Godalming is a town and
civil parishIn England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and in some places the lowest tier of local government, below districts and counties. A civil parish can alternatively be known as a town, village, neighbourhood or community by resolution of its parish council; and in a limited number of...
in the
WaverleyWaverley is a local government district with borough status in Surrey, England. The borough's headquarters are in the town of Godalming, although the largest town is Farnham...
district of the county of
SurreySurrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire, and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford...
,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, south of
GuildfordGuildford is the county town of Surrey, England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
. It is built on the banks of the
River WeyThe River Wey in Surrey, Hampshire and West Sussex is a tributary of the River Thames with two separate branches which join at Tilford. The source of the north branch is at Alton, Hampshire and of the south branch at Blackdown south of Haslemere. The Wey has a total catchment area of , draining...
and is a prosperous part of the
London commuter beltThe London commuter belt is the metropolitan area surrounding London, England from which it is possible to commute to work in the capital. It is alternatively known as the London metropolitan area or the Southeast metropolitan area...
. Godalming shares a three-way
twinning arrangementSister cities, also known as town twinning, is an agreement between towns, cities and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties...
with the towns of
JoignyJoigny is a town and commune of the Yonne département in France. It is located on the banks of the Yonne River.-Demographics:As of the census of 1999, the population was .
On 1 January 2005, the estimate was .-Miscellaneous:...
in
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
and
MayenMayen is a town in the Mayen-Koblenz District of the Rhineland-Palatinate Federal State of Germany, in the eastern part of the Volcanic Eifel Region. As well as the main town, there are five further settlements which are part of Mayen, they are: Alzheim, Kürrenberg, Hausen-Betzing, Hausen and Nitztal...
in
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
. Friendship links are in place with the state of
GeorgiaGeorgia is a state in the United States. One of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution, it had been the last of the Thirteen Colonies to be established, in 1733. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January...
in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the city of
MoscowMoscow is the capital and the largest city of Russia. It is also the largest metropolitan area in Europe, and ranks among the largest urban areas in the world. Moscow is a major political, economic, cultural, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the world, a...
in
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
James OglethorpeJames Edward Oglethorpe was a British general, a philanthropist, and was the founder of the colony of Georgia...
, of Godalming and educated at
Charterhouse SchoolCharterhouse, originally The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse, or more simply Charterhouse, is a collegiate independent boarding school between Hurtmore and Godalming in Surrey, England....
, was the founder of the colony of New Hampshire.
Pre-1300
The town has existed since
SaxonAnglo-Saxons is the term usually used to describe the invading Germanic tribes in the south and east of Great Britain from the early 5th century AD, and their creation of the English nation, to the Norman conquest of 1066...
times (see also
Godalming (hundred)Godalming was an ancient hundred in the south west of the county of Surrey, England. It corresponds to the central third of the current borough of Waverley and some parts of the current borough of Guildford.-History:...
), and probably earlier. It is mentioned in the will of King
Alfred the GreatAlfred the Great , was king of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex from 871 to 899. Alfred is noted for his defence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of southern England against the Vikings, becoming the only English king to be given the epithet "the Great". Alfred was the first King of the West Saxons to...
, and the name itself has Saxon origins, 'Godhelms Ingus' roughly translated as “the family of godhelm”, and probably referring to one of the first lords of the manor.
Godalming grew in size because its location is roughly half-way between
PortsmouthPortsmouth is a city located in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is the United Kingdom's only island city and is located on Portsea Island. The City of Portsmouth and Portsmouth Football Club are both nicknamed Pompey...
and
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
, which encouraged traders to set up stalls and inns for travellers to buy from and rest in.
Godalming appears in
Domesday BookThe Domesday Book is the record of the great survey of England completed in 1086, executed for William I of England, or William the Conqueror...
of 1086 as
Godelminge. It was held by William the Conqueror. Its domesday assets were: 2 churches (both held by Ranulf Flambard) worth 12s, 3
millA grinding mill is a unit operation designed to break a solid material into smaller pieces. There are many different types of grinding mills and many types of materials processed in them. Historically mills were powered by hand , working animal, wind or water...
s worth £2 1s 8d, 25
ploughThe plough is a tool used in farming for initial cultivation of soil in preparation for sowing seed or planting. It has been a basic instrument for most of recorded history, and represents one of the major advances in agriculture...
s, 40 acres of
meadowA meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . It may be cut for hay or grazed by livestock such as cattle, sheep or goats.- Agricultural meadow :...
,
woodlandEcologically, a woodland is an area covered in trees, usually at low density, forming an open habitat, allowing sunlight to penetrate between the trees, and limiting shade. Woodland may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to...
worth 103 hogs. It rendered £34. Its population was roughly 400 people. At the time, its manor belonged to the King, but a few hundred years later, ownership transferred to the
Bishop of SalisburyThe Bishop of Salisbury is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Salisbury in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers much of the Counties of Wiltshire and Dorset. The see is in the City of Salisbury where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary.The...
