94-675: Tillingbourne Bus Company was a bus company based in Cranleigh , Surrey . The company operated bus and coach services in Surrey, West Sussex , Hampshire and Berkshire from 1924 until 2001. It was founded as Tillingbourne Valley in 1924, and became a limited company in 1931, taking the name Tillingbourne Valley Services. It initially operated routes in the Guildford area from a garage in Chilworth using small single-deck buses painted in
188-405: A 16-seat Ford Transit , in 1985. The Tillingbourne fleet in the late 1980s and early 1990s also included two rare Dennis Dorchesters bought new, and a Volvo B10M coach with the last Plaxton Derwent body built. The fleet was substantially updated shortly prior to the company's closure. Two Volvo B6 single-deckers were bought in 1994. These were followed by a number of Optare products including
282-688: A bus shelter sometime nicknamed the Threepenny Bit Shelter was remodelled at Snoxhall behind the leisure centre. Within a few weeks it was vandalised and pulled to the ground. The bulk of funding was from Surrey County Council (SCC) and the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), to designs by SCC. Winterfold House, north-east of the village along Barhatch Lane, was built in 1886 for Richard Webster QC, afterwards Viscount Alverstone . He became Lord Chief Justice in 1900 and died in 1915. A bench in
376-469: A depot in Chilworth under the name Tillingbourne Valley Coaches. This company bought three second-hand coaches to run on excursions and private hire operations. After 14 years of operation it launched a bus service between Guildford and Blackheath . Rhees died in 1953 and Tillingbourne Valley Coaches passed to his wife, who sold out to established operator Rackliffe of Guildford a year later. Rackliffe
470-563: A garage in Gomshall in the same year. A second garage in Ewhurst was opened in 1974. An expansion of operations in the late 1970s and early 1980s, much of it through the award of county council contracted routes, took the company's vehicles into West Sussex and Hampshire as well as Surrey. Tillingbourne took over the services of London operator Orpington & District following that company's collapse in 1981. These were run separately from
564-584: A large river sand delta system including across much of the Weald (which covers much of Sussex and Kent as well). Later, a rise in sea level around 50 million years ago caused widespread deposition, until 2 million years ago, of the London Clay across the county. The London Clay is a bluish-grey marine clay with isolated pockets of fossils especially where chalkier. The youngest part of the London Clay
658-457: A listed granary . Rowly is separated from Cranleigh by Manfield Park and Hollyhocks House. Baynards to the south is separated by a green buffer including the lake, Vachery Pond. It consists of fewer than 20 buildings. Reached by Knowle Lane, a rural road leading off of the high street, which is dotted with houses, the settlement lies east of that lane along another lane, Baynards Road. No other neighbourhoods or localities of importance exist in
752-689: A local service in Guildford, was withdrawn in October 1971 due to poor usage, and another was cut in frequency. As the Chilworth garage was still owned by Trice, operations were transferred to an open-air site in Gomshall in early 1972. The company's name was changed to Tillingbourne Bus Company in May 1972, following the introduction of a service between Horsham and Colgate , with a new livery of blue, yellow and grey introduced. A new Managing Director, Barry King, joined Tillingbourne from North Downs Coaches in
846-506: A maroon livery. Coach hire and excursions began in 1931, but two years later these activities split into a separate company, Tillingbourne Valley Coaches, which operated independently for a further 24 years. Until 1970 Tillingbourne was owned and managed by three generations of the Trice family, before being sold to Trevor Brown. The company changed its name to Tillingbourne Bus Company in 1972, changing its livery to blue and yellow, and moved to
940-504: A more open layout catering for attractions and events such as a town-style public Easter Service and a French Market. In 2006, the pedestrian area surrounding the large stone drinking fountain (1874) at the centre of the village was re-modelled, and given the name 'Fountain Square'. New granite paving, brick planters and trees were introduced in a design which created a haven from traffic and a place for small community events. As part of this
1034-567: A range of different operators. Other effects causing Tillingbourne's collapse included a fall in the total number of passengers using buses in Hampshire and local criticism following an increase in the number of vehicles using the, later closed, Arriva West Sussex garage in Warnham . The sites of both Tillingbourne garages in Cranleigh were converted for use by other industries. Tillingbourne
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#17327987848381128-550: A relatively large public library. A gym and leisure centre (which incorporates an indoor swimming pool) is centrally just off the High Street. Snoxhall Fields incorporates a few fields very near to the centre of Cranleigh, accessed by car via Knowle Lane. Across the road lies the Bruce McKenzie Memorial Field where Cranleigh Parkrun is organised on a weekly basis. Running through Snoxhall Fields
