Godalming

An ancient market and coaching town delightfully situated on the picturesque River Wey, where to this day cattle graze on the waterside meadows and canal boats rest up against the wharf.

The museum celebrates the work of Gertrude Jekyll, garden designer for Edwin Lutyens’ many commissions in the area as well as Jack Phillips, the wireless operator on the Titanic.

Godalming boasts many local, wonderful attractions such as National Trust properties, the town’s sports facilities and historic and cultural places of interest. Local festivals abound and a warm welcome is assured. Unique, historic and interesting architecture can be found in abundance in the High Street and Church Street along with walks in our delightful countryside.

Godalming’s wealth of pubs and restaurants and the unique and individual shops make Godalming a fine place to visit. Try one our town trails and get the most out of your visit to Godalming. 

Villages around Godalming 

Hindhead

The highest village in Surrey, Hindhead is best known for its National Trust heathland at the Devil's Punchbowl and Gibbet Hill. With its panoramic views across Surrey, Gibbet Hill marks the point at which highwaymen were hanged. The Sailor's Stone marks the fate of one particular sailor on leave from Portsmouth and is mentioned in Dickens’ Nicholas Nickleby, as Nicholas and Smike stop to read the inscription on the stone.

Frensham

Situated between the towns of Haslemere and Farnham, Frensham Common boasts around a thousand acres of countryside. The Common is part-managed by the local borough council and is the site of two large ponds, known as Frensham Great and Little Ponds. These were built in the Middle Ages to provide fish for the Bishop of Winchester's estate. Recently, their sandy beaches were featured in “Elizabeth, the Golden Age”, starring Cate Blanchett.

Chiddingfold

Historically, the town was famous for its glassworks which surrounded the green, and an example of Chiddingfold glass can be found in the lancet window of St Mary’s church in the village. Chiddingfold today is well known for its annual Guy Fawkes’ bonfire celebrations, attracting around 10,000 visitors each year. A torch-lit procession starts the celebrations, which always take place on the Saturday closest to November 5th.