83-776: West Street Cemetery (also known as Farnham Civil Cemetery ) on West Street in Farnham in Surrey is one of four cemeteries in the Farnham area owned and maintained by Farnham Town Council. The two Cemetery chapels have been Grade II listed buildings on the Historic England Register since 1990. A Burial Board was formed in Farnham in 1853 with the view to opening a cemetery in the town. The Board originally considered three plots of land in Farnham and at first accepted land at Willey Mill from Charles Knight; however,
166-456: A cannabis factory. Other crimes included horse stabbing, and repeated distraction burglary. Badshot Lea has a temperate maritime climate, free from extreme temperatures, with moderate rainfall and often breezy conditions. The nearest official weather station to Badshot Lea is Alice Holt Lodge . The highest temperature recorded was 35.4 °C (95.7 °F), in July 2006. In an 'average' year,
249-524: A coarse, woollen cloth. In the early modern period , the town's weekly corn market was said to the second largest in England after London. Between 1600 and the 1970s, the area was a centre for growing hops and for the brewing industry. The town began to expand in the early Victorian period, stimulated in part by the opening of the railway in 1849 and the arrival of the army in nearby Aldershot in 1855. Farnham became an Urban District in 1894, but under
332-484: A decorative brickwork façade in West Street. It houses a collection of artefacts spanning several periods of the town's history and prehistory. The museum was founded in 1961 to provide the Farnham community with a collection dedicated to the history of the local area in an elegant Grade I listed Georgian townhouse which still retains many original features, including a walled garden. The displays include items from
415-435: A large and eclectic collection; from archaeological artefacts to nationally important artworks by local artists and an extensive costume collection. The museum has a Local Studies Library. There are two main parks in Farnham town centre: Farnham Park and Gostrey Meadow. Farnham Park is adjacent to Farnham Castle. Gostrey Meadow is in the centre of Farnham, next to the river Wey, and includes a fenced children's play area. There
498-592: A line running in that direction. The Alton Line becomes a single track between Farnham and Alton station . The station formerly served as the terminus for the Tongham railway until passenger services ceased in July 1937. The A31 Farnham bypass links the town by road to Winchester , Alton and Guildford ; the A325 links the town to Farnborough and to the A3 (London-Portsmouth) at Greatham . The A287 links Farnham to
581-736: A monastery at Farnham in 686. It was the Anglo-Saxons who gave the town its name—Farnham and it is listed as Fearnhamme in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle . They arrived in the 6th century and, in AD 688, the West Saxon King Caedwalla donated the district around Farnham to the Church, and to the diocese of Winchester . A Saxon community grew up in the valley by the river. By the year 803 Farnham had passed into
664-527: A month a farmers' market is held in the central car park where produce from farms in Farnham and the surrounding area is sold. The Farnham Maltings hosts a monthly market selling arts, crafts, antiques and bric-a-brac with specialist fairs and festivals held there on a less regular basis. Farnham Library moved to its current site in the grounds of Vernon House in April 1990. Refurbished in November 2005, it
747-613: A more pleasant route to Winchester than the modern road network which constitutes a lot of the Pilgrims Way. The southern suburb of Rowledge lies adjacent to the north western fringes of the South Downs National Park . National Cycle Route 22 passes through Farnham, connecting it to Guildford, East Surrey , Isle of Wight and the New Forest . Farnham is a market town with many shops located along
830-617: A plaque now marks the building on West Street where he was born. The radical MP, soldier, farmer, journalist and publisher William Cobbett was born in Farnham in 1763, in a pub called the Jolly Farmer. The pub still stands, and has since been renamed the William Cobbett. The London and South Western Railway arrived in 1848 and, in 1854, neighbouring Aldershot became the "Home of the British Army". Both events had
