Woking
Encyclopedia
Woking is a large town and civil parish
that shares its name with the surrounding local government district
, located in the west of Surrey
, UK. It is part of the Greater London Urban Area
and the London commuter belt
, with frequent trains and a journey time of 24 minutes to Waterloo station
. Woking is located 23 miles (37 km) south west of Charing Cross
in central London
. Woking town itself, excluding the surrounding district, has a population of 62,796. The whole local government district (the borough of Woking
) has a population of 92,400 (mid 2009 estimate).
In literature, Woking is where the Martians
first land in H. G. Wells
' science fiction
novel The War of the Worlds
. It also features in Douglas Adams's
The Meaning of Liff
, as the word for when you go to the kitchen but forget why.
, it is mentioned as the site of a monastery in an 8th century context, as Wochingas. In Domesday Book it appears as Wochinges, being held in 1086 by King William the Conqueror, Walter FitzOther, constable of Windsor Castle
, and Ansgot and Godfrey from Osbern FitzOsbern
, then bishop of Exeter
.
Modern Woking was formed in the area to the south of the Basingstoke Canal
(opened in 1794) around the railway station
, built in 1838 at the junction between lines to London, the south coast, and the south-west of England
, and the private railway to Brookwood Cemetery
, which was developed by the London Necropolis Company
as an overflow burial ground for London's dead. As a result, the original settlement 1 mile to the south-east, on the River Wey, became known as "Old Woking
". Later, Woking Crematorium
at St Johns became the first crematorium in the United Kingdom.
The first purpose-built mosque
in the UK, the Shah Jahan Mosque
on Oriental Road, was commissioned by Shahjehan
, Begum
of Bhopal (1868–1901), one of the four female Muslim rulers of Bhopal who reigned between 1819 and 1926. The mosque has given rise to the town's significant Asian community.
The setting for the novel The War of the Worlds
(1898), by H. G. Wells
, is Horsell Common
north of Woking. This is an early science fiction novel which describes an invasion of Earth by aliens from Mars. It is one of the earliest and best-known depictions of an alien invasion of Earth and has influenced many others, as well as spawning several films and radio dramas and a television series based on the story. The 1938 radio broadcast in the United States caused public outcry against the episode, as many listeners believed that an actual Martian invasion was in progress, a notable example of mass hysteria.
has historically been a Conservative
safe seat
, with the Liberal Democrats being the principal opposition in the last five general elections
. Its current Member of Parliament
is Jonathan Lord
.
Elections to the borough council
take place in three out of every four years, with one-third elected in each election. The latest election in 2011 gave the Conservatives an overall majority of seats for the first time in 20 years.
Cllr Ken Howard was elected the 38th Mayor of Woking in May 2011. He is the first non-religious mayor of Woking.
and Surrey Heath
there are two prisons: a Category C and a women's prison.
and an older shopping area, Wolsey Place. The Peacocks
Centre underwent development work in 2010 to add a new facade in the town square. There was an extension that consisted of adding glass with coloured lights that change in sequence.
The main area for evening entertainment is around Chertsey Road which contains restaurants serving a number of cuisine
s and there are also numerous bars and pubs. The Ambassadors cinemas and New Victoria Theatre
can be accessed via the top floor of The Peacocks.
Woking has an indoor swimming pool, "Pool in the Park", and a separate leisure centre which is opposite Pool in the Park. Outdoor facilities include a skatepark
, tennis court
s, five-a-side football
pitches, a cricket pitch
(during the summer), bowling green
s, a crazy golf course, and a children's adventure playground. These leisure facilities are all located within the attractively landscaped Woking Park
near to the town centre. Woking also has the largest public library in Surrey which is located in the town square.
The scene at St Peter's Church
, Old Woking
is an inspiration for many local artists, as is another local beauty spot at the lock at St John's Lye.
Woking is home to an arts and heritage centre called 'The Lightbox
'. The modern structure, located next to the Basingstoke Canal
, was designed by architects Marks Barfield, the architects of the London Eye
.
A Hawker Hunter
jet fighter mounted on a pole roughly ten metres tall is situated outside the 'Big Apple' family entertainment complex. This is the last Hunter built and was used to promote the previous 'Planets' family entertainment complex. Originally black, the plane is now finished in all-over silver.
provide district heating
and electricity
, and electricity is also provided by a combination of hydrogen fuel
cells and solar cell
s dispersed throughout the borough. These are linked via an innovative private electricity distribution system operating completely off the public power grid
.
In order to do this the local government laid new power lines to all locations on the Woking sustainable community energy system
(due to Department of Trade and Industry regulations). Should the public power grid fail, central Woking would continue to have an energy supply.
The cost for providing this is approximately UK£
0.01/kWh less than for public electricity. It has been reported that the borough
saves UK£974,000 a year in energy costs if the installation costs are ignored. By March 2004 the initiatives had also cut the borough's carbon emissions
by 17.24%, and those of the council by 77.4%.
Woking Station Canopy, which was approved by Woking Councillors in March 2004, was built in 2007. It is equipped with photovoltaic cells to collect sunlight and convert it into energy.
On 23 March 2007, Prince Charles opened a climate change exhibition in Woking. The exhibition, which was a joint venture by Business in the Community and BCSC and endorsed by the Climate Group, featured display stands with information on issues like recycling, energy use, transport, waste reduction and food sources. He also inspected work on the Albion Square canopy. After the launch, the Prince took lunch at Auberge. He then gave a speech to introduce Al Gore’s film An Inconvenient Truth, which was being viewed by local business leaders.
Woking railway station
is on the Alton Line
, Portsmouth Direct Line
, South Western Main Line
and West of England Main Line
. There are frequent trains to and from London Waterloo
(via Clapham Junction), a journey taking approximately 25-30 minutes. There is also a twice hourly Waterloo–Woking stopping service that calls at many stations between Waterloo and Woking.
Gatwick Airport can be accessed via Guildford railway station or Clapham Junction. London Heathrow Airport
has no direct train services from the south west of England, so a Railair
service operates between Woking and Heathrow.
A canopy costing £2.8 million has been built between the station and the main shopping area of the town. It stretches from the railway station entrance (town, platform 1, side) to Albion House. The project included landscaping and the provision of a new way to the town from the railway station.
Rail Accident Investigation Branch
has one of its two operational centres in Woking.
(junction 11), the M3 motorway (junction 3) and the A3.
The main access road is the A320 between Guildford
and Staines
, which passes through the town centre and connects to the M25 to the north, and to the A3 to the south at Guildford.
coach service connects Woking railway station and London Heathrow Airport
. The service runs approximately every 30 minutes between the station south side to Heathrow Central Bus Station (for Terminals 1, 2 and 3) and Terminal 5 bus station.
The bus services in Woking are mainly operated by Abellio
, Arriva and Countryliner
. The main bus terminal is just outside the station and provides services to Byfleet
and West Byfleet
, Camberley
, Guildford
, Kingston
, Ripley
and Staines
, as well as the towns and villages in between. Other primary town centre bus stops are located in Cawsey Way.
The Bustler community transport service, which operates from bases Westfield and St John's, uses a fleet of minibuses to serve people with a transportation disadvantage.
, completed in 1794, passes through the north of the town and is crossed by several footbridges and road bridges. The Lightbox
is sandwiched between the canal and Victoria Way, a dual carriageway. The canal underwent restoration in the 1960s and 1970s.
There has long been a large tightly-knit Italian
community in Woking, most of whom originated from the Sicilian
town of Mussomeli
. The majority of the original arrivals worked in the Britax factory in Byfleet
. Others worked on the mushroom farms in Chobham
or for the James Walker company. Many started their own landscaping or ice cream businesses. St Dunstan's Catholic Church in Woking holds masses
in Italian.
There is a large Pakistan
i population in Woking, centred around the suburbs of Maybury and Sheerwater, near the Shah Jahan Mosque
. This partly originates from workers at the then nearby Sorbo
Rubber
factory.
Woking has recently seen an influx of eastern European immigrants, mostly from Poland. Many Nepalis are also now settling in the suburbs of Woking as part of the Aldershot
overspill.
,
Horsell
, Hook Heath, Mount Hermon, Barnsbury, Maybury, Sheerwater, Goldsworth Park
, St Johns, Pyrford
, Kingfield, Westfield
, Ridgway, West Byfleet and Old Woking
.
The adjacent village of Knaphill
is often considered an outer suburb of Woking. Old Woking
is cited as a separate village. Mayford
and Sutton Green
are to the south on the border between Woking and Guildford
.
As part of Woking's proposed Priority Homes PFI submission, back gardens of a significant number of houses were at risk of development. From January to September 2007 this resulted in an extensive community engagement to see if and how these back gardens could be used for development. The scheme was eventually cancelled.
Starting in August 2009, Ypod Extra (formerly The Barnsbury Project) on Ash Road is open to all young people on Barnsbury estate every Monday between 6.30 and 9pm. It is run in conjunction with Woking Borough Council and is partly funded and supported by the local police.
.
The main objectives are to:
The Council will receive finance from: the Public Works Loan Board; a number of grants, including £3.7 million from the Environment Agency; proceeds from the sale of new homes and of other assets. The Council expects the scheme to be fully funded by 2014 with no ongoing costs incurred by the Council.
The Council hopes the scheme will be completed by 2012.
, known locally as 'the BAT Building',from the initials of its first tenant, British American Tobacco
. It is 74 metres tall (240 feet), and has Peregrin Falcons nesting on top.
Tallest Buildings:
1. Export House
2: New central
3: Centrium
The New Central project has two towers and many other buildings around it. The main tower over-took centruim making it the second tallest building in Woking.
Woking has many old churches including St Mary's Church which is in Horsell
Just outside of Woking town centre is the Shah Jahan Mosque
, the first purpose-built mosque
in Britain.
