A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river . Floodplains stretch from the banks of a river channel to the base of the enclosing valley, and experience flooding during periods of high discharge . The soils usually consist of clays, silts , sands, and gravels deposited during floods.
103-575: Farncombe , historically Fernecome , is a village and peripheral settlement of Godalming in Waverley, Surrey , England and is approximately 0.8 miles (1.3 km) north-east of the Godalming centre, separated by common land known as the Lammas Lands . The village of Compton lies 1.8 miles (3 km) to the northwest and Bramley 2 miles (3 km) to the east; whilst Charterhouse School
206-455: A generator driven by two Poncelet waterwheels at Westbrook Mill. The electricity was used to power three 250 V arc lights at the mill and overhead cables were run above Mill Street to the town centre, where a further four arc lights were installed. A second, 40 V circuit supplied 34 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
309-407: A channel. Sediments from the crevasse spread out as delta -shaped deposits with numerous distributary channels. Crevasse formation is most common in sections of rivers where the river bed is accumulating sediments ( aggrading ). Repeated flooding eventually builds up an alluvial ridge, whose natural levees and abandoned meander loops may stand well above most of the floodplain. The alluvial ridge
412-502: 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 to house the council chamber . Among the notable former residents of the civil parish were Jack Phillips , the senior wireless operator on the RMS ; Titanic , and the mountaineer George Mallory . James Oglethorpe ,
515-576: 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
618-554: A flood-prone property to qualify for government-subsidized insurance, a local community must adopt an ordinance that protects the floodway and requires that new residential structures built in Special Flood Hazard Areas be elevated to at least the level of the 100-year flood. Commercial structures can be elevated or floodproofed to or above this level. In some areas without detailed study information, structures may be required to be elevated to at least two feet above
721-445: A floodplain. The quantity of sediments in a floodplain greatly exceeds the river load of sediments. Thus, floodplains are an important storage site for sediments during their transport from where they are generated to their ultimate depositional environment. When the rate at which the river is cutting downwards becomes great enough that overbank flows become infrequent, the river is said to have abandoned its floodplain. Portions of
824-667: A further 32 new homes on Cliffe Road in 1935. After the Second World War, the Aaron's 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. 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. Allotments were planted at
927-544: A night watch and several special constables. In 1889, the borough force became part of the Surrey Constabulary, under the provisions of 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
1030-418: 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 cloth manufacture 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
1133-463: 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 to 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 a superintendent, assisted by a constable,
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#17327917348491236-621: Is a market town and civil parish in southwest Surrey , England, around 30 miles (49 km) southwest of central London. It is in the Borough of Waverley , at the confluence of the Rivers Wey and Ock . The civil parish covers 3.74 sq mi (9.7 km ) and includes the settlements of Farncombe , Binscombe and Aaron's Hill . Much of the area lies on the strata of the Lower Greensand Group and Bargate stone
1339-546: Is a problem in freshwater systems. Much of the phosphorus in freshwater systems comes from municipal wastewater treatment plants and agricultural runoff. Stream connectivity controls whether phosphorus cycling is mediated by floodplain sediments or by external processes. Under conditions of stream connectivity, phosphorus is better able to be cycled, and sediments and nutrients are more readily retained. Water in freshwater streams ends up in either short-term storage in plants or algae or long-term in sediments. Wet/dry cycling within
1442-406: Is advantageous for the rapid colonization of large areas of the floodplain. This allows them to take advantage of shifting floodplain geometry. For example, floodplain trees are fast-growing and tolerant of root disturbance. Opportunists (such as birds) are attracted to the rich food supply provided by the flood pulse. Floodplain ecosystems have distinct biozones. In Europe, as one moves away from
1545-498: Is any area subject to inundation by a 100-year flood. A problem is that any alteration of the watershed upstream of the point in question can potentially affect the ability of the watershed to handle water, and thus potentially affects the levels of the periodic floods. A large shopping center and parking lot, for example, may raise the levels of 5-year, 100-year, and other floods, but the maps are rarely adjusted and are frequently rendered obsolete by subsequent development. In order for
