Surrey

Amazing village with so much to do. Yard Market is amazing, but so is Wattle and Daub and Linwood &amp; Samuel on Church street. The Godalming Food Company and Godalming Delights halve awesome gastronomic treats as well!

We also have Music in the Park! Every Sunday afternoon between May and late September there is a different band on the bandstand, from brass to concert, rock, pop and jazz. Concerts are free, with a retiring collection to help us maintain our lovely bandstand (which was built by public donation and receives NO council funding whatsoever) . The brilliant musicians who support us are paid by sponsorship from the amazingly supportive local businesses.

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="996" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2019/07/Godalming-credit-Godalming-Town-Council-copy.jpg" alt="Godalming in Surrey" class="wp-image-52506" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2019/07/Godalming-credit-Godalming-Town-Council-copy.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2019/07/Godalming-credit-Godalming-Town-Council-copy-800x531.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2019/07/Godalming-credit-Godalming-Town-Council-copy-1000x664.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2019/07/Godalming-credit-Godalming-Town-Council-copy-400x266.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2019/07/Godalming-credit-Godalming-Town-Council-copy-768x510.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Godalming Town Centre. Image credit: Godalming Town Council</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-lowdown">THE LOWDOWN</h2>



Godalming is a bustling historic market town&nbsp;situated just four miles from Guildford. Nestled in the pretty Surrey countryside right by&nbsp;the River Wey, you&#8217;re in prime stockbroker belt country here. It&#8217;s the quintessential English town with a cutesy mix of charming weatherboard cottages, nice laneways and a healthy smattering of lovely independent stores that no doubt appeal. Plus you can get to London in under an hour &#8211; so plenty of boxes are ticked.



All of this, plus the town&#8217;s&nbsp;Shakespearean vibe and great community feel&nbsp;mean it&#8217;s no stranger to those &#8216;best places to live&#8217; lists. It&#8217;s even been said that Godalming-ites have a life expectancy well above the national average.



There&#8217;s plenty of history too. In the 16th century, Godalming was famed for its booming wool industry. And when the wool industry took a hit, the town reinvented itself and became known for making stockings. Who knew? Another one quirky little fact:&nbsp;In 1881, Godalming became the first place in the UK to have a public electricity supply and electric street lighting.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="720" height="482" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2019/06/Godalming-canal-720x482.jpg" alt="Godalming anal" class="wp-image-21081" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2019/06/Godalming-canal-720x482.jpg 720w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2019/06/Godalming-canal-150x101.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2019/06/Godalming-canal-300x201.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2019/06/Godalming-canal-768x515.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2019/06/Godalming-canal.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Up the river: The River Wey.&nbsp;Photography by Darren Pepe / Godalming Town Council</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-park-up">PARK UP</h2>



Parking is straightforward in Godalming, with the town centre being bordered by&nbsp;three large car parks. These are the best places to pop your car as free parking is quite a walk away. Don&#8217;t drive or fancy leaving the car at home? Godalming train station is just a seven minute walk from the centre of town.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-to-eat">WHERE TO EAT</h2>



The town and surrounding areas offers a plethora of eateries that will have you wanting to come back for more.



If a quick bite to eat is on your agenda, visit clean-eating café Roost famous for their gluten free waffles, or Natter near Farncombe Station. There are also a few reliable chains like Prezzo and Côte.



For fancier food, Acorn Restaurant in Wharf Street is highly rated and very popular. If you&#8217;re a fan of Thai food, head to <a href="https://www.thegreedyelephant.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Greedy Elephant</a> on the High Street. 



Pubs wise, The Inn on the Lake is a favourite, with that great combination of big garden and even bigger gin menu! The Fox and Finch also gets the thumbs up. 



But some of the best pubs are to be found in the villages just outside Godalming. <a href="https://www.thewhitehorsehascombe.com/">The White Horse</a> in Hascombe has long been a Muddy fave &#8211; and is indeed a multiple-Muddy Award winner. The 16th century pub has plenty of cosy old world charm, but also a terrific garden for sunny days. The food is well above the usual gastropub fare, and there&#8217;s a killer wine list. We also love the <a href="https://www.stagontherivereashing.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Stag on the River&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;in Lower Eashing &#8211; another great pub garden here and fab food, plus boutique rooms (more on that later!). The Star at Witley also offers up excellent food.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2021/08/TheStagOnTheRiver-SophieDuckworthPhotography-22.jpeg" alt="The Stag on the River, near Godalming in Surrey." class="wp-image-40132" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2021/08/TheStagOnTheRiver-SophieDuckworthPhotography-22.jpeg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2021/08/TheStagOnTheRiver-SophieDuckworthPhotography-22-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2021/08/TheStagOnTheRiver-SophieDuckworthPhotography-22-1000x667.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2021/08/TheStagOnTheRiver-SophieDuckworthPhotography-22-400x267.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2021/08/TheStagOnTheRiver-SophieDuckworthPhotography-22-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2021/08/TheStagOnTheRiver-SophieDuckworthPhotography-22-788x525.jpeg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Stag on the River in Lower Eashing, just outside Godalming.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-to-stay">WHERE TO STAY</h2>



If it&#8217;s a town centre bed you&#8217;re after, head to the Kings Arm Royal Hotel, which once played host to Henry VIII himself.&nbsp;The hotel&nbsp;has opulently decorated rooms as one would expect from a building that has housed royalty and has large luxury rooms to&nbsp;hire for special occasions.



