The Surrey landscape is varied; from rolling hills, countryside fields to the busy M25 and built-up industrial areas. If you’re considering moving to Surrey, or are thinking of relocating in the country, there are a range of villages and towns perfect to suit individual needs.

In the northeast corner of Surrey, you might come across two villages with almost identical names. Just 0.2 of a mile apart, about an 8 minute driver, the two spots with the matching monikers aren’t as alike as one would assume. West Byfleet and Byfleet.

Those who live there don’t like it when people from out of town get the village names mixed up, and debating which village is the better choice can prove a divisive debate.

Historically, the two villages were once joined, but when the population began to rapidly grow in the early 1900s West Byfleet became its own entity. It was regarded as the west end of Byfleet but became its own parish in 1917.

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The towpath is a popular walking spot

The construction of the M25 in the 1970s solidified any reunion of the two villages, now connected via a bridge on Parvis Road. One side has a much higher home price point than the other, with houses almost £400,000 dearer.

Given that the villages are so close to one another it might raise several eyebrows to see such a stark difference in house prices. Despite being in closer proximity to affluent areas such as Cobham and private estate, St George’s hill, Byfleet is much cheaper, costing £450,709 on average for home purchases.

West Byfleet is closer to Woking and according to Rightmove, will set a buyer back around £838,167 on average. Purchasing a property in West Byfleet could cost you approximately £387,458 more than it’s cheaper neighbour.

Currently undergoing a huge regeneration project, it is likely that the landscape in the pricey West Byfleet could soon change. Botanical Place is a large project by Retirement Villages Group Ltd in the heart of the village, which is currently being developed.

The mixed-use retirement community site near Lavender Park Road, Station Approach and Commercial Road, has led to the demolition of Sheer House, and introduced a host of towering cranes to the plot of land.

Aside from the new development, West Byfleet center offers a decent-sized Waitrose and coffee shops. From the train station in West Byfleet, it takes around 44 minutes to get to London Waterloo.

In terms of outside space, West Byfleet has access to the Basingstoke Canal, which started at the Rive Ditch. It was constructed during Victorian times as means of transportation to the large town, but became derelict before becoming a leisure site.

Unusual wildlife can be spotted along the canal, including birds, fish and even terrapins. If you’re looking for a walk and a pub, you might be hard pressed to find anywhere in West Byfleet, aside from the Harvester and Black Prince, which has 4.3 stars on Google.

The Anchor in Wisley is a stone’s throw away from West Byfleet. It’s near Pyrford Marina, with relaxing walks alongside the River Wey.

However, over in Byfleet, you can find The Blue Anchor, The Queen’s Head and The Plough, as well as The White Hart in New Haw, Addlestone, which is famed for its garden with a river running past it.

While comparatively, Byfleet is more built up than its counterpart, there’s a large green space called the Manor Farm Nature Reserve. Theres a quiet bird watching area and walks along the River Wey.

Byfleet is a small retail hub, with a large Home Bargains and Pets at Home, and a retail park with a Tesco, M&S TK Maxx, Curry’s and a Lidl in the site where the Brooklands race track used to be.

The side of Byfleet nearest to Brooklands is the most built-up spot, with depots, storage units and car dealerships along the A318. The West Weybridge Substation in Addlestone overshadows some homes with electricity pylons and National Grid transformers.

It’s also closest to the Byfleet and New Haw train station, from here it takes just 34 minutes to get to London. The trains from both Byfleet and New Haw and West Byfleet are likely quick due to being on the Woking line that passes through Surbiton, lastly stopping at Waterloo.

One thing the towns share in common is the plague of traffic problems on the roads between the two. To get between West Byfleet and Byfleet on Parvis Road, a half a mile journey at a push, can take up to 30 minutes due to roadworks in the area.

Works combined with the Wisley Interchange upgrades, as made it almost impossible for those living in either village to get out. Currently, works at the Wisley Interchange are not expected to conclude until the summer of 2025.

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