, under a charter granted by King
Edward I of EnglandEdward I , also known as Edward Longshanks, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English Barons. In 1259 he briefly sided with a baronial...
.
1300–1800
In the year 1300, the town was granted the right to hold a weekly
marketA market is any one of a variety of different systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby persons trade, and goods and services are exchanged, forming part of the economy. It is an arrangement that allows buyers and sellers to exchange things...
and an annual
fairA fair is a gathering of people to display or trade produce or other goods, to parade or display animals and often to enjoy associated carnival or funfair entertainment. Activities at fairs vary widely...
. Its major industry at the time was woollen cloth, which contributed to Godalming’s prosperity over the next few centuries, until a sudden decline in the 17th century. Instead, its people applied their skills to the latest
knittingKnitting is a method by which thread or yarn may be turned into cloth. Knitting consists of loops called stitches pulled through each other. The active stitches are held on a needle until another loop can be passed through them....
and
weavingWeaving is the textile art in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads, called the warp and the filling or weft , are interlaced with each other to form a fabric or cloth...
technology and began producing
stockingA stocking, sometimes referred to as hose, is a close-fitting, variously elastic garment covering the foot and lower part of the leg. Stockings vary in color and transparency...
s in a variety of materials, and later to
leatherLeather is a material created through the tanning of hides and skins of animals, primarily cattlehide. The tanning process converts the putrescible skin into a durable and versatile material....
work.
A willingness to adapt, and move from one industry to another meant that Godalming continued to thrive. For example,
papermakingPapermaking is the process of making paper, a substance which is used ubiquitously today for writing and packaging.In papermaking a dilute suspension of fibers in water is drained through a screen, so that a mat of randomly interwoven fibers is laid down. Water is removed from this mat of fibers by...
was adopted in the 17th century, and
paperPaper is thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
was still manufactured there in the 20th century. The quarrying of
Bargate stoneBargate stone is a highly durable form of sandstone, which was quarried for centuries in south west Surrey, England - particularly around Guildford and Godalming. It owes its yellow, ‘butter’ colouring to the high iron oxide content....
also provided an important source of income, as did passing trade - Godalming was a popular stopping point for
stagecoachA stagecoach is a type of four-wheeled closed coach for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach...
es and the
Mail coachIn Great Britain, the mail coach or post coach was a horse-drawn carriage that carried mail deliveries, from 1784. In Ireland, the first mail coach began service from Dublin in 1789. The coach was drawn by four horses and had seating for four passengers inside. Further passengers were later allowed...
between
PortsmouthPortsmouth is a city located in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is the United Kingdom's only island city and is located on Portsea Island. The City of Portsmouth and Portsmouth Football Club are both nicknamed Pompey...
and
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
. In 1764, trade received an additional boost when early canalisation of the river took place, linking the town to
GuildfordGuildford is the county town of Surrey, England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
, and from there to the
River ThamesThe River Thames is a major river flowing through southern England. While best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows through several other towns and cities, including Oxford, Reading and Windsor....
and London on the Wey and Godalming Navigations.
In 1726 a Godalming maidservant called Mary Toft hoaxed the town into believing that she had given birth to rabbits. The foremost doctors of the day came to witness the freak event and for a brief time the story caused a national sensation. Eventually Mary was found out after a porter was caught smuggling a dead rabbit into her chamber, she confessed to inserting at least 16 rabbits into herself and faking their birth.
From 1800
So successful was Godalming, that in the early 19th century it was considerably larger than today’s county town of
GuildfordGuildford is the county town of Surrey, England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
, and by 1851 the population had passed 6,500. Already, it was becoming a popular residence for commuters, for it was connected to London by railway two years earlier, in 1849, and to Portsmouth in 1859. Today the town is served by
Godalming railway stationGodalming railway station is a stop on the Portsmouth Direct Line. The station, which opened in 1859 to replace one on a different site of the town, is situated at the edge of the town of Godalming. The current typical off-peak service is two trains per hour in each direction...
on the
Portsmouth Direct LineThe Portsmouth Direct Line is a railway service operated by South West Trains which runs between London Waterloo and Portsmouth Harbour, England...
. The first mayor of Godalming was Henry Marshall who also founded the firm of Marshalls Solicitors in 1831.
On 14 August 1818, the town was the site a dual public hanging of George Chennell and William Chalcraft, convicted of murdering George Chennell the elder (father of one prisoner, and master of Chalcraft) and Elizabeth Wilson, his housekeeper.
Architecture
The town has around 230
listed buildings, including
TudorThe Tudor period usually refers to the period between 1485 and 1603, specifically in relation to the history of England. This coincides with the rule of the Tudor dynasty in England whose first monarch was Henry VII...
timber framingTimber framing , or half-timbering, is the method of creating framed structures of heavy timber jointed together with pegged mortise and tenon joints.- Naming :...
and 17th century
brickworkBrickwork masonry is produced when a bricklayer uses bricks and mortar to build up structures such as walls, bridges and chimneys. Brickwork is also used to finish openings such as doors or windows in buildings made of other materials...