Woking has a non-League
football club, Woking F.C.
, that competes in the Conference South
(tier 6). The origin of the club's nickname
, the "Cardinals", is disputed. One possibility is that the name was acquired because Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, after whom the smaller of the two shopping centres is named, was staying with King Henry VIII
at Woking Palace
(the remains of which can be seen near the River Wey
at Old Woking
) when he heard he had been made a cardinal
by Pope Leo X
in 1515. Alternatively the Cards are so named because of the cardinal red
in one half of their home strip. The colour was chosen because of the town's link to Cardinal Wolsey. A third theory is that Woking F.C.
used to play next to a pub called The Cardinals when they played in York Road, Woking. The pub has since been renamed. The Borough also supports three clubs playing in The Combined Counties Football League
Division 1 (tier 10), these being Knaphill FC, Sheerwater FC & Westfield FC. There are many smaller clubs in the area.
Gymnastics
Woking Gymnastics
Club provides professional gymnastics coaching for all ages (babies to adults). The club has a purpose-built facility (refurbished in 2008) next door to the Football Club.
Rugby:
Woking has a rugby union
club that competes in Surrey League 4 (Level 11). Since the 2006/07 season they have run two teams. They train on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at Byfleet Recreation Ground. The club originated from British Aerospace RFC and were originally based at the Astra sports club.
Another club outside the borough of Woking, Chobham Rugby Club has 6 senior teams, the 1st XV, 2nd XV (Cannons), 3rd XV, 4th XV (Devils), 5th XV (Crusaders)& Veterans (Martyrs).
The 1st XV played in London Division 1 South (Level 6), however having not won a game in the league all season have found themselves relegated. The Cannons (2nd XV) play in the Canterbury Shield 4 having won Surrey Premier in 08/09. The 3rds, Devils and 5ths play in the John O'Neil and Partners Surrey Reverse leagues. The Devils won their league cup in the 2006/7 season.
Chobham won London 3SW in 2006/07.
In 2008/09 The Cannons won Surrey Premier League; the 3s won Surrey Combination League 1; the Devils came runners up in Surrey Combination League 2 and the Crusaders won Surrey Combination League 4. The 1st XV played in the National EDF Cup for the first time in their history.
The Senior Club won the Surrey Presidents Award 200808/09 for the most successful club in the county.
There is also a large junior and mini section with many County and Divisional players. One of the products of the youth system, Dan Frazier, has just signed with NEC Harlequins at 18 and is on loan at Esher in National Division 1.
Hockey:
Woking Hockey Club
women's first XI compete in the English Hockey
League Women's League 1 (tier 2); the men's first XI compete in a regional league. The club has two AstroTurf
pitches next to a clubhouse based in Goldsworth Park
.
Cricket:
Woking also has a number of cricket clubs including Old Woking
CC, Woking & Horsell CC, and Westfield CC.
It is also home to Pyrford Cricket Club. Founded in 1858, Pyrford is one of the oldest cricket clubs in Surrey. Well known former PCC players include former Zimbabwe captain Tatenda Taibu
, New Zealand wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins and Sky Sports presenter Charles "Got Him" Colvile
.
Motor racing:
The McLaren
Formula One
motor racing team is based near to the town, as is Räikkönen Robertson Racing, begun by former Ferrari driver Kimi Räikkönen
.
Korfball:
Woking Korfball Club has been active for 25 years, training and playing in the Woking area. It operates in the London league, challenging for titles every season and with 2 or 3 teams of players appearing regularly for the club. In the Season 2007/2008 Woking was second in the London & District Korball Association's Senior Premier League.
Thai Boxing:
Woking has two Muay Thai (or Thai Boxing) clubs one of which uses Woking Leisure Centre while the other (Shinkick) has its own premises in Old Woking
.
Cycling:
In 2009 Woking played host to a round of The Tour Series on 2 June, a new championship of televised town and city centre criterium-style races, established by the organisers of The Tour of Britain bike race. The race took place on a Tuesday evening on a circuit centred on Victoria Way. There are two charity bike rides each year- Woking Bikeathon and Pedal4Charity.
Basketball
The Woking Blackhawks basketball club was founded in 1999. They won their first title in 2004, the U-16 Surrey Central Venue League and Cup 2003/4. In 2008 they were voted Surrey Sports Club of the year. They currently have 10 squads with over 150 players, male and female, aging from under 10s up to adult level.
Scuba diving: Surrey Aquanauts is the local scuba diving club and is a branch of the British Sub-Aqua Club. Surrey Aquanauts has existed since 1967 and offers training for new divers and an active diving programme for already qualified divers.
Goldsworth Primary School, Hoe Bridge School, Kingfield, Knaphill Junior School, Knaphill Lower School, Horsell C of E Aided Junior School, Horsell Village School, The International School of London in Surrey (Private primary & middle school), St Hugh of Lincoln Catholic Primary School, St. Dunstan's Catholic Primary School, Barnsbury Primary School, Westfield Primary School, The Hermitage Junior School, The Oaktree School, Beaufort Primary School, St John's Primary School, Greenfield School and Bisley C of E Primary School. In 2004 Sythwood Primary School received the Surrey School of the Year Award for all-round achievements.
and Woking High School
.
is located in Old Woking
and provides post-16 education.
There are also private sector schools. There are several private preparatory schools in Woking: Hoe Bridge, St Andrew's, Greenfield, Oakfield School and Ripley Court are all mixed, while Halstead School is girls only.
The Surrey campus of The International School of London is located in Woking
Peer Productions
, a large theatre company, is based at the Woking Youth Arts Centre in Knaphill
. It provides dramatic education for students of all ages.
Woking is also home to the Tante Marie
cookery school, the UK's oldest established professional cookery school. According to the Woking News and Mail, it has now been bought by famous chef Gordon Ramsay
who intends to set up his own catering college.
PCT (Primary Care Trust), administered and run by the NHS
. Group of GPs together with Woking Community Hospital serve a minority of local residents' primary healthcare needs with its walk-in centre but mostly works in the areas of community rehabilitation and neuro-rehab in the Ted Bradley Unit.
Specialist hospitals nearby are St Peter's Hospital, Chertsey (for A&E
) and Royal Surrey County Hospital
in Guildford
.
For private healthcare
needs, Nuffield Hospital mainly serves Woking's local residents.
Woking used to have its own hospital with maternity and A&E amongst other departments. Woking Victoria Hospital was situated on the corner of Victoria Way and Chobham Road, right by the Basingstoke Canal, from 1950 until the mid-80's.
and much of the early story is set in the area.
Douglas Adams
describes Woking in The Deeper Meaning of Liff (ptcbl. vb.) as:
, an umbrella organization that includes:
During 2010 and 2011 the McLaren technology centre had work on it to add an extension.
in Germany
Amstelveen
in the Netherlands
Le Plessis-Robinson
in France
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
that shares its name with the surrounding local government district
Non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...
, located in the west of 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...
, UK. It is part of the Greater London Urban Area
Greater London Urban Area
The Greater London Urban Area is the conurbation or continuous urban area based around London, England, as defined by the Office for National Statistics. It had an estimated population of 8,505,000 in 2005 and occupied an area of at the time of the 2001 census. It includes most of Greater London,...
and the London commuter belt
London commuter belt
The London commuter belt is the metropolitan area surrounding London, England from which it is practical to commute to work in the capital. It is alternatively known as the Greater South East, the London metropolitan area or the Southeast metropolitan area...
, with frequent trains and a journey time of 24 minutes to Waterloo station
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....
. Woking is located 23 miles (37 km) south west of Charing Cross
Charing Cross
Charing Cross denotes the junction of Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, just south of Trafalgar Square in central London, England. It is named after the now demolished Eleanor cross that stood there, in what was once the hamlet of Charing. The site of the cross is now occupied by an equestrian...
in central London
Central London
Central London is the innermost part of London, England. There is no official or commonly accepted definition of its area, but its characteristics are understood to include a high density built environment, high land values, an elevated daytime population and a concentration of regionally,...
. Woking town itself, excluding the surrounding district, has a population of 62,796. The whole local government district (the borough of Woking
Woking (borough)
Woking is a local government district with borough status in the west of Surrey, England.It was formed in 1895 as an urban district under the Local Government Act 1894. The present-day borough was established in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, and is one of two districts in Surrey to...
) has a population of 92,400 (mid 2009 estimate).
In literature, Woking is where the Martians
Martian (War of the Worlds)
The Martians, also known as the Invaders, are the fictional race of extraterrestrials from the H.G. Wells novel The War of the Worlds. They are the antagonists of the novel, and their efforts to exterminate the populace of Earth and claim the planet for themselves drive the plot and present...
first land in H. G. Wells
H. G. Wells
Herbert George Wells was an English author, now best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many other genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary, even writing text books and rules for war games...
' science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novel The War of the Worlds
The War of the Worlds
The War of the Worlds is an 1898 science fiction novel written by H. G. Wells.The War of the Worlds may also refer to:- Radio broadcasts :* The War of the Worlds , the 1938 radio broadcast by Orson Welles...
. It also features in Douglas Adams's
Douglas Adams
Douglas Noel Adams was an English writer and dramatist. He is best known as the author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which started life in 1978 as a BBC radio comedy before developing into a "trilogy" of five books that sold over 15 million copies in his lifetime, a television...
The Meaning of Liff
The Meaning of Liff
The Meaning of Liff is a humorous dictionary of toponymy and etymology, written by Douglas Adams and John Lloyd, published in the United Kingdom in 1983, and the USA in 1984....
, as the word for when you go to the kitchen but forget why.
History
Though Woking's earliest written appearance is 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...
