Around Dorking and Box Hill

This fascinating collection of over 200 old photographs and ephemera encapsulates two hundred years in the history of Dorking, Box Hill and surrounding villages. The earliest pictures are engravings from the 1770s and the latest photographs date from the 1970s. The intervening period has seen enormous developments in the town’s buildings and in its inhabitants’ jobs, activities and appearance. The first half of the book concentrates on the town itself, with extensive coverage of the churches and mills which are such a prominent feature of the town. A great variety of shops are portrayed, along with the livestock markets of the early twentieth century. Street scenes display the ever-changing fashions in dress, shopping and transport, and a chapter on social events captures the spirit of the times. The second half of the book explores the villages around Dorking, as well as the stately homes of Pippbrook and Deepdene and the ever-popular Box Hill. These historic photographs, many of which have not been published before, are complemented by informative and interesting captions with a wealth of background detail and local anecdotes. This collection is sure to appeal to all who know Dorking and Box Hill, old and young alike.