FARNHAMHERITAGE TRAIL

www.farnham.gov.uk Text © Jean Parratt Illustrations © Michael Blower Revised and reprinted 2015Designed and printed by Riverprint, Farnham 01252 722771

Farnham, particularly those visiting Waverley Abbey (the first Cistercian monastery in this country). They crossed the River Wey at Longbridge - where there was once a ford - then turn left along Abbey Street then right over what is now the bypass followed by the railway level crossing and then on to the abbey. (South Street was not constructed for another 742 years after the abbey had been founded). Turn and walk back to the pedestrian crossing and cross the road. Turn right and walk a few yards to reach the foot of Castle Street where this tour began.It is hoped that, having followed the route, you have spent an enjoyable hour or two on a whistle-stop tour of Farnham.

HERITAGE SURROUNDING FARNHAM

More information can be found in the Museum of Farnham, the public library and from books available in local bookshops including the fact that only one mile from the town centre is the site of what is recognised as the first village in England. It is marked by an inscribed stone and is not far from the Six Bells Roundabout (formerly known as the Tin Hut Roundabout).Remains of a Roman villa and bath (now grassed over or built upon) lie 200 yards from this Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age) site and amongst the many famous people who are closely connected with, or lived in, the Farnham area are J.M. Barrie, Jonathan Swift, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Baden-Powell, Peter Pears, Dame Vera Lynn, Jessie Matthews and Liza Goddard. Waverley Abbey (1128), the first Cistercian monastery in this country, is just two miles from the town centre, the first two-seater petrol-driven car in this country was constructed in West Street and Mike Hawthorn, the racing driver who first brought the World Motor Racing Championship to Britain in 1958, was educated, lived and worked in this town before his untimely death just outside Guildford, in 1959.There is far more to Farnham than can be imagined and to paraphrase a well-known saying: "When a resident (or visitor) is tired of Farnham he (or she) must be tired of life."

At this point, plaque 6, is at the junction of Upper and M

iddle Church Lane. Look up above the porch of the house im

mediately opposite the church gate and find the nam

e of E. Bradly 1757 incised into one of the m

athematical tiles - not bricks as they appear. M

athematical

tiles were often used as a w

ay of avoiding the Brick Tax, which w

as introduced in 1784 to finance the w

ar with the Am

erican colonies. Note the hinges on the front door of the house. They w

ere m

ade when the forge w

as in existence next door. Turn right and walk past a row

of cottages. This street is frequently used by television com

panies for film sets in program

mes such as Foyle’s

War. At the end of this lane turn left into Low

er Church Lane. Note the gutter in the centre

of the road. Gutters thus positioned w

ere used as overground sewers in Tudor tim

es when

human body w

aste was throw

n from first floor w

indows into the street. At the end of Low

er Church Lane. N

umber 31 (on the right) is an exam

ple of a late 16th century building, with a

17th century frontage, which w

as refurbished in the late 20th century by the Farnham (Buildings

Preservation) Trust Ltd. in co-operation with W

averley Borough Council. At the entrance to

Wagon Yard car park turn right, w

alk between the parked vehicles, then left, and on to a

wooden bridge crossing the River W

ey. Note the heritage plaque on the bridge as you cross it.

(Daniel D

efoe, author of Robinson Crusoe, wrote, in 1722, that a m

an had told him that he had once counted 1,100 team

s of horses, all drawing w

agons or carts, loaded w

ith wheat, in Farnham

on this piece of ground). On the far side of the bridge w

alk to the right.

FAR

NH

AM

MA

LTING

SThis com

plex was purchased in the 1960s from

the Courage brew

ery, by Farnham

residents, to save it from dem

olition. Today Farnham M

altings is a multi-faceted arts and

comm

unity venue. A former tannery, during the heyday of Farnham

’s brewing industry it

was converted to becom

e a place where grain w

as malted - m

alt is one of the four ingredients of real ale, the others being w

ater, yeast and hops. Until the 1960s the River W

ey regularly broke its banks and flooded this area as far as half-w

ay up Dow

ning Street. W

idening the banks has now stopped the problem

. Continue walking past The

Maltings building and w

here it meets a narrow

road, find plaque 7. Turn left. Initially, this is a thoroughfare w

ithout pavements, so keep to the left,

walk until you reach a pavem

ent, and then go past a row of cottages, the

first of which is one of the oldest buildings in tow

n (1500s), the last one of w

hich has the sign Sampson Sam

pson Licensed Maltster painted on an

end wall. Look across the road to your right and see the inn w

here W

illiam C

obbett was born. At that tim

e the hostelry was know

n as the Jolly Farm

er. Turn left and walk over Longbridge then cross into

Gostrey M

eadow at plaque 8.