.
Godalming Parish ChurchA church has stood on the site of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Godalming, since at least the mid ninth century. The church contains carved stones which have been dated to c.820-840 and a few Anglo Saxon remnants survive in the present structure, which was largely rebuilt in the late tenth or early...
has an early
SaxonAnglo-Saxon architecture was a period in the history of architecture in England, and parts of Wales, from the mid-5th century until the Norman Conquest of 1066....
chancelIn architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may terminate in an apse....
and
NormanThe term Norman architecture is used to categorise styles of Romanesque architecture developed by the Normans in the various lands under their dominion or influence in the 11th and 12th centuries. In particular the term is traditionally used for English Romanesque architecture...
tower. The 19th century town hall, nicknamed 'the Pepperpot' due to its
cupolaIn architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like structure, on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome. The word derives, via Italian, from the lower Latin cupula small cup indicating a vault resembling an...
, is a distinctive octagonal building situated on the High Street. Due to its unique design, it has become the defacto 'logo' of the town today.
The current building dates back to 1814 and replaced the medieval "Old Market House" that had occupied the site since the early
Middle AgesThe Middle Ages of European history is a period of European history covering roughly a millennium in the 5th century through 16th centuries. More specific starting and ending points are sometimes adopted by scholars to suit their respective specializations or current focus...
. It was in this Market House (and its predecessors) that the local Hundred Court met and discussed matters of local importance for more than 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 beneath the building, at street level, has been used as a marketplace.
Other significant buildings in the town include
Edwin LutyensSir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, OM, KCIE, PRA, FRIBA, LLD was a leading 20th century British architect who is known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era...
's Red House, and a significant English public school,
CharterhouseCharterhouse, originally The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse, or more simply Charterhouse, is a collegiate independent boarding school between Hurtmore and Godalming in Surrey, England....
stands about a mile from the town, on the top of Charterhouse Hill. Charterhouse won the
FA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association. The name "FA Cup" usually refers to the English men's tournament, although a women's tournament is also held...
as the Old Carthusians in 1880 and 1881.
Winkworth ArboretumWinkworth Arboretum is a National Trust-owned arboretum located between Godalming and Hascombe, Surrey, England.Winkworth Arboretum exhibits large collections of azalea, rhododendron, and holly on slopes leading down to ornamental lakes. Gertrude Jekyll explored the woods in the early 20th century....
, with its collection of rare
treeA tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s and
shrubA shrub or bush is a horticultural rather than strictly botanical category of woody plant, distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and lower height, usually less than 5-6 m tall. A large number of plants can be either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
s, is situated a few miles to the south.
Public electricity supply
Godalming came to world attention in September 1881, when it became the first town in the World to have installed a public
electricityElectricity is a general term that encompasses a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge...
supply, which made electricity available to consumers. It was Calder & Barnet who installed a
SiemensSiemens AG is Europe's largest engineering conglomerate. Siemens' international headquarters are located in Berlin and Munich, Germany. The company is a conglomerate of three main business sectors: Industry, Energy and Healthcare with a total of 15 Divisions.Worldwide, Siemens and its subsidiaries...
ACIn alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. An electric charge would for instance move forward, then backward, then forward, then backward, over and over again...
AlternatorAn alternator is an electromechanical device that converts mechanical energy to alternating current electrical energy. Most alternators use a rotating magnetic field but linear alternators are occasionally used...
and
dynamoIn electricity generation, an electrical generator is a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. The reverse conversion of electrical energy into mechanical energy is done by a motor; motors and generators have many similarities...
which were powered by a waterwheel, located at Westbrook Mill, on the river Wey. There were a number of supply cables that fed seven
arc lightsAn arc lamp or arc light is the general term for a class of lamps that produce light by an electric arc . The lamp consists of two electrodes, typically made of tungsten, which are separated by a gas. The type of lamp is often named by the gas contained in the bulb; including neon, argon, xenon,...
and 34
Swan incandescent lightsSir Joseph Wilson Swan was an British physicist and chemist, most famous for the invention of the incandescent light bulb for which he received the first patent in 1878...
, some of which were laid in the gutters. Floods in late 1881 caused problems and in the end Calder & Barnet withdrew from the contract. It was taken over by Siemens. Under Siemens the supply system grew and a number of technical problems were solved. But later on in 1884 the whole town reverted back to gas lighting as Siemens failed to tender for a contract to light the town. This was due to a survey he undertook in the town that failed to provide adequate support to make the business viable, and Siemens had lost money on the scheme in the early years, but was prepared to stay on to gain experience. Electricity returned to the town in 1904.
