Godalming is a
market town
A market town is a Human settlement, settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular marketplace, market; this distinguished it from a village or ...
and
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of Parish (administrative division), administrative parish used for Local government in England, local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below district ...
in southwest
Surrey, England, around southwest of central London. It is in the
Borough of Waverley, at the
confluence
In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river ( main stem); ...
of the
Rivers Wey and
Ock. The civil parish covers and includes the settlements of
Farncombe, Binscombe and Holloway Hill. Much of the area lies on the
strata
In geology and related fields, a stratum ( : strata) is a layer of rock or sediment characterized by certain lithologic properties or attributes that distinguish it from adjacent layers from which it is separated by visible surfaces known as e ...
of the
Lower Greensand Group and
Bargate stone was quarried locally until the Second World War.
The earliest evidence of human activity is from the
Paleolithic
The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic (), also called the Old Stone Age (from Greek: παλαιός '' palaios'', "old" and λίθος ''lithos'', "stone"), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone to ...
and the River Wey
floodplain
A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river which stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls, and which experiences flooding during periods of high discharge.Goudi ...
at Charterhouse was settled in the middle
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...
and
Roman period. The modern town is thought to have its origins in the 6th or early 7th centuries and its name is thought to derive from that of a
Saxon
The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic
*
*
*
*
peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country ( Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the No ...
landowner.
Kersey, a
wool
Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool.
...
len cloth,
dyed blue, was produced at Godalming for much of the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
, but the industry declined in the
early modern period. In the 17th century, the town began to specialise in the production of knitted
textile
Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not t ...
s and in the manufacture of
hosiery
Hosiery, also referred to as legwear, describes garments worn directly on the feet and legs. The term originated as the collective term for products of which a maker or seller is termed a hosier; and those products are also known generically as ...
in particular.
Throughout its history, Godalming has benefitted from its location on the main route from London to
Portsmouth Dockyard. Local transport links were improved from the early 18th century with the opening of the
turnpike road
A toll road, also known as a turnpike or tollway, is a public or private road (almost always a controlled-access highway in the present day) for which a fee (or ''toll'') is assessed for passage. It is a form of road pricing typically implemented ...
through the town in 1749 and the construction of the
Godalming Navigation in 1764. Expansion of the settlement began in the mid-19th century, stimulated by the opening of the first
railway station
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in Track (rail transport), tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the ...
in 1847 and the relocation of
Charterhouse School
(God having given, I gave)
, established =
, closed =
, type = Public school Independent day and boarding school
, religion = Church of England
, president ...
from London in 1872. The town has a claim to be the first place in the world to have a combined public and private
electricity supply.
Several buildings in the town centre date from the 16th and 17th centuries. The distinctive Pepperpot was built in 1814 to replace the medieval
market house and the upper floor was used as a
council chamber
A debate chamber is a room for people to discuss and debate. Debate chambers are used in governmental and educational bodies, such as a parliament, congress, city council, or a university, either for formal proceedings or for informal discourse, ...
. Among the notable former residents of the civil parish were
Jack Phillips, the senior
wireless operator on the and the
mountaineer
Mountaineering or alpinism, is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending tall mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas. Indoor climbing, sport climbing, an ...
,
George Mallory
George Herbert Leigh Mallory (18 June 1886 – 8 or 9 June 1924) was an English mountaineer who took part in the first three British expeditions to Mount Everest in the early 1920s.
Born in Cheshire, Mallory became a student at Wincheste ...
.
James Oglethorpe
James Edward Oglethorpe (22 December 1696 – 30 June 1785) was a British soldier, Member of Parliament, and philanthropist, as well as the founder of the colony of Georgia in what was then British America. As a social reformer, he hoped to r ...
, the founder of the
Colony of Georgia, was born in Godalming in 1696 and the town maintains a friendship with
the U.S. state and the cities of
Savannah
A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...
and
Augusta in particular.
Toponymy
The oldest surviving record of Godalming is from a copy of the
will of
Alfred the Great, in which the settlement appears as ''Godelmingum''. The name is written as ''Godelminge'' in
Domesday Book
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
and later as ''Godelminges'' (), ''Godhelming'' (), ''Godalminges'' () and ''Godalmyn'' ().The second part of the name is thought to derive from the
Old English ''ingas'' and means "people of" or "family of" and the first may refer to a
Anglo-Saxon
The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...
individual called ''Godhelm''.
Thomas William Shore
Thomas William Shore, sometimes given as William Thomas Shore (5 April 1840 – 15 January 1905) was an English geologist and antiquarian.
Life
Born on 5 April 1840 at Wantage, he was son of William Shore, architect, by his wife Susannah Carter. ...
(18401905) suggested that ''Godhelm'' may be of
Gothic
Gothic or Gothics may refer to:
People and languages
*Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes
**Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths
**Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
origin and
Robert Eugen Zachrisson (18801937) suggested that ''Godhelm'' may have been an early name for the
River Ock or another local stream.
[ Residents of Godalming are sometimes called "Godhelmians".
The first records of Binscombe and Busbridge are from the 13th century, when they appear as ''Budenscombe'' and ''Bursbrige'' respectively. They are thought to derive from individuals called ''Byden'' and ''Beohrtsige'', names both found in Old English. Catteshall may mean "hill of the wild cat" or "hill belonging to a person called ''Catt''".][ Farncombe appears in Domesday Book as ''Fearnecombe'' and is thought to mean "valley of the ferns". Frith Hill may derive from the ]Middle English
Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English ...
''frith'', meaning "woodland".
Geography
Location and topography
Godalming is in southwest Surrey, England, around southwest of central London and south of Guildford. The town centre is to the south of the River Wey, close to its confluence with the River Ock. The Weald
The Weald () is an area of South East England between the parallel chalk escarpments of the North and the South Downs. It crosses the counties of Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex and Kent. It has three separate parts: the sandstone "High Weald" in ...
, a remnant forest of small wooded settlements, adjoins the town to the south-west. The North Downs
The North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England that stretch from Farnham in Surrey to the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent. Much of the North Downs comprises two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs): the Surrey Hills ...
