Follow the River Around Godalming
People had been telling me that the neighbouring town, Godalming, is more underwhelming than Guildford. The excitement to visit Godalming was getting higher.
Seizing a rare sunny day, I waited for the bus heading to Godalming. There were few people around the bus station, but this did not discourage me from heading to my destination. On the bus, Guildford showed me its unpopulated, hilly side, including the University of Law and a Tesla centre in the middle of the highway. The scenery shifted to joggers along the river and docking boats.
Flowing River and Docking Boats
Do not miss out on Farncombe before heading to the Town Centre. The boat house is the right place to understand more about the River Wey. Walking down from the bridge to the dock, I strolled along a long row of boats rested on the cold water. I was probably the only visitors, with a few men heading in and out of a warehouse full of fishing equipment.
“How can I help you?” a buff man walked out of the warehouse and asked.
“I was just looking around,” I said. “Are these boathouses?”
“These are called narrowboats, like floating caravans.”
In Summer, families would rent for a week and navigated the river. They sleep on the narrow beds and cook pleasant meals in the tiny kitchen. This leisure activity dated back to the Victorian times when people would picnic on boats; they somehow balanced their drinks on the shaky boat that moved along with the tides. As winter approaches, these boats will dock by the river until the first flower blooms in April.
Behind the warehouse was the tranquil sight of ducks swimming on a channel with willows growing by the banks. There was a café which the lights were dim, seemingly closed for the day. Two elderly women who just arrived at the boathouses gently knocked on the door, which the owner carefully unlock the door and presented the OPEN sign.
Anyone who strolled by the river was rewarded with a rampant view of the meadows. Near to the bridge the river was a wooden lock that partitioned the upper and lower stream. Upon inspection, Cattleshall Lock, as shown on the visitor information board, is known as the last lock in Guildford. Then what about the first lock? River Wey was once an important route to transport flour, timber, and gunpowder from Southeast England to London. It had ceased to function in the mid-20th century because of the advancement of land and air travels.
The next destination on my list was Godalming Wharf. Of course, it was impossible for me to walk along the river with damp soil staining my boots and chilly wind blowing into my face. I chose an alternative route that passed through the residential houses. Crossing the roundabout near to a pet shop, I stepped into a vacant Godalming Wharf with only several anchored narrowboats. Less impressive than the Dapdune Wharf in Guildford. I followed the river to make my way to the town centre.
A Farncombe Boy on Titanic
In the late 1800s, there was a youth named Jack who was born in Farncombe. He was trained as a telegrapher and graduated as a Junior Wireless Officer. For the next three years, he worked in multiple cruise lines and a transmitting station. When he was promoted as Chief Wireless Telegraphist in the RMS Titanic, little did he knew it would be his last journey in the ocean. During the crisis, he stayed on his post and sent out requests. To commemorate his contribution, his telegraph company commissioned to have a memorial erected in his hometown, with a cloister designed by a local gardener, Gertrude Jekyll, and architect Henry Turner.
The Philips Memorial Park began at the local library near to the entrance. Following the river’s meanderings, I reached the park’s heart where children running around the enclosed playground and two people doing yoga in a pavilion. Like a stealthy ninja, I avoided the puddles that had damped the soil and flooded the path ahead. Sitting on the bench and hearing the ducks quacking sounded like a fantastic plan, but the droplets had covered the park’s benches. Nonetheless, I would return to this serenity when I need a quick getaway from my coursework.
The more than a century-old Jack Philips cloister was nothing like what I had in mind: a modest statue or slate engraving his name; it resembled more of an abandoned courtyard which was void of life. The coiling vines on the pergola were dry, and flowers were in a deep sleep. In the middle was a man-made pond with overgrown sedges and murky water; I was not sure if there was any lifeform living in it. I hope Spring would return its original lustre.
There was a sign that directed me to the Godalming railway station, which I could hear the faint sound of trains travelling on the metal track. Instead, I went the opposite direction to the town centre. Along the way, I lingered at the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, a parish church that dated back to 9th century. The courtyard was occupied by gravestones with names that were almost faded into oblivion. Looking up, the grey spire kissed the sky with clouds floated in sluggish motion.
Godalming’s Multi-industry
It was easy to look for the Godalming Museum in the High Street: just look for a clockwork train carrying white sheep. Turn right from the entrance to head into the galleries, where an old woman sat at the counter with postcards and local guides spreading across the surface.
“Hi,” I approached her. “How do I start my tour?”
The woman was kind enough to instruct me walking up a floor above where the exhibition was. Then, I should return to the ground floor for other exhibits.
“Have you heard of Gertrude Jekyll?” she asked.
“I only know her name, but I know little of her.”
“She’s a local artist, gardener, and craftswoman. You can learn more about her at the gallery behind me.” She pointed at an open corridor behind her that emitted bright light. I gave her my gratitude before walking up the wooden stairs.