, it is mentioned as the site of a monastery in an 8th century context, as Wochingas. In Domesday Book it appears as Wochinges, being held in 1086 by King William the Conqueror, Walter FitzOther, constable of Windsor Castle
Constables and Governors of Windsor Castle
The Constables and Governors of Windsor Castle are in charge of Windsor Castle on behalf of the sovereign. The day-to-day operations are under the Superintendent, who is an officer of the Master of the Household's Department of the Royal Household....
, and Ansgot and Godfrey from Osbern FitzOsbern
Osbern FitzOsbern
- Life :FitzOsbern was a relative of King Edward the Confessor as well as being a royal chaplain. During Edward's reign he received the church at Bosham, near Chichester. He was one of those present at the consecration of Westminster Abbey at Christmas 1065. He was a steward for King William I of...
, then bishop of Exeter
Bishop of Exeter
The Bishop of Exeter is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury. The incumbent usually signs his name as Exon or incorporates this in his signature....
.
Modern Woking was formed in the area to the south of 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....
(opened in 1794) around the railway station
Woking railway station
Woking railway station is a railway station in England, serving the town of Woking, Surrey. It is a major stop on the South Western Main Line and is used by many commuters...
, built in 1838 at the junction between lines to London, the south coast, and the south-west of England
South West England
South West England is one of the regions of England defined by the Government of the United Kingdom for statistical and other purposes. It is the largest such region in area, covering and comprising Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. ...
, and the private railway to Brookwood Cemetery
Brookwood Cemetery
Brookwood Cemetery is a burial ground in Brookwood, Surrey, England. It is the largest cemetery in the United Kingdom and one of the largest in western Europe.-History:...
, which was developed by the London Necropolis Company
London Necropolis Company
The London Necropolis Company , formally the London Necropolis & National Mausoleum Company until 1927, was a cemetery operator established by Act of Parliament in 1852 in reaction to the crisis caused by the closure of London's graveyards in 1851. The LNC intended to establish a single cemetery...
as an overflow burial ground for London's dead. As a result, the original settlement 1 mile to the south-east, on the River Wey, became known as "Old Woking
Old Woking
Old Woking is a former village now considered part of the town of Woking, Surrey, and is located 2.5 miles to the southeast of Woking town centre. Woking Palace was important in the times of Henry VIII. The James Walker factory has been redeveloped into a dense residential housing estate....
". Later, Woking Crematorium
Woking Crematorium
Woking Crematorium is a crematorium in Woking, a large town in the west of Surrey, England. Established in 1878, it was the first custom-built crematorium in the United Kingdom and is closely linked to the history of cremation in this country.-Location:...
at St Johns became the first crematorium in the United Kingdom.
The first purpose-built mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
in the UK, the Shah Jahan Mosque
Shah Jahan Mosque
The Shah Jahan Mosque is the first purpose-built mosque in Britain built 1889 in Woking, 30 miles south-west of London in Oriental Road.-Construction:...
on Oriental Road, was commissioned by Shahjehan
Sultan Shah Jahan, Begum of Bhopal
Sultan Shahjahan Begum GCSI CI KIH was the Begum of Bhopal for two times: 1844–60, and secondly during 1868–1901....
, Begum
Begum of Bhopal
The Nawabs of Bhopal were the Muslim rulers of the princely state of Bhopal, now part of the modern state of Madhya Pradesh, in India. The last Nawab was Hamidullah Khan, who acceded his state to India in 1947....
of Bhopal (1868–1901), one of the four female Muslim rulers of Bhopal who reigned between 1819 and 1926. The mosque has given rise to the town's significant Asian community.
The setting for the novel The War of the Worlds
The War of the Worlds
The War of the Worlds is an 1898 science fiction novel written by H. G. Wells.The War of the Worlds may also refer to:- Radio broadcasts :* The War of the Worlds , the 1938 radio broadcast by Orson Welles...
(1898), by H. G. Wells
H. G. Wells
Herbert George Wells was an English author, now best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many other genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary, even writing text books and rules for war games...
, is Horsell Common
Horsell Common SSSI
Horsell Common is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in Surrey, England, UK. It is and lies near Horsell, an ancient village nearby to the more modern Woking. It includes a Muslim Burial Ground and a number of Bronze Age barrows and heathland. The common has thousands of trees. There are parts...
north of Woking. This is an early science fiction novel which describes an invasion of Earth by aliens from Mars. It is one of the earliest and best-known depictions of an alien invasion of Earth and has influenced many others, as well as spawning several films and radio dramas and a television series based on the story. The 1938 radio broadcast in the United States caused public outcry against the episode, as many listeners believed that an actual Martian invasion was in progress, a notable example of mass hysteria.
Politics
The constituency of WokingWoking (UK Parliament constituency)
Woking is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
has historically been a Conservative
Conservative 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...
safe seat
Safe seat
A safe seat is a seat in a legislative body which is regarded as fully secured, either by a certain political party, the incumbent representative personally or a combination of both...
, with the Liberal Democrats being the principal opposition in the last five general elections
Elections in the United Kingdom
There are five types of elections in the United Kingdom: United Kingdom general elections, elections to devolved parliaments and assemblies, elections to the European Parliament, local elections and mayoral elections. Elections are held on Election Day, which is conventionally a Thursday...
. Its current Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
is Jonathan Lord
Jonathan Lord
Jonathan George Caladine Lord is a British Conservative Party politician who was elected as the Member of Parliament for Woking at the 2010 general election...
.
Elections to the borough council
Woking local elections
One third of Woking Borough Council in Surrey, England is elected each year, followed by one year without election. Since the last boundary changes in 2000, 36 councillors have been elected from 17 wards.-Political control:...
take place in three out of every four years, with one-third elected in each election. The latest election in 2011 gave the Conservatives an overall majority of seats for the first time in 20 years.
Cllr Ken Howard was elected the 38th Mayor of Woking in May 2011. He is the first non-religious mayor of Woking.
Law
Woking has a Magistrates Court and a Police Station, which is housed in a former school. In the area there are smaller police stations. Nearby, in GuildfordGuildford (borough)
Guildford is a local government district with borough status in Surrey, England. It is named after Guildford where its council is based....
and Surrey Heath
Surrey Heath
Surrey Heath is a local government district with Borough status in Surrey, England. Its Council is based in Camberley. Much of the area is within the Metropolitan Green Belt....
there are two prisons: a Category C and a women's prison.
Facilities
Woking has a modern shopping centre called The PeacocksThe Peacocks
The Peacocks, a large multi-story shopping centre, was opened in 1992 in Woking, England and designed by many including an individual named Syed Ahmed. Within a 20 minute drive, the Peacock's catchment area is over 870,000 people, and rail transport is convenient as Woking railway station has...
and an older shopping area, Wolsey Place. The Peacocks
The Peacocks
The Peacocks, a large multi-story shopping centre, was opened in 1992 in Woking, England and designed by many including an individual named Syed Ahmed. Within a 20 minute drive, the Peacock's catchment area is over 870,000 people, and rail transport is convenient as Woking railway station has...
Centre underwent development work in 2010 to add a new facade in the town square. There was an extension that consisted of adding glass with coloured lights that change in sequence.
The main area for evening entertainment is around Chertsey Road which contains restaurants serving a number of cuisine
Cuisine
Cuisine is a characteristic style of cooking practices and traditions, often associated with a specific culture. Cuisines are often named after the geographic areas or regions that they originate from...
s and there are also numerous bars and pubs. The Ambassadors cinemas and New Victoria Theatre
New Victoria Theatre
The New Victoria Theatre in Woking, England opened in June 1992. The main theatre seats approximately 1,300 people, making it one of the largest receiving house theatres outside London. In addition to the main theatre the complex also contains the smaller Rhoda McGaw theatre and a six-screen cinema...
can be accessed via the top floor of The Peacocks.
Woking has an indoor swimming pool, "Pool in the Park", and a separate leisure centre which is opposite Pool in the Park. Outdoor facilities include a skatepark
Skatepark
A skatepark is a purpose-built recreational environment made for skateboarding, BMX, aggressive inline skating and scooters. A skatepark may contain half-pipes, quarter pipes, spine transfers, handrails, funboxes, vert ramps, pyramids, banked ramps, full pipes, pools, bowls, snake runs stairsets,...
, tennis court
Tennis court
A tennis court is where the game of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles.-Dimensions:...
s, five-a-side football
Five-a-side football
thumb|240px|alt=Men playing football on artificial grass pitch.|Five-a-side game on astroturf pitch.Five-a-side football is a variation of association football in which each team fields five players , rather than the usual eleven on each team. Other differences from football include a smaller...
pitches, a cricket pitch
Cricket pitch
In the game of cricket, the cricket pitch consists of the central strip of the cricket field between the wickets - 1 chain or 22 yards long and 10 feet wide. The surface is very flat and normally covered with extremely short grass though this grass is soon removed by wear at the ends of the...
(during the summer), bowling green
Bowling green
A bowling green is a finely-laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of lawn for playing the game of lawn bowls.Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep on them...
s, a crazy golf course, and a children's adventure playground. These leisure facilities are all located within the attractively landscaped Woking Park
Woking Park
Woking Park is a large park and leisure complex in Woking, Surrey, operated and maintained by Woking Borough Council. Which is part of the Hoe Valley.-History:...
near to the town centre. Woking also has the largest public library in Surrey which is located in the town square.
The scene at St Peter's Church
St Peter's Church, Old Woking
St Peter's Church is situated in Old Woking, Surrey, England. It is recorded in The Domesday Book.-History:The church is a Grade 1 Listed Building, within the Old Woking Conservation Area. St Peter's was originally the parish church of Woking prior to the development of a new urban area, now...
, Old Woking
Old Woking
Old Woking is a former village now considered part of the town of Woking, Surrey, and is located 2.5 miles to the southeast of Woking town centre. Woking Palace was important in the times of Henry VIII. The James Walker factory has been redeveloped into a dense residential housing estate....
is an inspiration for many local artists, as is another local beauty spot at the lock at St John's Lye.
