgeways, and run along the Wey and Mole corridors toward London and the west.
Names
- Surrey
- County of Surrey
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County Reference
Explore Surrey
Open the map to explore Surrey, or return to the county index to browse other counties.