The Wey and Arun Canal
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The Wey and Arun canal opened in 1816 and whilst it was never a commercial success, large bulky items like timber and slates for building, and fertiliser and lime for the fields were regularly unloaded at the wharf in Elmbridge. The canal finally closed in 1870 its demise accelerated by the coming of the railway a few years earlier. Traces of the old canal bed can still be seen at Run Common whilst in other places local volunteers are making great strides to reopen sections as a leisure amenity to be enjoyed once more.
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Cranleigh Station, 1906
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The railway from Horsham to Guildford arrived in Cranleigh in 1865 and the village never looked back, as not only did local trade profit as never before but a large immigrant population were able to take advantage of the commuting potential for London and the rest of Surrey.
As a result, the population at the end of the 19th century nearly doubled compared to the figure at the beginning of the century.
Post marks showing the change of name
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The volume of postal material grew to such an extent that the authorities asked that the village name be re-spelt from Cranley to Cranleigh to avoid confusion with Crawley.
In 1965, the railway closed and the station was demolished to make room for Stocklund Square, but the old platform levels are still visible at the rear of the shops.
