1 st ▁century ▁constit utes ▁the ▁north - east ▁sub urb ▁of ▁Gu ild ford . ▁It ▁is ▁however ▁cent red ▁ ▁from ▁the ▁town ▁centre , ▁right ▁on ▁the ▁edge ▁of ▁the ▁r idge ▁of ▁hills ▁that ▁forms ▁the ▁North ▁Down s . ▁Although ▁now ▁a ▁relatively ▁anonymous ▁sub urb , ▁the ▁village ▁can ▁trace ▁its ▁orig ins ▁back ▁many ▁hundreds ▁of ▁years . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁Institute ▁for ▁Name - St ud ies , ▁Mer row ▁means ▁' f at ', ▁literally , ▁" pro bably ▁referring ▁to ▁the ▁high ▁fert ility ▁of ▁the ▁land ". ▁ ▁Mer row ▁is ▁separated ▁from ▁Bur ph am ▁( to ▁the ▁north - west ) ▁by ▁the ▁New ▁Gu ild ford ▁Line , ▁the ▁second ▁railway ▁line ▁between ▁Gu ild ford ▁and ▁London . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁village ▁grew ▁up ▁around ▁a ▁cross ro ads : ▁where ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁the ▁A 2 5 , ▁the ▁road ▁between ▁Gu ild ford ▁and ▁Le ather head , ▁crossed ▁the ▁original ▁road ▁( Mer row ▁Street ) ▁from ▁Bur ph am ▁to ▁D ork ing . ▁ ▁The ▁oldest ▁houses ▁in ▁the ▁village ▁can ▁still ▁be ▁seen ▁along ▁these ▁two ▁roads , ▁together ▁with ▁St ▁John ' s ▁Church ▁and ▁the ▁Hor se ▁and ▁Gro om , ▁a ▁ 1 7 th - century ▁co aching ▁inn ▁next ▁door . ▁The ▁old ▁D ork ing ▁road ▁s que ez es ▁between ▁the ▁church ▁and ▁the ▁inn , ▁creating ▁a ▁significant ▁bott l ene ck ▁for ▁modern