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB; , AHNE) is an area of countryside in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, that has been designated for conservation due to its significant landscape value. Areas are designated in recognition of th ...
is north of the town centre.[
Elevations vary between 36 m (118 ft) AOD by the Guildford Road ]Rugby Union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the Comparison of rugby league and rugby union, two codes of ru ...
ground and Broadwater lake at the River Wey's exit from Godalming into Peasmarsh, Shalford, and 106 m (347.76 ft) AOD where Quarter Mile meets Hambledon Road (both residential) in the south-east. Hurtmore Road is also residential: Upper Green/Hurtmore is at 102 m (334.64 ft) AOD. Immediately north and south of the town centre, steep hills reach 95 m (311.67 ft) AOD from 40-45m (131.23-147.63 ft) AOD in the town centre itself.[
]
Geology
Godalming lies on the northwestern side of the Weald
The Weald () is an area of South East England between the parallel chalk escarpments of the North and the South Downs. It crosses the counties of Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex and Kent. It has three separate parts: the sandstone "High Weald" in ...
and primarily sits on the strata of the Lower Greensand Group, which were laid down in the early Cretaceous
The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of ...
. Atherfield Clay
The Atherfield Clay Formation is a Geological formation in Southern England. Part of the Lower Greensand Group it dates to the Aptian age of the Early Cretaceous. The deposit is of marine origin largely consisting of massive yellowish brown to p ...
is found in the extreme north of the civil parish at Binscombe, where there was a former brickworks. Holloway Hill and much of the town centre are on the Hythe Beds, a loamy, fine-grained sandy layer that also includes some sandstone and chert
Chert () is a hard, fine-grained sedimentary rock composed of microcrystalline or cryptocrystalline quartz, the mineral form of silicon dioxide (SiO2). Chert is characteristically of biological origin, but may also occur inorganically as a ...
. Although rare elsewhere in these strata, fossils of mollusc species occur in these beds in the Godalming area, including the bivalves '' Ostrea macroptera'' and '' Exogyra sinuata'', and the brachiopod
Brachiopods (), phylum Brachiopoda, are a phylum of trochozoan animals that have hard "valves" (shells) on the upper and lower surfaces, unlike the left and right arrangement in bivalve molluscs. Brachiopod valves are hinged at the rear end, ...
s '' Rhynchonella parvirostris'' and ''Waldheimia tamarindus''.[
Frith Hill and Charterhouse are on the iron-rich Bargate Beds, a part of the more widespread lower Sandgate Formation that is only found in the Godalming area. This layer contains Bargate stone, a dark honey-coloured calcerous sandstone that was quarried until the Second World War at several sites in the civil parish.] There are also small exposures of the sandy Folkestone Beds at Busbridge and to the northwest of Charterhouse. River gravels are found in the valleys of the Wey and Ock to the west and south of the town centre, and as a terrace at Farncombe.[ ]Alluvial
Alluvium (from Latin ''alluvius'', from ''alluere'' 'to wash against') is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. Al ...
deposits of sand and silt are found in the floodplain
A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river which stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls, and which experiences flooding during periods of high discharge.Goudi ...
of the Wey, especially between Bridge Street and Catteshall.[
]
History
Early history
The earliest evidence of human activity in the Godalming area is from the Stone Age. At least two Paleolithic
The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic (), also called the Old Stone Age (from Greek: παλαιός '' palaios'', "old" and λίθος ''lithos'', "stone"), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone to ...
hand axes as well as Mesolithic
The Mesolithic (Greek: μÎσος, ''mesos'' 'middle' + λίθος, ''lithos'' 'stone') or Middle Stone Age is the Old World archaeological period between the Upper Paleolithic and the Neolithic. The term Epipaleolithic is often used synonymo ...
flint blades and flakes have been found in the civil parish. In 2017, a local schoolboy found a Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
barbed and tanged arrowhead, which he subsequently donated to Godalming Museum
Godalming Museum is a local museum in the town of Godalming, Surrey, England.
The museum covers the local history of the town and the surrounding area. The collections include paintings, ceramics, embroidery and architectural designs. The museu ...
.[ The higher ground above the River Wey floodplain at Charterhouse was occupied during the middle ]Iron Age
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...
and human habitation is thought to have continued into the early Roman period. There is thought to have been a small farmstead on the site in the late first century C.E. and there was a villa
A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became s ...
at Binscombe.
The Anglo-Saxon settlement at Godalming is thought to have been founded in the 6th or early 7th centuries, in the area surrounding the parish church. The oldest stonework in the church dates from and the base of the west wall of the tower is of Anglo-Saxon origin. The earliest documentary evidence for Godalming, is from the will of Alfred the Great in 880, in which the settlement and surrounding land is left to his nephew, Æthelwold ætheling. By the end of the Anglo-Saxon period, the town was the administrative centre of the Godalming Hundred
Godalming was an ancient Hundred (country subdivision), hundred in the south west of the county of Surrey, England. It corresponds to the central third of the current borough of Waverley, Surrey, Waverley and some parts of the current borough of G ...
, which stretched from Puttenham in the northwest to Chiddingfold in the southeast.[
]
Governance
The town appears as ''Godelminge'' in Domesday Book. In 1086, it was held by Ranulf Flambard, who also held Tuesley and parts of Guildford. The manor had sufficient land for 25 plough teams. It included 40 acres of meadow, woodland for 103 swine, three mills, two churches, and generated an annual income of £34.[ Farncombe appears in Domesday book as ''Fernecome'' and was held by Odo of Bayeux.
At some point in the late 11th century, the Manor of Godalming was divided into two parts. The King's Manor was held by the Crown through the 12th century. There is evidence to suggest that it was held by Stephen de Turnham in 1206, but in 1221 it was granted to the Bishop of Salisbury by Henry III. It was held by the Bishop until 1541, when it was conveyed to Thomas Paston, who returned it to the Crown the following year. It was held by the monarch through the Tudor period until 1601, when ]Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen".
Eli ...
sold it to George More of Loseley Park.
The second part of the Manor of Godalming, known as the Rectory Manor or Deanshold, was granted to Salisbury Cathedral by Henry I in the early 12th century. It remained in the custodianship of the Dean and Chapter until the mid-19th century. For much of its history, the manor was leased by the Castillion family, but was held by the Ogelthorpe family in the 18th century. In 1846, the Rectory Manor was transferred to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, who began to break up and sell off the estate in the early 1860s.[
The first charter to be granted to Godalming was issued by Edward I on 7 June 1300. In it, he authorised a weekly market and a three-day annual fair on the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul in late June.] The right to hold a market was confirmed by Elizabeth I in 1563[ and, in January 1575, the Queen issued a Charter of Incorporation, enabling Godalming to become a self-governing ]borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
In the Middle ...
. The charter specified that a "warden" (effectively a mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well as ...
) should be elected by the town each year at Michaelmas. In 1620, Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Alban (; 22 January 1561 – 9 April 1626), also known as Lord Verulam, was an English philosopher and statesman who served as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England. Bacon led the advancement of both ...