Woking is home to an arts and heritage centre called 'The Lightbox
Lightbox, Woking
The Lightbox is a museum in Woking which mainly focuses on art, sculpture and inventions. It was opened on 15 September 2007.The museum has had many exhibitions including a Wallace and Gromit exhibition, a Leonardo Da Vinci exhibition and many Artist exhibitions...
'. The modern structure, located next to 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....
, was designed by architects Marks Barfield, the architects of the London Eye
London Eye
The London Eye is a tall giant Ferris wheel situated on the banks of the River Thames, in London, England.It is the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe, and the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom, visited by over 3.5 million people annually...
.
A Hawker Hunter
Hawker Hunter
The Hawker Hunter is a subsonic British jet aircraft developed in the 1950s. The single-seat Hunter entered service as a manoeuvrable fighter aircraft, and later operated in fighter-bomber and reconnaissance roles in numerous conflicts. Two-seat variants remained in use for training and secondary...
jet fighter mounted on a pole roughly ten metres tall is situated outside the 'Big Apple' family entertainment complex. This is the last Hunter built and was used to promote the previous 'Planets' family entertainment complex. Originally black, the plane is now finished in all-over silver.
Energy policy
Woking council is one of country's leaders in adopting greener energy technologies. Several combined heat and power stationsCogeneration
Cogeneration is the use of a heat engine or a power station to simultaneously generate both electricity and useful heat....
provide district heating
District heating
District heating is a system for distributing heat generated in a centralized location for residential and commercial heating requirements such as space heating and water heating...
and electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
, and electricity is also provided by a combination of hydrogen fuel
Hydrogen economy
The hydrogen economy is a proposed system of delivering energy using hydrogen. The term hydrogen economy was coined by John Bockris during a talk he gave in 1970 at General Motors Technical Center....
cells and solar cell
Solar cell
A solar cell is a solid state electrical device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect....
s dispersed throughout the borough. These are linked via an innovative private electricity distribution system operating completely off the public power grid
Electric power transmission
Electric-power transmission is the bulk transfer of electrical energy, from generating power plants to Electrical substations located near demand centers...
.
In order to do this the local government laid new power lines to all locations on the Woking sustainable community energy system
Sustainable community energy system
A sustainable community energy system is an integrated approach to supplying a local community with its energy requirements from renewable energy or high-efficiency co-generation energy sources...
(due to Department of Trade and Industry regulations). Should the public power grid fail, central Woking would continue to have an energy supply.
The cost for providing this is approximately UK£
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
0.01/kWh less than for public electricity. It has been reported that the borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
saves UK£974,000 a year in energy costs if the installation costs are ignored. By March 2004 the initiatives had also cut the borough's carbon emissions
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
by 17.24%, and those of the council by 77.4%.
Woking Station Canopy, which was approved by Woking Councillors in March 2004, was built in 2007. It is equipped with photovoltaic cells to collect sunlight and convert it into energy.
On 23 March 2007, Prince Charles opened a climate change exhibition in Woking. The exhibition, which was a joint venture by Business in the Community and BCSC and endorsed by the Climate Group, featured display stands with information on issues like recycling, energy use, transport, waste reduction and food sources. He also inspected work on the Albion Square canopy. After the launch, the Prince took lunch at Auberge. He then gave a speech to introduce Al Gore’s film An Inconvenient Truth, which was being viewed by local business leaders.
Rail
Woking railway station
Woking railway station is a railway station in England, serving the town of Woking, Surrey. It is a major stop on the South Western Main Line and is used by many commuters...
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...
, Portsmouth Direct Line
Portsmouth Direct Line
The Portsmouth Direct Line is the route of a railway service operated by South West Trains which runs between London Waterloo and Portsmouth Harbour, England...
, South Western Main Line
South Western Main Line
The South Western Main Line is a railway line between London Waterloo and Weymouth on the Dorset coast, in the south of England. It is a major railway which serves many important commuter areas, as well as the major settlements of Southampton and Bournemouth...
and West of England Main Line
West of England Main Line
The West of England Main Line is a British railway line that runs from , Hampshire to Exeter St Davids in Devon, England. Passenger services run between London Waterloo station and Exeter...
. There are frequent trains to and from London 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....
(via Clapham Junction), a journey taking approximately 25-30 minutes. There is also a twice hourly Waterloo–Woking stopping service that calls at many stations between Waterloo and Woking.
Gatwick Airport can be accessed via Guildford railway station or Clapham Junction. 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...
has no direct train services from the south west of England, so a Railair
RailAir
RailAir, Railair or Rail Air describes a number of airport bus and coach services designed to connect the National Rail network to airports in the United Kingdom. Services are currently concentrated on London Heathrow Airport, with one other from London Luton Airport...
service operates between Woking and Heathrow.
A canopy costing £2.8 million has been built between the station and the main shopping area of the town. It stretches from the railway station entrance (town, platform 1, side) to Albion House. The project included landscaping and the provision of a new way to the town from the railway station.
Rail Accident Investigation Branch
Rail Accident Investigation Branch
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch is a government agency that became operational on 17 October 2005. Its primary role is the investigation of rail accidents in the United Kingdom and the Channel Tunnel in order to find a cause, not to lay blame. The agency has operational centres in The...
has one of its two operational centres in Woking.
Roads
Woking is accessible from the M25 motorwayM25 motorway
The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
(junction 11), the M3 motorway (junction 3) and the A3.
The main access road is the A320 between 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...
and Staines
Staines
Staines is a Thames-side town in the Spelthorne borough of Surrey and Greater London Urban Area, as well as the London Commuter Belt of South East England. It is a suburban development within the western bounds of the M25 motorway and located 17 miles west south-west of Charing Cross in...
, which passes through the town centre and connects to the M25 to the north, and to the A3 to the south at Guildford.
Bus
A RailairRailAir
RailAir, Railair or Rail Air describes a number of airport bus and coach services designed to connect the National Rail network to airports in the United Kingdom. Services are currently concentrated on London Heathrow Airport, with one other from London Luton Airport...
coach service connects Woking railway station and 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...
. The service runs approximately every 30 minutes between the station south side to Heathrow Central Bus Station (for Terminals 1, 2 and 3) and Terminal 5 bus station.
The bus services in Woking are mainly operated by Abellio
Abellio (UK bus company)
Abellio London and Abellio Surrey operate buses in London and Surrey. They are part of the Abellio Group owned by the Nederlandse Spoorwegen.-History:...
, Arriva and Countryliner
Countryliner Coaches
Countryliner is a large independent bus and coach operator, based in Merrow, Surrey, England. It operates in Surrey, East Sussex and West Sussex, running a number of bus and private hire coach services...
. The main bus terminal is just outside the station and provides services to Byfleet
Byfleet
Byfleet is an inland island village forming a suburb of Woking in Surrey, England. It is in the east of the borough between the River Wey and the River Mole, and is within the M25 motorway....
and West Byfleet
West Byfleet
West Byfleet is a village in Surrey. Forming part of the Greater London Urban Area it lies in the stockbroker belt just outside the M25 motorway, 19 miles from Charing Cross, 8 miles from London Heathrow. The village grew up around the station on the London & South Western Railway. The...
, Camberley
Camberley
Camberley is a town in Surrey, England, situated 31 miles southwest of central London, in the corridor between the M3 and M4 motorways. The town lies close to the borders of both Hampshire and Berkshire; the boundaries intersect on the western edge of the town where all three counties...
, 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...
, Kingston
Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London. It was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned and is now a suburb situated south west of Charing Cross. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the...
, Ripley
Ripley, Surrey
Ripley is a village and parish in Surrey, which grew on the main A3 road from London to Portsmouth. The road was renumbered as B2215 when a bypass was built. The village is situated close to the M25 motorway and southeast of Woking, northeast of Guildford and some southwest of central London...
and Staines
Staines
Staines is a Thames-side town in the Spelthorne borough of Surrey and Greater London Urban Area, as well as the London Commuter Belt of South East England. It is a suburban development within the western bounds of the M25 motorway and located 17 miles west south-west of Charing Cross in...
, as well as the towns and villages in between. Other primary town centre bus stops are located in Cawsey Way.
The Bustler community transport service, which operates from bases Westfield and St John's, uses a fleet of minibuses to serve people with a transportation disadvantage.
Canal
The Basingstoke CanalBasingstoke 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....
, completed in 1794, passes through the north of the town and is crossed by several footbridges and road bridges. The Lightbox
Lightbox, Woking
The Lightbox is a museum in Woking which mainly focuses on art, sculpture and inventions. It was opened on 15 September 2007.The museum has had many exhibitions including a Wallace and Gromit exhibition, a Leonardo Da Vinci exhibition and many Artist exhibitions...
is sandwiched between the canal and Victoria Way, a dual carriageway. The canal underwent restoration in the 1960s and 1970s.
Demographics
Woking is a multicultural town.There has long been a large tightly-knit Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
community in Woking, most of whom originated from the Sicilian
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
town of Mussomeli
Mussomeli
Mussomeli is a town and comune in the province of Caltanissetta, Sicily, Italy.-History:Mussomeli was founded in the 14th century by Manfredo III Chiaramonte with the name Manfredi, but later the current name, probable of Arab origin, was reimposed. In 1549 it became a county under the Lanza family...
. The majority of the original arrivals worked in the Britax factory in Byfleet
Byfleet
Byfleet is an inland island village forming a suburb of Woking in Surrey, England. It is in the east of the borough between the River Wey and the River Mole, and is within the M25 motorway....