Transport
Rail
Godalming railway stationGodalming railway station is a stop on the Portsmouth Direct Line. The station, which opened in 1859 to replace one on a different site of the town, is situated at the edge of the town of Godalming. The current typical off-peak service is two trains per hour in each direction...
is on the
Portsmouth Direct LineThe Portsmouth Direct Line is a railway service operated by South West Trains which runs between London Waterloo and Portsmouth Harbour, England...
between
London (Waterloo)Waterloo station, also known as London Waterloo, is a major railway terminus in London, England owned and operated by Network Rail. It is near the South Bank in the London Borough of Lambeth, and in Travelcard Zone 1...
and
PortsmouthPortsmouth is a city located in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is the United Kingdom's only island city and is located on Portsea Island. The City of Portsmouth and Portsmouth Football Club are both nicknamed Pompey...
, and is served by
South West TrainsSouth West Trains is the trading name of a train operating company operating in the United Kingdom, providing train services to the south-west of London, chiefly in Greater London and the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, Wiltshire and the Isle of Wight, the area...
. The station has been recognised for its floral decorations including 10 hanging baskets. The next stations up and down the line are at
FarncombeFarncombe is a village in Surrey, England. It is administratively part of Godalming, coming under the remit of and the Borough of Waverley.Farncombe is an ancient site of settlement, archaeological finds from the Bronze age have been found in Northbourne Estate. Evidence for a Roman Villa has...
and
MilfordMilford is a large village, situated south west of Godalming in Surrey, England. Primarily Milford is a commuter town for Guildford or London. Nearby villages include Witley, Elstead and Eashing, and the hamlets of Enton and Hydestile. It is situated in the Borough of Waverley which was recently...
which in many respects (for example transport and education) are effectively suburbs of Godalming. The town is also served by a bus network connecting the town centre with the main residential areas.
Road
Roads running through, or close to, Godalming are:
- A3 - major trunk road
A trunk road, trunk highway, or strategic road is a major road—usually connecting two or more cities, ports, airports, etc.—which is the recommended route for long-distance and freight traffic...
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
to PortsmouthPortsmouth is a city located in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is the United Kingdom's only island city and is located on Portsea Island. The City of Portsmouth and Portsmouth Football Club are both nicknamed Pompey...
, bypassA bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....
es Godalming
- A31
The A31 is a major trunk road in southern England that runs from Guildford in Surrey to Bere Regis in Dorset.-Route of road:The road begins in the centre of Guildford, meeting the A3 road before running south west along the Hog's Back. It continues past Farnham, Alton and New Alresford before...
- main trunk road GuildfordGuildford is the county town of Surrey, England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
to WinchesterWinchester is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. It lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of the River Itchen...
, bypasses Godalming along the Hog's BackThe Hog's Back is a part of the North Downs in Surrey, England, that lies between Farnham, Surrey in the west and Guildford in the east.-Name:Compared with the main part of the Downs to the east of it, it is a narrow elongated ridge, hence its name....
- A281
The A281 is a northwest-southeast road in southern England that passes through the countryside between Guildford, Surrey and Pyecombe, West Sussex near Brighton.-Route :*Guildford *Shalford *Bramley...
- main road Guildford to BrightonBrighton is a town in the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex on the south coast of Great Britain...
, bypasses Godalming
- A283 - main road Milford
Milford is a large village, situated south west of Godalming in Surrey, England. Primarily Milford is a commuter town for Guildford or London. Nearby villages include Witley, Elstead and Eashing, and the hamlets of Enton and Hydestile. It is situated in the Borough of Waverley which was recently...
to Shoreham-by-SeaShoreham-by-Sea is a small town, port and seaside resort, also being the major settlement in the Adur District of West Sussex in South East England. Shoreham-by-Sea railway station is located less than a mile from the town centre and London Gatwick Airport is 23 miles away...
- A286 - main road Milford to Birdham
Birdham is a village and civil parish in the Chichester District of West Sussex, England. It is located on the Manhood Peninsula, about three miles south west of the city of Chichester....
just beyond ChichesterChichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
- A3100 - local main road Guildford to Milford, runs through Godalming
- B2130 - local road Godalming to Cranleigh
Cranleigh is a large village, proclaimed the largest in England, and is situated 8 miles south east of Godalming in Surrey. It lies to the east of the A281 which links Guildford with Horsham; neighbouring villages include: Ewhurst, Alfold and Hascombe....
- B3000 - local road Farncombe to Compton
The village of Compton, Surrey, England, is situated between Godalming and Guildford, and close to an important trunk road linking London with Portsmouth . The bridleway, the North Downs Way, cuts across the north of the village. The census area of Compton is within Shalford ward and contains 5,161...
, the A3 and then to the A31 just beyond PuttenhamPuttenham is a village in Surrey, England just south of the Hog's Back which is the chalk ridge of the North Downs. Puttenham is to the south of the A31 which runs between Guildford and Farnham. Villages nearby include Wanborough, Shackleford and Compton....
- B3001 - local road Milford to Farnham
A community transport service is provided by "
HoppaWaverley Hoppa, or simply Hoppa as it is known locally, is a community transport operation covering the Surrey borough of Waverley. Hoppa is a company limited by guarantee and a charity. Early funding was from the Countryside Agency and ongoing funding is from Waverley Borough Council and Surrey...
