Situated to the northeast of Guildford and southwest of Woking, sits the large village of West Clandon in Surrey. The area’s history is traced back to Anglo-Saxon times, recorded as ‘Clenedune’, meaning ‘open downland’. From its earliest recordings it was separated nominatively from East Clandon, a nearby village. With its local train station that services frequent transport to London and beyond, and proximity to Guildford, this quaint locale is ideal for those wishing to root in a more relaxed and idyllic locale; flanked by swathes of heath and greenland, golf courses, and farmland.

West Clandon is first recorded in the 1086 Domesday Book survey for William the Conquerer, and belonged to Edward, Bishop of Salisbury. Until the 1500s, the land was owned by various manor lords under the rural feudal system. It wasn’t until the dissolution of the monasteries under King Henry VIII that the pattern of West Clandon started to emerge; as the religious and political conflict between West and East Clandon boomed. West Clandon, firmly Parliamentarian and therefore Puritan, was at odds against East, firmly Royalist and Catholic. This led to several skirmishes between the settlements in the mid-1600s, and was only really resolved in the 18th century. The descendent of the Onslows, the historic owners of West Clandon, Thomas Onslow, famously destroyed the ELizabethan manor house and constructed a palatial Palladian mansion designed by renowned Italian architect Giacomi Leoni, finished in the 1740s.

This, Clandon Manor Park, still stands today, and is a prominent feature in the West Clandon landscape! Protected by the National Trust, this is surrounded by vast gardens and is open to the public. A curious feature of the manor park, is the Māori meeting house - wharenui - known as Hinemih. Essential to the cultural lives of the Māori in New Zealand, this meeting house is one of only three that exist outside of New Zealand. After the eruption of Mount Tarawera in 1886, the original building was encased in ash, and in 1892 William Onslow Govenor General of New Zealand, bought and shipped Hinemih to Clandon Manor Park. Warenui’s are vital to the community centres of the Māori people, and Minemih is still used today by various Māori groups living in the local area. In 2019 it was agreed to be returned to New Zealand, and a reconstruction to be built in Clandon Manor Park.

West Clandon sits on the Metropolitan Green Belt, and this is not set to be under review by the wider Guildford borough until 2032. Therefore local development is slow, and must adhere to strict permissions and guidelines, owing to the land’s protection. However, there have been several new-build developments in the adjacent area of Merrow, and there is certainly scope for wider development!