Farnham
Encyclopedia
Farnham is a town
in Surrey
, England
, within the Borough of Waverley. The town is situated some 42 miles (67 km) southwest of London
in the extreme west of Surrey, adjacent to the border with Hampshire
. By road Guildford
is 11 miles (17 km) to the east, Aldershot
4 miles (7 km) to the northeast, the village of Runfold
2 miles (3 km) to the north-northeast and Winchester
28 miles (45 km) to the southwest. It is of historic interest, with many old buildings, including a number of Georgian
houses. Farnham Castle
overlooks the town. A short distance southeast of the town centre are the ruins of Waverley Abbey
, Moor Park House
and Mother Ludlam's Cave
. Farnham is twinned
with Andernach
in Germany
.
; a combination of river, streams, fresh water springs and varied soils, together with a temperate climate, attracted early man to the area and, even today, the geology of the area greatly influences the town, both in terms of communications, scenic and botanic variety and the main local industries of agriculture and minerals extraction. Farnham Geological Society is an active organisation in the town, and the Museum of Farnham has a collection of geological samples and fossils.
Farnham lies in the valley of the North Branch of the River Wey
, which rises near Alton
, merges with the South Branch at Tilford
, and joins the River Thames
at Weybridge
. The mainly east-west alignment of the ridges and valleys has influenced the development of road and rail communications. The most prominent geological
feature is the chalk
of the North Downs
which forms a ridge (the Hog's Back
) to the east of the town, and continues through Farnham Park to the north of the town centre, and westwards to form the Hampshire Downs. The land rises to more than 180 metres (591 ft) above sea level (ASL) to the north of the town at Caesar's Camp which, with the northern part of the Park, lies on gravel beds. There are a number of swallow holes
in the Park where this stratum
meets the chalk. The historic core of the town lies on gravel beds at an altitude of roughly 70 metres (230 ft) ASL on an underlying geology of Gault Clay
and Upper Greensand and the southern part of the town rises to more than 100 metres (328 ft) on the Lower Greensand.
The absolute maximum is 35.4c(95.7f), set in July 2006. In an 'average' year, the warmest day would reach 29.1c(84.4f), with 15.2 days attaining a temperature of 25.1c(77.2f) or higher.
The absolute minimum of -14.0c(7.0f) was set in February 1986. Normally, 58.6 nights of the year will register an air frost.
Annual rainfall averages 799mm, with at least 1mm of rain reported on 122.4 days. All averages refer to the 1971-2000 observation period.
has been claimed to extend back tens of thousands of years to hunters of the Paleolithic
or early Stone Age
, on the basis of tools and prehistoric animal bones found together in deep gravel pits. The first known settlement in the area was in the Mesolithic
period, some 7,000 years ago; a cluster of pit dwellings
and evidence of a flint-knapping industry from that period has been excavated a short distance to the east of the town. Neolithic
man left evidence of occupation in the form of a long barrow
at nearby Badshot Lea
, now destroyed by quarrying. This monument lay on the route of the prehistoric trackway known as the Harrow Way
or Harroway, which passes through Farnham Park, and a sarsen
stone still stands nearby, which is believed to have marked the safe crossing point of a marshy area near the present Shepherd and Flock roundabout. The parallel Pilgrims' Way
, known as such for linking Canterbury
to Winchester
, also dates back to prehistory and, like the Harrow Way, may date back to the time when Britain was physically joined to continental Europe
.
. Two bronze hoards have been discovered on Crooksbury Hill, and further artefacts have been found, particularly at sites in Green Lane and near the Bourne spring in Farnham Park. A significant number of Bronze Age barrows
occur in the area, including a triple barrow at Elstead
and an urnfield
cemetery at Stoneyfield, near the Tilford
road.
s from the early Iron Age
exist locally at Botany Hill to the south of the town and at "Caesar's Camp" to the north of the town at Upper Hale. The latter is a very large earthworks on a high promontory, served by a spring which emerges from between two conglomerate
boulder
s called the Jock and Jenny Stones. "Soldier's Ring" earthworks on Crooksbury Hill date from the later Iron Age. The final era of the Iron Age, during the 1st century AD
, found Farnham within the territory of the Belgic Atrebates
tribe led by Commius
, a former ally of Caesar
, who had brought his tribe to Britain following a dispute with the Romans. A hut dating from this period was discovered at the Bourne Spring and other occupation material has been discovered at various sites, particularly Green Lane.
period the district became a pottery centre due to the plentiful supply of gault clay
, oak woodlands for fuel, and good communications via the Harrow Way and the nearby Roman road from Silchester
to Chichester
. Kilns dating from about AD 100 have been found throughout the area, including Six Bells (near the Bourne Spring), Snailslynch and Mavins Road, but the main centre of pottery had been Alice Holt Forest
, on the edge of the town, since about AD 50, just 7 years after the arrival of the Romans. The Alice Holt potteries continued in use, making mainly domestic wares, until about AD 400. Near the Bourne Spring two Roman buildings were discovered; one was a bath-house dating from about AD 270 and the other a house of later date. The Roman Way housing estate stands on this site. William Stukeley
propounded that Farnham is the site of the lost Roman settlement of "Vindomis", although this is now believed to be at Neatham
, near Alton
. Large hoards of Roman coins have been discovered some 10 miles (16.1 km) south-west of Farnham in Woolmer Forest
and a temple has been excavated at Wanborough
, about 8 miles (12.9 km) to the east.
who gave the town its name—Farnham is listed as Fearnhamme in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
. Fearn refers to the fern and bracken of the land and Hamme to the water meadows. They arrived in the sixth century and, in AD 688, the West Saxon
King Caedwalla
donated the district around Farnham to the Church, and to the diocese
of Winchester. This was the first mention of Farnham in written history. A Saxon community grew up in the valley by the river. By the year 803 Farnham had passed into the ownership of the Bishop of Winchester
and the Manor
of Farnham remained so (apart from two short breaks) for the next thousand years. Although Farnham is documented in Saxon texts and most of the local names are derived from their language, there is only one fully attested Saxon site in Farnham, just off the lower part of Firgrove Hill, where a road called Saxon Croft is now sited. Here several Saxon weaving huts from about AD 550 were discovered in 1924. At the time of the Danish
invasion in the 9th century (probably in 893 or 894) there was a battle on the edge of the settlement when Edward the Elder
, son of Alfred the Great
, routed the invaders.
of 1086 as Ferneham, one of the five great "minster" churches in Surrey. Its domesday assets were: 40 hide
s; 1 church, 6 mill
s worth £2 6s 0d, 43 plough
s, 35 acres (141,640.1 m²) of meadow
, woodland
worth 175½ hogs. It rendered £53.
Waverley Abbey, the first Cistercian abbey
in England
, was founded in 1128 by William Giffard
, Bishop of Winchester
about one mile (1.6 km) south of the town centre. King John
visited Waverley in 1208, and Henry III
in 1225. The abbey also produced the famous Annals of Waverley, an important reference source for the period. By the end of the thirteenth century the abbey was becoming less important. By the time it was suppressed by Henry VIII
in 1536 as part of the dissolution of the monasteries
there were only thirteen monks in the community.
The town is midway between Winchester and London and, in 1138, Henry de Blois (grandson of William the Conqueror and brother of King Stephen
) started building Farnham Castle
to provide accommodation for the Bishop of Winchester in his frequent journeying between his cathedral and the capital. The castle's garrison provided a market for farms and small industries in the town, accelerating its growth. A large earthwork north-west of the town at Barley (or Badley) Pound may be the ditch and ramparts of a wooden precursor of Farnham Castle
built in the 11th century.
Farnham was granted its charter as a town in 1249 by William de Ralegh, then Bishop of Winchester
.
The Blind Bishop's Steps, a series of steps leading along Castle Street up to the Castle, were originally constructed for Bishop Richard Foxe
(godfather of Henry VIII
).
The Black Death
hit Farnham in 1348, killing about 1,300 people, at that time about a third of the population. In 1625 Farnham was again subject to an outbreak of the plague which, together with a severe decline in the local woollen industry (the local downland wool being unsuitable for the newly fashionable worsted
) led by the 1640s to a serious economic depression in the area. Local wool merchants were, like merchants throughout the country, heavily taxed by Charles I to pay for his increasingly unpopular policies.
began, with Farnham playing a major part. Here, support for the Parliamentarians was general. The castle was considered a potential rallying point for Royalists
, resulting in the installation of a Roundhead garrison
there in 1642. As the King's forces moved southwards, taking Oxford
, Reading
and Windsor
, the garrison commander at Farnham (and noted poet), Captain George Wither
, decided to evacuate the castle; the new High Sheriff of Surrey
(John Denham
, a Royalist sympathiser and another noted poet) then occupied the vacant castle with 100 armed supporters. With the castle and much of the surrounding area in Royalist hands, Parliament despatched Colonel Sir William Waller
to Farnham to retake the castle. The defenders refused to surrender but Waller's men used a petard
to destroy the castle gates and overcame them, with only one fatality, and took the High Sheriff prisoner. The following year, as the Royalists strengthened their position west of Farnham, the garrison at Farnham Castle was strengthened when it became the headquarters of the Farnham regiment of foot or "Greencoats", with some eight to nine hundred officers and men, supported by a number of troops of horse. Further reinforcement by three regiments from London, 4,000 strong under Waller's command arrived in Farnham that October prior to an unsuccessful foray
to recapture Winchester from the Royalists. Eight thousand Royalists under Ralph Hopton
(a former friend of Waller) advanced on Farnham from the west and skirmishes took place on the outskirts of town. Despite further reinforcement for Waller from Kent, Hopton's entire army gathered on the heathland just outside Farnham Park. There was some skirmish
ing but Hopton's men withdrew. Through the next few years Farnham was an important centre of Parliamentary operations and the garrison cost Farnham people dearly in terms of local taxes, provisioning and quartering; even the lead from the Town Hall roof had been requisitioned to make bullets. A number of local women were widowed following the pressing of local men into the militia. The bombardment
of Basing House
was by a train of heavy cannon
assembled at Farnham from other areas and, in 1646, most of the garrison was removed from Farnham to form a brigade to besiege Donnington Castle
near Newbury
. The King surrendered shortly afterwards at Newark
and a small garrison remained at Farnham.
In 1647, having escaped from custody at Hampton Court, the King rode through Farnham at dawn on November 12 with a small party of loyal officers, en-route to the Isle of Wight
, where he sought sanctuary
under the protection of Colonel Robert Hammond, a Parliamentarian officer but with Royalist sympathies. The following March, Oliver Cromwell
stayed at Farnham for discussions concerning the marriage of his daughter to a Hampshire
gentleman, although some historians have speculated that this was cover for secret negotiations with the King.