". Chaired through its difficult early days by Brian Richards, Waverley Hoppa has burgeoned into a low priced provider of minibus and MPV personalised transport for the elderly, the disabled, the young and others for whom simply getting from where they are to where they want to be is a problem.
Air
Godalming lies approximately equidistant (50 kilometres) from
HeathrowLondon Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , located in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the world's busiest airport in terms of international passenger traffic. It is the world's second busiest airport in total passenger traffic. It is also the largest and busiest airport in the United Kingdom...
and
GatwickLondon Gatwick Airport is London's second largest international airport and second busiest in the United Kingdom after Heathrow. In 2008, it was the world's 28th-busiest airport in terms of passenger numbers and 9th busiest in terms of international passengers...
, the two major commercial international
airportAn airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
s in
South East EnglandSouth East England is one of the nine official regions of England, designated in 1994 and adopted for statistical purposes in 1999. Its boundaries include Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex...
.
Water
The
Wey and Godalming NavigationsThe Wey and Godalming Navigations is the name given to the navigable parts of the River Wey, in Surrey, UK. The navigation runs for around between the River Thames below Shepperton Lock near Weybridge, to the south-west of London, and the centre of Godalming, in Surrey; it runs through Guildford...
terminates at the
United ChurchGodalming United Church is a non-conformist church formed in 1977 of a union of the local methodist and URC churches. It is located between the fire station and the River Wey in Godalming.-Ministers:...
.
Residential
People live in the town centre and various
suburbSuburbs are defined in various different ways around the world. They can be the residential areas of a large city, or separate residential communities within commuting distance of a city. Some suburbs have a degree of political autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city...
s; to the east there is Catteshall; to the west there is Aaron's Hill and Ockford Ridge; to the north there is
FarncombeFarncombe is a village in Surrey, England. It is administratively part of Godalming, coming under the remit of and the Borough of Waverley.Farncombe is an ancient site of settlement, archaeological finds from the Bronze age have been found in Northbourne Estate. Evidence for a Roman Villa has...
, Charterhouse and Frith Hill; and to the south there is Holloway Hill, Busbridge and Crownpits. Sometimes
MilfordMilford is a large village, situated south west of Godalming in Surrey, England. Primarily Milford is a commuter town for Guildford or London. Nearby villages include Witley, Elstead and Eashing, and the hamlets of Enton and Hydestile. It is situated in the Borough of Waverley which was recently...
is classed as a suburb of Godalming.
Private schools
- Charterhouse School
Charterhouse, originally The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse, or more simply Charterhouse, is a collegiate independent boarding school between Hurtmore and Godalming in Surrey, England....
is a famous public boarding school founded in 1611 and located in Godalming from 1872. Although the 6th form is mixed (2:1 boys:girls), lower forms are boys only. Exam results in 2006 at B grade or higher were GCSE 96%, AS level 81%, A level 88%. Fees are £26,100 a year for boarders or £21,576 a year for "day boarders".
- King Edward's School, Witley
King Edward's School, Witley is an independent co-educational boarding and day school, founded in 1553 by King Edward VI and Nicholas Ridley. The School is located in the village of Wormley , Surrey, England, having moved to its present location in 1867...
is an independent co-educational boarding and day school located in nearby WormleyWormley is a village in Surrey, England. It is a dispersed village largely consisting of a scattering of houses on the A283 Petworth Road between Witley and Chiddingfold and Combe Lane, a turning off the A283 where Witley station and further houses are situated...
. Founded in 1553 in the London area of St Bride's ChurchSt Bride's Church is a church in the City of London, England. The building's most recent incarnation was designed by Sir Christopher Wren in 1672 on Fleet Street in the City of London. Due to its location on Fleet Street it has a long association with journalists and newspapers. The church is a...
, Fleet StreetFleet Street is a street in London, England named after the River Fleet. It was the home of the British press until the 1980s. Even though the last major British news office, Reuters, left in 2005, the street's name continues to be used as a metonym for the British national press.-History and...
(formerly Bridewell PalaceBridewell Palace, London, originally a residence of Henry VIII, later became a poorhouse and prison. Its name has come to be synonymous with police stations and detention facilities in England and Ireland....
), the school moved to its current location in 1867. Ages 11 – 18 with a strongly international Sixth Form. Fees are £22,470 a year for boarders or £16,140 for "day boarders".
- Prior's Field School is an independent private girls boarding school founded at the beginning of the 20th century by Julia Huxley
The Huxley family is a British family, with outstanding scientific, medical, artistic, and literary talent. The family also includes members who occupied senior public positions in the service of the United Kingdom...
. Exam results in 2006 at B grade or better were: A levels 57%, GCSE 86%. There are 333 pupils of which about 40% are boarders (weekly or termly); fees per term (2006/07) are £3,950 plus a further £2,445 for boarding.