, the Lord Chancellor
The lord chancellor, formally the lord high chancellor of Great Britain, is the highest-ranking traditional minister among the Great Officers of State in Scotland and England in the United Kingdom, nominally outranking the prime minister. T ...
under James I, issued a document entitled "Ordinances and constitutions made and established for the better and government of the Town of Godalming in the County of Surry", which specified that the administration of the town should be the responsibility of the Warden and eight assistants. It also provided for the appointment of a bailiff and restricted the amount of time that townspeople could spend in local inns and hostelries.
The modern system of local government began to emerge in the first half of the 19th century. Under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835, the town became a borough corporation under the control of a Mayor and elected councillors. The following year, the Guildford Poor Law Union was formed, with responsibility for a total area of stretching from Godalming to Woking. As a result of the Local Government Act 1888
Local may refer to:
Geography and transportation
* Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand
* Local, Missouri, a community in the United States
* Local government, a form of public administration, usually the lowest tier of administra ...
, several responsibilities were transferred from the borough to the newly formed Surrey County Council. Farncombe was originally a separate civil parish, but became part of Godalming borough in 1892. The most recent change in local government took place in 1974, when the municipal boroughs of Godalming and Haslemere were merged with the Farnham Urban District and Hambledon Rural District to form Waverley District. At the same time, Godalming Town Council was constituted as the lowest tier of local government in the civil parish.
Commerce and industry
The right to hold a market was granted to Godalming in 1300 by Edward I. It probably took place each week at the junction of Church Street and the High Street.[ The right was confirmed in the 1563 charter of Elizabeth I, which stipulated that the market should be held every Wednesday.][ In 1674, the day was changed to Friday, but had reverted to Wednesday by the start of the 19th century. The market ceased in around 1879.][ The right to hold an fair each July was also granted in the charter of 1300 and continued to be held until 1870. A second annual fair, to take place over three days around Candlemas in February was granted by Elizabeth I. By the start of the 19th century, the fair had been reduced to a single day and is last recorded in 1910.][
Three watermills are recorded in the entry for Godalming in Domesday Book.][ Although their identities are uncertain, the present day Catteshall, Hatch and Westbrook Mills on the River Wey are thought to be the likely locations of the mills in the late-11th century.] Hatch Mill, close to the parish church, may be the oldest mill site in Godalming.[ Catteshall Mill, to the northeast of the town centre, is first recorded in 1300 and was used for milling corn from until 1836. The two Westbrook Mills, also on the Wey, are around apart and are not clearly distinguished in historical records until the mid-19th century, when the upper mill became known as Salgasson Mill.][
Godalming's medieval prosperity was founded on the ]wool
Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool.
...
trade. The North Downs provided good grazing
In agriculture, grazing is a method of animal husbandry whereby domestic livestock are allowed outdoors to roam around and consume wild vegetations in order to convert the otherwise indigestible (by human gut) cellulose within grass and other ...
land for sheep, there were local deposits of Fuller's earth in Surrey and the Wey provided a source of both water and power for fulling mills. Like Guildford, to the north, the town specialised in the manufacture of kersey, a coarse cloth, dyed blue. Fulling took place at Catteshall Mill between 1300 and 1660, and at the Westbrook Mills in the 17th and early-18th centuries.[ Dyers are known to have been active in the town in the 17th century, but the industry went into a steep decline in the middle of the century.][ Woollen cloth production ended at Guildford in the 1710s, but continued on a small scale in Godalming for around another 100 years.]
As the manufacture of woollen cloth declined in Godalming, it was replaced by the production of knitted and woven textiles. A cottage industry developed in the town in the 17th century, producing woollen, silk and later cotton garments. Hosiery
Hosiery, also referred to as legwear, describes garments worn directly on the feet and legs. The term originated as the collective term for products of which a maker or seller is termed a hosier; and those products are also known generically as ...
was knitted using a stocking frame invented by William Lee in the 1580s.[ Until the 18th century, most garments were produced by families working at home, but thereafter the industry became increasingly centralised. George Holland set up a factory in around 1790 for the manufacture of "Fleecy and Segovia Hosiery", using specially prepared wool.][ The Pitchers company was established in the town in 1885 and produced "Charterhouse sweaters", among other woollen items. The firm, which closed in the 1960s, is credited with the invention of a machine to produce the cable stitch.
Leather production was a significant part of the local economy from the mid-15th to mid-20th centuries.] Tanneries
Tanning may refer to:
* Tanning (leather), treating animal skins to produce leather
* Sun tanning, using the sun to darken pale skin
** Indoor tanning, the use of artificial light in place of the sun
** Sunless tanning, application of a stain or d ...
are recorded at several sites in the town, including at Ockford Road, Meadrow and Catteshall Lock. In 1808, a "bark house" was erected in Mill Street for grinding bark
Bark may refer to:
* Bark (botany), an outer layer of a woody plant such as a tree or stick
* Bark (sound), a vocalization of some animals (which is commonly the dog)
Places
* Bark, Germany
* Bark, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland
Arts, ...
[ and chamois leather was produced at the Westbrook Mills in the 19th century. The final leather producer in Godalming closed in 1952.]
The Godalming area was an important centre for papermaking and, in the early-17th century, several mills in the town produced coarse sheets of "whited brown paper".[ Papermaking took place at the Westbrook Mills in the 17th and early 18th centuries, and at Catteshall Mill from the 1660s until 1928.]
Transport and communications
A ford across the Wey at the site of the current Town Bridge was established by the 12th century and, in late-medieval times, there was also a bridge owned by the Lord of the Manor at this location. but the ford was used by townspeople except in times of flood.[ The road through Godalming between ]Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames (hyphenated until 1965, colloquially known as Kingston) is a town in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, southwest London, England. It is situated on the River Thames and southwest of Charing Cross. It is notable a ...
and Petersfield was turnpiked in 1749[ and the present Town Bridge was constructed in 1782 by the County Surveyor, George Gwilt.] The road south from the town centre through Busbridge to Hascombe was turnpiked in 1826.