Following the rebellion
during the summer of 1648 the keep was partially dismantled at the orders of Cromwell, to make further occupation by garrison indefensible. In late November that year Hammond was summoned to Farnham, where he was arrested, and the King was removed under military escort to the mainland. On December 20 the King and his escort entered Farnham, where groups of men, women and children gathered at the roadside to welcome him and touch his hand. That night the King lodged at Culver Hall (now Vernon House) in West Street before the party continued to London for Charles's trial and execution in January 1649. The King gave his night cap to Henry Vernon, owner of Culver Hall, "as a token of Royal favour". Records show that the following period of interregnum
until restoration
of the monarchy in 1660 was a time of prosperity and growth for Farnham. In 1660 the bishops of Winchester were restored to the adjoining Bishops Palace, which remained their residence until 1927. From 1927 until 1955 it was a residence of the bishops of the newly created diocese of Guildford
. The castle is currently owned by English Heritage
.
wrote that Farnham had the greatest corn-market after London, and describes 1,100 fully laden wagons delivering wheat to the town on market day. During the seventeenth century, other new industries evolved: greenware pottery
(a pottery, dating from 1873, still exists on the outskirts of the town), wool
and cloth, the processing of wheat
into flour, and eventually hops
, a key ingredient of beer
. The Anglican divine, Augustus Montague Toplady
, composer of the hymn Rock of Ages (1763, at Blagston) was born in Farnham in 1740 - a plaque now marks the building on West Street where he was born.
The radical MP, soldier, farmer, journalist and publisher William Cobbett
was born in Farnham in 1763, in a pub called the Jolly Farmer. The pub still stands, and has since been renamed the William Cobbett.
The railway arrived in 1848 and, in 1854, neighbouring Aldershot
became the “Home of the British Army”. Both events had a significant effect on Farnham. The fast link with London meant city businessmen could think of having a house in the country and still be in close contact with the office; Farnham thereby became an early example of a 'commuter town'. Also, the railway did not reach Aldershot until 1870; during the intervening period soldiers would be carried by train to Farnham station
and then march to Aldershot. Many officers and their families chose to billet in Farnham itself. The railway was electrified by the Southern Railway company in 1937 as far as Alton, and a carriage shed for the new electric stock was built in Weydon Lane. This building, which carried fading camouflage paint for many years after World War II, was replaced in 2006.
In 1895 Farnham Urban District Council (FUDC) was formed. In 1930 the council purchased Farnham Park, a large park which occupies much of the former castle grounds. The FUDC was abolished in 1973 by the Local Government Act of the previous year. Farnham, together with Hindhead, Haslemere, Cranleigh and surrounding areas were absorbed into the new Waverley District Council (latterly Waverley Borough Council) with its headquarters in Godalming. At a later date Farnham Parish Council became Farnham Town Council and took back some of the minor roles of the former FUDC from Waverley.
In 1901, the population of Farnham was about 14,000. Since the end of the Second World War
, Farnham has expanded from a population of about 20,000 to the present 38,000. Of that figure, about 15,000 live in the town centre, whilst the remaining 23,000 live in the surrounding suburbs and villages within the town's administrative boundaries.
Farnham Maltings
, Bridge Square was once a tannery; the site expanded to become part of the Farnham United Breweries, which included its own maltings. Taken over by a major brewer (Courage's
) brewing ceased but malting continued into the 1960s, when Courage's planned to sell off the site for redevelopment. Money raised by the people of Farnham saved the buildings from demolition for conversion to a community centre for the town. Current management places the emphasis on the arts over other community activities, many of which have ceased or moved elsewhere, but the famous Farnham Beer Exhibition
(or "Beerex") continues, after more than 30 years, to be as popular as ever. Other buildings in Farnham once linked to the Farnham Maltings include The Oasthouse (now offices) in Mead Lane and The Hop Kiln (now private residences) on Weydon Lane.
is on the Alton Line
, which provides commuter links to London
at Waterloo
. The A31
Farnham bypass links the town by road to Winchester
, Alton
and Guildford
; the A325 links the town to Farnborough
and to the A3 (London-Portsmouth) at Greatham
. The A287 links Farnham to the M3 at Hook
and the A3 at Hindhead
. London Heathrow Airport
is 31 miles (49.9 km) by road but is served only by indirect public transport routes from Farnham. Gatwick Airport
and Southampton Airport
are each about 43 miles (69.2 km) away by main roads.
(est. 1850). The latter evolved into the Pullingers Art Shop chain and is thought to be Farnham's oldest surviving business. A popular independent retailer (est. 1986) is Colours Ltd. situated in the Lion and Lamb Yard between Waitrose and Starbucks. There are also branches of national retailers such as Argos
, Robert Dyas
, Boots the Chemist, Waterstone's
and W H Smith
. The major supermarkets are represented by Waitrose
, Sainsbury's, Lidl
and Iceland
in the town centre, and two Tesco
Expresses located on Ridgeway Road and in Upper Hale. Sainsbury's also have a larger Superstore on the outskirts of town towards Badshot Lea
. Large garden centres exist nearby at Holt Pound
(Forest Lodge), Frensham
(Frensham Garden Centre) and Badshot Lea (Squires). Castle Street's market stalls have been replaced by semi-permanent "orangery" style buildings one flower market, one sweet market and a delicatssen. Farnham is also known for its numerous secondhand charity shops (Oxfam
etc.) which offer plenty of high-quality items, especially clothes.
is held in the central car park on the fourth Sunday of each month, selling high-quality, locally-produced meat, fruit and vegetables, bread and cakes, preserves, beer and cider, fruit juices, cheeses and other dairy products. Toy, crafts and militaria fairs are hosted by the Maltings from time to time where new and used items can be bought and sold.
There are various facilities available in Farnham one of which is the local leisure centre
. The leisure centre has a gym under the Kinetica
franchise
through which personal instructors can be hired. The centre is also the home of Farnham Swimming Club which allows youngsters to swim and compete with other local clubs such as Guildford
.
The town is represented in the non-league football pyramid by Farnham Town F.C.
, who compete in the Combined Counties League.There is also another football club, Farnham United FC who cater for all, with a mini soccer centre for 4-7 year olds, teams from under 7 - adult. Farnham United is a club run by volunteers for the community and is an FA Charter Standard Club. There are also other Farnham Village Clubs, Rowledge, Badshot Lea, Hale, Tongham and Frensham.
Farnham Cricket Club was started in 1782. The ground is at the edge of Farnham Park and in the shadows of the castle. There is also a local umpires association.
The Farnham and Aldershot hockey club runs three men's teams and two women's teams. Floorball hockey is played by the adult team Southern Vipers FBC and junior floorball is also played at Farnham Sports Centre.
Farnham also has a public golf course
which is situated next to the cricket ground directly behind Farnham Castle
. It was designed by Sir Henry Cotton, three times British Open
champion. It is a nine-hole, par-three golf course, open daily.
has diverse concerts including opera
, folk
and acoustic music
gigs, band evenings and stand up comedy nights, as well as shows and workshops for younger people. There is a cinema
run every Wednesday at the Maltings. The Maltings also hosts a successful "Acoustic Fridays" evening once a month, and this has a student following due to the fact many students play sets there. A regular blues
night takes place in the "Cellar Bar" and the whole venue is taken over for the annual Blues Festival. In keeping with the town's historical link with hop-growing and beer, the Farnham Maltings also plays host to the Farnham Beer Exhibition
, one of the largest beer festivals in Britain, an annual event that started in 1977. Some of the most popular pubs in Farnham are The Plough, The William Cobbett, The Lamb, The Alma and the student union bar of the UCA, all of which have live music regularly. Farnham is also home to the internationally acclaimed Farnham Youth Choir.
, and sideshows. A procession of carnival floats
, marching band
s, tableaux
, trade floats
and classic vehicles parade through the main streets of the town. Staff of the local Kar Ling Kwong Chinese restaurant traditionally perform the Lion Dance
each year as part of the parade,a lot of the local schools also participate such as William Cobbett and Hale School. There is also a smaller Hale Carnival which takes place in the village of Hale
in the North of Farnham. This is usually held on the first Saturday of July.
service to local residents and workers of a wide range of books, audiobooks, periodicals, DVDs and videos. It includes a children's section. The library was refurbished in November 2005. The library also provides IT facilities and a reference library
for research purposes. The library is housed in the historic Vernon House at which King Charles I
slept on his way to his trial and execution in London in 1649, a situation commemorated by a plaque on the building wall. The library also features public gardens with sculptures provided by local artists.
, it features a changing range of activities and exhibitions, many of which are aimed to be of particular interest to children and families. The museum has received numerous awards, including a special commendation in the European Museum of the Year awards in 1994. The museum also has a Local Studies Library to support family tree and house detectives, school projects & local history queries.The museum also has a club for children.
Willmer House is a fine eighteenth-century town house with a decorative brickwork facade. The house and its garden are worth a visit in their own right.
and updated over the years as the Palace
of the Bishops of Winchester. The former Bishops' Palace of the castle is now a training and conference centre, which also manages the keep, which, funded by a Heritage Lottery Fund Grant has been made much more accessible . The keep is open to the public free of charge, and there are organised tours of the palace on Wednesday afternoons
Many of the places mentioned in the books of George Sturt
can be seen, and Waverley, the first Cistercian Abbey in England is open to the public. Farnham Park is attractive for walks and wildlife and there is a variety of attractive scenery - Farnham borders on the Surrey Hills
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
and the North Downs Way
long-distance path starts here. Alice Holt Forest
is nearby, as are Frensham Ponds and many heath
s and downland
scenery. The Rural Life Centre
is nearby at Tilford, and the town is a suitable touring base for Winchester, the Mid-Hants Railway and canal trips on the Basingstoke Canal
and Wey Navigation.
when architects such as Edwin Lutyens
and Harold Falkner, painters such as George Watts
and W. H. Allen
, potters such as Mary Watts
and landscape gardeners (Gertrude Jekyll
) worked in the area. Lewen Tugwell, a Farnham sculptor in the 1960s, invented a technique for production of a unique craft product made from resin, Shattaline
. Items made by this process in his workshops in Long Garden Walk are now very collectable. Farnham has several art galleries - the New Ashgate Gallery in Lower Church Lane has exhibitions by established and new artists in a variety of media, the exhibition changing on the first Saturday of each month. The gallery at Farnham Maltings also has frequent exhibitions.
Since Roman times the weald
en clay of the area has been exploited for pottery and brickmaking. Pottery continued on a small-scale commercial basis until the closure of Farnham Pottery
at Wrecclesham in 1998, when it passed to the Farnham Buildings Preservation Trust. Farnham Pottery , in addition to utility wares, became famous during the Arts and crafts movement
for their decorative wares, either hand-thrown or moulded and decorated in a variety of coloured glazes, particularly "Farnham Greenware". There was close co-operation between the pottery and Farnham School of Art (now a campus of University for the Creative Arts).
William Herbert Allen
, the notable English landscape watercolour artist, lived and worked in Farnham for most of his career. He was Master of Farnham Art School from 1889 to 1927 and many of his works depict landscapes of the Farnham area. Popular artists from Farnham in recent years include Charles Bone, whose watercolour landscapes of the area are very popular as limited edition prints, and Josephine Wall
, a popular fantasy artist who was born in the town.
The Castle Theatre in Castle Street was replaced by the Redgrave Theatre in 1974 which, itself, closed down in 1998 due to the decline of repertory theatre in England. In 1998 'The New Farnham Repertory Company' was formed to carry on the tradition of repertory theatre in the town, and also to fight for the restoration of the Redgrave Theatre to the people of Farnham. In 2009 'The New Farnham Repertory Company' became 'Farnham Rep'.