A little further afield is the&nbsp;<a href="https://merryharriers.com/">Merry Harriers</a> in Hambledon, a boutique inn built in the 16th century. Alongside the pub rooms with exposed beams and pretty views of the countryside there are shepherd&#8217;s huts for a more romantic overnight stay.



<a href="https://www.stagontherivereashing.co.uk/">The Stag on the River</a> in Lower Eashing is another brilliant boutique option. The waterfront pub and hotel offers bed and breakfast accommodation. We love their Escape with friends package where you can practically take over the whole pub by booking all seven bedrooms exclusively. Weekend away anyone?



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="665" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2019/06/Godalming-Church.jpg" alt="Godalming Church" class="wp-image-21082" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2019/06/Godalming-Church.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2019/06/Godalming-Church-150x100.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2019/06/Godalming-Church-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2019/06/Godalming-Church-768x511.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2019/06/Godalming-Church-720x479.jpg 720w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Church of St Peter and St Paul in Godalming. Photography by Darren Pepe / Godalming Town Council</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-places-to-visit">PLACES TO VISIT</h2>



A visit to <a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/winkworth-arboretum" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Winkworth Arboretum</a> is the great opportunity to reconnect with nature with the family. Take the little ones straight to the Tree Adventure play park to let off some steam, before enjoying a long wander in the wild woods. Finish the trip at the tearoom for a hot drink and something sugary.



The Church of St Peter and St Paul, is a Grade I listed building built in the 12th century. It&#8217;s the oldest building in town &#8211; and for history types, worth a visit as is the dinky Godalming Museum which is ideal for rainy days.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-have-a-drink">HAVE A DRINK</h2>



Whether the sun is shining or the bitter cold has you hunting for a log fire, there are some great pubs and bars in Godalming.



Head to <a href="http://roseandcrownbar.co.uk/">The Rose and Crown</a> bar in the centre of town to appease all of your cocktail dreams. Look out for their piano nights (singing along is encouraged!) or on sunny days plonk yourself in the bar&#8217;s Miami Beach themed garden terrace or book in for their bottomless brunch.



Just outside of Godalming is the <a href="https://www.craftybrewing.co.uk/">Crafty Brewing Company</a>, which prides itself in hosting a breadth of craft beers in a barn on a farm in the woods! A perfect afternoon out with a beer loving pal or partner, there is an on-site microbrewery and the company makes and packages all of the beer it sells. Look out for the tap room set to open in 2024.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-treat-yourself">TREAT YOURSELF</h2>



While Guildford is pretty close by, and is known for its shopping &#8211; Godalming has some little gems of its own.



<a href="https://yardmarket.uk/eco/">Yard Market</a> is an eco conscious refill station, where you can replenish stock of hand wash, laundry liquid, glass cleaner and more. They also offer gifts made by local artisans. For homeware and stylish gifts from around the world head to Biggie Best a small indie chain.



Fashion wise try Hello Lovely a dinky little boutique packed with colour, or Catwalk that stocks Nougat and Great Plains both on the historic High Street.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fun-for-kids">FUN FOR KIDS</h2>



<a href="https://godalming.thelittlegym.eu/home">The Little Gym</a> kids play centre is a great place to let the kids run off steam. There are plenty of regular classes as well as&nbsp;camps during half terms and summer holidays. They&#8217;ve also got you covered for birthday parties.



Want to get them outside in the fresh air? Try the&nbsp;Godalming Spy Mission Treasure Trail. The self-guided trail&nbsp;takes around 1.5 hours to complete&nbsp;and is the perfect activity for the buddy spy in your family. Don your monocle, download the <a href="https://www.treasuretrails.co.uk/things-to-do/surrey/godalming">PDF guide</a>&nbsp;and head out for an afternoon of mystery and exploration. Sherlock who?



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="665" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2019/06/Godalming-park.jpg" alt="Memorial Park in Godalming, Surrey." class="wp-image-21083" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2019/06/Godalming-park.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2019/06/Godalming-park-150x100.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2019/06/Godalming-park-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2019/06/Godalming-park-768x511.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2019/06/Godalming-park-720x479.jpg 720w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Phillips Memorial Park, Godalming. Photography by Darren Pepe / Godalming Town Council</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-famous-faces">FAMOUS FACES</h2>



Right! So one of the town&#8217;s most famous names is that of Jack Phillips, the RMS Titanic radio operator who is famed for&nbsp;standing firmly&nbsp;at his post and sending repeated distress calls, until the ship sank. He is&nbsp; is&nbsp;remembered&nbsp;in a number of ways around the town, including&nbsp;at the&nbsp;Godalming Museum&nbsp;and with a memorial fountain, cloister and garden walk near the church. A pub has also been named in his honour.



The architect Edward Lutyens has also left his mark on the town &#8211; he designed parts of Charterhouse School, including the Red House for a retired assistant head master, and other private house in the area including <a href="https://munsteadwood.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Munstead Wood</a> which is open by appointment.



Peter Gabriel and Tony Banks, formed the band Genesis during their student days at Charterhouse School, the Hollywood actor Sam Worthington was born in Godalming, although moved to Australia at a young age, and the actress Rachel Hurd-Wood is said to be a current resident.



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