1222-593: A result of the loss of services caused by the company's closure. The increased vehicle requirements at Arriva's Warnham ( Horsham ) garage, which took over three of Tillingbourne's former routes, led to criticism from residents in the area and the suggestion that the site should be closed and operations moved to another location. The depot, buses and operation were sold by Arriva to Metrobus in September 2009, who moved all operations to their garage in Crawley and closed
1316-521: A small number of service changes were made, with a new route from Guildford to Chiddingfold being introduced and a service to Gomshall withdrawn. At the same time, a new brand name, Hobbit, was introduced for Tillingbourne's minibus operations. Barry King left the company in December 1986 and was replaced as Managing Director by Chris Bowler. In early 1989, operations in Horsham were reduced, following
1410-530: A variety of sediments with fine silts at the base, giving way upwards into sandstones. Just before the paleogene which included the mass-extinction event of the non-avian dinosaurs, sea levels dropped, exposing Sussex and Kent; marine Upnor Beds were deposited in Surrey . In the paleogene, Southern England slightly rose and the seas retreated and reddish and mottled clays of the Reading Beds were deposited by
1504-472: Is also St Cuthbert Mayne Catholic Primary School . Cranleigh C of E Primary School opened in September 2008 as an amalgamation of Cranleigh Infants School and St. Nicolas Junior School. In 1847 the National School opened in the present Arts Centre, replacing earlier dame schools . During the twentieth century, separate infant and secondary schools were formed and moved to their own premises (leaving
1598-623: Is known as the Claygate Beds and sand and soft sandstone of the Bagshot Formation , though in many areas such as this generally eroded, followed in most cases by a variable thickness of organic humus . Cranleigh School , an independent boarding school , is in the village. It opened in 1865 and was originally known as "The Surrey County School". State schools include Glebelands School (a secondary school) , Cranleigh C of E Primary School and Park Mead Primary School . There
1692-595: Is recorded in the Pipe Rolls as Cranlea in 1166 and Cranelega in 1167. A little later in the Feet of Fines of 1198 the name is written as Cranele . Etymologists consider all these versions to be the fusion of the Old English words "Cran", meaning " crane ", and "Lēoh" that together mean 'a woodland clearing visited by cranes'. The name is popularly believed to come from imputed large crane-breeding grounds at
1786-549: Is the administrative centre of the borough of Waverley . In the centre of the civil parish are the greatest number of buildings, fanning out in many side roads and on the high street. Cranleigh Waters also known as the Cranleigh Water, drains the village, before flowing to Shalford where it joins the River Wey, specifically in the small, formerly marsh-like locality of Peasmarsh, which still has water meadows lining
1880-660: Is the path of the disused railway line which is now commonly used for cycling and walking. The football club, Cranleigh F.C. currently play in the Surrey Elite West Division and previously at times in the Combined Counties League . Cranleigh Cricket Club play at Horseshoe Lane. Cranleigh Hockey Club is a field hockey club that play at Cranleigh School, and compete in the South East Hockey League . Every year
1974-479: Is widely believed. Cranleigh's Village Hall opened in 1933. The Regal Cinema opened on 30 October 1936. It survived for over sixty years, finally closing on 14 March 2002. The site is now occupied by a block of flats. Winterfold House near Cranleigh was requisitioned by the British Government and used by SOE Special Operations Executive , as a training school designated STS 4 and later STS 7 as
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#17327987848382068-520: The Cheshire Cat . With the growth of the village, a "daughter" church, St Andrew's , opened at the west end of the village in 1900 but it closed some sixty years later. The parish is in the Diocese of Guildford. The 16th century Boy & Donkey pub, on Knowle Road outside the village, was taken over in the mid-19th century by Hodgsons of Kingston, later Courage , and remained in business until
2162-479: The Domesday Book , at that time being part of the manor of Shere . The Anglican parish church of St Nicolas dates the first building on its site from around 1170, and the building was in its present form by the mid-14th century. It was extensively restored in 1847. The church has a gargoyle, on a pillar inside the church, which is said to have inspired Lewis Carroll , who lived in Guildford, to create
