Farnham

The Town

Farnham is one of the prettiest locations in the rolling green Surrey Hills, as Recoco buying agents can confirm. This exceptionally pleasant, quintessentially English, market town is just an hour from London. Property buyers can enlist the help of their Recoco property finders to explore the typically Georgian streets. 

Travel

If transport is important in your property search, your Recoco buying agent can outline the excellent local and national transport links, including the M3 motorway, the A3, and the A31 Farnham bypass. Alton, Farnborough, Guildford, and Winchester are within easy reach. Train services run to London Waterloo and Alton in Hampshire approximately every half hour. The town is just a few miles south of Guildford, and buses run to surrounding towns and villages.

For property searchers requiring easy access to airports, Farnham is about an hour by road from both London Gatwick and London Heathrow. 

The History

Farnham’s market town credentials date from at least the Middle Ages. The market and fair drew visitors from across Surrey and neighbouring Hampshire, and the monthly market still wins awards. 

It’s thought that Farnham, or Fern Hamm, was originally a small Saxon village. The castle overlooking the town was built in 1138 by Henry de Blois, one of William the Conqueror’s grandsons. For many centuries, the Bishops of Winchester have been the main residents of the castle.  

Your Recoco buying agent can confirm that, when the railway arrived in 1849, the town became increasingly prosperous, as happened in many English towns. The town expanded rapidly after the end of World War Two and the current population is around 39,000. 

Leisure and Events

Special events are plentiful here. As well as the weekly food market on the fourth Sunday of every month in the Central car park, and the annual food festival, Farnham in Bloom is a year-round event. The whole community is encouraged to take part, under the headings of Bloomin’ Arts, Bloomin’ Kids, and Bloomin’ Litter. Local businesses sponsor many of the arrangements. 

For property buyers interested in the wider area, Goodwood is nearby, as is Birdworld. Family festival Weyfest takes place annually at the Rural Life Centre in Tilford. Farnham is the starting point in the west for the North Downs Way National Trail and the bustling town has several attractive outdoor green spaces if you need a little time out.

Those who enjoy crafts will find Farnham much to your liking. In the 1970s, the Farnham Maltings complex was designated as an arts centre, and in 2013, Farnham was designated England’s Craft Town. 

The highly active Farnham Society holds regular coffee mornings and evening lectures. Other local organisations involved in arranging events include the town council, Farnham Lions, Farnham Hedgehogs, and the Farnham Round Table.

Throughout the year property buyers can enjoy concerts, comedy evenings, charity events, carnivals, markets, and Christmas celebrations. There are folk, opera and acoustic music events, a weekly cinema at the Maltings, and an annual Blues Festival in the “Cellar Bar”. And ask your Recoco property finder about the utterly engaging annual duck race. 

Education

Ask your Recoco property finder about the latest Ofsted ratings. Ofsted rated four of the primaries “good”, and one “outstanding”. Farnham Heath End Secondary School is “good” while Weydon was rated “outstanding”.

The strong arts and crafts heritage is evident in many of the educational centres in Farnham. In 1886, the School of Art was established, and to this day Farnham is renowned as a centre of excellence for formal undergraduate and postgraduate training in ceramics, glass, jewellery, metalwork, and textiles.  

Celebrity Connections

Many historical figures have links with Farnham, including 19th-century journalist William Cobbett, born in an Inn called the Jolly Farmer. The pub is now named after the journalist, and liquid refreshment is still served within its walls. 

Heartbeat actor Bill Maynard and all-round entertainer Jessie Matthews also have links here; and King Charles I stayed at Vernon House, now the museum, on his way to his trial and subsequent execution in 1649. 

Foodies’ Corner

Property searchers who are serious foodies will be in seventh heaven in Farnham. All food sold at the monthly market has been produced, reared or processed within 50 miles. And should you feel like a change from the best of Great British cuisine, you can enjoy Thai, Italian, Chinese, Indian, and many other foods in the excellent national chains and local restaurants. 

Fun Fact

Writer J. M. Barrie was living at Black Lake Cottage near Tilford when he began writing Peter Pan.