- St Hilary's School
St Hilary's School is an independent preparatory school in Godalming for boys 2 - 7 and girls 2 - 11 . Statistically, boys often go on to Aldro and girls mainly to Prior's Field , St Catherine's School Bramley and Tormead School Guildford . Scholarships were gained by 17% of girls in 2006...
is an independent preparatory school for boys 2.5 - 7 (around 90) and girls 2.5 - 11 (around 200). Boys mainly go on to Aldro (74% 2006) and girls mainly to Prior's Field (36%), St Catherine's School Bramley (19%) and Tormead School Guildford (13%). Scholarships were gained by 17% of girls in 2006. Annual fees are £6,270 - £9,060.
State 6th form colleges
- Godalming College
Godalming College is a sixth form college, situated in Godalming, four miles from Guildford, Surrey, England. It is the successor to Godalming Grammar School, a state grammar school...
is in the Holloway Hill area of Godalming. Founded in 1975 on the campus of Godalming Grammar School, it caters for sixteen to nineteen years olds. 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 ("good" in the 7th).
State secondary schools
Numbers in brackets indicate the % of pupils achieving 5 A-C GCSEs in total and then including the key subjects of maths and
EnglishEnglish studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
.
- Broadwater School
Broadwater School is a state, secondary Specialist Mathematics and Computing College in Farncombe, near Godalming, Surrey, England. It has been a mixed comprehensive school since 1970, and now has approximately 600 students aged 11-16 years...
is in the Farncombe area of Godalming, caters for young people from 11 to 16 and has no 6th form. (42, 29)
- Rodborough Technology College
Rodborough Technology College is a Secondary School located in Milford, Surrey. The school is currently oversubscribed with 919 pupils and is popular with the local area...
is in the village of Milford on the outskirts of Godalming, Rake Lane. It caters for young people from 11 to 16 and has no 6th form.(64, 59).
State primary schools (includes grant aided)
All primary schools in Godalming are coeducational. Infant schools cover the age range 4 - 7, junior schools cover 8 - 11.
The figures shown in brackets are VA
value added a measure of how pupils' performance has improved, and AGG
aggregate score the sum of the percentages of pupils achieving the expected levels in English, maths and science (thus the maximum possible is 300).
- Loseley Fields Primary School (VA 98.9, AGG 195) is in the village of Binscombe, on the outskirts of the Farncombe side of Godalming.
- Busbridge C of E Aided Junior School was built over a 100 years ago by members of nearby Busbridge Church and extensive links between the two have continued to this day. It admits 60 children each year with preference being given to Christians and in particular to children of Busbridge/Hambledon church members. (VA 100.9, AGG 279)
- Busbridge County Infants School is in Hambledon Road Godalming. It caters for around 150 children (2007)
- Chandler C of E Junior School is in the Witley area and caters for around 330 children
- Godalming Junior School is in the Farncombe area of Godalming. It has 230 children in 8 classes (4 per year). The Ofsted report for 2005 graded the school as at least satisfactory in all 4 of the new categories. (VA 100.6, AGG 275)
- Milford School is an infant school situated in the centre of the village of Milford, on the outskirts of Godalming. .http://www.milford.surrey.sch.uk/html/the_school.html
- Moss Lane School
- St Edmunds Catholic Primary School is a voluntary aided parish school covering both primary and junior age ranges (4 - 11); it is linked to both St Edmund's Church in Godalming and to St Joseph's Church in Milford. The 2005 Ofsted report described it as "a good school with a well deserved reputation of providing a good standard of education".(VA 100.1, AGG 282)
- Green Oak C of E Primary School, formally St Mark's, currently covers just the first two year groups but will expand by a year group annually.
- Witley C of E Infant School
Sport
- Godalming Angling Society founded in 1881, with fishing rights to 6 lakes and the River Wey from Lower Eashing to Guildford.
- Godalming Town F. C. currently play in the Ryman Division One South, level 8 of English football. They were formed in 1971 and play their home games at Wey Court, Meadrow.
- Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball team sport that is first documented as being played in southern England in the 16th century. By the end of the 18th century, cricket had developed to the point where it had become the national sport of England. The expansion of the British Empire led to cricket being...
has been played in Godalming since at least 1767; Godalming Cricket ClubGodalming Cricket Club is based at Godalming, Surrey, and was briefly a major cricket team, playing 12 known first-class matches from 1821 to 1825. Its home ground was The Burys....
now plays at the Holloway Hill Recreation Ground.
- Guildford Rugby Club
Guildford Rugby Club is a Rugby Union team that was formed in 2003 following the merger of the adult sections of Old Guildfordians RFC and Guildford & Godalming RFC...
(formed in 2002 following 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.
- Godalming Bowls Club play at the Holloway Recreation Ground.