Productions still regularly take place at the Maltings, which both produces work and receives touring shows as well as occasionally in the grounds of Farnham Library. Various genres of music are also promoted at the Maltings, where there is also a dance studio. Gerald Flood
, stage, TV and film actor, lived in Farnham for most of his life; Peter Lupino
, a well-known West End
actor of the 1930s and 40s, and member of the famous theatrical family, also lived for many years in Farnham, in Red Lion Lane and was a well-known local character in his retirement. Actor Bill Maynard
, the "Carry On
" and "Heartbeat" actor, was born in the town, as was Bill Wallis
, who learned his trade on the stage of the Castle Theatre. Opera singer Sir Peter Pears
(1910–1986) was born in Farnham and Jessie Matthews
, OBE (1907–1981), the popular English actress, dancer, and singer of the 1930s to 1960s, lived in Farnham, where she ran the Alliance public house (now closed).
It was in Farnham that J M Barrie wrote Peter Pan
, whilst living at Black Lake Cottage.
and was renamed Farnham College
.
(part of Guildford College
) offers further education. The University for the Creative Arts at Canterbury, Epsom, Farnham, Maidstone and Rochester or UCA (a merger of the local Surrey Institute of Art & Design, University College
and Kent Institute of Art & Design
) offers higher education.
, 3 are Independents, and 1 represents the Liberal Democrats
.
The current Member of Parliament is Jeremy Hunt (Conservative).
TV news is BBC South Today. Farnham is covered on BBC
radio by BBC Surrey
(which covers Surrey & North-East Hampshire on 104.6FM). Ashgate Publishing
which publishes books in the Social Sciences and Humanities is based in Farnham.
In addition to those mentioned in the text above, notable people born in Farnham include William Willett
, campaigner for daylight saving time
(1856); George Sturt
, writer and social historian (1863); and Maud Gonne
, feminist and activist in Irish
politics (1866).
John Henry Knight
(1847–1917), who built the first British
motor car and designed a number of innovative digging machines for use in hop fields, was born and brought up at Weybourne
on the outskirts of the town.
Actor Jim Sturgess
was raised in Farnham (1981).
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, within the Borough of Waverley. The town is situated some 42 miles (67 km) southwest of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in the extreme west of Surrey, adjacent to the border with Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
. By road Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
is 11 miles (17 km) to the east, Aldershot
Aldershot
Aldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland about southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council...
4 miles (7 km) to the northeast, the village of Runfold
Runfold
Runfold is a village in Surrey, U.K., about 2 miles NNE of Farnham.Runfold lies on the ancient trackway known as the Pilgrims' Way and on the former route of the A31 road, which has by-passed the village since the early 1990s...
2 miles (3 km) to the north-northeast and Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
28 miles (45 km) to the southwest. It is of historic interest, with many old buildings, including a number of Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
houses. Farnham Castle
Farnham Castle
Farnham Castle is a castle in Farnham, Surrey, England .First built in 1138 by Henri de Blois, grandson of William the Conqueror, Bishop of Winchester, the castle was to become the home of the Bishops of Winchester for over 800 years. The original building was demolished by Henry II in 1155 after...
overlooks the town. A short distance southeast of the town centre are the ruins of Waverley Abbey
Waverley Abbey
Waverley Abbey was the first Cistercian abbey in England, founded in 1128 by William Giffard, Bishop of Winchester. It is situated about one mile south of Farnham, Surrey, in a bend of the River Wey.-History:...
, Moor Park House
Moor Park, Farnham
Moor Park, Farnham, Surrey, England is a Grade II listed house set in some of grounds. It was formerly known as Compton Hall. The present house dates from 1630 but has been substantially altered, particularly in 1750 and 1800...
and Mother Ludlam's Cave
Mother Ludlam's Cave
Mother Ludlam's Cave, also known as Mother Ludlum's Cave or Mother Ludlum's Hole, is a small cave in the sandstone cliff of the Wey Valley at Moor Park, near Farnham, Surrey, England, the subject of local legends...
. Farnham is twinned
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with Andernach
Andernach
Andernach is a town in the district of Mayen-Koblenz, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, of currently about 30,000 inhabitants. It is situated towards the end of the Neuwied basin on the left bank of the Rhine between the former tiny fishing village of Fornich in the north and the mouth of the...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Geography
Farnham's history and present status are mainly the result of its geographyGeography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
; a combination of river, streams, fresh water springs and varied soils, together with a temperate climate, attracted early man to the area and, even today, the geology of the area greatly influences the town, both in terms of communications, scenic and botanic variety and the main local industries of agriculture and minerals extraction. Farnham Geological Society is an active organisation in the town, and the Museum of Farnham has a collection of geological samples and fossils.
Farnham lies in the valley of the North Branch of the River Wey
River Wey
The River Wey in Surrey, Hampshire and West Sussex is a tributary of the River Thames with two separate branches which join at Tilford. The source of the north branch is at Alton, Hampshire and of the south branch at both Blackdown south of Haslemere, and also close to Gibbet Hill, near Hindhead...
, which rises near Alton
Alton, Hampshire
Alton is a historic market town and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of the English county of Hampshire. It had a population of 16,584 at the 1991 census and is administered by East Hampshire district council. It is located on the source of the River Wey and is the highest town in...
, merges with the South Branch at Tilford
Tilford
Tilford is a small village about two miles south of Farnham in Surrey, England. It lies within the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty- History :The name "Tilford" is probably derived from "Tila's ford" or "Tilla's ford"....
, and joins the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
at Weybridge
Weybridge
Weybridge is a town in the Elmbridge district of Surrey in South East England. It is bounded to the north by the River Thames at the mouth of the River Wey, from which it gets its name...
. The mainly east-west alignment of the ridges and valleys has influenced the development of road and rail communications. The most prominent geological
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
feature is the chalk
Chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
of the North Downs
North Downs
The North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England that stretch from Farnham in Surrey to the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent. The North Downs lie within two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty , the Surrey Hills and the Kent Downs...
which forms a ridge (the Hog's Back
Hog's Back
The Hog's Back is a part of the North Downs in Surrey, England, that lies between Farnham, Surrey in the west and Guildford in the east.-Name:Compared with the main part of the Downs to the east of it, it is a narrow elongated ridge, hence its name....
) to the east of the town, and continues through Farnham Park to the north of the town centre, and westwards to form the Hampshire Downs. The land rises to more than 180 metres (591 ft) above sea level (ASL) to the north of the town at Caesar's Camp which, with the northern part of the Park, lies on gravel beds. There are a number of swallow holes
Sinkhole
A sinkhole, also known as a sink, shake hole, swallow hole, swallet, doline or cenote, is a natural depression or hole in the Earth's surface caused by karst processes — the chemical dissolution of carbonate rocks or suffosion processes for example in sandstone...
in the Park where this stratum
Stratum
In geology and related fields, a stratum is a layer of sedimentary rock or soil with internally consistent characteristics that distinguish it from other layers...
meets the chalk. The historic core of the town lies on gravel beds at an altitude of roughly 70 metres (230 ft) ASL on an underlying geology of Gault Clay
Gault Clay
Gault is a clay formation of stiff blue clay deposited in a calm, fairly deep water marine environment during the Lower Cretaceous Period...
and Upper Greensand and the southern part of the town rises to more than 100 metres (328 ft) on the Lower Greensand.
Climate
Farnham experiences a temperate maritime climate, free from extreme temperatures, with moderate rainfall and often breezy conditions. The nearest official weather station to Farnham is Alice Holt Lodge, just under 3.5 miles South West of the town centre.The absolute maximum is 35.4c(95.7f), set in July 2006. In an 'average' year, the warmest day would reach 29.1c(84.4f), with 15.2 days attaining a temperature of 25.1c(77.2f) or higher.
The absolute minimum of -14.0c(7.0f) was set in February 1986. Normally, 58.6 nights of the year will register an air frost.
Annual rainfall averages 799mm, with at least 1mm of rain reported on 122.4 days. All averages refer to the 1971-2000 observation period.
Stone Age
Farnham's historyHistory
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
has been claimed to extend back tens of thousands of years to hunters of the Paleolithic
Paleolithic
The Paleolithic Age, Era or Period, is a prehistoric period of human history distinguished by the development of the most primitive stone tools discovered , and covers roughly 99% of human technological prehistory...
or early Stone Age
Stone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
, on the basis of tools and prehistoric animal bones found together in deep gravel pits. The first known settlement in the area was in the Mesolithic
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
period, some 7,000 years ago; a cluster of pit dwellings
Pit-house
A pit-house is a dwelling dug into the ground which may also be layered with stone.These structures may be used as places to tell stories, dance, sing, celebrate, and store food. In archaeology, pit-houses are also termed sunken featured buildings and are found in numerous cultures around the world...
and evidence of a flint-knapping industry from that period has been excavated a short distance to the east of the town. Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
man left evidence of occupation in the form of a long barrow
Long barrow
A long barrow is a prehistoric monument dating to the early Neolithic period. They are rectangular or trapezoidal tumuli or earth mounds traditionally interpreted as collective tombs...
at nearby Badshot Lea
Badshot Lea
Badshot Lea is a village situated near Farnham, Surrey, England. It is located half-way in between Aldershot and Farnham, with excellent access to the A31. The village boundaries have traditionally been four bridges -- three railway and one over a stream -- which inspired the logo for the local...
, now destroyed by quarrying. This monument lay on the route of the prehistoric trackway known as the Harrow Way
Harrow Way
The Harrow Way forms the western part of the Old Way, an ancient trackway in the south of England, dating from the Neolithic period, which can be traced from Rochester and the Channel ports in the Straits of Dover along the North Downs and through Guildford, Farnham, Andover and Basingstoke to...
or Harroway, which passes through Farnham Park, and a sarsen
Sarsen
Sarsen stones are sandstone blocks found in quantity in the United Kingdom on Salisbury Plain, the Marlborough Downs, in Kent, and in smaller quantities in Berkshire, Essex, Oxfordshire, Dorset and Hampshire...
stone still stands nearby, which is believed to have marked the safe crossing point of a marshy area near the present Shepherd and Flock roundabout. The parallel Pilgrims' Way
Pilgrims' Way
The Pilgrims' Way is the historic route supposed to have been taken by pilgrims from Winchester in Hampshire, England, to the shrine of Thomas Becket at Canterbury in Kent...
, known as such for linking Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
to Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
, also dates back to prehistory and, like the Harrow Way, may date back to the time when Britain was physically joined to continental Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Bronze Age
Occupation of the area continued to grow through the Bronze AgeBronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
. Two bronze hoards have been discovered on Crooksbury Hill, and further artefacts have been found, particularly at sites in Green Lane and near the Bourne spring in Farnham Park. A significant number of Bronze Age barrows
Tumulus
A tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, Hügelgrab or kurgans, and can be found throughout much of the world. A tumulus composed largely or entirely of stones is usually referred to as a cairn...
occur in the area, including a triple barrow at Elstead
Elstead
Elstead is a village in Surrey, England, with shops and cottages mainly clustered around a central green, close to the River Wey. Neighbouring villages include Gatwick , Puttenham, Charleshill and Peper Harow...
and an urnfield
Urnfield culture
The Urnfield culture was a late Bronze Age culture of central Europe. The name comes from the custom of cremating the dead and placing their ashes in urns which were then buried in fields...
cemetery at Stoneyfield, near the Tilford
Tilford
Tilford is a small village about two miles south of Farnham in Surrey, England. It lies within the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty- History :The name "Tilford" is probably derived from "Tila's ford" or "Tilla's ford"....
road.