GO

STREY

MEA

DO

WG

o through the gate into the recreational area and follow the path beside the river, w

alk across the wooden bridge, go past the w

ar mem

orial and then to a pair of w

rought iron gates opening into South Street. On your w

ay look left and see the former C

hurch House (now

The Vineyard Church) w

ith a weather

vane showing it w

as built in 1909. When the building w

as completed a debt of £800 w

as still outstanding. In 1910 the first Farnham Pageant w

as held to offset this sum

. A sim

ilar pageant has been held three times since. In the 1920s N

oel ‘Boy’ McC

ormick, an international boxer w

ho lived in Farnham, used

this hall for sparring practice during training bouts. At the gates turn left into South Street. W

alk to the traffic island at the junction of South Street and Union R

oad and cross over at this point so you are outside the M

ethodist Church. To your right are the town council offices and a tourist inform

ation point. This building has some fine w

indows

and, in its entrance, a number of green tiles w

hich were m

ade at the celebrated Wrecclesham

pottery. Walk past the church and stop outside the Liberal

Club. Read the large plaque giving inform

ation about the building and its architect. This was the first public w

ork designed by Edwin Lutyens to be built.

Note the clever m

ixing of small and large bricks at the corner of the building. At the northern edge of this building find plaque 9.

VIC

TOR

IA G

AR

DEN

Walk along the path at the side of the Liberal Club. Look at the large

arch which is a continuation of the side of the Lutyens building. This w

as the entrance to the form

er swim

ming bath w

hich was built, by public

subscription, to comm

emorate Q

ueen Victoria’s Diam

ond Jubilee in 1897. The w

hite painted lettering can still be seen on the wooden lintels above the

two fram

es at each side of the arch which w

as another of Harold Falkner’s

designs. The concave marks in the bricks w

ere made by generations of

children with the pennies they held, w

hile waiting in line for access to the

bath. The Victoria Garden is behind the w

all and open to the public. Ahead of you lies Brightw

ells and Brightwell H

ouse. The former Redgrave

Theatre was once adjacent to Brightw

ell House and the house w

as used as the theatre's entertainm

ent suite. The latter was earlier know

n as Lowlands

when it w

as the home of the Paget fam

ily. Florence Nightingale w

as a frequent visitor to the Pagets. She also gave a silver com

munion set to

Farnham H

ospital. The composer, A

rthur Sullivan (later Sir Arthur), w

as

The William

Cobbett

Victoria Garden

Lower Church Lanealso a visitor to the Pagets and wrote An Idyll and dedicated it to them after one of his visits to Farnham. Return to South Street and look around you at this point. Note the square building at the junction of Victoria Road and facing the United Reformed Church. This was Farnham’s first School of Art. Later the art school moved to West Street. It is now in Falkner Road and is designated as the University for the Creative Arts. Continue to walk towards the town centre traffic lights noting the display, on a right-hand wall, dedicated to Farnham’s most famous sons.

THE WOOLMEADCross over the road at the traffic lights to the flower beds in the Woolmead open area. Plaque 10 is on the building on the extreme left. Note the milestone adjacent to the traffic light pole. It shows this point in Farnham as being 38 miles from London. This area was once the site of a toll bar at the entrance to the town. Look back to South Street down which you have just walked. This thoroughfare was completed in 1870 (at a cost of nearly £3,000) to connect the town to the railway station, which had been built in 1849. South Street is the only major town street in Farnham not to have buildings numbered consecutively.

THE BOROUGHCross the traffic lights diagonally, walk right and stop outside the Bush Hotel Courtyard. Here you can see plaque 11. The Bush Hotel is the town’s oldest hostelry where people have imbibed alcoholic beverages for over 500 years. It was a coaching inn, is reputed to have several ghosts and has an indoor sundial on the ceiling of its Oak Lounge. Leave The Bush Hotel, continue westward along The Borough. Stop at Borelli Yard, adjacent to a bank, where you will see plaque 12. Look up in the archway and find the date 1610. Go down the yard, under the next archway and look at the statue ‘Matriarch’ by Ben Franklin as well as the plaque giving information about a medieval tile kiln which was excavated here in the 1980s. Return to The Borough, turn left and continue walking on past the next building with its ‘By Appointment to Her Majesty’ fanlight above the door. This honour had been granted by Queen Victoria to Charles Borelli when he had his watchmaker’s and jeweller’s shop in this building. With Harold Falkner he was responsible for the sympathetic restoration of many buildings in Farnham during the early 20th century. Continue walking to the road junction of The Borough, West Street and Downing Street. This was another toll bar site where money had to be paid by travellers on horseback or in carriages to gain entry to The Borough. Look to your left down Downing Street. For centuries this was the route taken by everyone going south from

Farnham Town Council Council Offices, South Street, Farnham, Surrey GU9 7RN

01252 712667

St Andrew's Church

You can start your walk at any point on the circular route. Farnham Heritage Trail plaques can be found at each site, corresponding to the numbers on this map.