- Contract Bridge
Contract bridge, usually known simply as bridge, is a trick-taking card game of skill and chance . It is played by four players who form two partnerships; the partners sit opposite each other at a table...
is played at several venues:
- Busbridge Duplicate Bridge Clubhttp://www.busbridgebridge.org.uk/ meets at the Busbridge Village Hall on three evenings a week
- Godalming Bridge Club meets on Monday afternoons at the Milford Village Hall
- Waverley Bridge Partnership (owned by Brian Richards and Rosemary Bayley) has two clubs:
- Holloway Hill Bridge Club meets on Tuesday afternoons at the Holloway Hill Recreation Ground pavilion
- Chapel Lane Bridge Club meets at the Clocktower, Milford on three evenings a week: Tuesdays and Thursdays for duplicate and Wednesdays as a workshop
- Bridge lessons, on behalf of the partnership, are given by Iain Ure at the Holloway Hill pavilion on Mondays
Theatre
- Godalming Theatre Group is an amateur theatre company in Godalming. It performs three productions a year at the Ben Travers Theatre, Charterhouse School
Charterhouse, originally The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse, or more simply Charterhouse, is a collegiate independent boarding school between Hurtmore and Godalming in Surrey, England....
, Godalming: a spring musical, autumn drama or comedy, and a Christmas pantomime or show. It also runs a youth theatre group.
Community centres
- The "Wilfrid Noyce Community Centre" in Godalming is named after Wilfrid Noyce
Cuthbert Wilfrid Francis Noyce was an English mountaineer...
(1917–1962), a master at Charterhouse and a mountaineerMountaineering is the sport, hobby or profession of walking, hiking, backpacking and climbing mountains. In Europe it is also referred to as alpinism, while in the Americas the term refers to a particular style of mountain climbing, that involves a mixture of ice climbing, rock climbing, mixed...
who was on the expedition that made the first ascent of Mount EverestMount Everest – also called Sagarmāthā , Chomolungma or Qomolangma or Zhumulangma – is the highest mountain on Earth, and the highest point on the Earth's crust, as measured by the height above sea level of its summit,...
in 1953.[Wilfrid Noyce Community Centre page godalming-tc.gov.uk Accessed 29 July 2008]
- The Clocktower, or Milford and Villages Day Centre, is a day centre for people over 50. The money to build it in 1997 was raised entirely from charitable donations and local fundraising.
Town lottery
The Godalming Town Lottery "GOLO" was launched in Godalming on the 1st November 2008, by the Go-Godalming Association, a member of the Lotteries Council. Tickets, sold at local shops and pubs, cost £1 and the draw takes place on the last Saturday of every month. The first one was on Godalming Town Day, 29 November 2008, at the Pepperpot. It is considered to be the first town lottery of its kind. There are 17 prizes, ranging from £500 to £10. Profits are donated to local causes, beginning with the Bandstand roof fund. GOLO is a community lottery for the Godalming Community.
Shopping
In a charter dated 7 June 1300, King Edward I granted the Bishop of Salisbury the right to hold a weekly market and an annual fair in the town. Godalming remains a typical English market town, with a market every Friday and a selection of independent and national retailers selling clothing for all ages, shoes, watches, jewellery, fine art, books, gifts, stationery, music, guitars, computers, photography, pine furniture, antiques, flowers, hardware, food of all sorts, and household goods. In addition there are the ubiquitous banks, building societies, estate agents, travel agents, solicitors, accountants, employment agencies and charity shops. There are several pubs, restaurants and cafes, occasional visiting French and Italian markets, and an annual Godalming Food Festival.
Media
The comic novel
The Fall and Rise of Reginald PerrinThe Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin is a series of novels which developed into a British sitcom starring Leonard Rossiter in the title role...
, by
David NobbsDavid Gordon Nobbs is an English comedy writer.Following an education at the English public school Marlborough College in Wiltshire, Nobbs went on to write material for many of Britain's comedy greats over the years, including Kenneth Williams, Frankie Howerd, Les Dawson and The Two Ronnies...
, contains the following footnote: "
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." The novel was the second in a trilogy, adapted to become a hit TV series:
The Fall and Rise of Reginald PerrinThe Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin is a series of novels which developed into a British sitcom starring Leonard Rossiter in the title role...
.
The town has often been used as a backdrop for the shooting of various films and television programmes. In February 2006, Church Street, which runs from the Pepperpot to the
parish churchA church has stood on the site of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Godalming, since at least the mid ninth century. The church contains carved stones which have been dated to c.820-840 and a few Anglo Saxon remnants survive in the present structure, which was largely rebuilt in the late tenth or early...
, was used in the production of
The HolidayThe Holiday is a 2006 American romantic comedy film distributed by Columbia Pictures in the US and Universal Studios outside the US, starring Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, and Jack Black...
.
Notable people
- See also alumini of Godalming Grammar School
Godalming Grammar School was a state-funded selective Grammar School taking both boys and girls, situated in Tuesley Lane, Godalming, England.The school was founded in 1930. In 1978, it closed as a Grammar School and became Godalming College.-References:*...
and List of notable Old Carthusians
Numerous notable people were born in the town including:
James OglethorpeJames Edward Oglethorpe was a British general, a philanthropist, and was the founder of the colony of Georgia...