Iron Age
Hill fortHill fort
A hill fort is a type of earthworks used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Some were used in the post-Roman period...
s from the early Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
exist locally at Botany Hill to the south of the town and at "Caesar's Camp" to the north of the town at Upper Hale. The latter is a very large earthworks on a high promontory, served by a spring which emerges from between two conglomerate
Conglomerate (geology)
A conglomerate is a rock consisting of individual clasts within a finer-grained matrix that have become cemented together. Conglomerates are sedimentary rocks consisting of rounded fragments and are thus differentiated from breccias, which consist of angular clasts...
boulder
Boulder
In geology, a boulder is a rock with grain size of usually no less than 256 mm diameter. While a boulder may be small enough to move or roll manually, others are extremely massive....
s called the Jock and Jenny Stones. "Soldier's Ring" earthworks on Crooksbury Hill date from the later Iron Age. The final era of the Iron Age, during the 1st century AD
Anno Domini
and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars....
, found Farnham within the territory of the Belgic Atrebates
Atrebates
The Atrebates were a Belgic tribe of Gaul and Britain before the Roman conquests.- Name of the tribe :Cognate with Old Irish aittrebaid meaning 'inhabitant', Atrebates comes from proto-Celtic *ad-treb-a-t-es, 'inhabitants'. The Celtic root is treb- 'building', 'home' The Atrebates (singular...
tribe led by Commius
Commius
Commius was a historical king of the Belgic nation of the Atrebates, initially in Gaul, then in Britain, in the 1st century BC.-Ally of Caesar:...
, a former ally of Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
, who had brought his tribe to Britain following a dispute with the Romans. A hut dating from this period was discovered at the Bourne Spring and other occupation material has been discovered at various sites, particularly Green Lane.
Roman Britain
During the RomanRoman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
period the district became a pottery centre due to the plentiful supply of gault clay
Gault Clay
Gault is a clay formation of stiff blue clay deposited in a calm, fairly deep water marine environment during the Lower Cretaceous Period...
, oak woodlands for fuel, and good communications via the Harrow Way and the nearby Roman road from Silchester
Silchester
Silchester is a village and civil parish about north of Basingstoke in Hampshire. It is adjacent to the county boundary with Berkshire and about south-west of Reading....
to Chichester
Chichester
Chichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
. Kilns dating from about AD 100 have been found throughout the area, including Six Bells (near the Bourne Spring), Snailslynch and Mavins Road, but the main centre of pottery had been Alice Holt Forest
Alice Holt Forest
Alice Holt Forest is a former royal forest in Hampshire, situated some south of Farnham, Surrey. Once predominantly an ancient oak forest, it was particularly noted in the 18th and 19th centuries for the timber it supplied for the building of ships for the Royal Navy. It is now planted mainly with...
, on the edge of the town, since about AD 50, just 7 years after the arrival of the Romans. The Alice Holt potteries continued in use, making mainly domestic wares, until about AD 400. Near the Bourne Spring two Roman buildings were discovered; one was a bath-house dating from about AD 270 and the other a house of later date. The Roman Way housing estate stands on this site. William Stukeley
William Stukeley
William Stukeley FRS, FRCP, FSA was an English antiquarian who pioneered the archaeological investigation of the prehistoric monuments of Stonehenge and Avebury, work for which he has been remembered as "probably... the most important of the early forerunners of the discipline of archaeology"...
propounded that Farnham is the site of the lost Roman settlement of "Vindomis", although this is now believed to be at Neatham
Neatham
Neatham is a Roman hamlet in the civil parish of Holybourne in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. Its nearest town is Alton, which lies south-west from the hamlet.- Roman period – Vindomis :...
, near Alton
Alton, Hampshire
Alton is a historic market town and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of the English county of Hampshire. It had a population of 16,584 at the 1991 census and is administered by East Hampshire district council. It is located on the source of the River Wey and is the highest town in...
. Large hoards of Roman coins have been discovered some 10 miles (16.1 km) south-west of Farnham in Woolmer Forest
Woolmer Forest
Woolmer Forest is a former medieval royal hunting forest. It lies within the western Weald in the South Downs National Park, straddling the border between east Hampshire and West Sussex. Covering an area of some , it is both a Special Area of Conservation and a Site of Special Scientific Interest...
and a temple has been excavated at Wanborough
Wanborough, Surrey
Wanborough is a small hamlet in Surrey approximately 6 km west of Guildford on the northern slopes of the Hog's Back. Neighbouring villages include: Puttenham and Christmas Pie...
, about 8 miles (12.9 km) to the east.
The Anglo-Saxon period
It was the SaxonsAnglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
who gave the town its name—Farnham is listed as Fearnhamme in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of annals in Old English chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the Chronicle was created late in the 9th century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of Alfred the Great...
. Fearn refers to the fern and bracken of the land and Hamme to the water meadows. They arrived in the sixth century and, in AD 688, the West Saxon
Wessex
The Kingdom of Wessex or Kingdom of the West Saxons was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the West Saxons, in South West England, from the 6th century, until the emergence of a united English state in the 10th century, under the Wessex dynasty. It was to be an earldom after Canute the Great's conquest...
King Caedwalla
Caedwalla of Wessex
Cædwalla was the King of Wessex from approximately 685 until he abdicated in 688. His name is derived from the British Cadwallon. He was exiled as a youth, and during this time attacked the South Saxons and killed their king, Æthelwealh, in what is now Sussex. Cædwalla was unable to hold the...
donated the district around Farnham to the Church, and to the diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of Winchester. This was the first mention of Farnham in written history. A Saxon community grew up in the valley by the river. By the year 803 Farnham had passed into the ownership of the Bishop of Winchester
Bishop of Winchester
The Bishop of Winchester is the head of the Church of England diocese of Winchester, with his cathedra at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire.The bishop is one of five Church of England bishops to be among the Lords Spiritual regardless of their length of service. His diocese is one of the oldest and...
and the Manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
of Farnham remained so (apart from two short breaks) for the next thousand years. Although Farnham is documented in Saxon texts and most of the local names are derived from their language, there is only one fully attested Saxon site in Farnham, just off the lower part of Firgrove Hill, where a road called Saxon Croft is now sited. Here several Saxon weaving huts from about AD 550 were discovered in 1924. At the time of the Danish
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
invasion in the 9th century (probably in 893 or 894) there was a battle on the edge of the settlement when Edward the Elder
Edward the Elder
Edward the Elder was an English king. He became king in 899 upon the death of his father, Alfred the Great. His court was at Winchester, previously the capital of Wessex...
, son of Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great was King of Wessex from 871 to 899.Alfred is noted for his defence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of southern England against the Vikings, becoming the only English monarch still to be accorded the epithet "the Great". Alfred was the first King of the West Saxons to style himself...
, routed the invaders.
After the Norman invasion
Farnham appears in Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086 as Ferneham, one of the five great "minster" churches in Surrey. Its domesday assets were: 40 hide
Hide (unit)
The hide was originally an amount of land sufficient to support a household, but later in Anglo-Saxon England became a unit used in assessing land for liability to "geld", or land tax. The geld would be collected at a stated rate per hide...
s; 1 church, 6 mill
Mill (grinding)
A grinding mill is a unit operation designed to break a solid material into smaller pieces. There are many different types of grinding mills and many types of materials processed in them. Historically mills were powered by hand , working animal , wind or water...
s worth £2 6s 0d, 43 plough
Plough
The plough or plow is a tool used in farming for initial cultivation of soil in preparation for sowing seed or planting. It has been a basic instrument for most of recorded history, and represents one of the major advances in agriculture...
s, 35 acres (141,640.1 m²) of meadow
Meadow
A meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . The term is from Old English mædwe. In agriculture a meadow is grassland which is not grazed by domestic livestock but rather allowed to grow unchecked in order to make hay...
, woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
worth 175½ hogs. It rendered £53.
Waverley Abbey, the first Cistercian abbey
Abbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, was founded in 1128 by William Giffard
William Giffard
William Giffard was the Lord Chancellor of England of William II and Henry I, from 1093 to 1101.Giffard was the brother of Walter Giffard earl of Buckingham. He also held the office of Dean of Rouen prior to his election as bishop. On 3 August 1100 he became bishop of Winchester by nomination of...
, Bishop of Winchester
Bishop of Winchester
The Bishop of Winchester is the head of the Church of England diocese of Winchester, with his cathedra at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire.The bishop is one of five Church of England bishops to be among the Lords Spiritual regardless of their length of service. His diocese is one of the oldest and...
about one mile (1.6 km) south of the town centre. King John
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
visited Waverley in 1208, and Henry III
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
in 1225. The abbey also produced the famous Annals of Waverley, an important reference source for the period. By the end of the thirteenth century the abbey was becoming less important. By the time it was suppressed by Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
in 1536 as part of the dissolution of the monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
there were only thirteen monks in the community.
Stephen of England
Stephen , often referred to as Stephen of Blois , was a grandson of William the Conqueror. He was King of England from 1135 to his death, and also the Count of Boulogne by right of his wife. Stephen's reign was marked by the Anarchy, a civil war with his cousin and rival, the Empress Matilda...
) started building Farnham Castle
Farnham Castle
Farnham Castle is a castle in Farnham, Surrey, England .First built in 1138 by Henri de Blois, grandson of William the Conqueror, Bishop of Winchester, the castle was to become the home of the Bishops of Winchester for over 800 years. The original building was demolished by Henry II in 1155 after...
to provide accommodation for the Bishop of Winchester in his frequent journeying between his cathedral and the capital. The castle's garrison provided a market for farms and small industries in the town, accelerating its growth. A large earthwork north-west of the town at Barley (or Badley) Pound may be the ditch and ramparts of a wooden precursor of Farnham Castle
Farnham Castle
Farnham Castle is a castle in Farnham, Surrey, England .First built in 1138 by Henri de Blois, grandson of William the Conqueror, Bishop of Winchester, the castle was to become the home of the Bishops of Winchester for over 800 years. The original building was demolished by Henry II in 1155 after...
built in the 11th century.
Farnham was granted its charter as a town in 1249 by William de Ralegh, then Bishop of Winchester
Bishop of Winchester
The Bishop of Winchester is the head of the Church of England diocese of Winchester, with his cathedra at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire.The bishop is one of five Church of England bishops to be among the Lords Spiritual regardless of their length of service. His diocese is one of the oldest and...
.
The Blind Bishop's Steps, a series of steps leading along Castle Street up to the Castle, were originally constructed for Bishop Richard Foxe
Richard Foxe
Richard Foxe was an English churchman, successively Bishop of Exeter, Bath and Wells, Durham, and Winchester, Lord Privy Seal, and founder of Corpus Christi College, Oxford.-Life:...