2256-546: The Metrorider minibus and four of the last Optare Vecta single-deckers built. The most common type in the fleet in the late 1990s was the Mercedes-Benz 811D minibus; by 1998 21 were in use out of a total fleet of 65. Tillingbourne bought its first low-floor buses, two new Optare Excels , in 2000. Tillingbourne's routes were taken over by a variety of local operators. Arriva Guildford & West Surrey took over
2350-820: The RT-type bus . Although curtailed and delayed by the outbreak of World War Two, the programme nevertheless delivered some key elements of the present overground sections of the Underground system. However, the most profound change enacted by the board, through the new works, was the transition from tram to trolleybus operation alluded to earlier. In 1933, the LPTB had operated 327 route miles of tramways and 18 route miles of trolleybuses. By 1948, these totals were 102 and 255 miles respectively, mainly by eliminating trams in North London. The final disappearance of trams, in 1952,
2444-652: The Thames and the Wey ) with Littlehampton (via the Arun ). However, the canal traffic was completely eclipsed by the Horsham to Guildford railway which opened in 1865, and the canal fell into disuse. A turnpike road was also built between Guildford and Horsham , assent for the project being given in 1818. The opening is commemorated by an obelisk at the junction of the roads to Horsham and to Ewhurst . The Prince Regent used
2538-476: The " Stocklund Square " housing and shopping development. In 2004 part of this development was itself demolished and a Sainsbury's supermarket was constructed on the site. Today the trackbed is in part used by the Downs Link , and the station's old platform levels are still visible at the rear of the shops. Two studies have been carried out to review the possibility of reviving train services. The first, in
2632-537: The 1970s, a number of second-hand Bristol SUL4A's, with ECW B36F bodies, were operated. In the period shortly before and after deregulation, a range of types were used. As well as a large number of Bedford vehicles, which continued to be bought new until the late 1980s, the fleet also included the AEC Reliance , Leyland Leopard , Leyland Tiger and Volvo B10M models, and the first two Dennis Lancet single-deckers to be built. The company bought its first minibus,
2726-536: The 1990s, was to determine whether re-opening a portion of the line for passenger traffic from Bramley to Guildford would be economically viable. Although the study was inconclusive, Waverley Borough Council protected the line from further development in its Local Plan . In 2009, the Association of Train Operating Companies applied for funding for a new line to Cranleigh. Cranleigh centres around
2820-608: The Act the LPTB acquired the following concerns: The LPTB was a quasi-public organisation akin to a modern quango with considerable autonomy granted to its senior executives. It enjoyed a more or less full monopoly of transport services within its area, with the exception of those provided by the Big Four railway companies such as the Southern Railway . Consequently, it was empowered to enter into co-ordination agreements with
2914-647: The Act: The Act required that the board members should be ' persons who have had wide experience, and have shown capacity, in transport, industrial, commercial or financial matters or in the conduct of public affairs and, in the case of two members, shall be persons who have had not less than six years' experience in local government within the London Passenger Transport Area." The first chairman and vice-chairman were Lord Ashfield and Frank Pick , who had held similar positions with
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3008-531: The Anglo-French named Vachery Pond, often locally known as Vachery. The figure of a crane adorns the old drinking water fountain of 1874 in 'Fountain Square' in the middle of the village. A pair of cranes adorn the crest of the 21st century granted coat of arms of Cranleigh Parish Council . Partly on the Greensand Ridge , where it rises to 700 feet (210 m) at Winterfold Hill, but mainly on
3102-682: The Brighton route, beer was carried from the Sussex Brewery near Edburton to public houses along the route alongside passengers. The scheduled service operations of coach firm McCann's were acquired, together with three vehicles, on 1 November 1982, although some were withdrawn a year later. Further expansion came in April 1985, following over a year of consultation with county council members, regulators, when two new routes were introduced. One operated in competition with Alder Valley , while
3196-435: The C of E Junior School which moved to new buildings in 1964). The Cranleigh Arts Centre runs a full programme of feature film screenings, live music, theatre productions, adult and children's activities, exhibitions and workshops. Regular community arts projects and work with local schools are undertaken to reach and develop new audiences. The centre is a registered charity and is run by a team of volunteers. The village has
3290-564: The Cranleigh & South Eastern Agricultural Society host the Cranleigh Show, a traditional agricultural show . In 2023 a 60-acre country park was opened at Knowle Park to the south of the High Street. It included a lake, business kiosks, walks and children’s playground. There is a Roman Catholic church, Jesus Christ Redeemer of Mankind (in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Arundel & Brighton ), and churches of