1648-516: Is at Guildford. Floodplain Because of regular flooding, floodplains frequently have high soil-fertility since nutrients are deposited with the flood waters. This can encourage farming ; some important agricultural regions, such as the Nile and Mississippi river basins , heavily exploit floodplains. Agricultural and urban regions have developed near or on floodplains to take advantage of
1751-474: 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 twinned with Mayen , Germany (April 1982) and Joigny , France (May 1985). The town retains strong friendship links with the state of Georgia , USA, and with the cities of Savannah and Augusta in particular, through
1854-411: Is elected every four years. Godalming is represented by two councillors. Ward The town is divided into four wards; Binscombe and Charterhouse, Central and Ockford, Farncombe and Catteshall, and Holloway. Godalming is represented by nine councillors, elected to Waverley Borough Council: Ward Godalming Town Council is the lowest tier of local government in the civil parish. A total of 20 councillors
1957-452: Is home to several schools, including: Farncombe is served by a number of traditional English pubs including: The Freeholders (closed in 2017), The White Hart, The Leathern Bottle, The Manor, The Three Lions, The Charterhouse and The Cricketers which has associations with Julius Caesar who played cricket in the area. It is also home to shops and businesses. Godalming Godalming ( / ˈ ɡ ɒ d əl m ɪ ŋ / GOD -əl-ming )
2060-565: Is largely a result of flood control, hydroelectric development (such as reservoirs), and conversion of floodplains to agriculture use. Transportation and waste disposal also have detrimental effects. The result is the fragmentation of these ecosystems, resulting in loss of populations and diversity and endangering the remaining fragments of the ecosystem. Flood control creates a sharper boundary between water and land than in undisturbed floodplains, reducing physical diversity. Floodplain forests protect waterways from erosion and pollution and reduce
2163-566: Is part of one of the five wards that make up the town of Godalming. Farncombe is within the census area Godalming Farncombe and Catteshall (Ward) which had a population of 4600 in 2011. Farncombe is served by the Portsmouth-London railway , through Farncombe railway station , and the Hoppa community bus project. It is near the A3 , which links the village with London and Portsmouth , and
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#17327917348492266-447: 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 also a villa 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 c. 820 – c. 840 and
2369-610: Is to the west. Loseley Park , in the hamlet of Littleton , lies 1 mile (1.6 km) to the north of the village. The earliest evidence of human activity is an early Anglo-Saxon spearhead , found in 1985. Farncombe appears in the Domesday Book as Fearnecombe , thought to mean "valley of the ferns ". In 1086, it was held by the Bishop of Bayeux . Its Domesday assets were: 2 ploughs , 15 acres (61,000 m) of meadow , woodland worth 3 hogs . It rendered £1 4s 0d. Among
2472-708: Is topped by a channel belt formed by successive generations of channel migration and meander cutoff. At much longer intervals, the river may abandon the channel belt and build a new one at another position on the floodplain. This process is called avulsion and occurs at intervals of 10–1000 years. Historical avulsions leading to catastrophic flooding include the 1855 Yellow River flood and the 2008 Kosi River flood . Floodplains can form around rivers of any kind or size. Even relatively straight stretches of river are capable of producing floodplains. Mid-channel bars in braided rivers migrate downstream through processes resembling those in point bars of meandering rivers and can build up
2575-491: Is written as Godelminge in the Domesday Book of 1086, and later as Godelminges ( c. 1150 – c. 1200 ), Godhelming ( c. 1170 – c. 1230 ), Godalminges ( c. 1220 – c. 1265 ) and Godalmyn ( c. 1485 – c. 1625 ). The second part of the name is thought to derive from the Old English —ingas and means "people of" or "family of" and
2678-597: 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, she issued a Charter of Incorporation, enabling Godalming to become a self-governing borough . The charter specified that a "warden" (effectively a mayor ) should be elected by the town each year at Michaelmas . In 1620, Francis Bacon , the Lord Chancellor under James I , issued
2781-578: The M25 . It lies on the River Wey and canal boats can be hired there taking travellers up to Guildford and beyond. Farncombe has a youth football team called Farncombe Youth Football Club (FYFC) for boys and girls from ages 6/7 to 16/17. Farncombe has a Leisure Centre called Godalming Leisure Centre which is home to Godalming Swimming Club. It is home to Farncombe Cricket Club which is on Summers Road and Godalming Tennis Club, also on Summers Road. Farncombe
2884-505: The Meuse and Rhine Rivers in 1993 found average sedimentation rates in the floodplain of between 0.57 and 1.0 kg/m . Higher rates were found on the levees (4 kg/m or more) and on low-lying areas (1.6 kg/m ). Sedimentation from the overbank flow is concentrated on natural levees, crevasse splays , and in wetlands and shallow lakes of flood basins. Natural levees are ridges along river banks that form from rapid deposition from