. Others worked on the mushroom farms in Chobham
Chobham
Chobham may mean:* Chobham, Surrey, a town in Surrey, England* Chobham Common, located near Chobham, Surrey, location of a British tank research centre* Chobham armour, composite armour for tanksSee also:* Cobham...
or for the James Walker company. Many started their own landscaping or ice cream businesses. St Dunstan's Catholic Church in Woking holds masses
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
in Italian.
There is a large Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i population in Woking, centred around the suburbs of Maybury and Sheerwater, near the Shah Jahan Mosque
Shah Jahan Mosque
The Shah Jahan Mosque is the first purpose-built mosque in Britain built 1889 in Woking, 30 miles south-west of London in Oriental Road.-Construction:...
. This partly originates from workers at the then nearby Sorbo
Sorbo
Sorbo may refer to:*Sorbo, a type of rubber used in various products, like the Mk 2 mine-People:*Gunnar Sørbø , current director of the Chr...
Rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
factory.
Woking has recently seen an influx of eastern European immigrants, mostly from Poland. Many Nepalis are also now settling in the suburbs of Woking as part of the 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...
overspill.
Suburbs
Woking has several suburban districts, including: BisleyBisley, Surrey
Bisley is a large village in Surrey, England, which is notable for rifle shooting. Bisley's immediate neighbours are West End, Chobham and Knaphill.- History :...
,
Horsell
Horsell
Horsell in Surrey is an ancient village nearby to the more modern 19th century Woking, probably best known because of its association with the story The War of the Worlds, written by H. G. Wells. It is the home of the book's narrator , and the landing site of the first Martian transport vessel...
, Hook Heath, Mount Hermon, Barnsbury, Maybury, Sheerwater, Goldsworth Park
Goldsworth Park
Goldsworth Park is a large housing estate to the north-west of Woking in Surrey, England. It was named after the nearby Goldsworth area which was a large 'tithing' of Woking Parish. The tithing included most of the north west of Woking, such as Brookwood, Knaphill and St. John's. It is bordered by...
, St Johns, Pyrford
Pyrford
Pyrford is an English village that for centuries had historical links with the monastery of Westminster, in whose possession it remained between the Norman Conquest and the Dissolution of the Monasteries nearly five hundred years later. It is thirty miles by road from central London and situated...
, Kingfield, Westfield
Westfield
-Places:Australia:*Westfield, Western AustraliaCanada:*Grand Bay-Westfield, New Brunswick*Westfield, Nova ScotiaEngland*Westfield, East Sussex*Westfield, North Yorkshire*Westfield, Somerset*Westfield, Woking, SurreyNew Zealand:*Westfield, New Zealand...
, Ridgway, West Byfleet and Old Woking
Old Woking
Old Woking is a former village now considered part of the town of Woking, Surrey, and is located 2.5 miles to the southeast of Woking town centre. Woking Palace was important in the times of Henry VIII. The James Walker factory has been redeveloped into a dense residential housing estate....
.
The adjacent village of Knaphill
Knaphill
Knaphill is an urban village in Surrey, UK. To the east is Woking, to the west, eventually, is Aldershot, while to the south and north on the A322 – which forms its effective western border – are Brookwood, and Bisley, respectively. Some of the village is set on a hill, hence the...
is often considered an outer suburb of Woking. Old Woking
Old Woking
Old Woking is a former village now considered part of the town of Woking, Surrey, and is located 2.5 miles to the southeast of Woking town centre. Woking Palace was important in the times of Henry VIII. The James Walker factory has been redeveloped into a dense residential housing estate....
is cited as a separate village. Mayford
Mayford
Mayford is a village in Woking borough of the county of Surrey, England. It is roughly 2½ miles south of Woking on Egley Road, part of the A320 between Woking and Guildford, Surrey. The village is mainly centred around the roundabout in the middle of the village...
and Sutton Green
Sutton Green, Surrey
Sutton Green is a small rural village located between Guildford and Woking, Surrey. It is right on the border of Woking and Guildford although it's classed as being in Woking Borough with Sutton Green bordering Jacobs Well, Surrey...
are to the south on the border between Woking 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...
.
Barnsbury
The Barnsbury Estate is a housing estate of approximately 400 households. Begun in 1936, it is a self-contained estate of bungalows, housing and flats mostly built in the 1950s. Barnsbury is bordered by the Hoe Valley and is located to the south of Woking on the A320.As part of Woking's proposed Priority Homes PFI submission, back gardens of a significant number of houses were at risk of development. From January to September 2007 this resulted in an extensive community engagement to see if and how these back gardens could be used for development. The scheme was eventually cancelled.
Starting in August 2009, Ypod Extra (formerly The Barnsbury Project) on Ash Road is open to all young people on Barnsbury estate every Monday between 6.30 and 9pm. It is run in conjunction with Woking Borough Council and is partly funded and supported by the local police.
Woking 2027
This is a Council sponsored project to improve Woking by 2027. There are 6 main objectives.- A strong community spirit with a clear sense of belonging and responsibility.
- A clean, healthy and safe environment.
- A transport system that is linked and accessible, recognising Woking's potential as a transport hub.
- Access to decent affordable housing for local people and key workers.
- A community which values personal health and well-being.
- Provide opportunities and encourage people to participate in learning throughout their lives so they progress and reach their full potential.
Hoe Valley Scheme
This is a £40 million to take hundreds of Woking homes away from the flood plain of the Hoe Stream. It will also provide new community facilities and roads. Woking Borough Council have been planning this scheme, which was approved in September 2010, for over 20 years. It is being run in conjunction with the Environment AgencyEnvironment Agency
The Environment Agency is a British non-departmental public body of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and an Assembly Government Sponsored Body of the Welsh Assembly Government that serves England and Wales.-Purpose:...
.
The main objectives are to:
- Remove nearly 200 residential properties from the flood plain and protect the gardens of over a further 60 properties.
- Provide new facilities outside the flood plain for nine community groups.
- Protect Westfield School from flooding.
- Clear up approximately 12 acres (5 hectares) of contaminated land.
- Extend and enhance Woking ParkWoking ParkWoking Park is a large park and leisure complex in Woking, Surrey, operated and maintained by Woking Borough Council. Which is part of the Hoe Valley.-History:...
with footways and cycle paths joining Barnsbury and Westfield with the town centre. - Improve the highway infrastructure at Westfield Avenue/Kingfield Road.
- Rebuild Elm Bridge and three other bridges across the Hoe Stream.
- Provide two new training pitches in Woking Park.
- Provide around 150 new homes for sale, all free from flooding.
The Council will receive finance from: the Public Works Loan Board; a number of grants, including £3.7 million from the Environment Agency; proceeds from the sale of new homes and of other assets. The Council expects the scheme to be fully funded by 2014 with no ongoing costs incurred by the Council.
The Council hopes the scheme will be completed by 2012.
Buildings and structures
The tallest building in Woking is Export HouseExport House
Export House, known locally as the BAT Building due to its former tenant British American Tobacco, is the tallest building in Woking and one of the tallest buildings in Surrey. It is tall and has 18 stories. It appears as a 3D building on Google Earth...
, known locally as 'the BAT Building',from the initials of its first tenant, British American Tobacco
British American Tobacco
British American Tobacco p.l.c. is a global tobacco company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s second largest quoted tobacco company by global market share , with a leading position in more than 50 countries and a presence in more than 180 countries...
. It is 74 metres tall (240 feet), and has Peregrin Falcons nesting on top.
Tallest Buildings:
1. Export House
2: New central
3: Centrium
The New Central project has two towers and many other buildings around it. The main tower over-took centruim making it the second tallest building in Woking.
Woking has many old churches including St Mary's Church which is in Horsell
Horsell
Horsell in Surrey is an ancient village nearby to the more modern 19th century Woking, probably best known because of its association with the story The War of the Worlds, written by H. G. Wells. It is the home of the book's narrator , and the landing site of the first Martian transport vessel...
Just outside of Woking town centre is the Shah Jahan Mosque
Shah Jahan Mosque
The Shah Jahan Mosque is the first purpose-built mosque in Britain built 1889 in Woking, 30 miles south-west of London in Oriental Road.-Construction:...
, the first purpose-built mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
in Britain.
Sport
Football:Woking has a non-League
Non-league football
Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...
football club, Woking F.C.
Woking F.C.
Woking Football Club is a football club from in Woking, Surrey, England, formed in 1889. They are playing in the Conference South in the 2011–12 season. For the 2011/2012 season, Woking are sharing their ground with Conference National club Hayes & Yeading United.-Promotion to the...
, that competes in the Conference South
Conference South
Conference South is one of the second divisions of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National...
(tier 6). The origin of the club's nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
, the "Cardinals", is disputed. One possibility is that the name was acquired because Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, after whom the smaller of the two shopping centres is named, was staying with King 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...
at Woking Palace
Woking Palace
Woking Palace is a former manor house of the Royal Manor of Woking on the outskirts of Woking, near the village of Old Woking, Surrey. The manor was in the gift of the Crown, and was held by numerous nominees of the Crown until 1466 when Lady Margaret Beaufort and her third husband, Sir Henry...
(the remains of which can be seen near 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...
at Old Woking
Old Woking
Old Woking is a former village now considered part of the town of Woking, Surrey, and is located 2.5 miles to the southeast of Woking town centre. Woking Palace was important in the times of Henry VIII. The James Walker factory has been redeveloped into a dense residential housing estate....
) when he heard he had been made a cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
by Pope Leo X
Pope Leo X
Pope Leo X , born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, was the Pope from 1513 to his death in 1521. He was the last non-priest to be elected Pope. He is known for granting indulgences for those who donated to reconstruct St. Peter's Basilica and his challenging of Martin Luther's 95 Theses...
in 1515. Alternatively the Cards are so named because of the cardinal red
Cardinal (color)
Cardinal is a vivid red, which gets its name from the cassocks worn by Catholic cardinals...
in one half of their home strip. The colour was chosen because of the town's link to Cardinal Wolsey. A third theory is that Woking F.C.