3384-690: The LPTB were often of exemplary quality and are still much sought after. The LPTB was replaced in 1948 by the London Transport Executive , under the Transport Act 1947 . It was effectively nationalised, being taken under the wing of the British Transport Commission , which also ran much of the nation's other bus companies, an amount of road haulage, as well as the nation's railways, but it still retained considerable autonomy. The LPTB continued to exist as
3478-477: The Mercedes minibuses and nine Optare Metroriders . Some vehicles remained in Surrey, including two Dennis Dart SLFs leased from Surrey County Council which were passed on to Arriva Guildford & West Surrey, and two Optare Excels bought by Safeguard Coaches of Guildford. A fall in bus passenger numbers, between 1999 and 2001 in the areas of Hampshire served by Tillingbourne, was in part explained as being
3572-657: The Methodist and Baptist denominations, as well as the Anglican church of St Nicolas mentioned above. Cranleigh railway station was opened in 1865 as "Cranley" as part of the Cranleigh Line , its name was changed in 1867 to "Cranleigh" at the request of the Postmaster General as badly addressed letters to "Cranley" were often mistaken for " Crawley " and vice versa. Cranleigh was the busiest station on
3666-856: The North, Brentwood in the East, Horsham in the South and High Wycombe in the West. The LPTA had an area of 1,986 square miles (5,140 km ). The LPTA overlapped with the London Traffic Area (LTA) defined by the London Traffic Act 1924 and the part of the LPTA that was within the LTA was defined as the "special area" within which the LPTB had a monopoly of local road public transport. Under
3760-475: The Orpington operation was given a separate licence, under the name Tillingbourne (Metropolitan) Limited, with six vehicles allocated to it. By 1983, however, it became clear that the local area management of Tillingbourne (Metropolitan) wanted to develop the business in a different way from that of the main company. On 24 September 1983, the Orpington operation's directors, Gary Wood and Peter Larking, bought out
3854-527: The Underground Group. Members of the board had a term of office of between three and seven years, and were eligible for reappointment. Latham and Cliff became Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the successor London Transport Executive in 1947. The London Passenger Transport Area (LPTA) had an approximate radius of 30 miles (48 km) from Charing Cross , extending beyond the boundaries of what later officially became Greater London , to Baldock in
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3948-458: The award of contracted work in Reading to Tillingbourne. Tillingbourne introduced a new tourist route in the summer of 1995. Operating on Sundays for six months of the year, it provided a circular service linking Guildford, Godalming and Cranleigh with a number of nearby rural locations not served by other routes. Although similar services were operated by London & Country and Nostalgiabus,
4042-543: The bank itself. Winterfold Forest , a remaining higher part of the forest that occupies the northeast is on the Greensand Ridge , which can be explored using in places roads or by the long-distance path, the Greensand Way . Rowly is a neighbourhood 0.8 miles (1.3 km) NNW of the edge of the contiguous suburban part of Cranleigh that architecturally contains three Grade II listed buildings . Three surrounding farms have listed farmhouses, and one of these has
4136-400: The bill, with no serious changes, despite its extensive transfer of private undertakings into the public sector. On 1 July 1933, the LPTB came into being, covering the "London Passenger Transport Area". The LPTB's financial structure was not the same as that of outright nationalisation, which did not occur until the London Transport Executive was established on 1 January 1948. When the LPTB
4230-643: The business passed to his son, also called George. A coach hire and excursion business had been introduced in July 1931; this was split out into a new company, Tillingbourne Valley Coaches, which operated independently until 1955. From the early 1930s, until 1964, the service to Peaslake was run jointly with the London Passenger Transport Board ; operation of the entire route was taken over in August 1964, but falling passenger numbers meant that
4324-519: The capital was spent before World War Two broke out, it allowed extensions to the Central, Bakerloo, Northern and Metropolitan lines; built new trains and maintenance depots, with extensive rebuilding of many central area stations (such as Aldgate East); and replacement of much of the tram network by what was to become one of the world's largest trolleybus systems. During this period, two icons of London Transport were first seen: 1938 tube stock trains and