CASTLE STREETPlaque 1 is at the bottom of Castle Street. In the centre of the street, at this point, was the Market House which was also a jail. It was built in 1566 and demolished in 1866. See heritage plaque on the wall of a bank, which provides more historical details. Note the hop bines, moulded on the rainwater down-pipes of the building at the same corner, which is known as The Town Hall Buildings. Farnham hops were once the most expensive in England. Look up the road and see Farnham Castle, on which building started early in the 12th century and was a home to the Bishops of Winchester for more than 800 years. Start to walk up the street and look at the varied fanlights above doors. The first motoring offence to warrant a fine took place in this street in 1895. What is believed to be the first-ever Two-Minute Silence,

now observed annually on Armistice Day, was initiated by J. Alfred Eggar, an estate agent of Castle Street, and was first held in May 1916 near the archway leading to St. George’s Yard. Continue up the street and go into the courtyard leading to a restaurant. Look at the exterior of the building and find a plaque containing details about the Castle Theatre (earlier known as the Playhouse Theatre). Sir Michael Redgrave said that this was the most haunted theatre in which he had ever acted.

Go back into the main street and either walk on towards the castle or cross over the road near the red telephone box. If you walk on up the hill note the Nelson Arms with a hand-carved wooden sign and a few yards farther on you will reach the steps to Farnham Castle. These are constructed in blocks of seven steps and seven paces and had been built to facilitate a walk alone into the town by Bishop Richard Fox, who was blind for several years before his death in 1528. The Castle Keep is normally open daily and the castle, known also as The Bishop’s Palace, is open for guided tours on Wednesday afternoons. Check before going for availability and times. (To continue the tour return to the red telephone box and cross the road).

If you decide to cross the road, plaque 2 is on a wall at the right of the footpath leading into Long Garden Walk. Turn round to face Castle Street, look to your right and see the Golden Hind on top of the Town Hall Buildings. Look across the road to your left and note the plane trees planted in 1897 to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. The almshouses behind them were built in 1619 - see heritage plaque. Although many of the buildings in this street appear to be Georgian many are much older and only have Georgian façades. Turn back

into Long Garden Walk where rope was once made in lengths stretching from the Hop Blossom to the far side of Castle Street. Continue walking westward and on to the forecourt of a supermarket. Turn left into

LION AND LAMB YARDNote the heritage plaque on a wall before walking down the yard which is facing you. The lion and lamb teak sculpture was carved in the mid-1980s at the same time as most of the upper part of this yard was built, the exception being the listed barn on the left which is currently a retail outlet. At one time this barn was used as a garage for the repair of vehicles used by William

Farnham Castle

Castle Street

Lion and Lamb Yard

Kingham and Sons, wholesale and retail grocers, whose warehouse occupied the land on which the present supermarket now stands. At the bottom of the yard, note the old water pump on the right, and cellar doors of the former Lion and Lamb Hotel (the building from which this yard derived its name).

Plaque 3 is on the wall near the large gates, at the bottom of the yard. Turn right into West Street.

WEST STREETOn the wall of the buildng opposite observe the

roundel high up on the wall of the department store opposite you, showing the birthplace of Augustus Toplady, author of the hymn Rock of Ages. Continue along the pavement,

past the post office and noting as you go the unusual building in Malthouse Yard, once

owned by a hop garden tallyman, and a rare example of an 18th century shop front at 104a.

It was brought from a former pastrycook’s in The Cornhill, London, by Harold Falkner

(one of the town’s most famous, but eccentric, architects). He erected this

shop front behind specially construct-ed giraffe-like pillars, in 1950.

Stop at the corner of the lane next to a timber-framed building (98 and 99 West Street) on which is plaque 4. The lane running northward is Timber Close, which is believed to be the place of the construction, in 1395, of the hammer-beam roof of Westminster Hall, in London, where it can still be seen today. After construction in Farnham, it was then taken, piece by piece, to London and erected there. Cross The Hart and continue along the road until you reach a grassy area known as College Gardens on which are small bungalows. Note the military college details on a heritage plaque in the grass. Although William Willett, the man who originated the idea of daylight saving, was born in a cottage at this site in 1856, this detail is not recorded here.

Cross the road and enter the Museum of Farnham, at number 38, which is situated in a Grade I listed Georgian building. Here the visitor can find thousands of artefacts pertinent to Farnham and its unique history as well as an

excellent local history library. Entry to the museum and its walled garden is free. It is open from 10am to 5pm Tuesdays to Saturdays. Turn right on leaving the

museum and walk back towards the town centre. Stop and look at 28, West Street. This building, known as Vernon House, has a ceramic roundel on a wall, stating that

King Charles I stayed in the house (earlier known as Culver Hall) for one night, as a prisoner, before going to London, for trial and eventual execution. He gave his host,

Sir Henry Vernon, his morning cap in thanks for his hospitality. Made in blue silk with gold and silver threadwork this can now be seen in the Museum of Farnham.

