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Features
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Articles
The Campaign to Save Farnham Water Meadows
An historic water meadows lying close to the parish church in the centre of Farnham is under the threat of development. A campaign has been launched to save the meadows by purchasing the 34 acres for the local community.
(December 2009)
Guildford Church Restoration Funding Crisis
A number of churches in Guildford require urgent restoration to save the fabric of their buildings but funding is becoming harder to secure. St Mary's Church in Quarry Street, Guildford's oldest building had to raise over £120,000 themselves after being turned down for funding, and St Mary's in Worplesdon had to rely on the generosity of a local parishioner in order to complete vital repairs.
(October 2009)
The Slow, Painful Demise of Another Wey Valley Pub
The Red Lion in Milford for generations served good pub grub in its expansive restaurant but having eventually closed in 2007 has remained boarded up, until news that a supermarket chain has bought the site causing much local consternation. Radio 2 DJ Chris Evans failed in his attempt to save the pub, and quite remarkably the local branch of the Campaign for Real Ale who held their inaugural meeting there over thirty years ago have remained unengaged . . .
(October 2009)
Godalming Greening
A fledgling grass-roots group is launching their campaign to reduce communities' carbon footprints at a local level and is hoping that the townsfolk of Godalming will put their weight behind the scheme. The Greening campaign was launched in Petersfield in 2008 and already has 140 communities signed up including Wey Valley groups in Alton, Alresford and Elstead.
(October 2009)
The Jellicoe Roof Garden
Described as 'one of Guildford town centre's best kept secrets' the original garden, which sits atop a department store high above the High Street, was designed by Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe in the 1950s and featured a pond with stepping stones and a waterfall that cascaded down three storeys on the outside of the building.
Refurbished in 2000 the smaller garden and pond still provides a perfect vantage point across Guildford to the North Downs.
(October 2009)
Martyr Road - Art Deco & Print
Martyr Road in the centre of Guildford had become a centre of newsgathering and newspaper printing, until the Surrey Advertiser decided to vacate its Art Deco building in 1999.
(October 2009)
All Change at the Farnham Sports Centre
Opened in 1981 amidst a lot of bad feeling over the fact that the local council refused to name the facility after Farnham's famous racing ace Mike Hawthorn the centre is about to undergo a £5m facelift.
(September 2009)
Nine Hundred Year History of Wanborough
This small hamlet in the shadow of the Hog's Back near Guildford was first officially recorded in the Domesday Book but has evidence of habitation dating back to prehistory. The manor house boasts a rich history (including a training centre in WWII for British spies), a huge ancient barn and 13th century church.
(September 2009)
RSPB Pioneers Heathland Restoration at Farnham Heath
The RSPB is taking a lot of flak over its plan to restore heathland on Forestry Commission land nationwide by clearing non-native tree species. They have started their experiment on Farnham Heath and the outcome here will decide on what happens elsewhere in the UK.
(September 2009)
Farnham's Town Crier
The job of town crier was in bygone days one of such importance that the incumbent was (and still is) protected by law to ensure that he could go about his business unhindered. Jonathan Jones as Farnham's Town Crier has the job for life and is regularly seen around the town officiating at public events.
(September 2009)
The Jigsaw Trust
A specialist day school for children with autism has been able to open a new centre that trains the children how to cope with everyday life skills. A garden designed specifically to cater for autistic children who have difficulty communicating is believed to be one of the first in the country.
(August 2009)
Newts Re-housed
An energy company discovered a colony of some 700 newts on land that they were seeking to develop. Despite the fact that the two species are not on any endangered list
they elected to pay for the services of specialist ecological consultants to have the amphibians relocated.
(August 2009)
Guildford's Wartime Evacuees
Over the course of WWII over 4,500 children from London and south coast cities were evacuated to the Guildford area where they were billeted with local families to avoid the bombing and in response to the threat of invasion.
(July 2009)
Dormice Take up Residence at Gunpowder Mills
The Surrey Wildlife Trust have reported that a family from the endangered species of dormice has moved into one of the nesting boxes the trust installed in the grounds of the historic Chilworth Gunpowder Mills.
(July 2009)
Godalming Healthcheck Completed
A full review of the strengths and weaknesses of Godalming in the eyes of its residents has been completed as part of the Countryside Agency's Market Town Healthcheck. The steering group is now hoping that it will be able to introduce remedial action.
(July 2009)
Oil Drilling at Tongham Opposed
Plans proposed by an Australian oil exploration company to set up a drilling site on farmland has attracted strong local opposition and has gained momentum with the support of the
Campaign to Protect Rural England which is trying to have the adjacent Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty expanded to afford the site greater legal protection.
