The village that dyed cloth blue
From the late fourteenth century, Wonersh had a cottage industry weaving a woollen cloth called kersey, dyed with locally grown woad into what became known as 'Wonersh Blue', and traded as far afield as the Canary Islands, Western Europe and India before the industry declined.
A tannery on the Bramley road
Gosden Tannery, sited between Wonersh and neighbouring Bramley, also gave some local employment once the cloth trade had faded, a reminder that the village's economy shifted more than once over the centuries.
Council and Shamley Green
Waverley Borough Council, the same authority covering Godalming, is responsible for Wonersh, whose civil parish also takes in the nearby village of Shamley Green.
Frequently asked questions
What was 'Wonersh Blue'?+
A woollen cloth called kersey, woven in Wonersh from the late fourteenth century and dyed with locally grown woad, traded well beyond Surrey before the industry declined.
Which council covers Wonersh?+
The same council responsible for Godalming, Waverley Borough Council, covers Wonersh too.
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.