A manor turned secret training school
Wanborough Manor, an Elizabethan house later extended by Thomas Dalmahoy, co-MP for Guildford, was requisitioned during the Second World War by the Special Operations Executive and used as Special Training School 5 to prepare secret agents for missions in occupied Europe.
A name rooted in an ancient burial mound
The hamlet's name comes from the Anglo-Saxon 'Wenberge', referring to the White Barrow, a burial mound on the Hog's Back, with evidence suggesting people were drawn to the springs in this area as far back as prehistoric times.
Planning authority
Being on the Hog's Back rather than in the Godalming direction, Wanborough falls under Guildford's planning authority rather than Waverley's, in line with the other Hog's Back villages such as Puttenham nearby.
Frequently asked questions
What happened at Wanborough Manor in the war?+
It was requisitioned by the Special Operations Executive and used to train secret agents for missions in occupied Europe during the Second World War.
Which council covers Wanborough?+
Guildford Borough Council, a different authority from the one covering Godalming.
Nearby areas
Services
Useful local links
- Waverley Borough Council – Do I need planning permission? — The planning authority covering Godalming and most of the surrounding villages.
- Guildford Borough Council – Do I need planning permission? — The planning authority covering Guildford and the villages to its west and south, a different borough from Waverley.
- GOV.UK – Planning permission: when you need it — Government guidance on when planning permission is required in England and Wales.
- GOV.UK – Party Wall etc. Act 1996 guidance — Government guidance on notifying neighbours and resolving disputes over shared or boundary walls, relevant to attached garage conversions.
- Planning Portal – Garage conversion — National guidance on when planning permission is needed for a garage conversion in England.
- Planning Portal – Outbuildings — National guidance on permitted development rules for garden buildings and outbuildings, including height and coverage limits.