913-599: A population of 39,488 in 2011. Among the prehistoric objects from the area is a woolly mammoth tusk , excavated in Badshot Lea at the start of the 21st century. The earliest evidence of human activity is from the Neolithic and, during the Roman period , tile making took place close to the town centre. The name "Farnham" is of Saxon origin and is generally agreed to mean "meadow where ferns grow". From at least 803,
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#1732798407978996-530: A pottery centre due to the plentiful supply of gault clay , oak woodlands for fuel, and good communications via the Harrow Way and the nearby Roman road from Silchester to Chichester . Kilns dating from about AD 100 have been found throughout the area, including Six Bells (near the Bourne Spring), Snailslynch and Mavins Road, but the main centre of pottery had been Alice Holt Forest , on the edge of
1079-483: A sewage treatment facility, a visiting mobile library, T.S. Swiftsure sea cadets centre, St Georges C of E Church and hall, a cemetery, a pond dipping stage, an animal sanctuary, a working men's club and two pubs / inns , The Cricketers and The Crown . There is a large garden centre with an aquatic department and cafe. Formally known as 'Badshot Lea Garden Centre' and owned by the Caffyn Parsons family, it
1162-506: A short distance to the east of the town. There was a Neolithic long barrow at nearby Badshot Lea , now destroyed by quarrying. This monument lay on the route of the prehistoric trackway known as the Harrow Way or Harroway, which passes through Farnham Park, and a sarsen stone still stands nearby, which is believed to have marked the safe crossing point of a marshy area near the present Shepherd and Flock roundabout. Occupation of
1245-485: A significant effect on Farnham. The fast link with London meant city businessmen could think of having a house in the country and still be in close contact with the office; Farnham thereby became an early example of a 'commuter town'. Also, the railway did not reach Aldershot until 1870; during the intervening period soldiers would be carried by train to Farnham station and then march to Aldershot. Many officers and their families chose to billet in Farnham itself. The railway
1328-572: Is 31 miles (50 km) by road. Gatwick Airport and Southampton Airport are each about 43 miles (69 km) away by main roads. Farnham is the western starting point of the North Downs Way National Trail , which is predominantly footpath. The Pilgrims Way which follows long sections of the North Downs Way traditionally runs from Winchester to Canterbury. The footpath known as St. Swithun's Way has created
1411-516: Is Alice Holt Lodge, just under 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (6 kilometres) southwest of the town centre. The highest temperature recorded was 35.4 °C (95.7 °F), in July 2006. In an 'average' year, the warmest day would reach 26.3 °C (79.3 °F), with 18.1 days attaining a temperature of 25.1 °C (77.2 °F) or higher. The lowest temperature recorded was −14.0 °C (6.8 °F) in February 1986. On average, 57.7 nights of
1494-684: Is a market town and civil parish in Surrey , England, around 36 miles (58 km) southwest of London . It is in the Borough of Waverley , close to the county border with Hampshire . The town is on the north branch of the River Wey , a tributary of the Thames , and is at the western end of the North Downs . The civil parish, which includes the villages of Badshot Lea , Hale and Wrecclesham , covers 14.1 sq mi (37 km ) and had
1577-501: Is a community lending library service run by Surrey County Council . The library is housed in the historic Vernon House at which King Charles I slept on his way to his trial and execution in London in 1649, commemorated by a plaque on the building wall. The library features public gardens with sculptures provided by local artists and UCA students. The Museum of Farnham is located at Willmer House , an 18th-century town house with
1660-568: Is a quiet area where people may sit and reflect. There are a number of military burials of all three Services maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission – 23 from World War I and 17 from World War II . The cemetery chapels were built of random rubble with Bath stone window surrounds and a slate roof in about 1870 in the Gothic style. The front has two gables divided by a central gabled bell-cote while
1743-412: Is a skate park and leisure centre next to the town centre. Farnham Hospital is directly north east of the town. It was once the main hospital in the area, including accident and emergency services, but that role is now taken by Frimley Park Hospital . Farnham once had a second hospital which was at the end of Bardsley Drive, on the site which is now Lynton Close. Badshot Lea Badshot Lea