4418-519: The civil parish as a whole. Elevations range from a maximum of 240 m AOD (mean high water level) at the car park on Reynolds Hill in Winterfold Heath (a woodland in the north) to 41 m on the watercourse and the disused Wey and Arun Canal as they leave both the parish in the northwest extreme at the end of East Whipley Lane. The village centre lies at generally 50–70 m above AOD. Soil consists in small areas of "naturally wet loamy soil";
4512-523: The clay and sandstone Lower Weald , Cranleigh has little of prehistoric or Roman interest, whereas just across the east border Wykehurst and Rapley Farms have Roman buildings and Roman Tile Kilns – in the parish of Ewhurst . A spur of the Roman road between London and Chichester runs north west to Guildford past nearby Farley Heath in Farley Green , a temple site. Cranleigh was not mentioned in
4606-455: The communities relied in particular on a cancelled morning journey. Operations were moved to a new larger site, still located in Cranleigh, in February 2001. The company believed this would reduce operating costs and allow for future expansion. On 19 March 2001, Tillingbourne abruptly ceased operations and was placed in the hands of receivers Begbies Traynor . This followed two years in which
4700-566: The company had lost around £450,000. The receivers blamed the losses on increasing costs, low subsidies from local councils and falling passenger numbers. The closure left 140 staff unemployed and caused large numbers of passengers to be stranded. Replacement services were organised by Surrey County Council and four bus operators, with the majority of routes being covered within days by temporary contracted services. Some schoolchildren were forced to find other means of transport, although workings on routes 62 and 63 were covered by Aventa Transport. It
4794-520: The company to launch a new operation in Greater London . This was split from the main operation as Tillingbourne (Metropolitan) in July 1981, but sold to its managerial team in 1983. It adopted the name Metrobus and continues to operate. In June 1981, new once-weekly routes linking Horsham to Steyning and Cranleigh/Ewhurst to Brighton were introduced, the second to replace a withdrawn Southdown Motor Services service. To improve profits on
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#17327987848384888-532: The county council. These were operated under the Hobbit name. A new service linking Normandy and Christmaspie to Guildford two days a week was introduced in October 1989. A second route to the two villages was added in 1995. In January 1999 a new route from Farnham to Tongham via Normandy was launched, as was a direct service from the village to Guildford. In 1998 an outstation was opened in Aldershot following
4982-430: The early 1990s. It was sold to Morland of Abingdon who later closed it. The building was converted into a private home. Oliver Cromwell visited Knowle House in 1657, his soldiers being billeted in houses in the village. Growth came due to improvements in transport; in 1813 the Wey and Arun Canal was authorised. Three years later it opened, passing a few miles to the west of the village. This route linked London (via
5076-451: The infrastructure of the village. He formed the Cranleigh Gas Company in 1876, and arranged for a mains water supply in 1886. In 1894 he laid out an estate between the Horsham and Ewhurst Roads, building New Park Road, Avenue Road, Mead Road, Mount Road and Bridge Road. He also set up a grocery store. His name is commemorated in that of Rowland Road. The cricket field has been used for that purpose since 1843. Cranleigh Lawn Tennis Tournament
5170-409: The junction of two B roads to the east of the A281 Guildford to Horsham road. The village is on a number of bus routes serving, among others, Guildford , Horsham , Godalming and Ewhurst . The main operator is Stagecoach. Tillingbourne Bus Company was based in the village prior to its collapse in 2001. The Wey and Arun Canal is gradually being restored. A square near the centre of
5264-416: The later part of World War II , on 27 August 1944, the infants school was hit by a V-1 flying bomb and demolished, as was the stained glass east window of the nearby St. Nicolas Church. This occurred early on a Sunday morning, and the school was empty. The only casualty was the Rector , who was in his garden not far away and was injured. Another flying bomb hit the gasholder on the Common, destroying both
5358-423: The line with regular commuter traffic to and from London via Guildford . Cranleigh had a substantial goods yard equipped with a large loading gantry . Inward freight consisted mainly of coal which was required, in particular, by the local gasworks , whilst goods outward were mainly timber. A victim of the Beeching Axe , the line closed in 1965 and Cranleigh station was demolished shortly afterwards, replaced by
5452-416: The local council in November 2002. [REDACTED] Media related to Tillingbourne Bus Company at Wikimedia Commons Cranleigh Cranleigh is a village and civil parish , about 8 miles (13 km) southeast of Guildford in Surrey , England. It lies on a minor road east of the A281, which links Guildford with Horsham . It is in the north-west corner of the Weald , a large remnant forest,