(born 1696) founder of the colony of Georgia;
Julius CaesarJulius Caesar was a Surrey cricketer who played 194 first-class cricket matches between 1849 and 1867.-Childhood:...
(born 1830), cricketer;
Aldous HuxleyAldous Leonard Huxley was an English writer and one of the most prominent members of the famous Huxley family. He spent the later part of his life in the United States, living in Los Angeles from 1937 until his death in 1963...
(born 1894), writer;
Nick ClarkeNicholas Campbell Clarke , was an English radio and television presenter and journalist, primarily known for his work on BBC Radio 4....
(born 1948), radio journalist and presenter; and
Mick MillsMichael 'Mick' Denis Mills was a football full back who, by the end of his career, had achieved Ipswich Town's record number of appearances and captained England at the World Cup.-Playing career:...
(born 1949), footballer.
The radio operator of
RMS TitanicThe RMS Titanic was an Olympic-class passenger liner owned by British shipping company White Star Line and built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, United Kingdom...
, Jack Phillips, was born and lived in Godalming. He is famed for remaining at his post, sending a distress call, until the ship sank completely. There are several articles of remembrance around the town, including a section of Godalming Museum, a memorial fountain, cloister and garden walk near the church (the largest Titanic memorial in the world), and a
WetherspoonsJ D Wetherspoon plc is a British pub chain based in Watford...
pub named in his honour.
The architect,
Sir Edwin LutyensSir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, OM, KCIE, PRA, FRIBA, LLD was a leading 20th century British architect who is known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era...
, began work in 1896 on a house at Munstead Wood, Godalming for the garden designer,
Gertrude JekyllGertrude Jekyll was an influential British garden designer, writer, and artist. She created over 400 gardens in the UK, Europe and the USA and contributed over 1,000 articles to Country Life, The Garden and other magazines.Gertrude Jekyll was born at 2 Grafton Street, Mayfair, London, the fifth...
. She died in 1932 and is buried in the churchyard of St. John the Baptist, Busbridge, Godalming next to her brother.
In the 1800s judge James Wilde, 1st Baron Penzance lived at Eashing Park, Godalming.
In the 1900's George Mallory,The man who almost went to the peak of everest lived here after marriage ,before the fatal accident on the everest during his third expedition to the mountain.
In the late twentieth century, actor
Terry-ThomasThomas Terry Hoar-Stevens was a distinctive English comic actor, known as Terry-Thomas. He was famous for his portrayal of disreputable members of the upper classes, especially cads, with a "toothbrush" moustache, the trademark gap in his front teeth, cigarette holder, smoking jacket, and...
, comedic actor
Terry ScottTerry Scott was an English actor and comedian who appeared in seven Carry On films. He also appeared in BBC One's popular domestic sitcom Terry and June with June Whitfield...
, actor
Christopher TimothyChristopher Timothy is a Welsh actor, television director and writer.Timothy is possibly best known today for his role as James Herriot in All Creatures Great and Small; more recently he has starred as Dr...
, comedian
Billy DaintyWilliam Hooper Frank John Dainty was a British comedian, dancer, physical comedian and pantomime and TV star....
and the singer
Alvin StardustAlvin Stardust is an English pop singer and stage actor.-Career:...
resided in the town. Dainty died at his house, "Cobblers", in the village on 19 November 1986.
The band
GenesisGenesis are a Grammy Award-winning English rock band formed in 1967, and are among the top 30 highest-selling recording artists of all time with approximately 150 million albums sold worldwide, including 21.5 million albums sold in the United States. In 1988, the band won the Grammy Award for Best...
was formed in 1967 by
Peter GabrielPeter Brian Gabriel is an English musician and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career. More recently he has focused on producing and promoting world music and pioneering...
and
Tony BanksAnthony George "Tony" Banks is an English composer, and multi-instrumentalist, who performs as a keyboardist and a guitarist...
while students at
Charterhouse SchoolCharterhouse, originally The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse, or more simply Charterhouse, is a collegiate independent boarding school between Hurtmore and Godalming in Surrey, England....
.
Significant people currently living in the town include the actress
Rachel Hurd-WoodRachel Clare Hurd-Wood is a British actress. Her break-out role was as Wendy Darling in the 2003 movie Peter Pan.- Childhood and family :Hurd-Wood was born in London, England, the daughter of Philip and Sarah Hurd-Wood...
and football pundit
Alan HansenAlan David Hansen is a Scottish former football player and BBC television football pundit. He played for Partick Thistle, Liverpool, and the Scottish national team. As a pundit, Hansen has acquired a reputation for his critical approach to the game, particularly in regards to...
.
Paul MerrettPaul Merrett is a chef and TV personality based in Godalming who is known for being a frequent guest chef on Saturday Kitchen, a resident chef on Sunday Feast, and starred in The Best along with Silvana Franco and Ben O'Donoghue....
, a famous chef who has appeared several times on British TV, was a pupil at Rodborough.
External links