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#17327984079781826-630: Is a village in Surrey, England, close to Aldershot . Badshot Lea has access in either direction to the A31 and A331 and is connected to railway stations in the nearby towns with regular bus services. The village is part of the Blackwater Valley or Aldershot Urban Area , the thirtieth largest conurbation in the UK. Badshot Lea's boundaries are four bridges—three western railway bridges and Pea Bridge over
1909-498: Is equidistant from Aldershot and Farnham Railway stations. The nearest airport for business passengers is Farnborough Airport . The nearest major airport is London Heathrow Airport which is 31 miles (50 km) by road. Gatwick Airport and Southampton Airport are each about 43 miles (69 km) away by main roads. The village has an infant school, a nursery school, "the Kiln" village hall (built in 1886), an electrical substation,
1992-783: Is part of the Church of England Parish of Badshot Lea and Hale and works in unison with the churches of St John the Evangelist Church, Hale, Surrey and St Mark the Evangelist Church, Upper Hale, Farnham . In turn this is in the Deanery of Farnham, part of the Diocese of Guildford . The church is closely linked to the 45-strong SATB choir, the Carillon Singers. The village had drugs connected offences from 2005 to 2010, including stabbings, dealing (in broad daylight), and
2075-519: Is the site of the lost Roman settlement of Vindomis , although this is now believed to be at Neatham , near Alton . Large hoards of Roman coins have been discovered some 10 miles (16 km) south-west of Farnham in Woolmer Forest and a temple has been excavated at Wanborough , about 8 miles (13 km) to the east. In the 7th century, Surrey passed into the hands of King Caedwalla of Wessex, who also conquered Kent and Sussex, and founded
2158-476: Is thought to derive from the Old English words fearn and ham and is generally agreed to mean " homestead or enclosure where ferns grow". Alternatively the second part could derive from hamm , meaning "river meadow". Farnham's history and present status are mainly the result of its geography ; a combination of river, streams, fresh water springs and varied soils, together with a temperate climate,
2241-576: The England cricketer , Graham Thorpe , and the England rugby union captain , Jonny Wilkinson . The oldest surviving record of Farnham is from a c. 1150 copy of a c. 688 charter, in which the settlement appears as Fernham . The name is written as Fearnhamme in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle from c. 900 and as Ferneham in Domesday Book . The town first appears with its modern spelling "Farnham" in 1233. The name
2324-538: The Farnham and Bordon constituency. Badshot Lea lies on the A31 and so has links to Guildford , London, and south to Portsmouth . It lies at the southern tip of the A331 (the Blackwater Valley Route) which connects the village to Farnborough and Camberley . Bus services are provided by Stagecoach and Fleet Buzz . There are links to Farnham, Aldershot, Guildford, Elstead, and Hale. Badshot Lea
2407-671: The Local Government Act 1972 , it became part of the Borough of Waverley. The civil parish and town council were created in 1984. The Farnham area has long been associated with the creative arts and with pottery making in particular. One of three campuses of the University for the Creative Arts is to the west of the centre and there are numerous works of public art on display in the town . Notable buildings in
2490-528: The M3 at Hook and the A3 at Hindhead . Farnham is served by several bus routes, the majority of bus services originate from Aldershot bus station and are run by Stagecoach . The Waverley Hoppa provides demand-responsive transport for travel between Farnham and the surrounding villages. The nearest airport for business passengers is Farnborough Airport . The nearest major airport is London Heathrow Airport which
2573-601: The 14th century, Farnham hundred was owned by the Bishop of Winchester and was one of the wealthiest on the bishop's rolls. See also, in this context: Farnham appears in Domesday Book of 1086 in the Hundred of Farnham as Ferneham , one of the five great " minster " churches in Surrey. Its Domesday assets were: 40 hides ; 1 church, 6 mills worth £2 6s 0d, 43 ploughs , 35 acres (140,000 m ) of meadow , woodland worth 175½ hogs . It rendered £53. Waverley Abbey ,