Woking F.C.
Woking Football Club is a football club from in Woking, Surrey, England, formed in 1889. They are playing in the Conference South in the 2011–12 season. For the 2011/2012 season, Woking are sharing their ground with Conference National club Hayes & Yeading United.-Promotion to the...
used to play next to a pub called The Cardinals when they played in York Road, Woking. The pub has since been renamed. The Borough also supports three clubs playing in The Combined Counties Football League
Combined Counties Football League
The Combined Counties Football League is a regional English football league currently comprising teams from southwestern Greater London, Surrey, small parts of Hampshire and Berkshire, and Guernsey...
Division 1 (tier 10), these being Knaphill FC, Sheerwater FC & Westfield FC. There are many smaller clubs in the area.
Gymnastics
Woking Gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
Club provides professional gymnastics coaching for all ages (babies to adults). The club has a purpose-built facility (refurbished in 2008) next door to the Football Club.
Rugby:
Woking has a rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
club that competes in Surrey League 4 (Level 11). Since the 2006/07 season they have run two teams. They train on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at Byfleet Recreation Ground. The club originated from British Aerospace RFC and were originally based at the Astra sports club.
Another club outside the borough of Woking, Chobham Rugby Club has 6 senior teams, the 1st XV, 2nd XV (Cannons), 3rd XV, 4th XV (Devils), 5th XV (Crusaders)& Veterans (Martyrs).
The 1st XV played in London Division 1 South (Level 6), however having not won a game in the league all season have found themselves relegated. The Cannons (2nd XV) play in the Canterbury Shield 4 having won Surrey Premier in 08/09. The 3rds, Devils and 5ths play in the John O'Neil and Partners Surrey Reverse leagues. The Devils won their league cup in the 2006/7 season.
Chobham won London 3SW in 2006/07.
In 2008/09 The Cannons won Surrey Premier League; the 3s won Surrey Combination League 1; the Devils came runners up in Surrey Combination League 2 and the Crusaders won Surrey Combination League 4. The 1st XV played in the National EDF Cup for the first time in their history.
The Senior Club won the Surrey Presidents Award 200808/09 for the most successful club in the county.
There is also a large junior and mini section with many County and Divisional players. One of the products of the youth system, Dan Frazier, has just signed with NEC Harlequins at 18 and is on loan at Esher in National Division 1.
Hockey:
Woking Hockey Club
Woking Hockey Club
With nine mens teams, six ladies teams, a mixed side, a range of youth teams and various tours sides Woking offers hockey players of any ability the chance for a game.The Men's 1st XI's recent promotion means that they now play in South Premier Div 2...
women's first XI compete in the English Hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
League Women's League 1 (tier 2); the men's first XI compete in a regional league. The club has two AstroTurf
AstroTurf
AstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Although the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf. The original AstroTurf product was a short pile synthetic turf while the current products incorporate modern features such as...
pitches next to a clubhouse based in Goldsworth Park
Goldsworth Park
Goldsworth Park is a large housing estate to the north-west of Woking in Surrey, England. It was named after the nearby Goldsworth area which was a large 'tithing' of Woking Parish. The tithing included most of the north west of Woking, such as Brookwood, Knaphill and St. John's. It is bordered by...
.
Cricket:
Woking also has a number of cricket clubs including Old Woking
Old Woking
Old Woking is a former village now considered part of the town of Woking, Surrey, and is located 2.5 miles to the southeast of Woking town centre. Woking Palace was important in the times of Henry VIII. The James Walker factory has been redeveloped into a dense residential housing estate....
CC, Woking & Horsell CC, and Westfield CC.
It is also home to Pyrford Cricket Club. Founded in 1858, Pyrford is one of the oldest cricket clubs in Surrey. Well known former PCC players include former Zimbabwe captain Tatenda Taibu
Tatenda Taibu
Tatenda Taibu is a Zimbabwean cricketer. He is a wicketkeeper and batsman, and can also bowl right arm off spin. On 6 May 2004, he became the youngest Test captain in history, when he captained his team against Sri Lanka....
, New Zealand wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins and Sky Sports presenter Charles "Got Him" Colvile
Charles Colville (commentator)
Colvile is a cricket commentator, interviewer and journalist for Sky Sports, especially for English domestic matches.-Education:Colvile was educated at Westminster School, an independent school for boys in London.-Life and career:...
.
Motor racing:
The McLaren
McLaren
McLaren Racing Limited, trading as Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, is a British Formula One team based in Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom. McLaren is best known as a Formula One constructor but has also competed and won in the Indianapolis 500 and Canadian-American Challenge Cup...
Formula One
Formula One
Formula 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...
motor racing team is based near to the town, as is Räikkönen Robertson Racing, begun by former Ferrari driver Kimi Räikkönen
Kimi Räikkönen
Kimi Matias Räikkönen , nicknamed Iceman, is a Finnish racing driver, who will drive in Formula One for Lotus in . After nine seasons racing in Formula One, in which he took the Formula One World Drivers' Championship, he competed in the World Rally Championship from 2009-2011.Räikkönen entered...
.
Korfball:
Woking Korfball Club has been active for 25 years, training and playing in the Woking area. It operates in the London league, challenging for titles every season and with 2 or 3 teams of players appearing regularly for the club. In the Season 2007/2008 Woking was second in the London & District Korball Association's Senior Premier League.
Thai Boxing:
Woking has two Muay Thai (or Thai Boxing) clubs one of which uses Woking Leisure Centre while the other (Shinkick) has its own premises in Old Woking
Old Woking
Old Woking is a former village now considered part of the town of Woking, Surrey, and is located 2.5 miles to the southeast of Woking town centre. Woking Palace was important in the times of Henry VIII. The James Walker factory has been redeveloped into a dense residential housing estate....
.
Cycling:
In 2009 Woking played host to a round of The Tour Series on 2 June, a new championship of televised town and city centre criterium-style races, established by the organisers of The Tour of Britain bike race. The race took place on a Tuesday evening on a circuit centred on Victoria Way. There are two charity bike rides each year- Woking Bikeathon and Pedal4Charity.
Basketball
The Woking Blackhawks basketball club was founded in 1999. They won their first title in 2004, the U-16 Surrey Central Venue League and Cup 2003/4. In 2008 they were voted Surrey Sports Club of the year. They currently have 10 squads with over 150 players, male and female, aging from under 10s up to adult level.
Scuba diving: Surrey Aquanauts is the local scuba diving club and is a branch of the British Sub-Aqua Club. Surrey Aquanauts has existed since 1967 and offers training for new divers and an active diving programme for already qualified divers.
Primary schools
Infant and junior schools in the area include:Goldsworth Primary School, Hoe Bridge School, Kingfield, Knaphill Junior School, Knaphill Lower School, Horsell C of E Aided Junior School, Horsell Village School, The International School of London in Surrey (Private primary & middle school), St Hugh of Lincoln Catholic Primary School, St. Dunstan's Catholic Primary School, Barnsbury Primary School, Westfield Primary School, The Hermitage Junior School, The Oaktree School, Beaufort Primary School, St John's Primary School, Greenfield School and Bisley C of E Primary School. In 2004 Sythwood Primary School received the Surrey School of the Year Award for all-round achievements.
Secondary schools
Secondary schools in the area include: Bishop David Brown School, St John the Baptist School, St Andrew's School, The Winston Churchill SchoolThe Winston Churchill School (Woking)
The Winston Churchill School is a comprehensive, secondary school in Woking, England. The school was established in 1967. It is near Knaphill, Bisley, West End, Brookwood and Pirbright. The school holds Specialist Sports College status....
and Woking High School
Woking High School
Woking High School is a mixed comprehensive school for pupils aged 11–16 in the Horsell area of Woking, Surrey, England, UK. It specialises in Technology and has been awarded 'Technology Specialist School' status in 2004. It has approximately 1200 students on roll...
.
Other schools
Woking CollegeWoking College
Woking College is a Sixth Form College situated in the town of Woking, Surrey, UK. Woking College provides full time education for approximately 800 students from 16 to 19 years old...
is located in Old Woking
Old Woking
Old Woking is a former village now considered part of the town of Woking, Surrey, and is located 2.5 miles to the southeast of Woking town centre. Woking Palace was important in the times of Henry VIII. The James Walker factory has been redeveloped into a dense residential housing estate....
and provides post-16 education.
There are also private sector schools. There are several private preparatory schools in Woking: Hoe Bridge, St Andrew's, Greenfield, Oakfield School and Ripley Court are all mixed, while Halstead School is girls only.
The Surrey campus of The International School of London is located in Woking
Peer Productions
Peer Productions
Peer Productions is a youth arts training company, which specialises in peer education through theatre, based at Woking Youth Arts Centre in Woking, Surrey, England....
, a large theatre company, is based at the Woking Youth Arts Centre in Knaphill
Knaphill
Knaphill is an urban village in Surrey, UK. To the east is Woking, to the west, eventually, is Aldershot, while to the south and north on the A322 – which forms its effective western border – are Brookwood, and Bisley, respectively. Some of the village is set on a hill, hence the...
. It provides dramatic education for students of all ages.
Woking is also home to the Tante Marie
Tante Marie
Tante Marie School of Cookery is a cookery school in Woking, Surrey, England. It is the United Kingdom's oldest independent cookery school, established in 1954 by the cookery writer Iris Syrett. It was the first school in the UK to offer a Cordon Bleu Diploma, which continues to be the backbone of...
cookery school, the UK's oldest established professional cookery school. According to the Woking News and Mail, it has now been bought by famous chef Gordon Ramsay
Gordon Ramsay
Gordon James Ramsay, OBE is a Scottish chef, television personality and restaurateur. He has been awarded 13 Michelin stars....
who intends to set up his own catering college.
