The suburb has one main parade of convenience shops, local services and a petrol station; throughout the area is a light smattering of small businesses.

The suburb's main retail area is directly north of a traffic light intersection adjoined by a large set of retirement flats.

In 1925 Esher Council considered a petition from the small number of residents of Manor Road, in which ribbon development from Thames Ditton was taking place, for the provision of a new station between Surbiton and Claygate on the railway that had opened in 1885.

At its annual general meeting in 1927, the chairman called attention to "great increment in the value of the land, which goes into the pockets of vigilant people at our expense".

Having been given planning permission to build Hinchley Wood in September 1929, Crouch struck a deal with the Southern Railway for the construction of the station.

The pub had been visited two years before by the Soviet leader from 1985 to 1991 Mikhail Gorbachev and his wife when their flight home to Russia was delayed.

The speed at which the houses in Hinchley Wood were built was phenomenal, with the peak years being in 1933–34 when 750 residents moved in, many of whom were London commuters.

[6] Hinchley Wood is served by the K3 bus route through Claygate to Esher to the south and through Surbiton to Kingston and Roehampton to the north.

Telegraph Hill is also southwest of Hinchley Wood and is the largest nearby walking spot and has some visitor attraction for its Grade II (architecture) listed 'Semaphore House' semaphore tower described as "c1822.

[10] Hinchley Wood unwittingly featured in an irreverent semi-comical book Crap Towns to be ranked "48th worst" in the United Kingdom.

In response to the ranking, the local councillor stated "People like it here because it is a quiet place, very convenient for the city and, if you want to get to Kingston, it is easy as well.