The Wey has been used for navigation since ancient times and it is likely that wool, cloth and timber
Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including Beam (structure), beams and plank (wood), planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as fini ...
were transported via the unimproved river during the medieval period. The River Wey Navigation, between the River Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the ...
and Guildford was authorised by Act of Parliament
Acts of Parliament, sometimes referred to as primary legislation
Primary legislation and secondary legislation (the latter also called delegated legislation or subordinate legislation) are two forms of law, created respectively by the legislat ...
in 1651. Although its southern terminus was four miles from the town, the opening of the new waterway had a positive impact on the economy of Godalming. The Wey Navigation Act 1760 authorised the construction of the Godalming Navigation, which opened with four lock (water navigation), locks in 1764. A wharf was constructed on the south side of the river, close to the town centre. The busiest period for the navigation was during the 1810s, when timber, flour, and goods made of iron were shipped from Godalming, but after the arrival of the railway in 1845, it went into sharp decline.[ After 1918, there were only two barges working the river south of Guildford and the final shipments from Godalming took place in 1925. The Godalming Navigation passed to the National Trust in 1968.]
The first railway station in Godalming opened in 1847 on the north side of the Wey. It was the southern terminus of the line, built by the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) from . The Portsmouth Direct Line, line to Havant was contructed speculatively by the engineer, Thomas Brassley. The line was initially single track and joined the branch from Guildford to the north of the first railway station. Although construction was completed in 1858, the first passenger trains south of Godalming did not run until January of the following year.[ Initially there were four services in each direction per day between Guildford and , which had increased to seven (with a single short working to by 1890. The opening of the line necessitated the building of Godalming railway station, the current railway station, although the original station was retained until 1969 for freight. Farncombe railway station, the only intermediate station between Guildford and Godalming, opened on 1 May 1897. The line south of Godalming was doubled in 1871 and was railway electrification in Great Britain, electrified in 1937.
In the late 19th century, improvements in the local road network included the construction of Borough Road and Borough Bridge in the 1870s to link the newly opened ]Charterhouse School
(God having given, I gave)
, established =
, closed =
, type = Public school Independent day and boarding school
, religion = Church of England
, president ...
to the town centre. The Guildford and Godalming bypass (now the A3 road, A3) was opened in July 1934. In the 1990s, Flambard Way was built to divert through traffic around the town centre. Its construction divided Queen Street in two and severed the connections from Mill Lane and Holloway Hill to the High Street.
Residential development
The basic layout of Church Street, the High Street and Bridge Street are thought to have been established by the 13th century and may be pre-conquest in origin. The Saxon settlement was concentrated in the Bridge Street area and the town expanded along the modern High Street in the 11th and 12th centuries. The first houses may have been constructed in The Mint in the late 13th or early 14th centuries. The town does not appear to have expanded significantly in early modern period, although the oldest surviving buildings in the centre date from the 16th century.[ The settlement at Binscombe village grew up in the medieval period around Binscombe Farm. Much of the hamlet, including the original farmhouse, is designated a Conservation Area.]
Godalming began to grow in the mid-19th century, catalysed by the opening of the first railway station in 1849 and the arrival of Charterhouse School in 1872.[ Cottages were constructed in Crownpits in the 1880s and farmland to the south of the town centre was sold for development in the same decade. Summerhouse, Busbridge and Oakdene Roads had been laid out by the mid-1890s and the first houses built fronting them. The area north of Home Farm Road was developed in the 1970s and the Bargate Wood estate was built in the 1980s.
Farncombe began to grow in the early Victorian era, with terraced house, terraced housing, semi-detached houses and larger villas being built along new streets branching from existing roads such as Hare Lane, Summers Road and Farncombe Street.][ Until the mid-19th century, Charterhouse and Furze Hill were part of Deanery Farm, although much of the latter was woodland.][ In 1865, the land was sold in lots, with being acquired for the site of Charterhouse School. Houses in Deanery and Peperharrow Roads were built in the early 1870s, but in the mid-20th century many were either divided into flats or demolished, and higher-density housing was constructed on their former gardens. In the 1960s, the school vacated its properties on Frith Hill Road and on Markenholm, and the sites were sold for residential development.][ Housing on The Brambles was constructed in the mid-1980s. The most recent major developments in Farncombe took place in the early 21st century off Furze Lane.][
The first council house, council housing in the civil parish was constructed in 1920 around The Oval and Broadwater Lane in Farncombe.][ The first 168 houses on the Ockford Ridge estate, west of the town centre, were completed in 1931 and were followed by a further 32 new homes on Cliffe Road in 1935. After the Second World War, the Aarons Hill development was built on the site of the former Ockford House. The Binscombe estate was constructed in the 1950s, to the northwest of Farncombe.][
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Godalming in the world wars
During the First World War, soldiers were billeted at nearby Witley Camp. A canteen was set up in Croft Road for those arriving via Godalming station. Allotment (gardening), Allotments were planted at the Whitehart Field cricket ground and villagers in Busbridge were employed to manufacture baskets for 18 lb high-explosive shell (projectile), shells. In October 1914, the British Red Cross, Red Cross opened a hospital for wounded soldiers at Charterhouse School.
During the Second World War, the defence of Godalming was the responsibility of the 4th Battalion of the Surrey Home Guard, part of South East Command. A total of 213 bombs fell on the town, including two V-1 flying bombs, although no civilians were killed. In September 1939, around 40 children were evacuations of civilians in Britain during World War II, evacuated to Busbridge from Wandsworth and several houses in Godalming were requisitioned to provide accommodation for soldiers. St Thomas's Hospital Medical School was also evacuated to Godalming and used the Charterhouse School science laboratories to teach in. Many students joined local home guard. A British Restaurant was opened in Angel Yard and Branksome House, in Filmer Grove, served as a district control centre.[ The manufacturer, RFD, set up a factory in Catteshall Lane to produce barrage balloons, inflatable boats and personal flotation device, life jackets and, by the end of the war, was employing over 1000 local people.
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National and local government
UK parliament
The entirety of the Godalming Civil Parish is in the parliamentary constituency of South West Surrey (UK Parliament constituency), South West Surrey and has been represented Parliament of the United Kingdom, at Westminster since May 2005 by Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Jeremy Hunt. Between 1984 and 2005, the seat was held by Virginia Bottomley, who was elevated to the House of Lords as Baroness Bottomley of Nettlestone in the year she left the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons.[
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County Council
Surrey County Council, headquartered in Reigate, is elected every four years. Godalming is represented by two councillors.[
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Borough Council
The town is divided into five wards; Binscombe, Central and Ockford, Charterhouse, Farncombe and Catteshall, and Holloway. Godalming has 10 representatives governing the Borough of Waverley, headquartered in Godalming:
Godalming Town Council
Godalming Town Council is the lowest tier of local government in the civil parish. A total of 20 councillors is elected every four years. Each year, one councillor is chosen as the Mayor, who represents the town on civic occasions and who is recognised as the principal citizen of Godalming. Godalming is sister cities, twinned with Mayen, Germany (April 1982) and Joigny, France (May 1985). The town retains strong friendship links with the state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, USA, and with the cities of Savannah
A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...
and Augusta in particular, through the organisation, the Friends of Oglethorpe. Since 2011, the town council has held the power to confer the titles of "Honorary Freeman" and "Honorary Freewoman" on residents who have demonstrated outstanding service to or made a significant contribution to the community. As of 2022, two people (Zadie Caudle and John Young) have been recognised in this way.