2987-563: The Middle English frith , meaning "woodland". Godalming is a town in the Borough of Waverley in southwest Surrey , around 30 mi (49 km) from central London and 4 mi (6.4 km) from Guildford . The town is in the valley of the River Wey , which flows northwards through Guildford to join the River Thames at Weybridge . Godalming High Street runs roughly east to west, linking an ancient crossing point of
3090-576: The National Trust in 1968. The first railway station in Godalming opened in 1849 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 Guildford . A decade later, the line to Havant was constructed speculatively by the engineer, Thomas Brassey . This 32.75 mi (52.71 km) line was initially single track and joined
3193-557: The Yellow River in China – see list of deadliest floods . The worst of these, and the worst natural disaster (excluding famine and epidemics), was the 1931 China floods , estimated to have killed millions. This had been preceded by the 1887 Yellow River flood , which killed around one million people and is the second-worst natural disaster in history. The extent of floodplain inundation depends partly on flood magnitude, defined by
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3296-406: The 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
3399-747: The return period . In the United States, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) manages the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The NFIP offers insurance to properties located within a flood-prone area, as defined by the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM), which depicts various flood risks for a community. The FIRM typically focuses on the delineation of the 100-year flood inundation area, also known within
3502-542: The 13th century, when they appear as Budenscombe and Bursbrige respectively. Their names 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
3605-409: 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
3708-459: 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 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 and chamois leather
3811-482: The Bargate Wood estate was built in the 1980s. Farncombe began to grow in the early Victorian era , with 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,
3914-578: 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 were transported via the unimproved river during the medieval period. The River Wey Navigation , between the River Thames and Guildford was authorised by Act of Parliament in 1651. Although its southern terminus
4017-555: The Godalming area is from the Stone Age . At least two Paleolithic hand axes as well as Mesolithic flint blades and flakes have been found in the civil parish. In 2017, a local schoolboy discovered a Bronze Age barbed and tanged arrowhead , which he subsequently donated to Godalming Museum . The higher ground above the River Wey floodplain at Charterhouse was occupied during the middle Iron Age and human habitation
4120-420: The Godalming area, including the bivalves Ostrea macroptera and Exogyra sinuata , and the brachiopods 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
4223-666: The High Street. 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 Church Street area and Godalming 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
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4326-689: The Holloway Hill Recreation Ground and villagers in Busbridge were employed to manufacture baskets for 18 lb high-explosive shells . In October 1914, the 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
4429-560: The NFIP as the Special Flood Hazard Area. Where a detailed study of a waterway has been done, the 100-year floodplain will also include the floodway, the critical portion of the floodplain which includes the stream channel and any adjacent areas that must be kept free of encroachments that might block flood flows or restrict storage of flood waters. Another commonly encountered term is the Special Flood Hazard Area, which
4532-551: The River Ock, which rises at Witley , to the south. The main urban areas of Godalming and Farncombe are separated from the Wey by the floodplain , which includes the water meadows known as the Lammas Lands. Serious flooding events occurred in the local area in 1968, 1990, 2000, 2013 and 2020; new defences , including the construction of a 525 m (1,722 ft) flood wall and two pumping stations , were installed in
4635-509: The Wey at the site of the current Town Bridge was established by the 12th century. In the late-medieval period, 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 and Petersfield was turnpiked in 1749 and the present Town Bridge was constructed in 1782 by
4738-480: 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 kersey industry went into
4841-586: The Wey to the road leading south over Holloway Hill. The town is almost completely surrounded by the Metropolitan Green Belt and the Surrey Hills National Landscape is to the north and west. Godalming Civil Parish has a total area of 3.74 sq mi (9.7 km ). It includes the settlements of Binscombe, Frith Hill and Charterhouse (north of the river) and Aaron's Hill , Ockford Ridge and Crownpits (to
4944-400: The abandoned floodplain may be preserved as fluvial terraces . Floodplains support diverse and productive ecosystems . They are characterized by considerable variability in space and time, which in turn produces some of the most species-rich of ecosystems. From the ecological perspective, the most distinctive aspect of floodplains is the flood pulse associated with annual floods, and so