(godfather of Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
).
The Black Death
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
hit Farnham in 1348, killing about 1,300 people, at that time about a third of the population. In 1625 Farnham was again subject to an outbreak of the plague which, together with a severe decline in the local woollen industry (the local downland wool being unsuitable for the newly fashionable worsted
Worsted
Worsted , is the name of a yarn, the cloth made from this yarn, and a yarn weight category. The name derives from the village of Worstead in the English county of Norfolk...
) led by the 1640s to a serious economic depression in the area. Local wool merchants were, like merchants throughout the country, heavily taxed by Charles I to pay for his increasingly unpopular policies.
The Civil War
Against this background the English Civil WarEnglish Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
began, with Farnham playing a major part. Here, support for the Parliamentarians was general. The castle was considered a potential rallying point for Royalists
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
, resulting in the installation of a Roundhead garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
there in 1642. As the King's forces moved southwards, taking Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
and Windsor
Windsor, Berkshire
Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....
, the garrison commander at Farnham (and noted poet), Captain George Wither
George Wither
George Wither was an English poet, pamphleteer, and satirist. He was a prolific writer who adopted a deliberate plainness of style; he was several times imprisoned. C. V...
, decided to evacuate the castle; the new High Sheriff of Surrey
High Sheriff of Surrey
-List of High Sheriffs of Surrey:The list of known High Sheriffs of Surrey extends back to 1066 At various times the High Sheriff of Surrey was also High Sheriff of Sussex -1066-1228:...
(John Denham
John Denham (poet)
Sir John Denham was an English poet and courtier. He served as Surveyor of the King's Works and is buried in Westminster Abbey....
, a Royalist sympathiser and another noted poet) then occupied the vacant castle with 100 armed supporters. With the castle and much of the surrounding area in Royalist hands, Parliament despatched Colonel Sir William Waller
William Waller
Sir William Waller was an English soldier during the English Civil War. He received his education at Magdalen Hall, Oxford, and served in the Venetian army and in the Thirty Years' War...
to Farnham to retake the castle. The defenders refused to surrender but Waller's men used a petard
Petard
A petard was a small bomb used to blow up gates and walls when breaching fortifications. The term has a French origin and dates back to the sixteenth century...
to destroy the castle gates and overcame them, with only one fatality, and took the High Sheriff prisoner. The following year, as the Royalists strengthened their position west of Farnham, the garrison at Farnham Castle was strengthened when it became the headquarters of the Farnham regiment of foot or "Greencoats", with some eight to nine hundred officers and men, supported by a number of troops of horse. Further reinforcement by three regiments from London, 4,000 strong under Waller's command arrived in Farnham that October prior to an unsuccessful foray
Foray
A foray was a traditional method of law enforcement in Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. In view of the weakness of the executive in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, it was used by members of the szlachta to defend their rights....
to recapture Winchester from the Royalists. Eight thousand Royalists under Ralph Hopton
Ralph Hopton, 1st Baron Hopton
Ralph Hopton, 1st Baron Hopton was a Royalist commander in the English Civil War.-Life:Hopton was the son of Robert Hopton of Witham Somerset. He was apparently educated at Lincoln College, Oxford and served in the army of Frederick V, Elector Palatine in the early campaigns of the Thirty...
(a former friend of Waller) advanced on Farnham from the west and skirmishes took place on the outskirts of town. Despite further reinforcement for Waller from Kent, Hopton's entire army gathered on the heathland just outside Farnham Park. There was some skirmish
Skirmisher
Skirmishers are infantry or cavalry soldiers stationed ahead or alongside a larger body of friendly troops. They are usually placed in a skirmish line to harass the enemy.-Pre-modern:...
ing but Hopton's men withdrew. Through the next few years Farnham was an important centre of Parliamentary operations and the garrison cost Farnham people dearly in terms of local taxes, provisioning and quartering; even the lead from the Town Hall roof had been requisitioned to make bullets. A number of local women were widowed following the pressing of local men into the militia. The bombardment
Bombardment
A bombardment is an attack by artillery fire directed against fortifications, troops or towns and buildings.Prior to World War I the term term was only applied to the bombardment of defenceless or undefended objects, houses, public buildings, it was only loosely employed to describe artillery...
of Basing House
Basing House
Basing House was a major Tudor palace and castle in the village of Old Basing in the English county of Hampshire. It once rivaled Hampton Court Palace in its size and opulence. Today only its foundations and earthworks remain...
was by a train of heavy cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
assembled at Farnham from other areas and, in 1646, most of the garrison was removed from Farnham to form a brigade to besiege Donnington Castle
Donnington Castle
Donnington Castle is a ruined medieval castle, situated in the small village of Donnington, just north of the town of Newbury in the English county of Berkshire.- History :...
near Newbury
Newbury, Berkshire
Newbury is a civil parish and the principal town in the west of the county of Berkshire in England. It is situated on the River Kennet and the Kennet and Avon Canal, and has a town centre containing many 17th century buildings. Newbury is best known for its racecourse and the adjoining former USAF...
. The King surrendered shortly afterwards at Newark
Newark-on-Trent
Newark-on-Trent is a market town in Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands region of England. It stands on the River Trent, the A1 , and the East Coast Main Line railway. The origins of the town are possibly Roman as it lies on an important Roman road, the Fosse Way...
and a small garrison remained at Farnham.
In 1647, having escaped from custody at Hampton Court, the King rode through Farnham at dawn on November 12 with a small party of loyal officers, en-route to the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
, where he sought sanctuary
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
under the protection of Colonel Robert Hammond, a Parliamentarian officer but with Royalist sympathies. The following March, Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
stayed at Farnham for discussions concerning the marriage of his daughter to a Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
gentleman, although some historians have speculated that this was cover for secret negotiations with the King.
Following the rebellion
Rebellion
Rebellion, uprising or insurrection, is a refusal of obedience or order. It may, therefore, be seen as encompassing a range of behaviors aimed at destroying or replacing an established authority such as a government or a head of state...
during the summer of 1648 the keep was partially dismantled at the orders of Cromwell, to make further occupation by garrison indefensible. In late November that year Hammond was summoned to Farnham, where he was arrested, and the King was removed under military escort to the mainland. On December 20 the King and his escort entered Farnham, where groups of men, women and children gathered at the roadside to welcome him and touch his hand. That night the King lodged at Culver Hall (now Vernon House) in West Street before the party continued to London for Charles's trial and execution in January 1649. The King gave his night cap to Henry Vernon, owner of Culver Hall, "as a token of Royal favour". Records show that the following period of interregnum
Interregnum
An interregnum is a period of discontinuity or "gap" in a government, organization, or social order...
until restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
of the monarchy in 1660 was a time of prosperity and growth for Farnham. In 1660 the bishops of Winchester were restored to the adjoining Bishops Palace, which remained their residence until 1927. From 1927 until 1955 it was a residence of the bishops of the newly created diocese of Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
. The castle is currently owned by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
.
Post-restoration
Farnham became a successful market town; the author Daniel DefoeDaniel Defoe
Daniel Defoe , born Daniel Foe, was an English trader, writer, journalist, and pamphleteer, who gained fame for his novel Robinson Crusoe. Defoe is notable for being one of the earliest proponents of the novel, as he helped to popularise the form in Britain and along with others such as Richardson,...
wrote that Farnham had the greatest corn-market after London, and describes 1,100 fully laden wagons delivering wheat to the town on market day. During the seventeenth century, other new industries evolved: greenware pottery
Farnham Pottery
Farnham Pottery is located in Wrecclesham near Farnham, Surrey. This is one of the best preserved examples of a working Victorian country pottery left in England and is Grade II Listed...
(a pottery, dating from 1873, still exists on the outskirts of the town), wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
and cloth, the processing of wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
into flour, and eventually hops
Hops
Hops are the female flower clusters , of a hop species, Humulus lupulus. They are used primarily as a flavoring and stability agent in beer, to which they impart a bitter, tangy flavor, though hops are also used for various purposes in other beverages and herbal medicine...
, a key ingredient of beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
. The Anglican divine, Augustus Montague Toplady
Augustus Montague Toplady
Augustus Montague Toplady was an Anglican cleric and hymn writer. He was a major Calvinist opponent of John Wesley. He is best remembered as the author of the hymn "Rock of Ages"...
, composer of the hymn Rock of Ages (1763, at Blagston) was born in Farnham in 1740 - a plaque now marks the building on West Street where he was born.
William Cobbett
William Cobbett was an English pamphleteer, farmer and journalist, who was born in Farnham, Surrey. He believed that reforming Parliament and abolishing the rotten boroughs would help to end the poverty of farm labourers, and he attacked the borough-mongers, sinecurists and "tax-eaters" relentlessly...
was born in Farnham in 1763, in a pub called the Jolly Farmer. The pub still stands, and has since been renamed the William Cobbett.
The railway arrived in 1848 and, in 1854, neighbouring Aldershot
Aldershot
Aldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland about southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council...
became the “Home of the British Army”. Both events had a significant effect on Farnham. The fast link with London meant city businessmen could think of having a house in the country and still be in close contact with the office; Farnham thereby became an early example of a 'commuter town'. Also, the railway did not reach Aldershot until 1870; during the intervening period soldiers would be carried by train to Farnham station
Farnham railway station
Farnham railway station serves the town of Farnham in Surrey. It is located on Station Hill by the level crossing that carries the Alton Line across the B3001 secondary road. The town centre is about ten minutes away on foot to the north of the A31 Farnham Bypass via a signal-controlled crossing...
and then march to Aldershot. Many officers and their families chose to billet in Farnham itself. The railway was electrified by the Southern Railway company in 1937 as far as Alton, and a carriage shed for the new electric stock was built in Weydon Lane. This building, which carried fading camouflage paint for many years after World War II, was replaced in 2006.
In 1901, the population of Farnham was about 14,000. Since the end of the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Farnham has expanded from a population of about 20,000 to the present 38,000. Of that figure, about 15,000 live in the town centre, whilst the remaining 23,000 live in the surrounding suburbs and villages within the town's administrative boundaries.
Farnham Maltings
Farnham maltings
Farnham Maltings is a creative arts centre in the heart of the market town of Farnham, Surrey, England that was saved by the community in 1969. Its buildings comprise a range of large rehearsal spaces, Great Hall, 15 artists studios, pottery, cafe and cellar bar...
, Bridge Square was once a tannery; the site expanded to become part of the Farnham United Breweries, which included its own maltings. Taken over by a major brewer (Courage's
Courage (brewery)
Courage is a former British brewery. The brands are now 100 per cent owned and brewed by Wells & Young's Brewery as part of a venture called Courage Brands Ltd.-History:...
) brewing ceased but malting continued into the 1960s, when Courage's planned to sell off the site for redevelopment. Money raised by the people of Farnham saved the buildings from demolition for conversion to a community centre for the town. Current management places the emphasis on the arts over other community activities, many of which have ceased or moved elsewhere, but the famous Farnham Beer Exhibition
Farnham Beer Exhibition
Farnham Beer Exhibition, usually but informally known as Farnham Beerex , is the longest established beer festival in the United Kingdom to be held annually on the same premises...
