A short distance from London and with three rail stations, the small town of Dorking in Surrey is perfect for corporate commuters and businesses wishing to be close to the capital.
The charming, historic market town of Dorking, with a population of over 10,000, is based in north-eastern Surrey. Dorking is widely known as the go-to place rural location for fans of the Surrey Hills, a nationally significant landscape and an ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’.
However, the Surrey town is also only around 20 miles from London and, therefore, is a great location for Dorking serviced apartments. Its status as a commuter settlement is born out by the fact that it has three railway stations. This is more than some towns and cities ten times its size.
As well as its excellent rail links with London Victoria and Waterloo, business travellers visiting Dorking can also take advantage of the nearby intersection between the A24 and A25, opening up London and Maidstone in Kent respectively. Furthermore, this means that London Gatwick Airport is easily accessible, just fifteen miles south-east of Dorking.
Ultimately, whether corporates or tourists wish to be nearby these major roads, within walking distance of the mentioned train stations, or down the road from the town centre, Dorking aparthotels are the ideal accommodation option in terms of convenience and comfort.
Amongst the many qualities Dorking has is its high-performing, stable business climate. Not only does the town sit amongst the Surrey Hills and its enterprises that have proved to be an umbrella organisation which have given small rural businesses a platform for wider trade, but also within close range of London and Gatwick airport, making it an ideal destination for commuters or business relocation. What’s more, the area benefits from an economy that is highly robust and diversified. The range of established, multi-sectorial large employers dotted across the periphery of the town can only profit from this.
Economic success is not without its hard graft though. The works of the local Dorking Business Improvement District (BID) and the Economic Development Team at the Mole Valley District Council reiterate this point. Collectively, both assist companies with the relocation process into Dorking and support the area by improving the business environment and infrastructure.
This currently means making further improvements to the likes of the public transport system, the start-up process to be even more inclusive of all businesses and corporates, and optimising furthermore taking advantage of the beautiful surrounding landscape regarding business success.
Ultimately, sustainability appears to be the focus of the business climate in Dorking. This means maintaining an already promising economy and environment that supports local and newly relocating businesses. However, whichever ways corporates visiting the town wish to undertake business, Dorking corporate accommodation offers the best way to freely do so.
The earliest known history of human activity in Dorking dates back to the Roman period. The first settlement was supposedly situated along the still-existing Stane Street, which passes from the south into Dorking. The name, however, derived from the Saxon period, when the town was previously named ‘Dorchingas’. The Domesday Book though refers to the area as belonging to the ‘Manor of Dorking’ which altogether covered the parishes of Dorking, Capel and Holmwoods, and grew to become a market centre. It was at around this time that the famous ‘five-clawed Dorking fowl’ became a trade phenomenon.
Expansion from then on was natural. The status of the market and the sporting event hub in the region, Cotmandene, continued to draw visitors to Dorking. Like most towns in the country, the arrival of the railway tracks in the mid to late nineteenth century was also vital for enabling the transport of people to the town. Most of the buildings that were built around this time, during the Victorian period, still remain to this day. In fact, there are over 150 listed buildings in Dorking and the town centre prides itself as an area of conservation.
Anyone who visits Dorking can appreciate the town’s past, and there is perhaps no better place to do so than the Dorking Museum & Heritage Centre. Entirely funded by public donation, this site tells an incredible story of the town and area’s past. Guests in Dorking corporate housing can have this amazing attraction right on their doorstep.
The reason moving or relocating to Dorking is such a popular decision amongst corporates, business or ordinary people is largely due to the town’s superb location. Nestled within the beautiful Surrey Hills, Dorking has a distinctive character and community unlike any other location within commuting distance of London. Staying in open plan Dorking extended stay apartments over a longer period means guests can live comfortably in the best of both worlds. In a stunning location and within proximity of some of the country’s biggest business hubs.
The Surrey Hills cover over 150 square miles of wonderful countryside, joining with Kent Downs to the east and the South Downs National Park to the west. It has been a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) for over sixty years now and continues to be a focal point of tourism to the region. Thirty million day-visits are made to the site each year. The likes of Box Hill, the Devil’s Punch Bowl, St Martha’s Hill, Leith Hill or the Deepdene Trail are all well worth a visit and provide the perfect getaway from a potentially hectic business schedule.
As well as the stunning Hills, there is also much to see in Dorking’s town centre. Even guests briefly staying in Dorking short term accommodation should make time to visit the St Martin’s Church and the Dorking Museum & Heritage Centre to gain a deeper insight into the area’s past. St Martin’s is a beautiful Victorian Grade 2 listed building which has stood for more than a thousand years and continues to be a place of daily worship for many Christians in the area.
Dorking Museum, on the other hand, was re-opened in 2012 following refurbishment. It now offers a great interactive experience amongst the amazing collection of galleries, paintings and artefacts relating to Dorking and surrounding areas in Surrey. Both attractions are local favourites and are amongst the biggest draws of tourists to Dorking’s charming town centre.
Overall, staying in Dorking serviced apartments means having ease of access to both a prospering business climate and stunning countryside unlike any other across the country. Dorking is known for a commuting or tourist population, but evidence relating to lifestyle and business suggests the area also has a lot to offer potential relocating businesses.
Whilst Dorking is blessed with a range of nearby smaller business and general aviation airports, such as London Biggin Hill, Farnborough, Blackbushe and Fairoaks, the town is also ideally within easy reach of London Gatwick Airport (LGW). Gatwick is only fifteen miles south-east of Dorking.
Even guests staying in Dorking short term accommodation can arrange taxi transfers to airports of their choosing. This ensures hassle-free travel when arriving and leaving the town.
Within the boundaries of Dorking, there are three operating railway stations; Dorking, Dorking Deepdene and Dorking West. Both Dorking Deepdene and Dorking West are stations along the North Downs Line, whilst Dorking station sits on the Mole Valley Line.
Passengers using services at these train stations can travel to the likes of Brighton, Guildford, London, Woking, Basingstoke and Reading. Book stays in Dorking aparthotels that best suit you, near the train station of your choosing!
Across Dorking, there are at least nine different bus routes that enable travel to surrounding areas such as Guildford, Crawley, Epsom, Horsham, Chessington and Brighton.
Click here for a map of all the bus routes that pass in and out of Dorking.
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