5047-511: The advantages provided by the richness of the alluvial soil of the floodplain are severely offset by frequent floods brought on by cyclones and annual monsoon rains. These extreme weather events cause severe economic disruption and loss of human life in the densely-populated region. Floodplain soil composition is unique and varies widely based on microtopography. Floodplain forests have high topographic heterogeneity which creates variation in localized hydrologic conditions. Soil moisture within
5150-403: The arrival of Charterhouse School in 1872. The first cottages were constructed at 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 most of the houses had been built by the end of the century. The area north of Home Farm Road was developed in the 1970s and
5253-606: 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 , which stretched from Puttenham in the northwest to Chiddingfold in
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#17327917348495356-487: 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
5459-401: 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 Havant, which had increased to seven (with a single short working to Petersfield ) by 1890. The opening of
5562-516: The construction of Borough Road and Borough Bridge to link the newly opened Charterhouse School to the town centre. The 9.1 mi (14.6 km) Guildford and Godalming bypass (now the 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
5665-471: The early 18th century with the opening of the turnpike road 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 in 1849 and the relocation of Charterhouse School from London in 1872. The town has a claim to be the first place in the world to have
5768-475: The early 19th century, a hand-operated pump was installed next to the Pepperpot in the High Street. A 45 m deep (148 ft) well was dug at Charterhouse to supply the school with water. In around 1880, water mains were installed in Godalming and Farncombe, 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
5871-669: 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 12 sq mi (31 km ) stretching from Godalming to Woking . As a result of the Local Government Act 1888 , several responsibilities were transferred from
5974-470: The first part may refer to an Anglo-Saxon individual called Godhelm . Thomas William Shore (1840–1905) suggested that Godhelm may be of Gothic origin and Robert Eugen Zachrisson (1880–1937) proposed that it 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
6077-474: 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
6180-448: The floodplain ecosystem is defined as the part of the river valley that is regularly flooded and dried. Floods bring in detrital material rich in nutrients and release nutrients from dry soil as it is flooded. The decomposition of terrestrial plants submerged by the floodwaters adds to the nutrient supply. The flooded littoral zone of the river (the zone closest to the river bank) provides an ideal environment for many aquatic species, so
6283-462: The floodplain has a big impact on phosphorus availability because it alters water level, redox state, pH, and physical properties of minerals. Dry soils that were previously inundated have reduced availability of phosphorus and increased affinity for obtaining phosphorus. Human floodplain alterations also impact the phosphorus cycle. Particulate phosphorus and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) can contribute to algal blooms and toxicity in waterways when
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#17327917348496386-599: The floodplain. Other smaller-scale mitigation efforts include acquiring and demolishing flood-prone buildings or flood-proofing them. In some floodplains, such as the Inner Niger Delta of Mali , annual flooding events are a natural part of the local ecology and rural economy , allowing for the raising of crops through recessional agriculture . However, in Bangladesh , which occupies the Ganges Delta ,
6489-452: 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 and Augusta in particular. The oldest surviving record of Godalming is from a c. 1000 copy of the c. 880 – c. 885 will of Alfred the Great , in which the settlement appears as Godelmingum . The name
6592-465: The impact of floodwaters. The disturbance by humans of temperate floodplain ecosystems frustrates attempts to understand their natural behavior. Tropical rivers are less impacted by humans and provide models for temperate floodplain ecosystems, which are thought to share many of their ecological attributes. Excluding famines and epidemics , some of the worst natural disasters in history (measured by fatalities) have been river floods, particularly in
6695-468: The land was sold in lots, with 70 acres (28 ha) 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
6798-525: 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
6901-561: 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 1882, 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
7004-402: The line necessitated the building of 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 electrified in 1937. Late 19th century improvements in the local road network included