Demography and housing
Public services
Utilities
For much of the town's history, residents obtained drinking water from local rivers or from wells. In the early 19th century, a hand-operated pump was installed next to the Pepperpot in the High Street. A well was dug at Charterhouse to supply the school with water. Water mains were installed in Godalming and Farncombe and were fed from a water tower on Frith Hill.[ In 1899, the borough council purchased the water tower, becoming responsible for the drinking water supply to the town until 1974. In that year, the water tower was decommissioned and a new covered reservoir was opened at Sandy Lane.
The town sewerage system was constructed in 1894 and included a sewage works at Unstead Farm, to the north of Farncombe.] Until this point, waste water had been disposed of in cess pits in the town, resulting in the contamination of drinking water wells and outbreaks of cholera and typhoid are recorded in the 18th and 19th centuries. The municipal tip was opened next to the sewage works in the early 1900s.[
The Godalming Gas and Coke Company was established in 1825] and purchased part of Godalming Wharf for the site of its gasworks. Gas was provided for street lighting between 1836 and 1881, and again from 1884 to 1900. The coal required initially arrived by barge, but was delivered by train after the first railway station opened in 1849. The gasworks closed in 1957, when the town supply was linked to that of Guildford.[
Godalming has a claim to be the first town in the world to have a combined public and private electricity supply.] The price of gas had risen during the 1870s and the borough sought an alternative method of providing street lighting.[ In 1881, the London firm of Calder and Barrett installed a generator driven by two Poncelet wheel, Poncelet waterwheels at Westbrook Mill. The electricity was used to power three 250 V arc lamp, arc lights at the mill and overhead power line, overhead cables were run above Mill Street to the town centre, where four further arc lights had been installed. A second, 40 V circuit supplied 34 incandescent light bulb, incandescent lamps (of which seven were at the mill and the remainder were in the town centre). The scheme met with mixed success and there were criticisms that the lights in the town centre were too dim, while those at the mill were too bright.][ By the end of 1881, the generator had been moved to the rear of the White Hart pub, where it was driven by a steam engine][ and in April of the following year, Siemens took over the operation. The electricity supply continued until 1884, when Siemens refused to bid for the renewal of its contract and the town reverted to gas lighting.][
The second power station in Godalming was opened in Borough Road in 1902.] By the end of the following year, two 90 kW and one 200 kW steam-powered generators had been installed, which were replaced in 1928 by a 200 kW diesel-driven generator.[ Under the Electricity (Supply) Act 1926, Godalming was connected to the National Grid (Great Britain), National Grid, initially to a 33 kV electric power transmission, supply ring, which linked the town to Guildford, Hindhead, Woking and Aldershot. In 1932, the ring was connected to the Wimbledon, London, Wimbledon-Woking main via a 132 kV electrical substation, substation at West Byfleet. By the time of its closure in 1949, the Borough Road power station had an nameplate capacity, installed capacity of 600 kW.][
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Emergency services
From the early part of the 17th century, the borough appears to have employed a "bedle" or "bellman" to apprehend troublemakers and, in 1747, there is a reference to a "cage prison" in Godalming. By 1762, a uniformed town watchman was employed with an annual salary of £10 and a "constable of Godalming" is first recorded in 1817. The borough police force was formed in 1836 and briefly became part of the county force from 1851-1857. By 1868, the police station was in Moss Lane and had three cells capable of holding a total of nine people. The force was led by had superintendent, assisted by a constable, a night watch and several special constables.
In 1889, the borough force became part of the Surrey Constabulary, following the Local Government Act 1888.[ A new police station, built on the site of the former gasworks, opened in 1969 and closed in 2012.][ In 2022, policing in the civil parish is the responsibility of Surrey Police and the nearest police station run by the force is at Guildford.
The first fire station in Godalming was constructed in Moss Lane in 1816. It housed a manual fire pump, mounted on a pushcart, that could be used by local residents when the need arose. It was not until 1870 that the town fire brigade was formally constituted, initially as a volunteer force, with the equipment funded by public subscription.] Six years later, the station moved to Godalming Wharf and, in 1894, the borough took over the running of the brigade. From this point onwards, the firefighters were paid for each incident that they attended, with costs being paid by each property owner who used their services.[ In 1904, the borough purchased a horse-drawn steam pump and, in May of the same year, the force moved to a new fire station in Queen Street.] During the Second World War, the became part of the National Fire Service and, in 1948, Surrey Fire and Rescue Service was formed. The fire brigade moved to the current station in Bridge Road in 1972.[
In 2022, the local fire authority is Surrey County Council and the fire services in the United Kingdom, statutory fire service is the Surrey Fire and Rescue Service. Godalming Ambulance Station, in Catteshall Lane, is run by the South East Coast Ambulance Service.
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Healthcare
The Meath Epilepsy Charity was founded in 1892 by Mary Jane Brabazon, Countess of Meath. She purchased Westbrook House and opened the "Home of Comfort for Epileptic Women and Girls". By 1920, The Meath, as it became known, was offering residential care for 87 patients. In 2020, 82 adults with epilepsy were offered residential care and the charity supported an additional 30 clients. Changing Perceptions, in Godalming High Street, is The Meath's social enterprise and offers patients opportunities to work in the furniture workshop and in the café.
The nearest hospital with an Emergency department, A&E is the Royal Surrey County Hospital, from Godalming. As of 2022, the town has two GP practices, one at Catteshall Mill and one at Binscombe.
Transport
Bus and train
Godalming is linked by a number of bus routes to surrounding towns and villages in southwest Surrey. Operators serving the town include Compass Bus, Stagecoach South, Stagecoach and the Compo Community Bus.
South Western Railway (train operating company), South Western Railway operates all services from both and Farncombe railway station, Farncombe stations. Trains run to via and to via . There is a taxi rank at Godalming station.
River navigation
The River Wey is navigable from Godalming northwards to Weybridge and the navigation authority is the National Trust. The head of navigation is at Godalming Wharf, about downstream of Town Bridge. Catteshall Lock has a fall of and is the southernmost lock on the connected inland waterways of Great Britain.