(or "Beerex") continues, after more than 30 years, to be as popular as ever. Other buildings in Farnham once linked to the Farnham Maltings include The Oasthouse (now offices) in Mead Lane and The Hop Kiln (now private residences) on Weydon Lane.
Communications
Farnham railway stationFarnham railway station
Farnham railway station serves the town of Farnham in Surrey. It is located on Station Hill by the level crossing that carries the Alton Line across the B3001 secondary road. The town centre is about ten minutes away on foot to the north of the A31 Farnham Bypass via a signal-controlled crossing...
is on the Alton Line
Alton Line
The Alton Line is a railway line operated by South West Trains. Today Alton station is the terminus of a main line branch, although it was at one time the junction for three lines. The branch leaves the South Western Main Line at Pirbright Junction near Brookwood...
, which provides commuter links to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
at Waterloo
Waterloo station
Waterloo station, also known as London Waterloo, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. The station is owned and operated by Network Rail and is close to the South Bank of the River Thames, and in Travelcard Zone 1....
. The A31
A31 road
The A31 is a major trunk road in southern England that runs from Guildford in Surrey to Bere Regis in Dorset.-Route of road:The road begins in the centre of Guildford, meeting the A3 road before running south west along the Hog's Back. It continues past Farnham, Alton and New Alresford before...
Farnham bypass links the town by road to Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
, Alton
Alton, Hampshire
Alton is a historic market town and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of the English county of Hampshire. It had a population of 16,584 at the 1991 census and is administered by East Hampshire district council. It is located on the source of the River Wey and is the highest town in...
and Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
; the A325 links the town to Farnborough
Farnborough, Hampshire
-History:Name changes: Ferneberga ; Farnburghe, Farenberg ; Farnborowe, Fremborough, Fameborough .Tower Hill, Cove: There is substantial evidence...
and to the A3 (London-Portsmouth) at Greatham
Greatham, Hampshire
Greatham is a village and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is 1.9 miles north of Liss, just off the A3 road.The nearest railway station is 1.9 miles south of the village, at Liss....
. The A287 links Farnham to the M3 at Hook
Hook, London
Hook is a place in south west London, England. It forms part of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames and is located 13.5 miles south west of Charing Cross....
and the A3 at Hindhead
Hindhead
Hindhead is a village in Surrey, England, about 11 miles south-west of Guildford. Neighbouring settlements include Haslemere, Grayshott and Beacon Hill. Hindhead is the highest village in Surrey...
. London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
is 31 miles (49.9 km) by road but is served only by indirect public transport routes from Farnham. Gatwick Airport
London Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport is located 3.1 miles north of the centre of Crawley, West Sussex, and south of Central London. Previously known as London Gatwick,In 2010, the name changed from London Gatwick Airport to Gatwick Airport...
and Southampton Airport
Southampton Airport
Southampton Airport is the 20th largest airport in the UK, located north north-east of Southampton, in the Borough of Eastleigh within Hampshire, England....
are each about 43 miles (69.2 km) away by main roads.
Shopping in Farnham
Farnham is a former market town with many shops located along both sides of the main thoroughfare running through West Street, The Borough and East Street. The town includes a significant number of independent retailers, some who have been in business since the nineteenth century, such as Rangers Furnishing Stores (est. 1895), Elphicks department store (est. 1881) and PullingersPullingers
Pullingers Art Shop is a chain of art shops with four retail outlets in Farnham, Kingston upon Thames and Epsom, Surrey, United Kingdom and online at Pullingers.com....
(est. 1850). The latter evolved into the Pullingers Art Shop chain and is thought to be Farnham's oldest surviving business. A popular independent retailer (est. 1986) is Colours Ltd. situated in the Lion and Lamb Yard between Waitrose and Starbucks. There are also branches of national retailers such as Argos
Argos (retailer)
Argos is the largest general-goods retailer in the United Kingdom and Ireland with over 800 stores. It is unique amongst major retailers in the UK in that it is a catalogue merchant...
, Robert Dyas
Robert Dyas
Robert Dyas is a large UK retailer founded London 1872. The stores provide ranges of house wares, small electrical appliances, gardening products, kitchen wares, DIY, and consumer electronics throughout 98 stores, mainly in Greater London and South East England.-History :Robert Dyas emigrated from...
, Boots the Chemist, Waterstone's
Waterstone's
Waterstone's is a British book specialist established in 1982 by Tim Waterstone that employs around 4,500 staff throughout the United Kingdom and Europe....
and W H Smith
W H Smith
WHSmith plc is a British retailer, headquartered in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. It is best known for its chain of high street, railway station, airport, hospital and motorway service station shops selling books, stationery, magazines, newspapers, and entertainment products...
. The major supermarkets are represented by Waitrose
Waitrose
Waitrose Limited is an upmarket chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom and is the food division of the British retailer and worker co-operative the John Lewis Partnership. Its head office is in Bracknell, Berkshire, England...
, Sainsbury's, Lidl
Lidl
Lidl is a discount supermarket chain based in Germany that operates over 7,200 stores across Europe. The company's full name is Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG...
and Iceland
Iceland (supermarket)
Iceland is a supermarket chain in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Iceland's primary product lines include frozen foods, such as frozen prepared meals and frozen vegetables - hence the name of the company...
in the town centre, and two Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
Expresses located on Ridgeway Road and in Upper Hale. Sainsbury's also have a larger Superstore on the outskirts of town towards Badshot Lea
Badshot Lea
Badshot Lea is a village situated near Farnham, Surrey, England. It is located half-way in between Aldershot and Farnham, with excellent access to the A31. The village boundaries have traditionally been four bridges -- three railway and one over a stream -- which inspired the logo for the local...
. Large garden centres exist nearby at Holt Pound
Holt Pound
Holt Pound at Wrecclesham, near Farnham, Surrey was one of the chief cricket grounds in Surrey. It was used as a major cricket venue for 3 first-class matches between 1791 and 1809 as well as for a number of minor matches....
(Forest Lodge), Frensham
Frensham
Frensham is a village in Surrey, England, beside the A287, south west of Guildford. Neighbouring villages include Millbridge, Shortfield Common, Dockenfield, Spreakley, Batt's Corner and Rushmoor. Frensham lies on the River Wey. Farnham is the nearest main town and it is to the north. The...
(Frensham Garden Centre) and Badshot Lea (Squires). Castle Street's market stalls have been replaced by semi-permanent "orangery" style buildings one flower market, one sweet market and a delicatssen. Farnham is also known for its numerous secondhand charity shops (Oxfam
Oxfam
Oxfam is an international confederation of 15 organizations working in 98 countries worldwide to find lasting solutions to poverty and related injustice around the world. In all Oxfam’s actions, the ultimate goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives...
etc.) which offer plenty of high-quality items, especially clothes.
Markets
A large market selling arts, crafts, antiques and bric-a-brac operates under-cover at the Farnham Maltings on the first Saturday of each month. A Farmers' marketFarmers' market
A farmers' market consists of individual vendors—mostly farmers—who set up booths, tables or stands, outdoors or indoors, to sell produce, meat products, fruits and sometimes prepared foods and beverages...
is held in the central car park on the fourth Sunday of each month, selling high-quality, locally-produced meat, fruit and vegetables, bread and cakes, preserves, beer and cider, fruit juices, cheeses and other dairy products. Toy, crafts and militaria fairs are hosted by the Maltings from time to time where new and used items can be bought and sold.
Leisure and recreation
There are two main parks in Farnham town centre: Farnham Park and Gostrey Meadow. Farnham Park is adjacent to Farnham Castle. Gostrey Meadow is in the centre of Farnham town next to the river, and includes a fenced children's play area.Sports
Leisure centre
A leisure centre in the UK and Canada is a purpose built building or site, usually owned and operated by the city, borough council or municipal district council, where people go to keep fit or relax through using the facilities.- Typical Facilities :...
. The leisure centre has a gym under the Kinetica
Kinetica
Kinetica is a futuristic racing game for the PlayStation 2. It was the first game to use the Kinetica game engine which would be used for Sony's runaway hit franchises, most notably Jak & Daxter, Ratchet & Clank, Sly Cooper and God of War....
franchise
Franchising
Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....
through which personal instructors can be hired. The centre is also the home of Farnham Swimming Club which allows youngsters to swim and compete with other local clubs such as Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
.
The town is represented in the non-league football pyramid by Farnham Town F.C.
Farnham Town F.C.
Farnham Town Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Farnham, Surrey, England.-History:Established in 1912, the club was one of the founder members of the London Spartan League in 1975...
, who compete in the Combined Counties League.There is also another football club, Farnham United FC who cater for all, with a mini soccer centre for 4-7 year olds, teams from under 7 - adult. Farnham United is a club run by volunteers for the community and is an FA Charter Standard Club. There are also other Farnham Village Clubs, Rowledge, Badshot Lea, Hale, Tongham and Frensham.
Farnham Cricket Club was started in 1782. The ground is at the edge of Farnham Park and in the shadows of the castle. There is also a local umpires association.
The Farnham and Aldershot hockey club runs three men's teams and two women's teams. Floorball hockey is played by the adult team Southern Vipers FBC and junior floorball is also played at Farnham Sports Centre.
Farnham also has a public golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
which is situated next to the cricket ground directly behind Farnham Castle
Farnham Castle
Farnham Castle is a castle in Farnham, Surrey, England .First built in 1138 by Henri de Blois, grandson of William the Conqueror, Bishop of Winchester, the castle was to become the home of the Bishops of Winchester for over 800 years. The original building was demolished by Henry II in 1155 after...
. It was designed by Sir Henry Cotton, three times British Open
British Open
The British Open is the Open Championship men's golf tournament.British Open may also refer to:* Women's British Open of golf* British Open Show Jumping Championships* British Open Squash Championships...
champion. It is a nine-hole, par-three golf course, open daily.
Farnham's sporting heroes
- "Silver Billy" Beldham (1766–1862) was one of the greatest cricketers in England during the Napoleonic era, pre-dating W. G. GraceW. G. GraceWilliam Gilbert Grace, MRCS, LRCP was an English amateur cricketer who is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest players of all time, having a special significance in terms of his importance to the development of the sport...
. He was born on the outskirts of town at WreccleshamWreccleshamWrecclesham is a village on the outskirts of Farnham in Waverley a borough of the county of Surrey, England.Farnham Pottery is located here, as is the Wrecclesham recreation ground which caters for the local cricket, football, rugby and tennis clubs and it is where Jonny Wilkinson and Graham Thorpe...
and played in Farnham Cricket Club's first match, against OdihamOdihamOdiham is a historic village and large civil parish in the Hart district of Hampshire, England. It is twinned with Sourdeval in the Manche Department of France. The current population is 4,406. The parish contains an acreage of 7,354 acres with 50 acres of land covered with water. The nearest...
, when he was 16 years old, and later played for the famous Hambledon ClubHambledon ClubThe Hambledon Club was a social club that is famous for its organisation of 18th century cricket matches. By the late 1770s it was the foremost cricket club in England.-Foundation:...
. By the age of 21 he was widely recognised as the best batsman in England. - Mike HawthornMike HawthornJohn Michael Hawthorn was a racing driver, born in Mexborough, Yorkshire, England, and educated at Ardingly College, West Sussex.-Racing career:...