CENTRAL FARNHAMRemember when walking about in Farnham that all the main thoroughfares - Castle

Street, West Street, East Street, Downing Street and The Borough are numbered consecutively and not alternately (evens on one side and odds on the other) as is more usual. Walk past Vernon

House and then the Bishop’s Table Hotel at 27, West Street, both of which are reputed to be haunted, and stop outside number 25, the large Victorian building a few yards farther on which is the Farnham Adult

Learning Centre. Farnham has a long history of first-class education and in the past this building has been used as Farnham Grammar School, Farnham Girls’ Grammar School and Farnham School of Art. At 24, West Street is Harold

Falkner’s house carrying a heritage plaque. Harold Falkner and his friend, Charles Borelli, had a profound influence on architectural aspects of Farnham today. Continue to walk to the pedestrian crossing lights. Stop at plaque 5 which is on the wall of

Church Passage. This passage is also known as Streaky Bacon Lane. Look at the setts beneath your feet for the reason! William Kingham’s bacon smoking factory once occupied the building on your right. You are now approaching St. Andrew’s Parish Church, one of the largest parish churches in Surrey. Handboards inside give its history. Legend states that its womenfolk, from a vantage point on a former tower on this church, saved the town when the Danes invaded Farnham in the 9th century. William Cobbett’s tomb is outside the church’s main door. Despite being born into poverty in 1763, he rose to become an MP, an advocate of political reform and an author of note (his most well known work being Rural Rides). His influence can be still seen today as founder of the present Hansard. He died in 1835. Continue walking down the left path to the main churchyard entrance and note the gates constructed in memory of a pet dog - details at ground level on the left pillar.

From Alton

F

rom Waterloo

P

P

P

P

The H

art

Castle Hill

Castle Street

Park Row

Bear Lan

e

Woolmead Rd

A325 West Street The Borough East Street

Do

wn

ing

Street

Union Road

Victoria Road

Mid

dle

Ch

urch

Lane

LowerChurch Lane

Sou

th Street

Red Lion Lane

Gostrey Meadow

Abbey Street

Firg

rove

Hill

A28

7

From Alton A31 Farnham Bypass

A31 From Guildford & London

Station Road

From Frensham& Hindhead

B3001

A31 from Alton

River Wey

Station

From Tilford

Lion & LambYard

P

P

Bo

relliYard

Long GardenWalk

2

A287 From Fleet& Odiham (M3)

FarnhamPark

University for the Creative Arts

FarnhamCastle

Willmer House(The Museumof Farnham)

Farnham Maltings

UpperChurch Lane

CouncilOffices

Brightwells

Cambridge

Place

SportsCentre

TheWoolmead

WC

To WaverleyAbbey

VictoriaGarden

ChurchPassage

Ivy LaneFarnhamLibrary

6

11112

4

5

3

8

9

BridgeSquare

St Andrew’s Church

FarnhamWar Memorial

Bishop’sSteps

WC

To Farnham Pottery,Wrecclesham

Lion&LambWay

WC

7

P

10

KEY Public footpaths:

Route:

Plaque: 111

West Street

You can start your walk at any point on the circular route. Farnham Heritage Trail plaques can be found at each site, corresponding to the numbers on this map.

CASTLE STREETPlaque 1 is at the bottom of Castle Street. In the centre of the street, at this point, was the Market House which was also a jail. It was built in 1566 and demolished in 1866. See heritage plaque on the wall of a bank, which provides more historical details. Note the hop bines, moulded on the rainwater down-pipes of the building at the same corner, which is known as The Town Hall Buildings. Farnham hops were once the most expensive in England. Look up the road and see Farnham Castle, on which building started early in the 12th century and was a home to the Bishops of Winchester for more than 800 years. Start to walk up the street and look at the varied fanlights above doors. The first motoring offence to warrant a fine took place in this street in 1895. What is believed to be the first-ever Two-Minute Silence,

now observed annually on Armistice Day, was initiated by J. Alfred Eggar, an estate agent of Castle Street, and was first held in May 1916 near the archway leading to St. George’s Yard. Continue up the street and go into the courtyard leading to a restaurant. Look at the exterior of the building and find a plaque containing details about the Castle Theatre (earlier known as the Playhouse Theatre). Sir Michael Redgrave said that this was the most haunted theatre in which he had ever acted.

Go back into the main street and either walk on towards the castle or cross over the road near the red telephone box. If you walk on up the hill note the Nelson Arms with a hand-carved wooden sign and a few yards farther on you will reach the steps to Farnham Castle. These are constructed in blocks of seven steps and seven paces and had been built to facilitate a walk alone into the town by Bishop Richard Fox, who was blind for several years before his death in 1528. The Castle Keep is normally open daily and the castle, known also as The Bishop’s Palace, is open for guided tours on Wednesday afternoons. Check before going for availability and times. (To continue the tour return to the red telephone box and cross the road).

