FAQ

No, there is not enough space for a museum. Instead, heritage displays will share the history of the Cranleigh Cottage Hospital in engaging and accessible ways.

If you are interested in local history, please explore and contribute to My Cranleigh, the digital archive capturing community memories of Cranleigh.

Yes! Volunteer opportunities will be posted on our Volunteer page.

You are also welcome to contact us directly and let us know what skills you would like to share.

You can donate directly to the project, please contact us for details.

Alternatively, join the Cranleigh 1000 Club and support three Cranleigh charities (including this one) and be in with a chance of winning a lottery-style draw.

Whilst the project has been awarded a major grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, we must continue to raise additional funds to re-open the Cottage. Every donation, however large or small, makes a difference.

In the first instance, please contact us. An online booking system is under development and will be operational before the building opens for public use.

The project has been awarded more than £780,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, following an application from Cranleigh Heritage Trust in summer 2024.

Community donations and local partner support – now in excess of £100,000 – are also playing a vital role. A full list of project partners is available on our website.

The Cottage was built in 1446, according to dendrochronologists who dated its oak beams using tree-ring analysis. You can find more about the history of the cottage on our History pages.

Cranleigh Village Hospital remains an operating healthcare facility. The Cottage Hospital is recognised for its historic role as the first cottage hospital in England but is not suitable for modern clinical use.

Cranleigh Village Hospital was built next to the Cottage and, when it opened in the 1900s, the Cottage was used as rest facilities by hospital staff.

The NHS integrated social prescribing into national health policy in January 2019. Social prescribing connects people with community activities and groups to help meet their social and emotional needs. Evidence has shown that this, in turn, improves health and wellbeing.

It will re-open as a hub for community wellbeing services and as a place to engage with Cranleigh’s heritage. Activities will include school visits, regular talks, and health and wellbeing sessions.

Three rooms will be available to hire by local community groups, therapists, and wellness practitioners.

The Cottage Hospital became part of the NHS in 1948, and stopped being used for patients soon after. Cranleigh Village Hospital, which is still in operation, was built alongside the Cottage in the 1900s. The Cottage was used as a staffroom up until 2007.

We have carried out specialist building surveys to identify and prioritise the work needed to save the building. Restoration will begin in autumn 2025 with the goal of opening at the end of summer 2026.

The Cottage Hospital is owned by the NHS but is leased to Cranleigh Heritage Trust on a long-term lease at a peppercorn rent.

No. The building is not suitable for modern clinical use.