(July 2009)
Increased Threat to Protected Birds
Initial results from an RSPB wildlife survey show that the cold weather extreme in February 2009 has had a negative effect on the populations of heathland birds in the Wey Valley, with the near-extinct Dartford warblers suffering the most.
(July 2009)
Eashing Cemetery
A rapidly growing population in Victorian times saw demand for Godalming's burial space accelerate to such a degree that the parish church had to close its graveyard to new customers, and a newly opened cemetery in Farncombe filled up so rapidly that the town council had to find a solution. The huge space of Eashing Cemetery was to be that solution and in the 21st century has also dedicated a corner specifically to 'natural burials'.
(July 2009)
Wisley Common Cattle Battle
The Surrey Wildlife Trust introduced cattle on to the common in 2004 in order to help maintain the heathland and encourage a greater diversity of wildlife. The Trust however are faced with a public relations battle after a number of incidents of horse riders being charged by the animals.
(July 2009)
The Two Tangleys
Both in the Worplesdon area on the outskirts of Guildford, these two grand houses couldn't be facing much more of a diverse future. Whilst the old Ministry of Agriculture's post-war research base in Tangley Place has fallen to derelection and faces demolition the nearby 11th century Great Tangley Manor thrives as a residential business venue.
(July 2009)
Rare Species Habitats Threatened
Beetles and mice, but in particular the Tiger beetle and dormice, are facing extinction in the Wey Valley. A three-year grant is helping the Surrey Wildlife Trust improve the beetle's habitat and support from a group of Guildford-based ecologists is providing support for the dormice.
(June 2009)
Guildford Castle
The castle dates back to the time of William the Conqueror and in the 13th century was one of the most luxurious royal palaces in England. Over many centuries the buildings fell to ruin until they were rescued by the local council who have turned the site into a tourist attraction and a major public gardens that are both well maintained and considerably beautiful.
(June 2009)
Giant Hogweed Warning
Giant Hogweed was introduced into Britain in the 19th century as an ornamental plant but its toxicity is causing concern to residents in the Wey Valley.
(June 2009)
Godalming's Cellar
In the late seventies a project to give the teenagers of Godalming somewhere to go to meet in safety became a reality as the Cellar Coffee Bar. Thirty years on the venture is still flourishing but over the decades its clientele has considerably widened.
(June 2009)
Increased Threat for Wildlife Habitats
The Surrey Wildlife Trust has repeated concerns that little is being done to tackle the disastrous effects that invasive species of foreign plants and mammals are having on wildlife habitats in the Wey Valley and across the county.
(June 2009)
Farncombe's Origins as Manor and Sleepy Hamlet
Today a sprawling village of housing estates and boasting it's own railway station, Farncombe's past life couldn't have been more different. With its origins as a manor recorded not long after William the Conqueror imposed his rule on the country the hamlet as it was remained a pretty and peaceful agricultural backwater until the land was auctioned in the mid 19th century.
(June 2009)
The Friary Brewery
A brewery founded in the mid 19th century in Guildford was to produce a healthy output of ales for over a hundred years before eventually being swallowed up and closed down by a larger rival. Named after the friary that had been founded in the town in the 13th century it has left behind little evidence of its existence
apart from a few artifacts now in the safekeeping of the local museum.
(June 2009)
Haslemere's Food Web
The Campaign to Protect Rural England successfully launched a project to explore the opinions and buying habits of Haslemere residents in order to map out the local food supply chain. The project aims to explore ways of increasing support for local farmers and suppliers.
(June 2009)
The Heat in Guildford
Although the history of basketball at Guildford's Spectrum has had a chequered history the relatively new team Guildford Heat has put the town back on the map.
(May 2009)
Haslemere Museum
The extent of the collections held at Haslemere Educational Museum surprises first-time visitors. Founded by an eminent Victorian surgeon who wanted to share his extensive collection of artifacts with the local townspeople, the museum holds over 240,000 natural history and 15,300 geology objects amongst many others and is rated as one of the country's top family-friendly museums.
(May 2009)
Broadwater Park
On the site of a Victorian agricultural estate in Farncombe the 73 acre park with a large ornamental lake at its centre boasts extensive leisure facilituies including fishing, football, rugby, cricket, hockey, golf and swimming. Also sited at Broadwater is a specialist maths and computing comprehensive school.
(May 2009)
Woodbridge Meadows Redevelopment
An ancient watermeadow that has suffered from years of industrial development in Guildford is gradually being turned into a wildlife habitat again, and is being enhanced with public artworks.
(May 2009)
Surrey University Hosts The British Science Festival
The 178-year-old prestigious event, which has witnessed many historic debates and historic announcements in the world of British science and technology, comes to Surrey in September.