If you decide to cross the road, plaque 2 is on a wall at the right of the footpath leading into Long Garden Walk. Turn round to face Castle Street, look to your right and see the Golden Hind on top of the Town Hall Buildings. Look across the road to your left and note the plane trees planted in 1897 to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. The almshouses behind them were built in 1619 - see heritage plaque. Although many of the buildings in this street appear to be Georgian many are much older and only have Georgian façades. Turn back

into Long Garden Walk where rope was once made in lengths stretching from the Hop Blossom to the far side of Castle Street. Continue walking westward and on to the forecourt of a supermarket. Turn left into

LION AND LAMB YARDNote the heritage plaque on a wall before walking down the yard which is facing you. The lion and lamb teak sculpture was carved in the mid-1980s at the same time as most of the upper part of this yard was built, the exception being the listed barn on the left which is currently a retail outlet. At one time this barn was used as a garage for the repair of vehicles used by William

Farnham Castle

Castle Street

Lion and Lamb Yard

Kingham and Sons, wholesale and retail grocers, whose warehouse occupied the land on which the present supermarket now stands. At the bottom of the yard, note the old water pump on the right, and cellar doors of the former Lion and Lamb Hotel (the building from which this yard derived its name).

Plaque 3 is on the wall near the large gates, at the bottom of the yard. Turn right into West Street.

WEST STREETOn the wall of the buildng opposite observe the

roundel high up on the wall of the department store opposite you, showing the birthplace of Augustus Toplady, author of the hymn Rock of Ages. Continue along the pavement,

past the post office and noting as you go the unusual building in Malthouse Yard, once

owned by a hop garden tallyman, and a rare example of an 18th century shop front at 104a.

It was brought from a former pastrycook’s in The Cornhill, London, by Harold Falkner

(one of the town’s most famous, but eccentric, architects). He erected this

shop front behind specially construct-ed giraffe-like pillars, in 1950.

Stop at the corner of the lane next to a timber-framed building (98 and 99 West Street) on which is plaque 4. The lane running northward is Timber Close, which is believed to be the place of the construction, in 1395, of the hammer-beam roof of Westminster Hall, in London, where it can still be seen today. After construction in Farnham, it was then taken, piece by piece, to London and erected there. Cross The Hart and continue along the road until you reach a grassy area known as College Gardens on which are small bungalows. Note the military college details on a heritage plaque in the grass. Although William Willett, the man who originated the idea of daylight saving, was born in a cottage at this site in 1856, this detail is not recorded here.

Cross the road and enter the Museum of Farnham, at number 38, which is situated in a Grade I listed Georgian building. Here the visitor can find thousands of artefacts pertinent to Farnham and its unique history as well as an

excellent local history library. Entry to the museum and its walled garden is free. It is open from 10am to 5pm Tuesdays to Saturdays. Turn right on leaving the

museum and walk back towards the town centre. Stop and look at 28, West Street. This building, known as Vernon House, has a ceramic roundel on a wall, stating that

King Charles I stayed in the house (earlier known as Culver Hall) for one night, as a prisoner, before going to London, for trial and eventual execution. He gave his host,

Sir Henry Vernon, his morning cap in thanks for his hospitality. Made in blue silk with gold and silver threadwork this can now be seen in the Museum of Farnham.

CENTRAL FARNHAMRemember when walking about in Farnham that all the main thoroughfares - Castle

Street, West Street, East Street, Downing Street and The Borough are numbered consecutively and not alternately (evens on one side and odds on the other) as is more usual. Walk past Vernon

House and then the Bishop’s Table Hotel at 27, West Street, both of which are reputed to be haunted, and stop outside number 25, the large Victorian building a few yards farther on which is the Farnham Adult

Learning Centre. Farnham has a long history of first-class education and in the past this building has been used as Farnham Grammar School, Farnham Girls’ Grammar School and Farnham School of Art. At 24, West Street is Harold

Falkner’s house carrying a heritage plaque. Harold Falkner and his friend, Charles Borelli, had a profound influence on architectural aspects of Farnham today. Continue to walk to the pedestrian crossing lights. Stop at plaque 5 which is on the wall of

Church Passage. This passage is also known as Streaky Bacon Lane. Look at the setts beneath your feet for the reason! William Kingham’s bacon smoking factory once occupied the building on your right. You are now approaching St. Andrew’s Parish Church, one of the largest parish churches in Surrey. Handboards inside give its history. Legend states that its womenfolk, from a vantage point on a former tower on this church, saved the town when the Danes invaded Farnham in the 9th century. William Cobbett’s tomb is outside the church’s main door. Despite being born into poverty in 1763, he rose to become an MP, an advocate of political reform and an author of note (his most well known work being Rural Rides). His influence can be still seen today as founder of the present Hansard. He died in 1835. Continue walking down the left path to the main churchyard entrance and note the gates constructed in memory of a pet dog - details at ground level on the left pillar.