5546-426: The location of the Student Assessment Board. Its primary use during the war was to whittle out those not suited to undercover work and begin initial training for those that progressed. Amongst the many recruits that attended Winterfold included Muriel Byck , Andrée Borrel , Denise Bloch , Noor Inyat Khan (Nora Baker) – a descendant of Indian Muslim royalty and Violette Szabo GC. A film Carve Her Name with Pride
5640-399: The loss of the tendered route to Barns Green . A new service to Billingshurst was briefly introduced in February 1989, but withdrawn after two months. In July, a new service between Guildford and the British Aerospace site at Dunsfold Aerodrome was introduced. Further expansion eastwards came in November 1989, when the operation of eleven tendered routes, requiring six buses, was won from
5734-500: The main company as Tillingbourne (Metropolitan) which, in 1983, was sold to its management to form Metrobus , now part of the Go-Ahead Group . The company moved garages again in 1980, settling in Cranleigh. A new, larger garage in the same town was opened in February 2001. Deregulation of local bus services in 1986 led to further expansion, including the establishment in 1989 of a new brand, Hobbit, for Tillingbourne's minibus operations. A high-quality coaching subsidiary, Dorking Coaches,
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#17327987848385828-407: The main local remnant being Winterfold Forest directly north-west on the northern Greensand Ridge . In 2011 it had a population of just over 11,000. Until the mid-1860s, the place was usually spelt Cranley . The Post Office persuaded the vestry to use " -leigh " to avoid misdirections to nearby Crawley in West Sussex . The older spelling is publicly visible in the Cranley Hotel . The name
5922-511: The mainline railway companies concerning their suburban services. It was, to a limited extent, accountable to users via The London and Home Counties Traffic Advisory Committee. Ninety-two transport and ancillary undertakings, with a capital of approximately £120 million, came under the LPTB. Central buses, trolleybuses, underground trains and trams were painted in "Underground" and "London General" red, coaches and country buses in green, with coaches branded Green Line . Already in use on most of
6016-461: The majority of the operations in Guildford and Cranleigh, while the Arriva West Sussex division took over services in Horsham. Operations in and around Woking were taken on by Tellings-Golden Miller and Reptons Coaches. White Rose took over the route between Staines and Camberley, while Thames Travel took over the routes into Reading. Fleet Buzz took over operations from Tillingbourne in their north-east Hampshire territory, they would later renumber
6110-436: The new service was designed to avoid any direct competition. The route was operated with a Bristol SU single-decker acquired from a bus preservationist . In September 2000, Tillingbourne controversially reduced the number of journeys on contracted route 516, which linked Dorking , Leatherhead and Epsom . Although this was within the terms of the contract, it was criticised by residents of intermediate villages, who claimed
6204-489: The north and south of the village centre and all surrounding areas are "slowly permeable seasonally wet slightly acid but base-rich loamy and clayey soils". Gault Clay and the Upper Greensand deposits form the deep soil, more evident where erosion has taken place on steeper hillslopes in the civil parish. The Gault Clay contains phosphate-rich nodules in discrete bands and has a rich marine fauna with abundant ammonites, bivalves and gastropods. The Upper Greensand comprises
6298-433: The other took the place of services withdrawn by other operators. Following these changes Tillingbourne became the only operator to serve Chilworth, Albury and Shere . Two new vehicles were purchased for the routes. At the same time, all of Tillingbourne's services were renumbered into a new two-digit sequence, to avoid confusion with London Country routes. A year later, the second of the new services, circular route 23/25,
6392-420: The outbreak of World War II , these were progressively replaced by new buses, also built by Thornycroft. The first double-deck vehicle to be bought was a Bristol K Type, which joined the fleet in 1959. Eight Guy Vixens were bought from London Transport between 1963 and 1964 to replace the entire previous fleet. These were succeeded by a wide variety of types, with Bedford coaches and buses the most numerous. In
6486-400: The route was cut back in frequency a year later. A new livery of maroon and grey was introduced in 1964. George Trice retired in 1948 and was succeeded by his son Derek, who sold Tillingbourne to Trevor Brown in September 1970. In the same year, route numbering was introduced for the first time to the three routes then operated. The company made an operating loss in 1969 and 1970, so one route,
6580-437: The route when travelling between Windsor and Brighton , the distances to which are given on the plaque on the obelisk. Three people played a major part in the development of the village during the 19th century: Reverend John Henry Sapte , Dr Albert Napper and Stephen Rowland. Sapte arrived in Cranleigh in 1846 as the rector . He played a major role in setting up the National School in 1847 and Cranleigh School in 1865. He