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2656-561: The 1640s to a serious economic depression in the area. Local wool merchants were, like merchants throughout the country, heavily taxed by Charles I to pay for his increasingly unpopular policies. Against this background the English Civil War began, with Farnham playing a major part. Here, support for the Parliamentarians was general. The castle was considered a potential rallying point for Royalists , resulting in
2739-584: The 1st century AD , found Farnham within the territory of the Belgic tribe Atrebates led by Commius , a former ally of Caesar , who had brought his tribe to Britain following a dispute with the Romans. A hut dating from this period was discovered at the Bourne Spring and other occupation material has been discovered at various sites, particularly Green Lane. During the Roman period the district became
2822-480: The Castle, were originally constructed for Bishop Richard Foxe (godfather of Henry VIII ). The Black Death hit Farnham in 1348, killing about 1,300 people, at that time about a third of the population. In 1625 Farnham was again subject to an outbreak of the plague which, together with a severe decline in the local woollen industry (the local downland wool being unsuitable for the newly fashionable worsted ) led by
2905-512: The King lodged at Culver Hall (now Vernon House) in West Street before the party continued to London for Charles's trial and execution in January 1649. The King gave his night cap to Henry Vernon, owner of Culver Hall, "as a token of Royal favour". Records show that the following period of interregnum until restoration of the monarchy in 1660 was a time of prosperity and growth for Farnham. In 1660
2988-604: The Mammoth tusks occasionally excavated by Surrey Archaeological Society . The village has remains in, or close to, the village from the Mesolithic , Neolithic , Iron Age , Roman and medieval periods. In 1967 the Badshot Lea Village school master and amateur archaeologist William (Billy) Rankine discovered the remains of a Neolithic Long Barrow (burial mound also known as a tumulus ) here. The site
3071-566: The Mayor of Farnham in 2018. Badshot Lea has a parish church in stonemasonry, named after St George . The Foundation Stone was laid on 23 August 1902 by the Lord Lieutenant of Surrey , Viscount Middleton . The stone can still be seen today, at the West end of the church. A year later the church was completed and was consecrated on 24 October 1903 by the Bishop of Winchester . Following
3154-631: The North Branch of the River Wey , which rises near Alton , merges with the South Branch at Tilford , and joins the River Thames at Weybridge . The mainly east–west alignment of the ridges and valleys has influenced the development of road and rail communications. The most prominent geological feature is the chalk of the North Downs which forms a ridge (the Hog's Back ) to the east of
3237-504: The Royalists. Eight thousand Royalists under Ralph Hopton (a former friend of Waller) advanced on Farnham from the west and skirmishes took place on the outskirts of town. Despite further reinforcement for Waller from Kent, Hopton's entire army gathered on the heathland just outside Farnham Park. There was some skirmishing but Hopton's men withdrew. Through the next few years Farnham was an important centre of Parliamentary operations and
3320-707: The area continued to grow through the Bronze Age . Two bronze hoards have been discovered on Crooksbury Hill, and further artefacts have been found, particularly at sites in Green Lane and near the Bourne spring in Farnham Park. A significant number of Bronze Age barrows occur in the area, including a triple barrow at Elstead and an urnfield cemetery at Stoneyfield, near the Tilford road. Hill forts from
3403-459: The bishops of Winchester were restored to the adjoining Bishops Palace, which remained their residence until 1927. From 1927 until 1955 it was a residence of the bishops of the newly created diocese of Guildford . The castle is currently owned by English Heritage . Farnham became a successful market town; the author Daniel Defoe wrote that Farnham had the greatest corn-market after London, and describes 1,100 fully laden wagons delivering wheat to
