Cranleigh, GU6 8AR

ABOUT THIS HOUSE Few village houses wear their history as gracefully as The Causey. Of late 16th century origin and listed Grade II, it sits back from Church Lane, its warm brick and tile hanging softened by wisteria. Around 1920 the Arts and Crafts architect E W Marshall remodelled the house, then known as The Lute House. It now extends to approximately 4,943 sq ft. The front door opens into a vaulted, galleried hall, where a carved blessing dated 1627 still crowns the inglenook. Each principal room has its own fire: a beamed drawing room with a stone fireplace, an inglenook dining room and a panelled office lined with books. The Aspect kitchen, with quartz worktops, opens to a light filled courtyard room beneath a roof lantern. Oak timbers frame four bedrooms, three of them en suite, with a dressing room to the principal suite. Above the garage, a studio with its own stove makes a superb office. The gardens, believed to have been influenced by Gertrude Jekyll, unfold as a series of rooms: a box parterre, rose beds, a lily pond, a brick pillared pergola and an Alitex greenhouse, with a walled courtyard off the kitchen. In all about 0.41 acres. ABOUT THIS AREA Often described as the largest village in England, Cranleigh has a lively High Street of independent shops, cafés and restaurants alongside Sainsbury's, Co-op and M&S Food. The Causey lies within the conservation area, a short walk from the parish church of St Nicolas, the Arts Centre and the village market. Schooling is a particular strength. Cranleigh School and its prep school are on the doorstep, with Pennthorpe in Rudgwick, Duke of Kent in Ewhurst and St Catherine's in Bramley close by. Guildford's Royal Grammar School, Tormead and Guildford High School are within easy reach, as is Charterhouse in Godalming. The Surrey Hills begin almost at the end of the lane, with Winterfold, Pitch Hill and the Hurtwood offering miles of walking, cycling and riding. Guildford is around eight miles away for mainline trains to London Waterloo, while the A3 and M25 give straightforward access to Heathrow and Gatwick. TOWNS AND CITIES Cranleigh village centre on the doorstep Guildford 8 miles Godalming 9 miles Horsham 10 miles Central London 38 miles TRAIN STATIONS Shalford 6.5 miles (London Waterloo from 44 minutes) Guildford 8 miles (London Waterloo from 35 minutes) AIRPORTS London Gatwick 22 miles London Heathrow 29 miles