6674-443: The routes into 70-series. Following the end of Tillingbourne's operations, many of its newer vehicles were sold for further use. Buyers included Black Prince Buses , which took three Optare Prismas , and Islwyn Borough Transport , which bought Tillingbourne's Optare Vectas . One of the surviving Leyland Tigers was bought by Norfolk Green . The biggest customer was Shamrock Coaches of Pontypridd which took 27 vehicles, including
6768-458: The same year. In 1974, a small garage in Ewhurst was acquired and maintenance work transferred there, although the majority of the fleet continued to be based in Gomshall. In May 1976, the company's long-established route between Guildford and Peaslake was extended to Cranleigh via Ewhurst, and a once-daily schoolday service to and from The Haven , the first bus route to serve the community,
6862-409: The site. Both of Tillingbourne's former garage sites in Cranleigh have been converted for other uses. Permission was granted in February 2002 for the smaller site abandoned shortly before the company closed down to be taken over by a plant and vehicle hire firm. The larger site used in the final few months of operation was converted for use by a mail order firm, with permission for the change granted by
6956-402: The structure and a nearby cottage, whose occupant was killed. Cranleigh railway station was closed by Dr Beeching in 1965 after almost exactly a hundred years of operation. In 1975 the 1900-built church of St Andrew was demolished. Cranleigh village is 7.7 miles (12.4 km) southeast of the county town of Surrey , Guildford , and 6.2 miles (10.0 km) ESE of Godalming , which
7050-401: The subsidiary to form Metrobus Limited . Following the takeover of Dorking Coaches in the late 1990s, a coaching division was set up using the same name, under the management of former Traffic Manager John Gaff. It operated high-quality coaches, including three air-conditioned vehicles which joined the fleet in 2000, on coach hire and tour work. The first vehicle to be bought by Tillingbourne
7144-523: The tube system, "U NDERGROUN D" branding was extended to all lines and stations. The name was said to have been coined by Albert Stanley, 1st Baron Ashfield in 1908, when he was general manager of the Underground Group . The LPTB embarked on a £35 million capital investment programme that extended services and reconstructed many existing assets, mostly under the umbrella of the 1935–1940 New Works Programme . Although only about £21 million of
7238-400: The village on the High Street, which is the main road running through Cranleigh. It was constructed following the closing of the railway line in 1965, and the removal of the railway station. A new Sainsbury's supermarket was built in late 2004. Other shops in the square are Oxfam , Pizza Express and Costa Coffee . The square used to have greenery and a fountain, but this was replaced with
7332-439: The withdrawal of services at short notice was "totally unacceptable", while Shere county councillor David Davis described the closure as a "local tragedy". Council leaders also denied the claim that the subsidies had been too low. In 1933, the bus and coach operations of what was then Tillingbourne Valley Services were split. The coaching unit was taken over by Lionel Rhees, previously an employee of Tillingbourne, and operated from
7426-469: The woodland above the house is known as 'Lord Justice Seat'. London Passenger Transport Board The London Passenger Transport Board was the organisation responsible for local public transport in London and its environs from 1933 to 1948. In common with all London transport authorities from 1933 to 2000, the public name and brand was London Transport . The London Passenger Transport Board (LPTB)
7520-426: Was a single-deck Chevrolet with 14 seats, which entered service on the launch of the company's first route in 1924. It was joined by a similar Overland Automobile bus later in the year. Two further vehicles had been purchased by 1928, when a depot fire destroyed three of the four buses. They were replaced by second-hand buses including an 18-seat Dennis and several Thornycroft A2 vehicles. From November 1934 until
7614-415: Was also operated towards the end of Tillingbourne's life. Tillingbourne began operations with a single vehicle, expanding to operate around 70 buses by 2001. A range of types were operated, including early Thornycroft and Dennis vehicles, and later Guy and Bedford products. The company's fleet was updated in the 1990s with new Volvo and Optare vehicles. Following Tillingbourne's closure, its fleet
7708-400: Was appointed Archdeacon of Surrey and remained in the village until his death in 1906. Together with Napper, Sapte set up the first cottage hospital in the country in 1859. It has survived many attempts to close it, through fundraising by the local community. However it lost its beds for in-patients in May 2006. Stephen Rowland was a resident who had a major role in the development of