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3486-569: The building so that it could be converted into a community centre for the town. Other buildings in Farnham once linked to the Farnham Maltings include The Oasthouse (now offices) in Mead Lane and The Hop Kiln (now private residences) on Weydon Lane. Farnham railway station is served by South Western Railway services between Alton and Waterloo . South Western Railway also manage the station. Services to Guildford are facilitated by
3569-432: The capital. The castle's garrison provided a market for farms and small industries in the town, accelerating its growth. Three miles (five kilometres) west of the town is Barley Pound , the remains of an 11th-century precursor of Farnham Castle. Farnham was granted its charter as a town in 1249 by William de Ralegh , then Bishop of Winchester . The Blind Bishop's Steps, a series of steps leading along Castle Street up to
3652-522: The castle and much of the surrounding area in Royalist hands, Parliament despatched Colonel Sir William Waller to Farnham to retake the castle. The defenders refused to surrender but Waller's men used a petard to destroy the castle gates and overcame them, with only one fatality, and took the High Sheriff prisoner. The following year, as the Royalists strengthened their position west of Farnham,
3735-522: The cemetery. The lodge became the first project of the Farnham Trust; the building having been condemned by Farnham Urban District Council (FUDC) the members of the Farnham Trust leased the building from FUDC, restored it and let it to a tenant. By 1980 additional restoration work was needed when internal dry rot was found. A long lease from Waverley District Council was obtained and the Trust then sold
3818-569: The civil parish include the ruins of Waverley Abbey and the 18th century Willmer House , now the location of the Museum of Farnham. Politician William Cobbett and writer George Sturt were both born in Farnham, as was Maud Gonne , the Irish republican suffragette . More recent residents have included the watercolour artist , William Herbert Allen , the Formula One driver, Mike Hawthorn ,
3901-463: The demolition of the Old Parsonage, and construction of a new Vicarage in 1999, the funds released were used for the further development of the church. The Southern aisle of the church was not completed with the rest of the building. In 1999 a new Church Room was added, and opened on 10 October 1999 by Rt. Rev. John Gladwin , Bishop of Guildford . The church's memorials include: The church
3984-522: The early Iron Age have been identified locally at Botany Hill to the south of the town, and at Caesar's Camp to the north. The latter is a very large earthwork on a high promontory, served by a spring which emerges from between two conglomerate boulders called the Jock and Jenny Stones. "Soldier's Ring" earthworks on Crooksbury Hill date from the later Iron Age. The final era of the Iron Age, during
4067-452: The economic development of the village that hops feature in the village logo. The eastern end of the village has suffered terrible flooding. This led to the road near the Aldershot boundary being nicknamed the 'docks'. Badshot Lea is close to the GHQ Line pill box fortifications built during World War II to defend London in the event of a successful German invasion of Britain in Operation Sea Lion . An example can still be found behind
4150-408: The first Cistercian abbey in England , was founded in 1128 by William Giffard , Bishop of Winchester about one mile (1.6 km) south of the town centre. King John visited Waverley in 1208, and Henry III in 1225. The abbey produced the famous Annals of Waverley, an important reference source for the period. By the end of the 13th century the abbey was becoming less important. By the time it
4233-406: The garrison at Farnham Castle was strengthened when it became the headquarters of the Farnham regiment of foot or " Greencoats ", with some eight to nine hundred officers and men, supported by a number of troops of horse. Further reinforcement by three regiments from London, 4,000 strong under Waller's command arrived in Farnham that October prior to an unsuccessful foray to recapture Winchester from
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#17327984079784316-404: The garrison cost Farnham people dearly in terms of local taxes, provisioning and quartering; even the lead from the Town Hall roof had been requisitioned to make bullets. A number of local women were widowed following the pressing of local men into the militia. The bombardment of Basing House was by a train of heavy cannon assembled at Farnham from other areas and, in 1646, most of the garrison