Healthcare
Woking comes under SurreySurrey
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...
PCT (Primary Care Trust), administered and run by the NHS
National Health Service (England)
The National Health Service or NHS is the publicly funded healthcare system in England. It is both the largest and oldest single-payer healthcare system in the world. It is able to function in the way that it does because it is primarily funded through the general taxation system, similar to how...
. Group of GPs together with Woking Community Hospital serve a minority of local residents' primary healthcare needs with its walk-in centre but mostly works in the areas of community rehabilitation and neuro-rehab in the Ted Bradley Unit.
Specialist hospitals nearby are St Peter's Hospital, Chertsey (for A&E
Emergency department
An emergency department , also known as accident & emergency , emergency room , emergency ward , or casualty department is a medical treatment facility specialising in acute care of patients who present without prior appointment, either by their own means or by ambulance...
) and Royal Surrey County Hospital
Royal Surrey County Hospital
The Royal Surrey County Hospital is a 527-bedded District General Hospital, located on the fringe of Guildford, serving a population of 320,000 for general services and 1,200,000 for cancer services...
in 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...
.
For private healthcare
Private hospital
A private hospital is a hospital owned by a profit company or a non-profit organisation and privately funded through payment for medical services by patients themselves, by insurers, or by foreign embassies. This practice is very common in the United States and Australia...
needs, Nuffield Hospital mainly serves Woking's local residents.
Woking used to have its own hospital with maternity and A&E amongst other departments. Woking Victoria Hospital was situated on the corner of Victoria Way and Chobham Road, right by the Basingstoke Canal, from 1950 until the mid-80's.
Notable people
- H.G. Wells, author who used the town as a setting for his novel The War of the Worlds and was staying in the town when he wrote it. A large sculpture of a (Wellsian) Martian Fighting MachineTripod (The War of the Worlds)Tripods or fighting-machines are a type of fictional three-legged walker from the H. G. Wells' classic science fiction novel The War of the Worlds, used by Martians to invade Earth.-Novel:...
was installed in the town centre to commemorate Woking's links with the story. - Dame Ethel SmythEthel SmythDame Ethel Mary Smyth, DBE was an English composer and a leader of the women's suffrage movement.- Early career :...
(1858–1944), composer and the first woman suffragetteSuffragette"Suffragette" is a term coined by the Daily Mail newspaper as a derogatory label for members of the late 19th and early 20th century movement for women's suffrage in the United Kingdom, in particular members of the Women's Social and Political Union... - Kazuo IshiguroKazuo IshiguroKazuo Ishiguro OBE or ; born 8 November 1954) is a Japanese–English novelist. He was born in Nagasaki, Japan, and his family moved to England in 1960. Ishiguro obtained his Bachelor's degree from University of Kent in 1978 and his Master's from the University of East Anglia's creative writing...
, novelist - Paul Weller, singer-songwriter , The Style CouncilThe Style CouncilThe Style Council were an English band, formed in 1983 by the ex-The Jam singer and guitarist Paul Weller, with keyboardist Mick Talbot. The permanent line-up grew to include drummer Steve White and Weller's then-wife, vocalist Dee C. Lee. Other artists such as Tracie Young and Tracey Thorn also...
, The JamThe JamThe Jam were an English punk rock/New Wave/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were formed in Woking, Surrey. While they shared the "angry young men" outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam wore smartly tailored suits rather than ripped... - Rick BucklerRick BucklerRick Buckler , is the former drummer of The Jam, an English rock band that enjoyed considerable success in the United Kingdom from 1977 until disbanding in 1982...
, drummer with The JamThe JamThe Jam were an English punk rock/New Wave/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were formed in Woking, Surrey. While they shared the "angry young men" outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam wore smartly tailored suits rather than ripped...
, (1955) - Bruce FoxtonBruce FoxtonBruce Foxton is an English rock and roll musician who is best known as the bass player in punk rock bands The Jam and Stiff Little Fingers.-Biography:...
, bass player with The JamThe JamThe Jam were an English punk rock/New Wave/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were formed in Woking, Surrey. While they shared the "angry young men" outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam wore smartly tailored suits rather than ripped...
, (1955) - The Spice Girls, pop group, started their careers at a KnaphillKnaphillKnaphill is an urban village in Surrey, UK. To the east is Woking, to the west, eventually, is Aldershot, while to the south and north on the A322 – which forms its effective western border – are Brookwood, and Bisley, respectively. Some of the village is set on a hill, hence the...
studio - Peter Cox (musician)Peter Cox (musician)Peter John Cox is an English singer-songwriter, currently the lead singer in Manfred Mann's Earth Band, but is best known as one half of the 1980s blue-eyed soul duo Go West.-Early career and Go West:...
, solo artist and lead singer of the 1980s pop group Go West (band)Go West (band)Go West is an English pop duo, formed in 1982 by lead vocalist and drummer Peter Cox ; and guitarist and vocalist Richard Drummie...
- Nick WaplingtonNick WaplingtonThe artist and photographer Nick Waplington was born 1970 in Aden and lives in New York City. The eldest of three children, he traveled extensively during his childhood as his father worked as a scientist in the nuclear industry. He studied art at Worthing Art College, Trent Poly and The Royal...
, artist and photographer - Robert GreenRobert GreenRobert Paul Green is an English footballer who plays for West Ham United and the England national football team as a goalkeeper.-Norwich City:...
, West Ham United Goalkeeper - Ian OgilvyIan OgilvyIan Raymond Ogilvy is an English film and television actor.-Early life:He was born in Woking, Surrey, England, the son of advertising executive Francis Ogilvy and actress Aileen Raymond .He was educated at Sunningdale School, Eton College and at the Royal Academy of...
, actor, 1943 - Richard Benson, Italian guitarist, 1945
- Ron DennisRon DennisRonald "Ron" Dennis CBE is the executive chairman of McLaren Automotive and McLaren Group, and is also a significant shareholder in both companies...
, CEO/Chairman of the McLaren GroupMcLaren GroupThe McLaren Group, based at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, England, is a group of companies created by Ron Dennis, described by the International Herald Tribune as "a small conglomerate"...
, 1947 - Liz LynneLiz LynneElizabeth Lynne, known as Liz Lynne, is a British politician, and has been a Member of the European Parliament for the West Midlands for the Liberal Democrats since her election at the 1999 European election...
, Liberal Democrat politicianPoliticianA politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, 1948 - Rick ParfittRick ParfittRichard John Parfitt, OBE is best known for being a singer and the rhythm guitarist in the English rock band Status Quo.-Career:...
, guitarist for Status Quo went to school in Sheerwater and has family in the area, 1948 - Brian Hooper, Olympic pole vaulter
- Douglas Pearce, founding NeofolkNeofolkNeofolk is a form of folk music-inspired experimental music that emerged from post-industrial music circles. Neofolk can either be solely acoustic folk music or a blend of acoustic folk instrumentation aided by varieties of accompanying sounds such as pianos, strings and elements of industrial...
musicianMusicianA musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
behind Death In JuneDeath in JuneDeath in June are a neofolk group led by English folk musician Douglas Pearce, better known as Douglas P. The band was originally formed in Britain in 1981 as a trio, but after the other members left in 1984 and 1985 to work on other projects, the group became the work of Douglas P. and various...
and Crisis (band), 1956 - Carl R May, sociologist, 1960
- Susie DentSusie DentSusie Dent is an English lexicographer, well known as the resident dictionary expert and adjudicator on Channel 4’s long-running game show Countdown. As of January 2009, she is the longest-serving member of the current on-screen team, having first appeared on the show in 1992.Dent was educated at...
, a lexicographer and the dictionary expert on CountdownCountdown (game show)Countdown is a British game show involving word and number puzzles. It is produced by ITV Studios and broadcast on Channel 4. It is presented by Jeff Stelling, assisted by Rachel Riley, with regular lexicographer Susie Dent. It was the first programme to be aired on Channel 4, and over sixty-five...
, 1964 - Delia SmithDelia SmithDelia Smith CBE is an English cook and television presenter, known for teaching basic cookery skills. She is the UK's best-selling cookery author, with more than 21 million copies sold....
, best selling cook, was born in Woking in 1941 - Ben Charles EdwardsBen Charles EdwardsBen Charles Edwards is a British film director, screenwriter and photographer. Most recently Edwards directed and co-wrote ‘Animal Charm’, a garish and macabre tale about fame, fashion and revenge starring Sadie Frost, Boy George, Sally Philips , Michael Urie and Emily Beecham .Previous work...
photographer/filmmaker - Andy HeathAndy HeathAndy Heath, born 1947, is a prominent name in the world of music publishing.Having worked in the industry since 1964, Andy has formed two publishing companies of his own, Andrew Heath Music and Heathwave...
, Times journalist, (1981) - Harry HillHarry HillHarry Hill , is a Perrier Award–winning English comedian, author and television presenter. A former medical doctor , Hill began his career in comedy with the popular radio show Harry Hill's Fruit Corner.-Personal life:Hill was born in Woking,...
, comedian, was born in Woking (1964). - Sean LockSean LockSean Lock is an English comedian and actor. He began his comedy career as a stand-up comedian. He won the British Comedy Award in 2000 in the category of Best Live Comic, and was nominated for the Perrier Comedy Award. He is also well known for his appearances on television and radio...
was born in the area. (1963) - Matt WillisMatt WillisMatthew James Willis is an English singer-songwriter. He found fame as a founding member of the band Busted.- Early years :...
; band member of Busted and winner of I'm A Celebrity… lived in Woking and attended Woking High SchoolWoking High SchoolWoking High School is a mixed comprehensive school for pupils aged 11–16 in the Horsell area of Woking, Surrey, England, UK. It specialises in Technology and has been awarded 'Technology Specialist School' status in 2004. It has approximately 1200 students on roll...