From Alton

F

rom Waterloo

P

P

P

P

The H

art

Castle Hill

Castle Street

Park Row

Bear Lan

e

Woolmead Rd

A325 West Street The Borough East Street

Do

wn

ing

Street

Union Road

Victoria Road

Mid

dle

Ch

urch

Lane

LowerChurch Lane

Sou

th Street

Red Lion Lane

Gostrey Meadow

Abbey Street

Firg

rove

Hill

A28

7

From Alton A31 Farnham Bypass

A31 From Guildford & London

Station Road

From Frensham& Hindhead

B3001

A31 from Alton

River Wey

Station

From Tilford

Lion & LambYard

P

P

Bo

relliYard

Long GardenWalk

2

A287 From Fleet& Odiham (M3)

FarnhamPark

University for the Creative Arts

FarnhamCastle

Willmer House(The Museumof Farnham)

Farnham Maltings

UpperChurch Lane

CouncilOffices

BrightwellsCam

bridgePlace

SportsCentre

TheWoolmead

WC

To WaverleyAbbey

VictoriaGarden

ChurchPassage

Ivy LaneFarnhamLibrary

6

11112

4

5

3

8

9

BridgeSquare

St Andrew’s Church

FarnhamWar Memorial

Bishop’sSteps

WC

To Farnham Pottery,Wrecclesham

Lion&LambWay

WC

7

P

10

KEY Public footpaths:

Route:

Plaque: 111

West Street

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the

foot

of

Cas

tle S

tree

t whe

re th

is to

ur b

egan

.It

is ho

ped

that

, ha

ving

fol

low

ed t

he r

oute

, yo

u ha

ve s

pent

an

enjo

yabl

e ho

ur o

r tw

o on

a w

histl

e-sto

p to

ur o

f Far

nham

.

HER

ITA

GE

SUR

RO

UN

DIN

G F

AR

NH

AM

Mor

e in

form

atio

n ca

n be

foun

d in

the

Mus

eum

of F

arnh

am, t

he

publ

ic lib

rary

and

from

boo

ks av

ailab

le in

loca

l boo

ksho

ps in

clud

ing

the

fact t

hat o

nly

one

mile

from

the

tow

n ce

ntre

is th

e sit

e of

wha

t is

reco

gnise

d as

the

firs

t vi

llage

in

Engl

and.

It

is m

arke

d by

an

insc

ribed

sto

ne a

nd i

s no

t far

fro

m t

he S

ix B

ells

Roun

dabo

ut

(form

erly

kno

wn

as th

e Tin

Hut

Rou

ndab

out).

Rem

ains

of a

Rom

an v

illa

and

bath

(no

w

gras

sed

over

or

built

upo

n) l

ie 2

00 y

ards

fro

m th

is M

esol

ithic

(Mid

dle

Ston

e Age

) site

an

d am

ongs

t the

man

y fam

ous

peop

le w

ho

are

clos

ely

conn

ecte

d w

ith, o

r liv

ed in

, the

Fa

rnha

m a

rea

are

J.M.

Barr

ie,

Jona

than

Sw

ift,

Alfre

d Lo

rd T

enny

son,

Sir

Arth

ur

Con

an D

oyle

, Ro

bert

Bad

en-P

owel

l, Pe

ter

Pear

s, D

ame V

era L

ynn,

Jess

ie M

atth

ews a

nd

Liza

God

dard

. W

aver

ley

Abbe

y (1

128)

, th

e fir

st C

ister

cian

m

onas

tery

in th

is co

untr

y, is

just

two

mile

s fro

m th

e to

wn

cent

re,

the f

irst t

wo-

seat

er pe

trol

-driv

en ca

r in t

his c

ount

ry w

as co

nstr

ucte

d in

Wes

t St

reet

and

Mik

e H

awth

orn,

the

rac

ing

driv

er w

ho f

irst

brou

ght t

he W

orld

Mot

or R

acin

g C

ham

pion

ship

to B

ritain

in 1

958,

w

as e

duca

ted,

live

d an

d w

orke

d in

this

tow

n be

fore

his

untim

ely

deat

h ju

st ou

tside

Gui

ldfo

rd, i

n 19

59.

Ther

e is

far m

ore

to F

arnh

am t

han

can

be i

mag

ined

and

to

para

phra

se a

wel

l-kno

wn

sayi

ng: "

Whe

n a

resid

ent

(or

visit

or)

is tir

ed o

f Far

nham

he

(or s

he) m

ust b

e tir

ed o

f life

."