7107-617: The makeup towards ash (49%) with maple increasing to 14% and oak decreasing to 25%. Semiarid floodplains have a much lower species diversity. Species are adapted to alternating drought and flood. Extreme drying can destroy the ability of the floodplain ecosystem to shift to a healthy wet phase when flooded. Floodplain forests constituted 1% of the landscape of Europe in the 1800s. Much of this has been cleared by human activity, though floodplain forests have been impacted less than other kinds of forests. This makes them important refugia for biodiversity. Human destruction of floodplain ecosystems
7210-675: The manor was leased to 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
7313-425: 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 a fair each July was also granted in the charter of 1300 and continued to be held until 1870. A second annual fair, which originally took place over three days around Candlemas each February, was granted by Elizabeth I. By
7416-498: The meander cuts into higher ground. The overall effect is that, as the river meanders, it creates a level flood plain composed mostly of point bar deposits. The rate at which the channel shifts varies greatly, with reported rates ranging from too slow to measure to as much as 2,400 feet (730 m) per year for the Kosi River of India. Overbank flow takes place when the river is flooded with more water than can be accommodated by
7519-448: The meander. This is described as lateral accretion since the deposition builds the point bar laterally into the river channel. Erosion on the outside of the meander usually closely balances deposition on the inside so that the channel shifts in the direction of the meander without changing significantly in width. The point bar is built up to a level very close to that of the river banks. Significant net erosion of sediments occurs only when
7622-762: The nitrogen-to-phosphorus ratios are altered farther upstream. In areas where the phosphorus load is primarily particulate phosphorus, like the Mississippi River, the most effective ways of removing phosphorus upstream are sedimentation, soil accretion, and burial. In basins where SRP is the primary form of phosphorus, biological uptake in floodplain forests is the best way of removing nutrients. Phosphorus can transform between SRP and particulate phosphorus depending on ambient conditions or processes like decomposition, biological uptake, redoximorphic release, and sedimentation and accretion. In either phosphorus form, floodplain forests are beneficial as phosphorus sinks, and
7725-585: The northeast of the town centre, is first recorded in 1300 and was used for milling corn from c. 1660 until 1836. The two Westbrook Mills, also on the Wey, are around 100 m (110 yd) 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 trade. The North Downs provided good grazing land for sheep, there were local deposits of Fuller's earth in Surrey and
7828-544: The oldest buildings in the village is a row of almshouses , built in 1622 for Richard Wyatt, the Master Carpenter of the Carpenters' Company in London. Farncombe Infants' School, on Grays Road, near the railway station was built by subscription in 1905 and was originally a boys' school. It was a mixed infants' school from 1935, and became a junior school in 1975 with an annexe for the infants school. Farncombe
7931-522: 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. For much of the town's history, residents obtained drinking water from local rivers or from wells . In
8034-442: The overbank flow. Most of the suspended sand is deposited on the levees, leaving the silt and clay sediments to be deposited as floodplain mud further from the river. Levees are typically built up enough to be relatively well-drained compared with nearby wetlands, and levees in non-arid climates are often heavily vegetated. Crevasses are formed by breakout events from the main river channel. The river bank fails, and floodwaters scour
8137-405: The rich soil and freshwater. However, the risk of inundation has led to increasing efforts to control flooding . Most floodplains are formed by deposition on the inside of river meanders and by overbank flow. Wherever the river meanders, the flowing water erodes the river bank on the outside of the meander. At the same time, sediments are simultaneously deposited in a bar on the inside of
8240-540: The ring was connected to the Wimbledon -Woking main via a 132 kV substation at West Byfleet . By the time of its closure in 1949, the Borough Road power station had an installed capacity of 600 kW. 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,
8343-400: The river channel. Flow over the banks of the river deposits a thin veneer of sediments that is coarsest and thickest close to the channel. This is described as vertical accretion , since the deposits build upwards. In undisturbed river systems, overbank flow is frequent, typically occurring every one to two years, regardless of climate or topography. Sedimentation rates for a three-day flood of
8446-511: The river, the successive plant communities are bank vegetation (usually annuals); sedge and reeds; willow shrubs; willow-poplar forest; oak-ash forest; and broadleaf forest. Human disturbance creates wet meadows that replace much of the original ecosystem. The biozones reflect a soil moisture and oxygen gradient that in turn corresponds to a flooding frequency gradient. The primeval floodplain forests of Europe were dominated by oak (60%) elm (20%) and hornbeam (13%), but human disturbance has shifted
8549-574: 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 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