Long-distance cycleway and footpath
The Farnham Link of the Surrey Cycleway runs through the civil parish from Charterhouse via the town centre to Holloway Hill. The final stage of the Tour of Britain 2012 passed through Godalming.
The Fox Way, a footpath that encircles Guildford, follows the towpath of the Wey Navigation from Catteshall to Town Bridge, before running north of the town centre and Aaron's Hill towards Eashing.
Localities
Catteshall
Catteshall is a directly attached neighbourhood and commercial estate in the east of Godalming civil parish, formerly a hamlet (place), hamlet between Godalming and the villages of Unstead and Thorncombe Street. It incorporates another previously distinct but now largely forgotten hamlet called Langham. Catteshall Manor is at the top of the hill and the former ''Ram Cider House'' at the bottom. Its name is first attested c. 1130 and likely derives from the Old English for ‘wild cat hill’. Two buildings are listed: ''Ram Cider House'' and ''Catteshall Grange'', as the manor house is on the higher land now in Busbridge Civil Parish.[
Catteshall houses high-tech firms such as Cloud Computing Provider MTI Technology, the business data specialists The Content Group, and the new Surrey Data Park, home to Aegis Data Centre.
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Binscombe
Formerly a hamlet distinct from Farncombe and with closer links to Compton, Binscombe expanded significantly from the 1950s onwards with the addition of the Binscombe Housing Estate. It predates both Godalming and Farncombe as a settlement, originating in the Iron Age if not earlier, and continuing into the Roman era as a likely villa site with an associated cemetery. As such it may have had links with the Compton Roman villa and the Roman temple at Wanborough, and so have constituted a comparative local hub within sparsely settled Roman Surrey. Continuity between this and later Saxon settlement is not clear.[
The name Binscombe, deriving from 'Budenscumbe' or Bȳda's/Bȳden's valley, is first attested in 1227. A notable manorial lord of Binscombe (traditionally linked with the Westbrook estate in Godalming) was Theophilus Oglethorpe (1650–1702), soldier, MP and Jacobite, of Westbrook Place.
'Binscombe Farm' is of at least medieval origin. Quakers, Quaker leader George Fox is said to have preached in Binscombe, presumably in the Farm, which was then owned by a noted local adherent - hence 'Fox's Barn'. Adjacent to it and marked by a plaque is a Quaker burial ground in use from 1660 to 1790. A number of other nearby houses date from the 16th century or before. Binscombe's centre is designated a conservation area of special architectural or historic interest.
An indirect casualty of the First World War, Charles Wheatley of the Royal Field Artillery, died during a training exercise accident in the field below Binscombe Ridge on 15 March 1915, aged 28. He is buried in Eashing Cemetery.
Binscombe has a church which opened in 1965, a school, a doctors' surgery and adjacent pharmacy, and a parade of shops, including a dentist's and dog groomer's. It appears never to have had a public house, although an "off-sales beerhouse" opened in the late 19th century, gradually evolving into a village shop, which closed in 1964. However, the ''White Hart'' in Bourne Road can be said to be within Binscombe's boundaries.
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Education
Early schools
There are thought to have been dame schools operating in Godalming in the 16th and 17th centuries, but the first surviving reference to formal education in the town is from 1715, in which a school for 50 poor boys is recorded. The National school (England and Wales), National school opened in Mint Road in February 1813 and moved to the former workhouse in Moss Lane in 1843. The workhouse buildings were demolished in 1910 and new classrooms were constructed on the same site.[ The school moved to new premises on Franklyn Road in the early 1970s and was renamed to become St Mark's School.] A further change of name took place in 2008 and the school is now known as Green Oak School.
A British and Foreign School Society, British school opened in Hart's Yard in December 1812, but moved to Bridge Road in February the following year. It educated children between the ages of 6 and 13. The premises were rebuilt in 1872 and are now occupied by the Busy Bees nursery school. Busbridge School was founded in 1865 and three years later it became a National school. In 1868 there were 64 children on the roll, but by 1906, the school had 166 pupils.
St John's School, Farncombe opened in 1856; both the George Road and Meadrow Schools opened in 1906. Moss Lane County Primary School opened on the former workhouse site in 1975, but became an infants school in 1994.
Maintained schools
Broadwater School, in the north of the civil parish, was established in 1967. It was built on part of the former Broadwater House estate. The school educates around 570 pupils aged from 11 to 16. It became part of the Greenshaw Learning Trust in September 2020.
Godalming College, to the south of the town centre, was founded in 1975 on the campus of the former Godalming Grammar School. It caters for 16–19-year-olds and is state maintained. Awarded Beacon status in 2006, it was the best performing state school for AS/A levels in the Surrey area in 2004; its Ofsted report for 2005 graded the college as "outstanding" in six of the seven key areas and "good" in the 7th.
Independent schools
Charterhouse School
(God having given, I gave)
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was founded in 1611 in a former Carthusian monastery near Smithfield, London, Smithfield in London and relocated to Godalming in 1872. The main school buildings were designed by the architect, Philip Charles Hardwick, and the chapel, by Giles Gilbert Scott, was erected in 1927 as a memorial to former pupils who had died in the First World War. Initially the school was for boys only but, from 1971, girls were accepted into the sixth form. Girls were first admitted into Year 9 in 2021 and the school is expected to become fully coeducational in September 2023.
St Hilary's School is an independent preparatory school for boys 2½–7 (around 90) and girls 2½–11 (around 200). It was founded in Tuesley Lane in August 1927 and moved to its present site on Holloway Hill in 1936. The nursery department opened in 1946 and the school became a limited company in 1965.
Community
Places of worship
Godalming Parish Church, The Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul's meets in a Grade I listed building. It has an early Anglo-Saxon architecture, Saxon chancel and a Norman architecture, Norman tower. The Roman Catholic, Quaker, and Unitarianism, Unitarian places of worship, the former Congregational church, Congregational chapel, and former Salvation Army hall are all Grade II listed buildings. Godalming currently contains places of worship belonging to five denominations:
*Busbridge Church is an evangelical Anglican Church in Busbridge on the southern hill of Godalming.[Busbridge Church](_blank)
, Busbridge Church website.
*Godalming Baptist Church is a Baptists, Baptist church in the centre of Godalming.[Godalming Baptist Church](_blank)
, Godalming Baptist Church website.
*St Edmund Church, Godalming, St Edmund's is the Roman Catholic parish church, on a hillside off A3100 road, Flambard Way, near the town centre.