. - Peter DavisonPeter DavisonPeter Davison is a British actor, best known for his roles as Tristan Farnon in the television version of James Herriot's All Creatures Great and Small and the fifth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who, which he played from 1982 to 1984.-Early life:Davison was born Peter Moffett in Streatham,...
, actor, best known for his role in (Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
) attended The Winston Churchill School (Woking)The Winston Churchill School (Woking)The Winston Churchill School is a comprehensive, secondary school in Woking, England. The school was established in 1967. It is near Knaphill, Bisley, West End, Brookwood and Pirbright. The school holds Specialist Sports College status....
. - Albert JackAlbert JackAlbert Jack is the pen name of English writer Graham Willmott, born in Guildford, Surrey on 24 April 1964 and noted for his books Red Herrings and White Elephants , Shaggy Dogs and Black Sheep , Pop Goes the Weasel and It's a Wonderful Word .Jack's first book, Red Herrings and White Elephants...
, bestselling author, attended The Winston Churchill School (Woking)The Winston Churchill School (Woking)The Winston Churchill School is a comprehensive, secondary school in Woking, England. The school was established in 1967. It is near Knaphill, Bisley, West End, Brookwood and Pirbright. The school holds Specialist Sports College status....
. - Ken WoodKen Wood (manufacturer)Kenneth Wood was an entrepreneur and business man who is most famous for the development of the eponymous Kenwood Chef food mixer.- Life and career :Wood was born on 4 October 1916 in Lewisham London, England UK....
, founded the Kenwood company in Woking. - Adelina de LaraAdelina de LaraAdelina de Lara OBE was a British classical pianist and composer.-Early life:She was born Lottie Adelina Preston in Carlisle, Cumberland on 23 January 1872 to parents George Matthew Tilbury of Southampton and Anna de Lara. Her grandfather was the Spanish Count Laurent de Lara...
, concert pianist, lived and worked in Woking. - Derek GriffithsDerek GriffithsDerek Griffiths is a British actor who appeared in numerous British children's television series in the 1960s to 1980s and more recently has played parts in TV drama.- Career :...
, children's entertainer, born in Woking. - David SproxtonDavid SproxtonDavid Sproxton CBE is one of the co-founders of the Aardman Animations studio.David graduated from Collingwood College, University of Durham before starting as an animator, producing segments for the Vision On TV program, Sproxton and Lord created the character of Morph for Take Hart .He is...
, co-founder of Aardman AnimationsAardman AnimationsAardman Animations, Ltd., also known as Aardman Studios, or simply as Aardman, is a British animation studio based in Bristol, United Kingdom. The studio is known for films made using stop-motion clay animation techniques, particularly those featuring Plasticine characters Wallace and Gromit...
, attended Woking Grammar school. - Peter LordPeter LordPeter Lord CBE is a British film producer, director and co-founder of the Academy award-winning Aardman Animations studio, an animation firm best known for its clay animated films and shorts, particularly those featuring plasticine duo Wallace & Gromit.-Biography:In cooperation with David...
, co-founder of Aardman AnimationsAardman AnimationsAardman Animations, Ltd., also known as Aardman Studios, or simply as Aardman, is a British animation studio based in Bristol, United Kingdom. The studio is known for films made using stop-motion clay animation techniques, particularly those featuring Plasticine characters Wallace and Gromit...
, attended Woking Grammar school. - Neil Wayte, professional angler (1961), was born and raised in Woking
Literature
HG Wells was living in Woking when he wrote War of the Worlds and the town features prominently in the story, not least in its destruction in an early chapter. The Martians first land on Horsell CommonHorsell Common
Horsell Common are an Australian band from Melbourne, Victoria. They made their live debut in early 2002, following this up with a string of EPs, and released their first full-length album The Rescue on 29 September 2007...
and much of the early story is set in the area.
Douglas Adams
Douglas Adams
Douglas Noel Adams was an English writer and dramatist. He is best known as the author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which started life in 1978 as a BBC radio comedy before developing into a "trilogy" of five books that sold over 15 million copies in his lifetime, a television...
describes Woking in The Deeper Meaning of Liff (ptcbl. vb.) as:
- Standing in the kitchen wondering what you came in here for.
Emergency services
Woking is served by these emergency services:- Surrey PoliceSurrey PoliceSurrey Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the county of Surrey in the south of England.The force is led by Chief Constable Mark Rowley and has its headquarters at Mount Browne, Guildford, Surrey...
. - SURSAR.
- South East Coast Ambulance ServiceSouth East Coast Ambulance ServiceThe South East Coast Ambulance Service is the NHS Ambulance Services Trust for south-eastern England, covering Kent , Surrey, West Sussex and East Sussex . It also covers a part of north-eastern Hampshire around Aldershot...
as of 1 July 2006, is the local NHSNational Health Service (England)The National Health Service or NHS is the publicly funded healthcare system in England. It is both the largest and oldest single-payer healthcare system in the world. It is able to function in the way that it does because it is primarily funded through the general taxation system, similar to how...
Ambulance Services Trust. The Surrey Ambulance ServiceSurrey Ambulance ServiceSurrey Ambulance Service was the ambulance service for the County of Surrey in England until July 1, 2006, when it was succeeded by a South East Coast Ambulance Service also covering Sussex and Kent....
, SussexSussexSussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, and KentKentKent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
Ambulance services have all merged, and have now ceased to exist. - Surrey Fire & Rescue Service.
- 2 x Water Tender Ladder
McLaren and the Technology Centre
Woking is home to the McLaren GroupMcLaren Group
The McLaren Group, based at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, England, is a group of companies created by Ron Dennis, described by the International Herald Tribune as "a small conglomerate"...
, an umbrella organization that includes:
- McLaren Racing, which fields the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 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...
racing cars (driven by world champions Jenson ButtonJenson ButtonJenson Alexander Lyons Button MBE is a British Formula One driver currently signed to McLaren. He was the 2009 World Drivers' Champion.Button began karting at the age of eight and achieved early success, before progressing to car racing in the British Formula Ford Championship and the British...
and Lewis HamiltonLewis HamiltonLewis Carl Davidson Hamilton, MBE is a British Formula One racing driver from England, currently racing for the McLaren team. He was the Formula One World Champion.Hamilton was born in Stevenage, Hertfordshire...
); and - McLaren AutomotiveMcLaren AutomotiveMcLaren Automotive, commonly referred to as McLaren, is a British automotive manufacturer of high-performance vehicles. The company was established as McLaren Cars in 1989 as a producer of road cars based on Formula One technology...
, builder of the McLaren F1McLaren F1The McLaren F1 is a supercar designed and manufactured by McLaren Automotive. Originally a concept conceived by Gordon Murray, he convinced Ron Dennis to back the project and engaged Peter Stevens to design the exterior of the car...
and Mercedes-Benz SLR McLarenMercedes-Benz SLR McLarenThe Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren is an Anglo-German grand tourer car jointly developed by Mercedes-Benz and McLaren Automotive, built in Portsmouth and the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, England and sold from 2003 to 2009...
supercars.
During 2010 and 2011 the McLaren technology centre had work on it to add an extension.
Twin towns
RastattRastatt
Rastatt is a city and baroque residence in the District of Rastatt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on the Murg river, above its junction with the Rhine and has a population of around 50'000...
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...
Amstelveen
Amstelveen
' is a suburban municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is part of the metropolitan area of Amsterdam. The municipality of Amstelveen consists of the following villages and/or districts: Amstelveen, Bovenkerk, Westwijk, Bankras-Kostverloren, Groenelaan, Waardhuizen,...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
Le Plessis-Robinson
Le Plessis-Robinson
Le Plessis-Robinson is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-History:Plessis was first mentioned in 839 located next to Châtenay .Plessiacus became Plessis-Raoul in 1250....
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
See also
- Brookwood CemeteryBrookwood CemeteryBrookwood Cemetery is a burial ground in Brookwood, Surrey, England. It is the largest cemetery in the United Kingdom and one of the largest in western Europe.-History:...
, Woking - Horsell Village, WokingHorsellHorsell in Surrey is an ancient village nearby to the more modern 19th century Woking, probably best known because of its association with the story The War of the Worlds, written by H. G. Wells. It is the home of the book's narrator , and the landing site of the first Martian transport vessel...
- Goldsworth Park estate, WokingGoldsworth ParkGoldsworth Park is a large housing estate to the north-west of Woking in Surrey, England. It was named after the nearby Goldsworth area which was a large 'tithing' of Woking Parish. The tithing included most of the north west of Woking, such as Brookwood, Knaphill and St. John's. It is bordered by...
- Knaphill Village, WokingKnaphillKnaphill is an urban village in Surrey, UK. To the east is Woking, to the west, eventually, is Aldershot, while to the south and north on the A322 – which forms its effective western border – are Brookwood, and Bisley, respectively. Some of the village is set on a hill, hence the...
- Energy use and conservation in the United KingdomEnergy use and conservation in the United KingdomEnergy use in the United Kingdom stood at 3,894.6 kilogrammes of oil equivalent per capita in 2005 compared to a world average of 1,778.0. In 2008, total energy consumed was 9.85 exajoules - around 2% of the estimated 474 EJ worldwide total...
- Westfield, Woking, SurreyWestfield, Woking, SurreyWestfield is an area located in the southern part of town of Woking. Westfield marks the southern boundary of Woking altering from a traditional suburban character in the north to a semi-rural appearance in the south. The Southern boundary is Green Belt....
- Woking, Alberta
Further reading
- Guardian article: Woking to teach London to be a world leader in tackling climate change
- Crosby, Alan "A History Of Woking" (Phillimore, 2003)