8652-478: The south). The majority of the built-up area of Busbridge is also in Godalming Civil Parish. Farncombe, to the north of the town, has a strong village identity and incorporates a small cluster of local shops on Farncombe and St John's Streets. Godalming has good transport links to London and Portsmouth via the railway line and A3 road . At the west end of the town, the River Wey is joined by
8755-437: The southeast. 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
8858-408: The spawning season for fish often coincides with the onset of flooding. Fish must grow quickly during the flood to survive the subsequent drop in water level. As the floodwaters recede, the littoral experiences blooms of microorganisms, while the banks of the river dry out and terrestrial plants germinate to stabilize the bank. The biota of floodplains has high annual growth and mortality rates, which
8961-439: 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. Hatch Mill, close to the parish church, may be the oldest mill site in Godalming. Catteshall Mill, to
9064-459: The surrounding grade. Many State and local governments have, in addition, adopted floodplain construction regulations which are more restrictive than those mandated by the NFIP. The US government also sponsors flood hazard mitigation efforts to reduce flood impacts. California 's Hazard Mitigation Program is one funding source for mitigation projects. A number of whole towns such as English, Indiana , have been completely relocated to remove them from
9167-405: 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 1849, it went into sharp decline. After 1918, there were only two commercial barges working the river south of Guildford and the final shipments from Godalming took place in 1925. The Godalming Navigation passed to
9270-441: 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 cesspits , resulting in the contamination of drinking water wells; outbreaks of cholera and typhoid are recorded in Godalming in
9373-528: The town, including two V-1 flying bombs , although no civilians were killed. In September 1939, around 40 children were 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
9476-672: The upper 30 cm of the soil profile also varies widely based on microtopography which affects oxygen availability. Floodplain soil stays aerated for long stretches of time in between flooding events, but during flooding, saturated soil can become oxygen-depleted if it stands stagnant for long enough. More soil oxygen is available at higher elevations farther from the river. Floodplain forests generally experience alternating periods of aerobic and anaerobic soil microbe activity which affects fine root development and desiccation. Floodplains have high buffering capacity for phosphorus to prevent nutrient loss to river outputs. Phosphorus nutrient loading
9579-652: The winter of 2018–19. Godalming lies on the northwestern side of the Weald and primarily sits on the strata of the Lower Greensand Group , laid down in the early Cretaceous . Atherfield Clay 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 . Although rare elsewhere in these strata, fossils of mollusc species occur in these beds in
9682-435: Was constituted as the lowest tier of local government in the civil parish. The district became a borough on 21 February 1984, following the grant of a royal charter by Elizabeth II . 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
9785-472: Was four miles north of 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. The waterway, which opened in 1764 with four locks , extended the navigable stretch of river southwards. A 10-acre (4.0 ha) wharf was constructed on the south side of the Wey, close to
9888-454: Was held by the monarch through the Tudor period until 1601, when Elizabeth I 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,
9991-499: 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
10094-703: 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 life jackets and, by the end of the war, was employing over 1000 local people. The entirety of Godalming Civil Parish is in the revised (2024) parliamentary constituency of Godalming and Ash Surrey County Council, headquartered in Reigate ,
10197-555: 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 , initially to a 33 kV supply ring , which linked the town to Guildford, Hindhead , Woking and Aldershot . In 1932,
10300-478: Was produced at Godalming for much of the Middle Ages , but the industry declined in the early modern period . In the 17th century, the town began to specialise in the production of knitted textiles and in the manufacture of hosiery 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
10403-440: 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. A ford across
10506-463: Was quarried locally until the Second World War. The earliest evidence of human activity is from the Paleolithic and land above the Wey floodplain at Charterhouse was first settled in the middle Iron Age . The modern town is believed to have its origins in the 6th or early 7th centuries and its name is thought to derive from that of a Saxon landowner. Kersey , a woollen cloth, dyed blue,
10609-522: 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 deposits of sand and silt are found in the floodplain of the Wey, especially between Bridge Street and Catteshall. {{{annotations}}} The earliest evidence of human activity in
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