At this point, plaque 6, is at the junction of Upper and Middle Church Lane. Look up above the porch of the house immediately opposite the church gate and find the name of E. Bradly 1757 incised into one of the mathematical tiles - not bricks as they appear. Mathematical tiles were often used as a way of avoiding the Brick Tax, which was introduced in 1784 to finance the war with the American colonies. Note the hinges on the front door of the house. They were made when the forge was in existence next door. Turn right and walk past a row of cottages. This street is frequently used by television companies for film sets in programmes such as Foyle’s War. At the end of this lane turn left into Lower Church Lane. Note the gutter in the centre of the road. Gutters thus positioned were used as overground sewers in Tudor times when human body waste was thrown from first floor windows into the street. At the end of Lower Church Lane. Number 31 (on the right) is an example of a late 16th century building, with a 17th century frontage, which was refurbished in the late 20th century by the Farnham (Buildings Preservation) Trust Ltd. in co-operation with Waverley Borough Council. At the entrance to Wagon Yard car park turn right, walk between the parked vehicles, then left, and on to a wooden bridge crossing the River Wey. Note the heritage plaque on the bridge as you cross it.

(Daniel Defoe, author of Robinson Crusoe, wrote, in 1722, that a man had told him that he had once counted 1,100 teams of horses, all drawing wagons or carts, loaded with wheat, in Farnham on this piece of ground). On the far side of the bridge walk to the right.

FARNHAM MALTINGSThis complex was purchased in the 1960s from the Courage brewery, by Farnham residents, to save it from demolition. Today Farnham Maltings is a multi-faceted arts and community venue. A former tannery, during the heyday of Farnham’s brewing industry it was converted to become a place where grain was malted - malt is one of the four ingredients of real ale, the others being water, yeast and hops. Until the 1960s the River Wey regularly broke its banks and flooded this area as far as half-way up Downing Street. Widening the banks has now stopped the problem. Continue walking past The Maltings building and where it meets a narrow road, find plaque 7. Turn left. Initially, this is a thoroughfare without pavements, so keep to the left, walk until you reach a pavement, and then go past a row of cottages, the first of which is one of the oldest buildings in town (1500s), the last one of which has the sign Sampson Sampson Licensed Maltster painted on an end wall. Look across the road to your right and see the inn where William Cobbett was born. At that time the hostelry was known as the Jolly Farmer. Turn left and walk over Longbridge then cross into Gostrey Meadow at plaque 8.

GOSTREY MEADOWGo through the gate into the recreational area and follow the path beside the river, walk across the wooden bridge, go past the war memorial and then to a pair of wrought iron gates opening into South Street. On your way look left and see the former Church House (now The Vineyard Church) with a weather vane showing it was built in 1909. When the building was completed a debt of £800 was still outstanding. In 1910 the first Farnham Pageant was held to offset this sum. A similar pageant has been held three times since. In the 1920s Noel ‘Boy’ McCormick, an international boxer who lived in Farnham, used this hall for sparring practice during training bouts. At the gates turn left into South Street. Walk to the traffic island at the junction of South Street and Union Road and cross over at this point so you are outside the Methodist Church. To your right are the town council offices and a tourist information point. This building has some fine windows and, in its entrance, a number of green tiles which were made at the celebrated Wrecclesham pottery. Walk past the church and stop outside the Liberal Club. Read the large plaque giving information about the building and its architect. This was the first public work designed by Edwin Lutyens to be built. Note the clever mixing of small and large bricks at the corner of the building. At the northern edge of this building find plaque 9.

VICTORIA GARDENWalk along the path at the side of the Liberal Club. Look at the large arch which is a continuation of the side of the Lutyens building. This was the entrance to the former swimming bath which was built, by public subscription, to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897. The white painted lettering can still be seen on the wooden lintels above the two frames at each side of the arch which was another of Harold Falkner’s designs. The concave marks in the bricks were made by generations of children with the pennies they held, while waiting in line for access to the bath. The Victoria Garden is behind the wall and open to the public. Ahead of you lies Brightwells and Brightwell House. The former Redgrave Theatre was once adjacent to Brightwell House and the house was used as the theatre's entertainment suite. The latter was earlier known as Lowlands when it was the home of the Paget family. Florence Nightingale was a frequent visitor to the Pagets. She also gave a silver communion set to Farnham Hospital. The composer, Arthur Sullivan (later Sir Arthur), was

The William Cobbett

Victoria Garden

Lower Church Lane

also

a v

isito

r to

the

Page

ts a

nd w

rote

An

Idyl

l and

ded

icat

ed it

to

them

afte

r on

e of

his

visit

s to

Farn

ham

. R

etur

n to

Sou

th S

tree

t an

d lo

ok a

roun

d yo

u at

thi

s po

int.

Not

e th

e sq

uare

bui

ldin

g at

the

jun

ctio

n of

Vic

toria

Roa

d an

d fa

cing

the

Uni

ted

Refo

rmed

Chu

rch.