*Godalming Friends Meeting House is a Quaker place of worship.
*Meadrow Unitarian Chapel is on the outskirts of the town in Meadrow.
Music and theatre
*Godalming Band has been active in its current form since 1937, there having been a previous town band established in 1844. The main band and Youth Band play at various community events and concerts throughout the year, some at the town's bandstand, in aid of the band and other local charities.
*The amateur Godalming Theatre Group puts on three shows a year at the Ben Travers Theatre, Charterhouse School
(God having given, I gave)
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, Godalming: a spring musical, an autumn drama or comedy, and a Christmas pantomime or show. It also runs a youth theatre group.
Community centres
*The Denningberg Centre for the Elderly is named after Danny Denningberg (1923−2011), a local politician granted the Honorary Freedom of the Borough of Waverley Borough Council, Waverley in 2007. Denningberg was a community activist and fund-raiser who served on Godalming Borough Council in 1954 and then again from 1963 continuously through the formation of Waverley until 2003, when he retired. Denningberg was also Mayor of Godalming and Mayor of Waverley at times during his public career.
*The Wilfrid Noyce Community Centre in Godalming is named after Wilfrid Noyce (1917–1962), a master at Charterhouse and a Mountaineering, mountaineer, who was on the expedition that made the 1953 British Mount Everest expedition, first ascent of Mount Everest in 1953.
*The Clockhouse, or Milford and Villages Day Centre, is a day centre for people over 50. The money to build it in 1997 was raised from charitable donations and local fundraising.
Godalming is home to The National Autistic Society (NAS) resource centre for the south east and the NAS horizons day centre.
In popular culture
*In Charles Dickens' novel ''Nicholas Nickleby'', Nicholas and Smike stay the night in Godalming , en route from London to Portsmouth: "To Godalming they came at last, and here they bargained for two humble beds, and slept soundly."
*The comic novel ''The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin#Series Two, The Return of Reginald Perrin'', by David Nobbs, contains the following: "Note: It is believed that this book mentions Godalming more than any other book ever written, including ''A Social, Artistic and Economic History of Godalming'' by E. Phipps-Blythburgh."
* Ian Fleming's James Bond short story, ''For Your Eyes Only (short story collection)#"Quantum of Solace", Quantum of Solace'', referred to Godalming as a venue for retired colonial civil servants with memories of postings to places "that no one at the local golf club would have heard about or would care about."
*Much of the action in ''Bulldog Drummond'' by H. C. McNeile, Sapper takes place in Godalming.
*In ''The Rose of Tibet'' (1962) by thriller writer, Lionel Davidson, two characters are described as talking "for hours" of a shared link with Godalming. In a somewhat "backhanded compliment", their exotic (and perilous) Tibetan location is held to be "All a long, long way from damp, soft Godalming with its mushy autumnal leaves underfoot and its dark green trains commuting to Waterloo."
*Binscombe features as a location in ''The Hog's Back Mystery'' (1933) by the detective-fiction writer Freeman Wills Crofts. Binscombe is also the nominal setting for John Whitbourn's ''The Binscombe Tales'' (1998 onwards), a multi-volume ''Twilight Zone'' style story collection.
The 2006 romantic comedy film, ''The Holiday'', and the 2022 television series, ''Inside Man (2022 TV series), Inside Man'', include scenes filmed in Godalming.
Sport
Leisure centre
Godalming Leisure Centre at Broadwater Park was opened in 2012, replacing the previous centre dating from the 1970s. It offers a 25 m pool, a teaching pool a fitness gym, a sauna and a soft play area.
Association football
Godalming Town F.C. was founded as Godalming United F.C. in 1950 by former pupils of Godalming Grammar School. Originally, the team played its home games at the Holloway Hill Recreation Ground, but moved to Meadrow in Farncombe in 1970. The current stadium is named in memory of Bill Kyte, a former president and longstanding supporter of the club.
Old Carthusians F.C. was founded in 1876 by a group of former pupils of Charterhouse School. The team won the FA Cup in 1881 and the FA Amateur Cup three times in the 1890s. In 2022, the club is a member of the Arthurian League and the first team plays its home games at the school playing fields.
Other sports
* Godalming Angling Society was founded in 1881 and has fishing rights to six lakes and the River Wey from Lower Eashing to Guildford.
*Cricket has been played in Godalming since at least 1767.
**Godalming Cricket Club plays at the Holloway Hill Recreation Ground.
**Farncombe Cricket Club
*Guildford Rugby Club (formed in 2002 by the merger of Guildford & Godalming RFC and Old Guildfordians RFC) plays in the London 2 South West league at the Broadwater Sports Club in Godalming.
*Guildford Hockey Club is based at Broadwater School. The men's 1XI compete in the Men's England Hockey League, England Hockey League.
*Bowls, Flat Green Lawn Bowls: Godalming and Farncombe Bowls Club plays at the Burys in central Godalming, Holloway Hill Bowls Club at Holloway Recreation Ground, and Milford Bowls Club at Chapel Lane, Milford.
*Several Contract Bridge clubs play at various venues in the town.
Notable buildings and landmarks
Godalming civil parish has 138 listed buildings, of which 82 are within the town centre itself, and 18 of which are monuments.[Map]
created by Ordnance Survey, courtesy of English Heritage These include Tudor period, Tudor timber framed buildings, 17th-century brickwork buildings and a wide selection of other buildings. One of its most famous landmarks is 'The Pepperpot' which is Godalming's old town hall.
Significant buildings in the town include Charterhouse School, Charterhouse, which stands from the town centre, on Charterhouse Hill, which is half-separated from Frith Hill by a steep ravine. Its main building is Grade II listed and the chapel, built by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, is Grade II* listed.
Town halls
The 19th-century town hall, nicknamed The Pepperpot due to its cupola, is a distinctive octagonal building in the High Street. Its uniqueness has made it emblematic of the town. Built in 1814, it took over from the medieval Old Market House, which had held the site since the early Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
. It was in this Market House and its predecessors that the local Hundred (administrative division), Hundred Court met and discussed local matters for over a thousand years. The upstairs rooms continued to be used for civic gatherings until 1908. The Pepperpot later housed the town museum and continues to be used as a public function room. The arched area at street level has been used as a market place. Its successor, Godalming Borough Hall, fronts onto Bridge Street.
Godalming Museum
Godalming Museum was formed in 1921 and was originally located in the Pepperpot. In the 1980s, it moved to 109 High Street, a timber-framed Wealden House dating from the 1440s. The museum houses numerous artefacts relating to the history of the local area and the Arts and Crafts movement in southwest Surrey.
