Shalford ~ Guildford Borough south central  About 3 miles south of Guildford on the A281

Location for a home ~ Comment: Highly recommended very attractive in parts

Present Day Aspect and Character

Both east and west of this road the limited number of residences are both individual and desirable, many on side roads ending as cul-de-sacs.  On the north side of the green there are a few local shops and a petrol station.  Along Chinthurst Lane further homes can be found on a small network of attractive roads.  Close to the railway line Station Road has a mixture of homes and commercial buildings along its length and is frequently packed with parked cars.

Shalford begins a chain of popular villages running south out of Guildford and all are highly sought after residential areas.  The village borders the River Wey flood plain at Shalford Water Meadows and although the village built up around the banks of this river in many places it is not apparent being tucked into a valley behind many village buildings.  However you can discover  the river lying to the west of the village which now provides pleasure boating and a tow-path all the way from Godalming to the Thames at Weybridge.  Walkers can choose to wander over to the river for a good walk or to strike out across the green to the south and up Chinthurst Hill to obtain good views across the area.  

The area known as Broadford once formed a tiny port on the River Wey where the gunpowder manufactured at nearby Chilworth was loaded at Stonebridge Wharf. Now the river side buildings form a small but attractive group including The Parrot Pub, river bank cottages and a modern office development.

Schools:  Shalford County                Tel: 01483 562143

Public Houses and Accommodation 

The Seahorse, The Street a long established pub on the main A281 in the village.  Tel: 01483 514351

The Parrot Inn, Broadford Road originally built about 150 years ago next door to a powder keg factory.  The nearby River Wey was used to transport black powder to the factory where the workers toiled who often frequented the pub.  Adjacent is the site now used as a construction base for Mclaren racing cars and Ferraris.  Letting Rooms. Tel: 01483 561400

History

Great Tangley House
1 m SE of Shalford
The most impressive of Surrey’s modest number of half-timbered houses.  It is dated 1584 and demonstrates the frequently copied 16th century half-timbering in the Guildford area.

River Wey and Godalming Navigation   
Once known as 'London's lost route to the sea', the River Wey became the first river in England to be made into a canal, with the ultimate objective of connecting the Thames to the sea.  It was soon superseded however by the railways and never fulfilled its potential.  However this old navigable waterway continues from Guildford to the Thames at Weybridge and is now largely enjoyed for leisure.   The twelve locks along this stretch were needed to overcome a drop of 68feet in fifteen miles and some are the oldest in England.  Several of the locks, including that at Pyrford,  still have their original mechanism.  Upstream from the Thames came coal to villagers and downstream went local farm produce, timber, and flour ground at the river's mills.  The canal is now protected by the National Trust and pleasure craft enjoy its waters and a tow path follows the bank.

Shalford Mill is tucked away off the main road near St Mary's Church and it came into the ownership of the National Trust in 1932 having once been in the Godwin-Austen family, whose good deeds are recalled on tablets in the early Victorian church of St Mary .