Farncombe

History

The earliest evidence of human activity is an early Anglo-Saxon spearhead, found in 1985. In 1086, it was held by the Bishop of Bayeux. Its Domesday assets were: 2 ploughs, 15 acre of meadow, woodland worth 3 hogs. It rendered £1 4s 0d.

Among 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.

Governance

Farncombe 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 4,600 in 2011.

Transport Links

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 the M25. It lies on the River Wey and canal boats can be hired there taking travellers up to Guildford and beyond.

Sports

Godalming and Farncombe Leisure Centre, home to Godalming Swimming Club, is in Farncombe. Farncombe Youth Football Club (FYFC) caters for boys and girls from ages 6/7 to 16/17. Farncombe Cricket Club and Godalming Tennis Club are both on Summers Road.

Schools

Farncombe is home to several schools, including:

• Broadwater School, a secondary school for children aged 11–16, on Summers Road.
• Farncombe Church of England Infants School, which teaches children age 4–7, on Grays Road.
• The Ladybird Nursery, which caters for children from 3 months to 5 years, on Fern Road.

Pubs, Shops and Businesses

Farncombe is served by a number of traditional English pubs including: The White Hart, The Mead Row, The Ragged Robin, 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 including a Co-op supermarket and two Indian restaurants: Farncombe Tandoori and The Rajasthan.

Notable people

• Nellie Boxall (1890–1965) was born here and educated to be a domestic servant. She found notability working for Virginia Woolf.
• John George "Jack" Phillips (1887–1912) was born in Farncombe. He died while serving as senior wireless operator on board the maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic. He continued working as the ship sank, trying to contact other ships that might be able come to the assistance of the Titanic. The Jack Phillips pub in Godalming High Street is named after him.
• Alan P. F. Sell (1935–2016), academic and theologian, was born in Farncombe.

References

References

1. (July 2024). "Location of Godalming and Ash".
2. Williams, D.. (24 February 2011). "Spear". The Portable Antiquities Scheme.
3. Mills, A.D.. (2003). "Oxford Dictionary of British Place Names". Oxford University Press.
4. "Surrey Domesday Book".
5. {{NHLE
6. Godalming Museum via Terence Coates
7. "Surrey County Council - Wards by district".
8. "Archived copy".
9. "Trains to Farncombe station".
10. [http://www.broadwater.surrey.sch.uk/ Broadwater School]
11. "Farncombe Infants".
12. [http://www.ladybirddaynursery.co.uk/ The Ladybird Nursery] {{webarchive. link. (April 26, 2012)
13. "White Hart".
14. "Mead Row, Farncombe".
15. [http://www.the-cricketers-at-farncombe.co.uk/ The Cricketers] {{webarchive. link. (2011-01-03)
16. (23 May 2024). "New-look Farncombe (Surrey) Co-op launches following five-week programme of works and improvements".
17. "Farncombe Tandoori".
18. "The Rajasthan Indian Restaurant Ltd".
19. (2004-09-23). "Nellie Boxall".
20. "Titanic".