4399-405: The installation of a Roundhead garrison there in 1642. As the King's forces moved southwards, taking Oxford , Reading and Windsor , the garrison commander at Farnham (a noted poet), Captain George Wither , decided to evacuate the castle; the new High Sheriff of Surrey ( John Denham , a Royalist sympathiser and another noted poet) then occupied the vacant castle with 100 armed supporters. With
4482-459: The later 19th and early 20th Century. Additionally prehistoric animal bones, sometimes found together with the aforementioned flint tools in deep gravel pits such as a woolly mammoth tusk , excavated in Badshot Lea at the start of the 21st century. The first known settlement in the area was in the Mesolithic period, some 7,000 years ago; a cluster of pit dwellings and evidence of a flint-knapping industry from that period has been excavated
4565-415: The lease. The lodge is now privately owned, and a new lodge has been built at the new entrance further along on the West Street frontage. In about 1870 the two chapels were built, one for Church of England services and the other for Nonconformist services. The cemetery came under the control of the Joint Burial Committee in 1895 and Farnham Council on 27 July 1926. In 1947 an additional area of 16.2 acres
4648-602: The main thoroughfare running through West Street, The Borough and East Street. The town has a significant number of independent retailers, some of which have been in business since the 19th century, such as Rangers Furnishing Stores (est. 1895), Elphicks department store (est. 1881) and Pullingers (est. 1850). The latter evolved into the Pullingers Art Shop chain and is thought to be Farnham's oldest surviving business. There are also branches of many national retailers and grocery markets. Castle Street's market stalls have been replaced by semi-permanent " orangery " style buildings. Once
4731-409: The minor roles of the former FUDC from Waverley. Farnham Maltings , Bridge Square was once a tannery; the site expanded to become part of the Farnham United Breweries, which included its own maltings. Taken over by a major brewer ( Courage ) brewing ceased but malting continued into the 1960s, when Courage planned to sell off the site for redevelopment. The people of Farnham raised enough money to buy
4814-404: The north, intersected by paths. The north has a buffer which is pond named the King's Pond, separating it from Aldershot in a salient part of Hampshire . Areas to the east and south of the village have been exploited for sand and gravel extraction. One former quarry, operated by Hanson UK between the mid-1990s and 2010, was reopened as the 55 ha (140-acre) Tice's Meadow nature reserve by
4897-412: The original gates was built by Goddards of East Street in Farnham. The Cemetery opened in 1856. A Richard Wooderson was appointed Sexton on £10 per annum, and he moved into the lodge on 1 May 1856 with the first burial taking place on 3 May that year; during the first decade of the cemetery's existence there were about 80 to 90 burials a year. A newspaper report of 1931 records that four men were employed at
4980-483: The ownership of the Bishop of Winchester and the Manor of Farnham remained so (apart from two short breaks) for the next thousand years. Although Farnham is documented in Saxon texts and most of the local names are derived from their language, there is only one fully attested Saxon site in Farnham, just off the lower part of Firgrove Hill, where a road called Saxon Croft is now sited. Here several Saxon weaving huts from about AD 550 were discovered in 1924. In 892 Surrey
5063-403: The protection of Colonel Robert Hammond , a Parliamentarian officer but with Royalist sympathies. The following March, Oliver Cromwell stayed at Farnham for discussions concerning the marriage of his daughter to a Hampshire gentleman, although some historians have speculated that this was cover for secret negotiations with the King. Following the rebellion during the summer of 1648 the keep
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#17327984079785146-477: The rear elevation has three gables. The chapels were provided with plain wooden altars and pews. By 2013 the chapels were disused and a meeting was held to discuss their future – whether they should be converted for use as workshops, homes or community centres. Today (2019) the chapels are used by a local designer as a workshop. 51°12′35″N 0°48′38″W / 51.2096°N 0.8105°W / 51.2096; -0.8105 Farnham, Surrey Farnham
