Find out if Dorking has the characteristics of a typical market town

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Does Dorking have the characteristics of a typical market town?

The aim of my coursework is to find out if Dorking has the characteristics of a typical market town. To find an answer to this I must use many different methods such as questionnaires, land use maps, shop transects, hypothesis and graphs. Things like this in my project will later on help me with my final conclusion.


The following objectives are the main sections I want to include and complete in my project.

1.        I want to complete my Goad map (shop transect), as this will tell me the shops that Dorking has to offer in the CBD. This could be a great help nearer to the end of the project when I have to come up with a conclusion.

2.        I want to complete my land use map, as this will also with the final conclusion. The land use map, (when complete) will show me the whole of Dorking and the surrounding area. E.g. the land here is used for industry.

3.        I want to complete a questionnaire for ten people, as that will help me in the final conclusion. The questionnaire will help because some of the public will know and give information about Dorking.

4.        I want to complete a house transect which will show all the houses in Dorking and on the boarder. This will help me with the final conclusion. By looking at the houses I can tell if the houses are old or have been recently built.

5.        I want to complete a series of hypothesis as this will show what my predictions where at the beginning and if they Wright at the end of the coursework.  


1.The further away from Dorking you go, the higher the house prices.

I thought this because houses on the outskirts of Dorking would be bigger with a lot more land compared to the houses in the centre of Dorking. The houses in Dorking would be a lot smaller as the CBD is packed into a small space of land

2.

Dorking will have a small sphere of influence, as there are bigger towns around it

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I thought this because bigger towns such as Guilford surround Dorking. This made me think that people would prefer to shop in Guilford. Also people who live in or nearer to bigger towns will shop in the bigger towns. Most of the people in Dorking, who are shopping, will be people who are local and live in places such as Fetcham and Leatherhead.

3.

The majority of people, who go to Dorking, go there to shop in the centre of town.

I thought this because Dorking is known as a market town, which meant people go there to shop. Also Dorking is really like a large village for local people who live around Dorking and near to the CBD. Also all the conveyance stores are in the centre of the CBD.

4.

The centre of town, where the majority of shops are, will be busier compared to the market on a Friday afternoon around the time of 12 o’clock.

I thought this because people would prefer to use the shops, as there are easer accesses to the CBD compared to the market. Also people would be shopping in Dorking for antiques, which are not sold at the market. The majority of antique shops are down West Street.


Dorking is a historical town in the county of Surrey. It sits next to The Greensand Hill and The North Downs.

    Twice a week, Dorking holds a market. It has been holding these markets since the 1200’s. The market became a very popular place for farmers from all different areas, (areas mainly surrounding Dorking) especially farmers from Dorking.

     East Street is in the centre of Dorking and is where the market used to be held (until the last century). In the last century the market has been in a small private car park opposite the front entrance of Marks and Spencer's (next to St Martins Walk).

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     There are two days on which the market falls.  The more popular is the market on Fridays where you can find goods such as grocery's, home goods and other goods (toilet paper, batteries, light bulbs .ect.).

     Dorking also has a lot to offer in the fact that there is a farmers market on Wednesdays. This offers goods such as plants, meat, and seeds and lots more.

     Dorking now is a very popular town with people, not just locals, but people who live outside of Dorking.

     Since the late 1900’s, ...

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