Thi

s w

as F

arnh

am’s

first

Sc

hool

of A

rt. L

ater

the

art s

choo

l mov

ed to

Wes

t Str

eet.

It is

now

in

Fal

kner

Roa

d an

d is

desig

nate

d as

the

Uni

vers

ity f

or t

he

Cre

ativ

e Ar

ts. C

onti

nue

to w

alk

tow

ards

the

tow

n ce

ntre

tr

affic

ligh

ts n

otin

g th

e di

splay

, on

a rig

ht-h

and

wal

l, de

dica

ted

to F

arnh

am’s

mos

t fam

ous s

ons.

TH

E W

OO

LMEA

DCr

oss

over

the

roa

d at

the

tra

ffic

light

s to

the

flow

er b

eds

in

the W

oolm

ead

open

are

a. P

laqu

e 10

is o

n th

e bu

ildin

g on

th

e ex

trem

e le

ft. N

ote

the

mile

stone

adj

acen

t to

the

traf

fic li

ght

pole

. It

show

s th

is po

int

in F

arnh

am a

s be

ing

38 m

iles

from

Lo

ndon

. Thi

s are

a was

onc

e th

e sit

e of

a to

ll ba

r at t

he e

ntra

nce

to

the

tow

n. L

ook

back

to

Sout

h St

reet

dow

n w

hich

you

hav

e ju

st

walk

ed. T

his

thor

ough

fare

was

com

plet

ed in

187

0 (a

t a

cost

of

near

ly £

3,00

0) to

con

nect

the

tow

n to

the

railw

ay st

atio

n, w

hich

ha

d be

en b

uilt

in 1

849.

Sou

th S

tree

t is t

he o

nly

majo

r tow

n str

eet

in F

arnh

am n

ot to

hav

e bu

ildin

gs n

umbe

red

cons

ecut

ivel

y.

THE

BO

RO

UG

HCr

oss t

he tr

affic

ligh

ts d

iago

nally

, wal

k ri

ght a

nd st

op o

utsi

de

the

Bush

Hot

el C

ourt

yard

. Her

e yo

u ca

n se

e pl

aque

11.

The

Bush

Hot

el is

the t

own’

s old

est h

oste

lry w

here

peo

ple h

ave i

mbi

bed

alcoh

olic

beve

rage

s fo

r ov

er 5

00 y

ears

. It

was

a c

oach

ing

inn,

is

repu

ted

to h

ave

seve

ral g

hosts

and

has

an

indo

or s

undi

al on

the

ce

iling

of

its O

ak L

oung

e. L

eave

The

Bus

h H

otel

, co

ntin

ue

wes

twar

d al

ong T

he B

orou

gh. S

top

at B

orel

li Yar

d, a

djac

ent t

o a

bank

, whe

re y

ou w

ill se

e pl

aque

12.

Loo

k up

in th

e ar

chw

ay

and

find

the

date

161

0. G

o do

wn

the

yard

, und

er th

e ne

xt ar

chw

ay

and

look

at

the

statu

e ‘M

atria

rch’

by

Ben

Fran

klin

as

wel

l as

the

plaq

ue g

ivin

g in

form

atio

n ab

out

a m

ediev

al til

e ki

ln w

hich

was

ex

cava

ted

here

in th

e 19

80s.

Ret

urn

to T

he B

orou

gh, t

urn

left

an

d co

ntin

ue w

alkin

g on

pas

t th

e ne

xt b

uild

ing

with

its

‘By

Appo

intm

ent t

o H

er M

ajesty

’ fan

light

abov

e th

e do

or. T

his h

onou

r ha

d be

en g

rant

ed b

y Q

ueen

Vict

oria

to C

harle

s Bor

elli

whe

n he

had

hi

s wat

chm

aker

’s an

d jew

elle

r’s sh

op in

this

build

ing.

With

Har

old

Falk

ner h

e w

as re

spon

sible

for t

he sy

mpa

thet

ic re

stora

tion

of m

any

build

ings

in

Farn

ham

dur

ing

the

early

20t

h ce

ntur

y. Co

ntin

ue

wal

king

to th

e ro

ad ju

nctio

n of

The

Bor

ough

, Wes

t Str

eet a

nd

Dow

ning

Str

eet.

This

was

ano

ther

toll

bar

site

whe

re m

oney

had

to

be

paid

by

trav

elle

rs o

n ho

rseb

ack

or in

car

riage

s to

gain

ent

ry

to T

he B

orou

gh. L

ook

to y

our

left

dow

n D

owni

ng S

tree

t. Fo

r ce

ntur

ies

this

was

the

rout

e ta

ken

by e

very

one

goin

g so

uth

from

Farn

ham

Tow

n C

ounc

il C

ounc

il O

ffice

s, So

uth

Stre

et,

Farn

ham

, Sur

rey

GU

9 7R

N

0125

2 71

2667

St A

ndre

w's C

hurc

h