5229-401: The rifle range. Badshot Lea has a Community Association but has no civil parish . Badshot Lea is represented at Waverley Borough Council by two councillors: David Hunt ( LibDem ) and Mark Merryweather (LibDem). Of the 81 single-member electoral divisions of Surrey County Council Badshot Lea is in Farnham North, represented by Catherine Powell (Farnham Residents). Badshot Lea is part of
5312-404: The same area. Sports include a pavilion for football and cricket, two tennis courts, a cricket club, cricket nets, indoor and outdoor shooting ranges, a riding school, an equestrian centre, a dog agility club, two fishing ponds, a model car club with outdoor racing track, Badshot Lea Football Club , four geocaches, and a children's playground. The village has green buffers to all sides but
5395-399: The settlement was under the control of the Bishops of Winchester and the castle was built as a residence for Bishop Henry de Blois in 1138. Henry VIII is thought to have spent part of his childhood under the care of Bishop Richard Foxe and is known to have lived at Farnham Castle when he was 16. In the late medieval period , the primary local industry was the production of kersey ,
5478-432: The total cost including the building of the two chapels would have cost nearly £3,500 and the Vestry would only sanction £3000. In May 1855 the Vestry suggested an alternative piece of land from Knight but the negotiations broke down so a plot of 15.8 acres in West Street was eventually bought from Thomas Pearce at a cost of £1200 plus £125 to buy out a Mr Mathers, a tenant on the site at the time. The Cemetery Lodge located at
5561-423: The town lies on gravel beds at an altitude of roughly 70 metres (230 ft) ASL on an underlying geology of Gault Clay and Upper Greensand and the southern part of the town rises to more than 100 metres (330 feet) on the Lower Greensand . Farnham has a temperate maritime climate, free from extreme temperatures, with moderate rainfall and often breezy conditions. The nearest official weather station to Farnham
5644-420: The town on market day. During the 17th century, other new industries evolved: greenware pottery (a pottery, dating from 1873, still exists on the outskirts of the town), wool and cloth , the processing of wheat into flour, and eventually hops , a key ingredient of beer . The Anglican divine , Augustus Montague Toplady , composer of the hymn Rock of Ages (1763, at Blagston) was born in Farnham in 1740 –
5727-409: The town, and continues through Farnham Park to the north of the town centre, and westwards to form the Hampshire Downs . The land rises to more than 180 metres (590 feet) above sea level (ASL) to the north of the town at Caesar's Camp which, with the northern part of the park, lies on gravel beds. There are a number of swallow holes in the park where this stratum meets the chalk. The historic core of
5810-403: The town, since about AD 50, just 7 years after the arrival of the Romans. The Alice Holt potteries continued in use, making mainly domestic wares, until about AD 400. Near the Bourne Spring two Roman buildings were discovered; one was a bath-house dating from about AD 270 and the other a house of later date. The Roman Way housing estate stands on this site. William Stukeley propounded that Farnham
5893-408: The uppermost part of the River Blackwater — these inspired a logo for the village and the football team who play in the larger neighbouring village of Ash. The Blackwater separates Badshot Lea from Aldershot to the north; the eastern and western boundaries are short and the southern boundary is the A331. In prehistory Mammoths were in the area now encompassed by the village boundaries, evidenced by
5976-497: The year will register an air frost. Annual rainfall averages 821mm, with at least 1mm of rain reported on 126.0 days. All averages refer to the 1991–2020 observation period. Farnham's history extends back hundreds of thousands of years to the hunter-gatherers of the Paleolithic or early Stone Age , on the basis of stone tools such as many Handaxes found around the town. Most of these were collected by antiquarians in
6059-491: Was an area that had a general overlord of its lords of the manor, entitled to charge certain rents to certain intermediate lords . Parishes within Farnham hundred were: Frensham (including tything Pitfold with Churt ) (partly in the hundred of Alton) Elstead , the liberty of Dockenfield, the liberty of Waverley , Seal (now Seale) the tythings of Badshot , Runfold , Culverlands, Tilford with Culverlands, Farnham, Runwick, Wrecklesham (now Wrecclesham ), and Bourne. In
