On the southwesterly tip of the urban edges of Guildford’s town centre, nestled between the commuter belt of the A3 road and Farnham Road, sits the pastoral locale of Onslow Village. With a wealth of history and a few listed buildings in the vicinity, Onslow Village’s roots are dug deep within the history of early twentieth-century housing projects, and presented an egalitarian and pastoral offering to the working-classes of Guildford. With this history in mind, the majority of the housing stock available are ex-council housing units built within the early to mid twentieth century, and the design and feel of these units reflects this.

To understand the contemporary feel of Onslow Village, its important to understand that it grew from social egalitarianism, with the aim of providing an abundance of well-built housing to the urban working classes following WWI. The Onslow Village Housing Association was formed, and in 1920 purchased 646 acres of land from Lord Onslow, in the hopes of creating a miniature garden city in the suburban outskirts of Guildford. Therefore inspired by the great master planner Ebenezer Howard, the plans aimed to create a small self-sufficient and self-contained community with smallholdings, public buildings, open spaces, recreation grounds, churches and housing stock. Much of this character is maintained today, with a mixture of bungalows and one-and-half to two storey properties, built with light render or red-brick. The focus on natural materials throughout Onslow Villages’ development is crucial to its character, blending the built and the natural into the fabric of the community.

Onslow Village never grew to the aspirations of the early development - it never got its railway for instance. However, the site has been designated at Conservation Area since 1990. Therefore, planning permissions to develop the local area of Onslow Village must adhere to the architectural identity and character of the locale in order to be approved. Whilst several planning permissions have been granted in recent years to the local area, the unique history and architectural identity of Onslow Village should be approached with sensitivity. However, a new build on Orchard Road has just been approved, and there is opportunity for development here!