The museum was once a 15th century Wealden House, a medieval timber-framed hall house. Around a century later, this building was owned by bakers until 1973. The museum’s ceiling exposed the timber structure and a wax figure of a carpenter hammering the nails. During the middle-ages, carpentry was a renowned profession, which required more than a decade to transform from an apprentice to a master carpenter. Speaking of carpenters, Godalming was famed for its wood industry. There were samples of oak, cherry, and walnut blocks in different shades and textures for visitors to handle. Godalming Wharf was a yard for workers to cut down large timbers into planks before shipping these out to other parts of England.
Ding. Ding.
The town clock chimed, diverting my attention from the information board. The original function of this clock was to wake the residence of this hall. Decades later, the clockwork mechanism was replaced with the electrical system, and it only chime for the museum visitors.
Another treasure in Godalming is wool, especially in the 17th century when the knitting industry had boomed. Visitors may find weaving and knitting machines which helped workers to produce socks, jumpers, and scarves. When the Industrial Revolution arrived, knitting factories had come to a decline.
Few people knew Godalming was the first town in the world that provided public electricity for household and outdoor use. In 1881, the electricity source was powered via hydroelectricity, an environmentally friendly option. However, because of continuous technical issues and flooding, the town returned to gas after 3 years of usage.
Godalming was the base for the Canadian Witley Camp for both World Wars. Aside from daily trainings, these foreign soldiers had mingled with the locals and celebrated festivals together. A transparent cabinet displayed their daily items, including bowls, dining utensils, chipped mugs, and broken beer bottles. I found a stained glass right across the stair’s railing, a Millennium window to commemorate the thousand years’ history of the town. It features the River Wey, a ram, a large waterwheel, and the museum’s ground plan. A marvellous work of art to summarise Godalming’s history.
It was time to make my way down to visit the Gertrude Jekyll gallery. She had a wide collection of sketchbooks with watercolour illustrations of flowers and her travels in Surrey. Within a glass case was a white plaster sculpture of an old woman in a bonnet, supporting herself with a shovel. The size and height had me mistaken it as a celebratory cake. Behind the museum was a garden once designed by Miss Jekyll, which visitors had access to. This season was not the best time to visit, as the roses would bloom in a few months.
Right in the café area was a temporary exhibition regarding the town’s laundry service history. There was a significantly high number of female workers in these laundrettes despite the social stigma of women in the workforce, as seen in a black-and-white photography with women in uniforms smiling for the camera. Throughout the war, the laundry service was a high demanding job that helped military camps in washing the linens and uniforms. Even during post-war times, trucks would deliver dirty beddings from hospitals, schools, and hotels to these large laundromats. In the 1980s, most of the Godalming laundries went out of business.
Food at High Street
Guildford was blessed to have a lively High Street. Godalming was unfortunate to have a street wide enough for a car to pass through. One would never find the vibrant atmosphere of people shopping around the stores or buskers attracting crowds in this High Street. The only distinctive architecture in this street was the pink Pepperpot, built during the Regency era with its clock turret that resembled a Georgian pepper pot. It has an open space for fresh fruits and vegetable market and the first floor serves as a council chamber.
After aimlessly venturing around the street to look for local dining, a lane guided me to Brittens. The restaurant had a modest design with white walls and wooden flooring. After I ordered a chestnut mushroom toast, I dashed to the toilet for private affairs. Yet I was not fully prepared for the floral and cottage aesthetics that contrasted the restaurant’s base motif. It should be illegal for a toilet to look this impressive!
It did not take long for my food to arrive at the table. The toast was drenched in creamy white sauce plated with spinach and sauteed mushroom. It was a satisfying dish for light eaters, considering the soft texture and its adequate size. Maybe I could recreate this dish when I return to Guildford.
Aside from the household names of WHSmith and Waterstones, Godalming owned a second-hand bookstore near to a local 3-star hotel. A Novel Idea is such a quirky name for a bookstore. Most books were sold at the price of two pounds for softcovers or three pounds for hardcovers, and they were sorted according to the genre. I navigated through the fiction and travel writing section and eventually mined on a gold by Pico Iyer. It was the same title that was introduced in my travel writing module, and I am a fan of his writings. A lucky opportunity to find one of his books here. I would come back for more during the summer, as I still have others that had yet to read, gathering dust on the shelf.
Once I saw the bus heading to Guildford, I immediately hopped into it. The journey back took longer than I expected, as the bus headed to the secluded Watts Gallery in the hills. How strait the road was for the driver to go through!
Date of Visitation: 17 Jan 2023
Farncombe Boat House
Opening Hours: 9am-4pm (Mon-Fri); Boat rental season (Apr-Oct)
Address: Catteshall Rd, Godalming GU7 1NH
Socials
Philips Memorial Park
Address: Godalming GU7 1ES
Godalming Museum
Opening Hours: 11am-3pm (Thurs-Sun)
Address: 109a High St, Godalming GU7 1AQ
Socials
Brittens
Opening Hours: 8am-4pm (Tue-Sat); 9am-3pm (Sun)
Address: 1 92, 96 Angel Ct, High St, Godalming GU7 1DT
Socials
A Novel Idea
Opening Hours:
Address: 9 Queen St, Godalming GU7 1BA
Socials