7802-454: Was disposed of, with vehicles sold to Shamrock Coaches, Norfolk Green , Black Prince Buses , Safeguard Coaches , Arriva Guildford & West Surrey and Islwyn Borough Transport . The company was placed in administration in March 2001, following two years of heavy losses, and closed down permanently a month later. This led to a series of service changes, which saw its operations covered by
7896-608: Was established pursuant to the London Passenger Transport Act 1933 enacted on 13 April 1933. The bill had been introduced by Herbert Morrison , who was Transport Minister in the Labour Government until 1931. Because the legislation was a hybrid bill it had been possible to allow it to 'roll over' into the new parliament under the incoming National Government . The new government, although dominated by Conservatives , decided to continue with
7990-449: Was extended to Peaslake , and briefly faced competition from Surrey Hills Motor Services prior to their takeover by Aldershot & District , who withdrew the competing route. The company's garage was rebuilt after being destroyed in a fire along with three of its vehicles in 1928. Tillingbourne was reconstituted as a limited company, Tillingbourne Valley Services Limited, in October 1931. Following George Trice's death in 1933, control of
8084-407: Was formed in 1924 by Vic Smith and George Trice. It was initially known as Tillingbourne Valley, and operated a single vehicle in a maroon livery from a garage in Chilworth on a service between Guildford and Gomshall . Smith left the company in the late 1920s, and a new route from Guildford to Albury Park was introduced around the same time, with four vehicles owned by 1928. The route to Gomshall
8178-456: Was formed in 1933, the companies taken over, notably the Underground Group and Thomas Tilling 's London operations, were 'bought' partially with cash and partially by the issue of interest-bearing stock – C stock – authorised by the enabling Act, which meant that those former businesses continued to earn yields from their holdings. The LPTB had a chairman and six other members. The members were chosen jointly by five appointing trustees listed in
8272-531: Was held there in August from 1922 until 1998, when it moved to the grounds of Cranleigh School . David Mann's department store opened in 1887. The store closed in October, 2021 and the business went into liquidation. A distinctive row of maple trees which lines the High Street between the cricket field and the Rowland Road junction was planted in 1890, and not by Canadian servicemen in World War I as
8366-483: Was initially thought that Tillingbourne would be sold to another operator, with four companies reported to be interested. However, by early April 2001, it became clear that this would not take place, as the offers submitted were lower than the value of the vehicles owned by the company. Begbies Traynor was criticised by Council members for refusing to keep the company operational while replacement services were being arranged. Mole Valley councillor Hazel Watson stated that
8460-433: Was introduced. A number of service changes saw Tillingbourne vehicles operating to Croydon and Chichester one day a week each by 1977, although both were withdrawn after three years. The service to Colgate was withdrawn and replaced by a local half-hourly route in Horsham in 1979. In September 1980, the company moved depots again to a larger site in Cranleigh. The collapse of Orpington & District in early 1981 prompted
8554-475: Was itself taken over by Cookes Coaches in 1955, and the Blackheath service withdrawn. In February 1981, the long-standing operator Orpington & District collapsed due to financial difficulties, so Tillingbourne decided to launch a test operation of three former O&D services. These proved successful, so more services were added and two new AEC Reliance coaches purchased for the operation. In July 1981,
8648-586: Was made in 1958 about Szabo's wartime life in the SOE. In November 2011, a Memorial to the SOE was unveiled at Winterfold House, Surrey, initiated by British military historian, writer and author Paul McCue and others. The unveiling was attended by Tania Szabó, the daughter of Violette Szabo , together with representatives from the US, Dutch and French embassies and the Canadian High Commission. During
8742-421: Was reduced in frequency from hourly to two-hourly, although much of the route was covered by extending another route. Another new service, linking Cranleigh and Godalming, was also introduced. In August 1986, operation of a number of council-contracted services, including a route from Redhill to Reigate and a local route in Horsham, were taken over from other companies. Following deregulation in October 1986,
8836-601: Was regretted by some sections of the staff and the public, but in terms of impact on users, this was probably the most visible and dramatic change in the period. The last of the 653 trolleybuses which ran were replaced by buses by 1961. The LPTB continued to develop its corporate identity, design and commercial advertising that had been put in place by the Underground Group. This included stations designed by Charles Holden ; bus garages by architects such as Wallis, Gilbert & Partners; and even more humble structures such as bus stops and shelters. The posters and advertising issued by
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