6142-400: Was attractive in prehistoric times. The geology of the area continues to influence the town, both in terms of communications, scenic and botanic variety and the main local industries of agriculture and minerals extraction. Farnham Geological Society is an active organisation in the town, and the Museum of Farnham has a collection of geological samples and fossils. Farnham lies in the valley of
6225-662: Was built on Waverley Lane, it was dedicated to St Joan of Arc because Farnham Castle was a residence of Cardinal Henry Beaufort who presided over the saint's trial. The FUDC was abolished in 1973 by the Local Government Act of the previous year. Farnham, together with Hindhead, Haslemere, Cranleigh and surrounding areas were absorbed into the new Waverley District Council (latterly Waverley Borough Council) with its headquarters in Godalming. In 1984 Farnham Parish Council became Farnham Town Council, taking on some of
6308-587: Was electrified by the Southern Railway company in 1937 as far as Alton, and a carriage shed for the new electric stock was built in Weydon Lane. This building, which carried fading camouflage paint for many years after World War II, was replaced in 2006. In 1895 Farnham Urban District Council (FUDC) was formed. In 1930 the council purchased Farnham Park, a large park occupying much of the former castle grounds. That same year, St Joan of Arc Church
6391-541: Was excavated by the Surrey Archaeological Society and many finds are on display at Guildford Museum . Little remains of the original mound due to quarrying and the excavation of the Railway cutting in the 1800s. The burial mound was sited close to the Harrow Way . The village used to be surrounded by thriving farms, with a particular focus on hop growing; these played such an important role in
6474-528: Was obtained of which 9.6 acres were turned over to the Cemetery for use as an additional area for burials. This new burial ground is beyond a vintage brick wall which bisects the two halves of the cemetery. A report in 1947 records that common graves with a single burial at 6 ft could be reused after about 14 years. After passing into the hands of Waverley District Council it was transferred to Farnham Town Council in 2006. The West Street Garden of Reflection
6557-417: Was partially dismantled at the orders of Cromwell, to make further occupation by garrison indefensible. In late November that year Hammond was summoned to Farnham, where he was arrested and the King was removed under military escort to the mainland. On 20 December the King and his escort entered Farnham, where groups of men, women and children gathered at the roadside to welcome him and touch his hand. That night
6640-450: Was removed from Farnham to form a brigade to besiege Donnington Castle near Newbury . The King surrendered shortly afterwards at Newark and a small garrison remained at Farnham. In 1647, having escaped from custody at Hampton Court , the King rode through Farnham at dawn on 12 November with a small party of loyal officers, en route to the Isle of Wight , where he sought sanctuary under
6723-536: Was suppressed by Henry VIII in 1536 as part of the dissolution of the monasteries there were only thirteen monks in the community. The town is midway between Winchester and London and, in 1138, Henry de Blois (grandson of William the Conqueror and brother of King Stephen ) started building Farnham Castle to provide accommodation for the Bishop of Winchester in his frequent journeying between his cathedral and
6806-533: Was taken over by Squires in 2006. Its extensive pets and aquatics centre was opened in 1999 by Charlie Dimmock . Young people in the village in full-time education can apply for grants from the Bishop Sumner Educational Foundation. The local BBC TV news is BBC South Today. Badshot Lea is covered by national radio stations and BBC Surrey (which covers Surrey & North-East Hampshire on 104.6FM), and Eagle radio covering roughly
6889-743: Was the scene of another major battle when a large Danish army, variously reported at 200, 250 and 350 ship-loads, moved west from its encampment in Kent and raided in Hampshire and Berkshire. Withdrawing with their loot, the Danes were intercepted and defeated at Farnham by an army led by Alfred the Great 's son, the future Edward the Elder , and fled across the Thames towards Essex. A hundred (county subdivision)
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