Jack Phillips memorial cloister and gardens
The radio operator of RMS Titanic, RMS ''Titanic'', Jack Phillips, was born and lived in Farncombe, worked in Godalming and was then at sea. He is famed for remaining at his post, sending repeated distress calls, until the ship sank. Phillips is remembered in several ways around the town, including a section of Godalming Museum, a memorial fountain, a cloister and garden walk near the church, and a public house named in his honour.
The Red House
The Red House, on Frith Hill, was built in 1899 by architect Edwin Lutyens for a retired housemaster of Charterhouse School. It is constructed of red brick in a Flemish bond with a plain tile roof and leadlight, leaded-light windows. Its position, on a sloping hillside, required the front of the building to have two storeys, but the rear has four. The principal internal feature is the central, open-well staircase and the original decoration on the handrail is still visible. The Red House has been described as "an early seminal work by Lutyens".
Wyatt's Almshouses
Wyatt's Almshouses were built in 1622 for Richard Wyatt, the Master Carpenter of the Worshipful Company of Carpenters, Carpenters' Company in London. Wyatt stipulated that accommodation should be offered to ten poor men of the parishes of Godalming, Puttenham, Hambledon, Compton and Dunsfold. A chapel was also provided for the use of residents. The ten dwellings were converted into eight apartments in 1959 and new bungalows surrounding the original building were added in the 1960s.[
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Parks and open spaces
Broadwater Park
The Broadwater Park is a mixed-use recreation ground to the northeast of Farncombe. For much of its history, the area was owned by the More Molyneux family of Loseley House and the first record of cricket being played there is from 1827. The estate, including the cricket ground, was sold in 1836 to the timber merchant, George Marshall, for the site of Broadwater House. The property remained in the Marshall family until the early 20th century, when it was bought by George Edward Price, a director of the Canadian firm, Abitibi-Consolidated#Price Brothers, Price Brothers Ltd. During the First World War, the house was used to accommodate Belgian refugees and the lake was used as an ice rink by Canadian_Expeditionary_Force, Canadian soldiers, who were billeted at Witley Camp.[
In 1936, the estate was purchased by Mr W. Hoptroff, a local builder, who in turn offered some of the land to the borough for use as a recreation area. In November of that year, an area of , including the cricket ground, were bought by P. C. Fletcher, the Mayor of Godalming, and presented to the town.][ In December 1938, an area of was designated a King George's Fields, King George's Field. In 2022, the park is owned by the borough council and includes areas of woodland and grassland, a multi-use games area, football pitches and tennis courts.
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Lammas Lands
The Lammas Lands are a area of floodplain on the north bank of the River Wey between the town centre and Farncombe. From medieval times until the early 19th century, the area was managed as a hay meadow and, once the grass had been cut around Lammas, Lammas Day (1 August), local residents were permitted to graze their cattle until Candlemas (1 February) the following year. These common land, rights of common were extinguished in with the Inclosure Acts, 1808 Act of Inclosure, but at least two of the boundary marker, dole stones, which formerly denoted individual plots of land, survive.[ Today the Lammas Lands are designated a Site of Nature Conservation Interest and are mostly owned by the borough council. A 1994 survey noted the presence of over 108 species of flowering plants, including Centaurea nigra, black knapweed, Saxifraga granulata, meadow saxifrage, Caltha palustris, marsh marigold and Mentha aquatica, water mint. Some 227 types of invertebrate were recorded in 2001, including populations of Donacia bicolora, reed beetle on the banks of the Wey, whirligig beetle in Hell Ditch and click beetle in areas with taller grasses.][
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Notable people
:''See also alumni of Godalming Grammar School and List of notable Old Carthusians''
* Jonas Moore (16171679) mathematician, cadastre, surveyor and materiel, ordnance officer died at Godalming
* John Balchen (16701744) Admiral of the White, Royal Navy was born and lived in Godalming until he joined the navy at the age of 15
* James Oglethorpe
James Edward Oglethorpe (22 December 1696 – 30 June 1785) was a British soldier, Member of Parliament, and philanthropist, as well as the founder of the colony of Georgia in what was then British America. As a social reformer, he hoped to r ...
(16961785) army officer and founder of the Colony of Georgia was born in Godalming and lived at Westbrook Place
* Mary Toft (1763) convinced medical professionals that she had given birth to rabbits born, lived and died in Godalming
* Owen Manning (17211801) clergyman and historian of Surrey was vicar of Godalming from 1763 until his death
* George Barrett (actuary), George Barrett (17521821) actuary lived in Godalming from 1816 until his death
* James Inskipp (17901868) artist lived for the latter part of his life in Catteshall Lane
* Joseph Dando (18061894) violinist and viola player lived at Attwell Cottage, Peperharow Road from 1875 until his death
* Alfred Russel Wallace (18231913) biologist and critic lived in Godalming from 1881 to 1889
* Julius Caesar (cricketer), Julius Caesar (18301878) cricketer born, lived and died in Godalming
* Thomas Ethelbert Page, Thomas Page (18501936) classicist and schoolmaster served for 30 years on Godalming Town Council, was a founder of Godalming Grammar School, died at his home on Frith Hill
* Philip Cardew (18511910 army officer in the Royal Engineers and pioneer of electrical engineering died at Crownpits House, Godalming
* Ernest Irving (18781953) musical director and composer born and lived in Godalming as a child
* George Mallory
George Herbert Leigh Mallory (18 June 1886 – 8 or 9 June 1924) was an English mountaineer who took part in the first three British expeditions to Mount Everest in the early 1920s.
Born in Cheshire, Mallory became a student at Wincheste ...
(18861924) teacher and mountaineer lived at Frith Hill from 1910 until his death
* Jack Phillips (18871912) senior wireless operator on the was born in Godalming and lived in the town as a child[
* W. H. C. Romanis (18891972) surgeon and medical author was born in Godalming and spent his childhood in the town
* Aldous Huxley (18941963) writer and philosopher was born at Laleham, Peperharow Road and spent his childhood in Godalming
* Milicent Bagot (19072006) British intelligence officer lived at Jubilee Nursing Home from 2001 until her death
* Nick Clarke (19482006) broadcaster was born in the town
* Elspeth Beard (b. 1959) architect and motorcyclist lives and works in Godalming]
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External links
Godalming Town Council
Godalming Museum
www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Godalming and surrounding area
{{Authority control
Godalming
Towns in Surrey
Market towns in Surrey