(1929–1959), driving for FerrariFerrariFerrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
, became the first British Formula OneFormula OneFormula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
World Champion in 1958. His family moved to Farnham when he was two years old, so his father could be near to BrooklandsBrooklandsBrooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields...
race track. Mike Hawthorn Drive is named after him. - Jonny WilkinsonJonny WilkinsonJonathan Peter "Jonny" Wilkinson OBE is an English rugby union player and member of the England national team. Wilkinson rose to acclaim from 2001 to 2003, before and during the 2003 Rugby World Cup and was acknowledged as one of the world’s best rugby players...
(1979– ) England's world-cup-winning kicker and former captain, and England scrum half Peter RichardsPeter Richards (rugby player)Peter Charles Richards is a former English rugby union player. A versatile player, he has played in three positions: scrum half , fly-half and centre. Richards retired in the summer of 2010 because of a back injury.-Early career:His began playing mini rugby at , before he went to the Royal...
(1978– ) were not born in Farnham but both played for Farnham Rugby Football Club at mini level. - Graham ThorpeGraham ThorpeGraham Paul Thorpe MBE is a former English cricketer who played for Surrey and England. A left-handed middle-order batsman and slip fielder, he appeared in exactly 100 Test matches.-Early life:...
(1969– ) England cricket captain, was born in Farnham and played at the Farnham cricket ground. - Joel FreelandJoel FreelandJoel Freeland is a British professional basketball player. He is a forward-center. His playing style has been compared to that of David Lee of the Golden State Warriors and former NBA player Keon Clark...
(1987– ), international basketball player, was born in Farnham.
Entertainment
Farnham MaltingsFarnham maltings
Farnham Maltings is a creative arts centre in the heart of the market town of Farnham, Surrey, England that was saved by the community in 1969. Its buildings comprise a range of large rehearsal spaces, Great Hall, 15 artists studios, pottery, cafe and cellar bar...
has diverse concerts including opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
, folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and acoustic music
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
gigs, band evenings and stand up comedy nights, as well as shows and workshops for younger people. There is a cinema
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
run every Wednesday at the Maltings. The Maltings also hosts a successful "Acoustic Fridays" evening once a month, and this has a student following due to the fact many students play sets there. A regular blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
night takes place in the "Cellar Bar" and the whole venue is taken over for the annual Blues Festival. In keeping with the town's historical link with hop-growing and beer, the Farnham Maltings also plays host to the Farnham Beer Exhibition
Farnham Beer Exhibition
Farnham Beer Exhibition, usually but informally known as Farnham Beerex , is the longest established beer festival in the United Kingdom to be held annually on the same premises...
, one of the largest beer festivals in Britain, an annual event that started in 1977. Some of the most popular pubs in Farnham are The Plough, The William Cobbett, The Lamb, The Alma and the student union bar of the UCA, all of which have live music regularly. Farnham is also home to the internationally acclaimed Farnham Youth Choir.
Carnivals
Farnham also has a yearly carnival, normally on the last Saturday in June, organised by two charitable service organisations, the Farnham Lions Club and The Hedgehogs. Castle Street is closed for the evening, with bands playing on a stage in the street, a beer tent, barbecueBarbecue
Barbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...
, and sideshows. A procession of carnival floats
Float (parade)
A float is a decorated platform, either built on a vehicle or towed behind one, which is a component of many festive parades, such as those of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, the Carnival of Viareggio, the Maltese Carnival, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Key West Fantasy Fest parade, the...
, marching band
Marching band
Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
s, tableaux
Tableau vivant
Tableau vivant is French for "living picture." The term describes a striking group of suitably costumed actors or artist's models, carefully posed and often theatrically lit. Throughout the duration of the display, the people shown do not speak or move...
, trade floats
Float (parade)
A float is a decorated platform, either built on a vehicle or towed behind one, which is a component of many festive parades, such as those of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, the Carnival of Viareggio, the Maltese Carnival, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Key West Fantasy Fest parade, the...
and classic vehicles parade through the main streets of the town. Staff of the local Kar Ling Kwong Chinese restaurant traditionally perform the Lion Dance
Lion dance
Lion dance is a form of traditional dance in Chinese culture, in which performers mimic a lion's movements in a lion costume. The lion dance is often mistakenly referred to as dragon dance. An easy way to tell the difference is that a lion is operated by two people, while a dragon needs many people...
each year as part of the parade,a lot of the local schools also participate such as William Cobbett and Hale School. There is also a smaller Hale Carnival which takes place in the village of Hale
Hale, Surrey
Hale is a village in Surrey, England. It lies between Farnham and Aldershot. Located on the side of sandy hills, parts of the village are frequently referred to as either Upper Hale or Lower Hale. Residents have views south towards Hindhead...
in the North of Farnham. This is usually held on the first Saturday of July.
Public library
Farnham Public Library is a community facility that provides a free lending libraryLending library
A lending library is a library from which books are lent out. The earliest reference to or use of the term "lending library" yet located in English correspondence dates from ca. 1586; C'Tess Pembroke Ps. CXII. v, "He is .....
service to local residents and workers of a wide range of books, audiobooks, periodicals, DVDs and videos. It includes a children's section. The library was refurbished in November 2005. The library also provides IT facilities and a reference library
Reference library
A reference library does not lend books and other items; instead, they must be read at the library itself. Typically such libraries are used for research purposes, for example at a university. See List of closed stack libraries...
for research purposes. The library is housed in the historic Vernon House at which King Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
slept on his way to his trial and execution in London in 1649, a situation commemorated by a plaque on the building wall. The library also features public gardens with sculptures provided by local artists.
Museum of Farnham
Willmer House, in West Street, houses this extensive collection of artefacts from all periods of the town's history and prehistory. The museum has active support from both the Friends of the Museum of Farnham and The Farnham and District Museum Society. In addition to permanent displays such as "Discover the History of Farnham", "On the road to Winchester", Farnham motoring links, Farnham Greenware Pottery, William Cobbett, George Sturt and Harold FalknerHarold Falkner
Harold Falkner FRIBA was a notable British architect in the early 20th Century and is now considered a leading exponent of the vernacular and the Arts & Crafts in architecture...
, it features a changing range of activities and exhibitions, many of which are aimed to be of particular interest to children and families. The museum has received numerous awards, including a special commendation in the European Museum of the Year awards in 1994. The museum also has a Local Studies Library to support family tree and house detectives, school projects & local history queries.The museum also has a club for children.
Willmer House is a fine eighteenth-century town house with a decorative brickwork facade. The house and its garden are worth a visit in their own right.
Tourism
The town has a number of attractive houses from various periods and many interesting passages which reveal hidden parts of the town including old workshops, historic cottages and pretty, hidden gardens. Farnham Castle was built by the NormansNormans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
and updated over the years as the Palace
Palace
A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word itself is derived from the Latin name Palātium, for Palatine Hill, one of the seven hills in Rome. In many parts of Europe, the...
of the Bishops of Winchester. The former Bishops' Palace of the castle is now a training and conference centre, which also manages the keep, which, funded by a Heritage Lottery Fund Grant has been made much more accessible . The keep is open to the public free of charge, and there are organised tours of the palace on Wednesday afternoons
Many of the places mentioned in the books of George Sturt
George Sturt
George Sturt , who also wrote under the pseudonym George Bourne, was an English writer on rural crafts and affairs. He was born and grew up in Farnham, Surrey....
can be seen, and Waverley, the first Cistercian Abbey in England is open to the public. Farnham Park is attractive for walks and wildlife and there is a variety of attractive scenery - Farnham borders on the Surrey Hills
Surrey Hills AONB
The Surrey Hills is a Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty , located in Surrey, England. The AONB was designated in 1958 and covers one quarter of the county of Surrey...
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
and the North Downs Way
North Downs Way
The North Downs Way is a long-distance path in southern England, opened in 1978. It runs from Farnham to Dover, past Godalming, Guildford, Dorking, Merstham, Otford and Rochester, along the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Kent Downs AONB.East of Boughton Lees, the path splits...
long-distance path starts here. Alice Holt Forest
Alice Holt Forest
Alice Holt Forest is a former royal forest in Hampshire, situated some south of Farnham, Surrey. Once predominantly an ancient oak forest, it was particularly noted in the 18th and 19th centuries for the timber it supplied for the building of ships for the Royal Navy. It is now planted mainly with...
is nearby, as are Frensham Ponds and many heath
Heath (habitat)
A heath or heathland is a dwarf-shrub habitat found on mainly low quality acidic soils, characterised by open, low growing woody vegetation, often dominated by plants of the Ericaceae. There are some clear differences between heath and moorland...
s and downland
Downland
A downland is an area of open chalk hills. This term is especially used to describe the chalk countryside in southern England. Areas of downland are often referred to as Downs....
scenery. The Rural Life Centre
Rural Life Centre, Tilford
The Rural Life Centre is in Tilford, Surrey near Farnham in southern England. It is a museum of country life assembled by Mr and Mrs Henry Jackson and is run by a charitable trust. It is covers over of field, woodland and barns, and comprises a large number of implements and devices marking over...
is nearby at Tilford, and the town is a suitable touring base for Winchester, the Mid-Hants Railway and canal trips on the Basingstoke Canal
Basingstoke Canal
The Basingstoke Canal is a British Canal, completed in 1794, built to connect Basingstoke with the River Thames at Weybridge via the Wey Navigation....
and Wey Navigation.
Arts and crafts
Farnham has long had a strong association with the creative arts. Farnham School of Art opened in 1866 and was associated with the Arts and crafts movementArts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
when architects such as Edwin Lutyens
Edwin Lutyens
Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, OM, KCIE, PRA, FRIBA was a British architect who is known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era...
and Harold Falkner, painters such as George Watts
George Frederic Watts
George Frederic Watts, OM was a popular English Victorian painter and sculptor associated with the Symbolist movement. Watts became famous in his lifetime for his allegorical works, such as Hope and Love and Life...
and W. H. Allen
W. H. Allen
William Herbert Allen was a notable English landscape watercolour artist whose career spanned more than 50 years from the 1880s to the 1940s. He was invariably referred to as "WH" rather than by his given name. Born 14 September 1863 in West Brompton, London, of parents from Alton, Hampshire,...
, potters such as Mary Watts
Mary Fraser Tytler
Mary Seton Fraser Tytler was a symbolist craftswoman, designer and social reformer.-Biography:...
and landscape gardeners (Gertrude Jekyll
Gertrude Jekyll
Gertrude Jekyll was an influential British garden designer, writer, and artist. She created over 400 gardens in the UK, Europe and the USA and contributed over 1,000 articles to Country Life, The Garden and other magazines.-Early life:...
) worked in the area. Lewen Tugwell, a Farnham sculptor in the 1960s, invented a technique for production of a unique craft product made from resin, Shattaline
Shattaline
Shattaline Limited operated from the mid-1960s for about 10 years. Products were a craft-made range of decorative items including paperweights, pen holders, candle holders, tables, table lamps and table lighters. The manufacturing process was discovered by Lewen Tugwell, a retired major in the...