(May 2009)
Guildford Leads the Way in Computer Games
In 1987 two software design enthusiasts set up their fledgling business creating computer games above a small shop in Guildford. Twenty years on some of the original team are still leading the world in producing award winning games through Lionheart Studios based on the Guildford Research Park.
(May 2009)
Godalming Bandstand
For over 90 years an earth mound in the Bury's
between the parish church and the river had served as a temporary stage for occasional concerts, that was until a local association decided to raise funds to erect a fully fledged bandstand to allow for all-weather concerts. The rather grand new structure opens in June 2009.
(May 2009)
Fairtrade Guildford
Guildford achieved Fairtrade Town status
in 2005, which was extended to the university the following year, and is the location of what is believed to have been the first hotel in the country to offer purely organic and Fairtrade products.
(April 2009)
Farncombe's Skating Rink
A professional skater, who instructed the future queen, built a skating rink in Farncombe in the 1920s. His enthusiasm to introduce the joys of skating to the local populace extended to him applying to also build an open-air rink permission for which was inexplicably refused.
(April 2009)
Shackleford Mushroom Wars
A specialist mushroom farm had operated in the village of Shackleford near Godalming for over 50 years but was eventually forced to close in 2008 after it admitted it could no longer survive the onslaught of cheap imports from abroad. The site was bought by a property development company which has plans to build a large residential estate on the farm site which nestles within a green belt area.
(April 2009)
The Demise of Weyburn
A profitable engineering company founded in 1913 was closed in 2008 with the loss of a large number of jobs with many employees living in the Elstead area. The history of Weyburn Engineering, which during WW2 employed over 500 people machining parts for fighter aircraft and tanks, is to be commemorated with a joint exhibition organised by Godalming Museum and the Rural Life Centre in Tilford.
(April 2009)
A Greener Future for Motoring
A world leading company at Broadwater Park by the River Wey in Shalford is developing protypes of new cars that could prove to change the world of motoring. Gordon Murray Design has revealed its prototype T25 car which is lighter, smaller and greener than any other vehicle on the road today.
(April 2009)
Merrow Village
Merrow on the eastern outskirts of Guildford hosted annual horse races for almost 170 years that attracted royal patronage and were deemed at the time to be amongst the most important in the country. The village was also the site of a POW camp for Italian prisoners in the Second World War.
(March 2009)
2009 Garden Birdwatch Results
The RSPB's annual survey of wild birds visiting gardens in the Wey Valley has confirmed the continued decline of some of our most popular native birds.
(March 2009)
The Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice helped Pioneer Palliative Care
Sparked by the desire for a doctor to provide proper care to terminally ill patients after his wife died of cancer in 1949, the hospice took almost 30 years of hard fundraising to finally reach a point whereby a substantial facility could be opened in Farnham. The hospice has since helped over 10,000 people.
(February 2009)
Arts & Crafts Movement Alive and Well in Guildford
The Victorian's rebelled against the onslaught of industrialisation and its effects on the mass production of homes by inspiring leading architects to create buildings that used traditional crafts to provide an original identity. An innovative property company in Guildford uses these techniques in its modern buildings.
(February 2009)
Burpham
The parish in Guildford lays claim to two churches, one of the country's top ranking primary schools and a brand new sports pavilion that cost over £400,000 to build. The village also has seen a local rare breeds farmer lock horns with the National Trust over an ongoing flooding dispute and residents are up in arms over the future of the old Green Man pub site.
(February 2009)
Stoke Park and a Lords Bill to Relocate County Hall
Stoke Park provides Guildford residents with a large open recreational space and hosts the
Surrey County Agricultural Show and the outdoor music festival Guilfest every year. In the 1970s part of the park was earmarked for a new County Hall to bring Surrey County Council's HQ back into the county after Kingston became a London borough.
(February 2009)
Fairtrade Godalming
Founded in 1992 the Fairtrade movement has captured Britons' hearts and part of the commitment to supporting suppliers across the world in poor or disadvantaged areas has been the establishment of Fairtrade Towns. Godalming achieved Fairtrade status in 2008.
(January 2009)
Hospital Radio Wey
The volunteer-run radio station broadcasting to Weybridge and St Peters' hospitals
has set out on the path to become a fully fledged community station having undertaken trial FM broadcasts under broadcasts a restricted service licence. The station has also celebrated its first year successfully broadcasting online.
(January 2009)
Chantry Wood
Perched high on the North Downs, Chantry Wood provides stunning views across the countryside to the south of Guildford. Managed as an Area of High Ecological Value (AHEV) the mixed woodland was named after a chantry established here by Henry Norbigge, nine-times mayor of Guildford, in 1486.
(January 2009)
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