Moving to the countryside can mean losing out on the mod cons we expect from city living. Superfast broadband, strong mobile reception, regular transport links – these are the kinds of benefits we might expect to sacrifice in exchange for clean air, a friendly community and stunning countryside on the doorstep.

While this might have been true in rural Surrey a decade ago, recent years have seen a vast improvement in internet and mobile services throughout the county. Here in Cranleigh and the surrounding villages, we’re now enjoying great services that rival any larger town or city.

This is partly thanks to the Superfast Surrey Programme, an initiative jointly funded by Surrey County Council, BT and Broadband Delivery UK. By April 2019, 98% of Surrey residents and businesses should be able to access fibre download speeds of 15mbps or above, even in areas where it’s not been commercially profitable to install fibre infrastructure.

In Cranleigh, Rudgwick and Ewhurst there are several fibre-enabled exchanges, and broadband speeds can in fact be as fast as 76 mbps. So if you’re working from home while others in the house are playing video games or streaming Netflix, you shouldn’t have any problems getting online.

Mobile phone reception is generally excellent, too. Naturally there are some areas where the reception on specific networks can be weak, but any problems can generally be remedied by switching networks. Unless, of course, you are actively seeking an escape from technology, in which case there are still some remote rural properties that might suit you!

Planes, trains and automobiles

In terms of transport, there’s absolutely no need to feel isolated when you move to the Cranleigh area. From nearby Guildford station it’s just 35 minutes to London Waterloo, and trains run as often as nine times an hour into London during commuting hours. Regular bus services from the villages can take you into nearby towns. Guildford, Horsham and Dorking are all just a 20-minute journey by car, with each town centre offering distinct attractions such as designer stores in Guildford, a wonderful market in Horsham and fascinating antiques in Dorking.

Air travel is convenient too: both Gatwick and Heathrow airports are accessible in under an hour.

Talk to your local estate agent

If you’re planning to move to Cranleigh or the surrounding villages and would like more information on the area and what it offers, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We live and work here, and we’re always happy to share our in-depth knowledge and our love of this wonderful part of the world. Pop into our Cranleigh High Street office, call us on 01483 268555, or drop us an email.