. Items made by this process in his workshops in Long Garden Walk are now very collectable. Farnham has several art galleries - the New Ashgate Gallery in Lower Church Lane has exhibitions by established and new artists in a variety of media, the exhibition changing on the first Saturday of each month. The gallery at Farnham Maltings also has frequent exhibitions.
Pottery
Since Roman times the weald
Weald
The Weald is the name given to an area in South East England situated between the parallel chalk escarpments of the North and the South Downs. It should be regarded as three separate parts: the sandstone "High Weald" in the centre; the clay "Low Weald" periphery; and the Greensand Ridge which...
en clay of the area has been exploited for pottery and brickmaking. Pottery continued on a small-scale commercial basis until the closure of Farnham Pottery
Farnham Pottery
Farnham Pottery is located in Wrecclesham near Farnham, Surrey. This is one of the best preserved examples of a working Victorian country pottery left in England and is Grade II Listed...
at Wrecclesham in 1998, when it passed to the Farnham Buildings Preservation Trust. Farnham Pottery , in addition to utility wares, became famous during the Arts and crafts movement
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
for their decorative wares, either hand-thrown or moulded and decorated in a variety of coloured glazes, particularly "Farnham Greenware". There was close co-operation between the pottery and Farnham School of Art (now a campus of University for the Creative Arts).
Painting
William Herbert Allen
W. H. Allen
William Herbert Allen was a notable English landscape watercolour artist whose career spanned more than 50 years from the 1880s to the 1940s. He was invariably referred to as "WH" rather than by his given name. Born 14 September 1863 in West Brompton, London, of parents from Alton, Hampshire,...
, the notable English landscape watercolour artist, lived and worked in Farnham for most of his career. He was Master of Farnham Art School from 1889 to 1927 and many of his works depict landscapes of the Farnham area. Popular artists from Farnham in recent years include Charles Bone, whose watercolour landscapes of the area are very popular as limited edition prints, and Josephine Wall
Josephine Wall
Josephine Wall is a popular English fantasy artist and sculptor.Educated at Farnham and Parkstone grammar schools, she studied fine art at Bournemouth College and worked at Poole Pottery as a designer and painter of Delphis Ware. Her pottery figures include characters from Tolkien's Lord of the...
, a popular fantasy artist who was born in the town.
Theatre
The Castle Theatre in Castle Street was replaced by the Redgrave Theatre in 1974 which, itself, closed down in 1998 due to the decline of repertory theatre in England. In 1998 'The New Farnham Repertory Company' was formed to carry on the tradition of repertory theatre in the town, and also to fight for the restoration of the Redgrave Theatre to the people of Farnham. In 2009 'The New Farnham Repertory Company' became 'Farnham Rep'.
Productions still regularly take place at the Maltings, which both produces work and receives touring shows as well as occasionally in the grounds of Farnham Library. Various genres of music are also promoted at the Maltings, where there is also a dance studio. Gerald Flood
Gerald Flood
Gerald Flood was a British actor of stage and television.Born in Portsmouth, Hampshire but lived for most of his life in Farnham, Surrey, where he regularly appeared on stage at the Castle Theatre...
, stage, TV and film actor, lived in Farnham for most of his life; Peter Lupino
Lupino family
Lupino was the surname of a British theatre family tradition that could trace their roots back to an Italian émigré of the early 17th century. This family tradition comprised two actual families *the earlier Luppino or Lupino family...
, a well-known West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
actor of the 1930s and 40s, and member of the famous theatrical family, also lived for many years in Farnham, in Red Lion Lane and was a well-known local character in his retirement. Actor Bill Maynard
Bill Maynard
Walter Frederick George Williams , better known by the stage name Bill Maynard, is an English comedian and actor.-Early life and career:...
, the "Carry On
Carry On films
The Carry On films are a series of low-budget British comedy films, directed by Gerald Thomas and produced by Peter Rogers. They are an energetic mix of parody, farce, slapstick and double entendres....
" and "Heartbeat" actor, was born in the town, as was Bill Wallis
Bill Wallis
Bill Wallis is a British character actor and comedian who has appeared in numerous radio and television roles, as well as in the theatre....
, who learned his trade on the stage of the Castle Theatre. Opera singer Sir Peter Pears
Peter Pears
Sir Peter Neville Luard Pears CBE was an English tenor who was knighted in 1978. His career was closely associated with the composer Edward Benjamin Britten....
(1910–1986) was born in Farnham and Jessie Matthews
Jessie Matthews
Jessie Matthews, OBE was an English actress, dancer and singer of the 1930s, whose career continued into the post-war period.-Early life:...
, OBE (1907–1981), the popular English actress, dancer, and singer of the 1930s to 1960s, lived in Farnham, where she ran the Alliance public house (now closed).
Literature
It was in Farnham that J M Barrie wrote Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie . A mischievous boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with...
, whilst living at Black Lake Cottage.
Education
Farnham Grammar School was created some time before 1585 (the date of a donation being made by a Richard Searle "to the maintenance of the school in Farnham"). It is possible that this ancient school dated back as far as 1351 when a chantry was created at Farnham Castle, but there is no documentary evidence of this. It benefited over the years from bequests by different people as well as the generosity of bishops of Winchester who occupied Farnham Castle over the centuries. In 1905 the town centre assets of the old grammar school, located in West Street, were sold in order to purchase and build new premises in fields to the south of the town. In 1973 this campus became a Sixth Form CollegeSixth form college
A sixth form college is an educational institution in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Belize, Hong Kong or Malta where students aged 16 to 18 typically study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as A-levels, or school-level qualifications such as GCSEs. In Singapore and India, this is...
and was renamed Farnham College
Farnham College
Farnham College is a sixth form college in Farnham, Surrey, UK. It is located on a single campus in a residential area just to the south of Farnham town centre, and is now a foundation college...
.
Infant schools
Primary schools
- Pilgrims Way
- Potters Gate CE Primary School
- South Farnham School
- Rowledge CE Primary School
- St Peter's CE Primary School
- St Polycarps
- Hale School
Secondary schools
- WeydonWeydon SchoolWeydon School is a secondary school located in Weydon Lane, Wrecclesham, Farnham, Surrey, England. Opened as Weydon County Secondary School on 16 September 1957. The first headmaster was Mr A H Surman.). Mr Chambers took over from him...
- Farnham Heath End SchoolFarnham Heath End SchoolFarnham Heath End School is a mixed comprehensive school in Heath End, Surrey in south-east of England, with roughly 900 pupils.-About the School:Recently the school gained Specialist Mathematics and Computing College status...
- All Hallows Catholic SchoolAll Hallows Catholic SchoolAll Hallows Catholic School is a mixed, voluntary-aided comprehensive secondary school and Sixth Form in Weybourne, Surrey, England. The school offers many courses including A-level. Examination results are outstanding, with a 99% pass rate at A-level in 2009. GCSE results have also advanced...
- Frensham Heights SchoolFrensham Heights SchoolFrensham Heights School is an independent school located in Surrey, United Kingdom, run by the registered charity, Frensham Heights Educational Trust Ltd. It was founded in 1925 and formed as part of the movement for progressive education...
Further & Higher Education
Farnham CollegeFarnham College
Farnham College is a sixth form college in Farnham, Surrey, UK. It is located on a single campus in a residential area just to the south of Farnham town centre, and is now a foundation college...
(part of Guildford College
Guildford College
Guildford College of Further and Higher Education in Guildford, Surrey caters for students of age 16+ in full-time and part-time study. It has three campuses, one at Stoke Road, adjacent to Stoke Park in Guildford; the second at Merrist Wood near Worplesdon and the third Farnham College...
) offers further education. The University for the Creative Arts at Canterbury, Epsom, Farnham, Maidstone and Rochester or UCA (a merger of the local Surrey Institute of Art & Design, University College
Surrey Institute of Art & Design, University College
The Surrey Institute of Art & Design, University College was an art college in the United Kingdom. It merged with the Kent Institute of Art & Design on 1 August 2005 to form the University College for the Creative Arts at Canterbury, Epsom, Farnham, Maidstone and Rochester, now the University for...
and Kent Institute of Art & Design
Kent Institute of Art & Design
The Kent Institute of Art & Design was an art school based across three campuses in the county of Kent, in the United Kingdom. It was formed by the amalgamation of three independent colleges: Canterbury College of Art, Maidstone College of Art and Rochester College of Art...
) offers higher education.
Politics
Farnham Town Council is composed of 18 councillors. Of these, 14 are ConservativesConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
, 3 are Independents, and 1 represents the Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
.
The current Member of Parliament is Jeremy Hunt (Conservative).
Media
The local press is the Farnham Herald, a broadsheet. The local BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
TV news is BBC South Today. Farnham is covered on BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
radio by BBC Surrey
BBC Surrey
BBC Surrey is the BBC Local Radio service covering the English county of Surrey, along with North-East Hampshire and the northern fringes of West Sussex including Crawley, East Grinstead and Gatwick Airport...
(which covers Surrey & North-East Hampshire on 104.6FM). Ashgate Publishing
Ashgate Publishing
Ashgate Publishing is an academic book and journal publisher based in Farnham, Surrey, United Kingdom. It was established in 1967 and specializes in the social sciences, arts, humanities, and professional practice...
which publishes books in the Social Sciences and Humanities is based in Farnham.
Famous people
William Willett
William Willett , was an English builder and a tireless promoter of British Summer Time.-Biography:Willett was born in Farnham, Surrey, in the United Kingdom, and educated at the Philological School. After some commercial experience, he entered his father's building business, Willett Building...
, campaigner for daylight saving time
Daylight saving time
Daylight saving time —also summer time in several countries including in British English and European official terminology —is the practice of temporarily advancing clocks during the summertime so that afternoons have more daylight and mornings have less...
(1856); George Sturt
George Sturt
George Sturt , who also wrote under the pseudonym George Bourne, was an English writer on rural crafts and affairs. He was born and grew up in Farnham, Surrey....
, writer and social historian (1863); and Maud Gonne
Maud Gonne
Maud Gonne MacBride was an English-born Irish revolutionary, feminist and actress, best remembered for her turbulent relationship with William Butler Yeats. Of Anglo-Irish stock and birth, she was won over to Irish nationalism by the plight of evicted people in the Land Wars...
, feminist and activist in Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
politics (1866).
John Henry Knight
John Henry Knight
John Henry Knight , from Farnham, was a wealthy engineer, landowner and inventor. With the help of the engineer George Parfitt, he built Britain’s first petrol-powered motor vehicle...
(1847–1917), who built the first British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
motor car and designed a number of innovative digging machines for use in hop fields, was born and brought up at Weybourne
Weybourne, Surrey
Weybourne is a small village in Surrey, England. It lies on the outskirts of Farnham, Surrey and borders onto Aldershot, Hampshire.-Past Residents:...
on the outskirts of the town.
Actor Jim Sturgess
Jim Sturgess
James Anthony "Jim" Sturgess is an English actor and singer-songwriter. His breakthrough role was appearing as Jude in the musical romance drama film Across the Universe .-Early life:...
was raised in Farnham (1981).
External links
- Farnham Town Council
- Live Weather in Farnham
- New StatesmanNew StatesmanNew Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
- Just an ordinary town where Monty collected his pension, 18 December 1998