Coordinates: 51°12′50″N 0°47′56″W / 51.214°N 0.799°W / 51.214; -0.799

Farnham
Castle Street
Farnham  Farnham shown within Surrey
Population	38,000
OS grid reference	SU839468
District	Waverley
Shire county	Surrey
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Farnham
Postcode district	GU9
Dialling code	01252
Police	Surrey
Fire	Surrey
Ambulance	South East Coast
EU Parliament	South East England
UK Parliament	South West Surrey
List of places: UK • England • Surrey

Farnham is a town in Surrey, England, within the Borough of Waverley. The town is situated some 42 miles (67 km) southwest of London in the extreme west of Surrey, adjacent to the border with Hampshire. By road Guildford is 11 miles (17 km) to the east and Winchester 28 miles (45 km) to the southwest. Farnham is the largest town in Waverley, with a total resident population of 38,000 people. It is of historic interest, with many old buildings, including a number of Georgian houses. Farnham Castle overlooks the town. A short distance southeast of the town centre are the ruins of Waverley Abbey, Moor Park House and Mother Ludlam's Cave. Farnham is twinned with Andernach in Germany.

Geography[link]

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, attracted early man to the area and, even today, the geology of the area greatly influences 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.^[1]

Farnham lies in the valley of 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 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 (591 ft) 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 the town lies on gravel beds at an altitude of roughly 70 metres^[2] (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 (328 ft) on the Lower Greensand.

Climate[link]

Farnham has a temperate maritime climate, free from extreme temperatures, with moderate rainfall and often breezy conditions. The nearest official weather station to Farnham is Alice Holt Lodge, just under 3.5 miles south west of the town centre.

The highest temperature recorded was 35.4C (95.7F),^[3] in July 2006. In an 'average' year, the warmest day would reach 29.1C (84.4F),^[4] with 15.2 days^[5] attaining a temperature of 25.1C (77.2F) or higher.

The lowest temperature recorded was -14.0C (7.0F)^[6] in February 1986. On average, 58.6 nights of the year will register an air frost.

Annual rainfall averages 799mm,^[7] with at least 1mm of rain reported on 122.4 days.^[8] All averages refer to the 1971-2000 observation period.

History[link]

Prehistory[link]

Stone Age[link]

Farnham's history has been claimed to extend back tens of thousands of years to hunters of the Paleolithic or early Stone Age, on the basis of tools and prehistoric animal bones found together in deep gravel pits.^[11] The first known settlement in the area was in the Mesolithic period, some 7,000 years ago; a cluster of pit dwellings^[11] and evidence of a flint-knapping industry from that period has been excavated a short distance to the east of the town. Neolithic man left evidence of occupation in the form of a 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. The parallel Pilgrims' Way, known as such for linking Canterbury to Winchester, also dates back to prehistory and, like the Harrow Way, may date back to the time when Britain was physically joined to continental Europe.^[12]

Bronze Age[link]

Occupation of the area continued to grow through the Bronze Age. Two bronze hoards have been discovered on Crooksbury Hill,^[13] 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.

Iron Age[link]

Hill forts from the early Iron Age exist locally at Botany Hill to the south of the town,^[14] and at "Caesar's Camp" to the north.^[15] The latter is a very large earthworks on a high promontory, served by a spring which emerges from between two conglomerate boulders called the Jock and Jenny Stones.^[16] "Soldier's Ring" earthworks on Crooksbury Hill date from the later Iron Age.^{[citation needed]} The final era of the Iron Age, during the 1st century AD, found Farnham within the territory of the Belgic Atrebates tribe 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.

Roman Britain[link]

During the Roman period the district became 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 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 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.

The Anglo-Saxon period[link]

It was the Saxons who gave the town its name—Farnham is listed as Fearnhamme in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Fearn refers to the fern and bracken of the land and Hamme to the water meadows.^[17] They arrived in the sixth century and, in AD 688, the West Saxon King Caedwalla donated the district around Farnham to the Church, and to the diocese of Winchester. This was the first mention of Farnham in written history. A Saxon community grew up in the valley by the river. By the year 803 Farnham had passed into 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. At the time of the Danish invasion in the 9th century (probably in 893 or 894) there was a battle on the edge of the settlement when Edward the Elder, son of Alfred the Great, routed the invaders.

After the Norman invasion[link]

Farnham appears in Domesday Book of 1086 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 m²) of meadow, woodland worth 175½ hogs. It rendered £53.^[18]

Waverley Abbey, 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 also produced the famous Annals of Waverley, an important reference source for the period. By the end of the thirteenth century the abbey was becoming less important. By the time it was suppressed by Henry VIII in 1536 as part of the dissolution of the monasteries there were only thirteen monks in the community.

The entrance to Farnham Castle

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 the capital. The castle's garrison provided a market for farms and small industries in the town, accelerating its growth. A large earthwork north-west of the town at Barley (or Badley) Pound may be the ditch and ramparts of a wooden precursor of Farnham Castle built in the 11th century.

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 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.^[19] 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 the 1640s to a serious economic depression in the area.^[20] Local wool merchants were, like merchants throughout the country, heavily taxed by Charles I to pay for his increasingly unpopular policies.

The Civil War[link]

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 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 (and 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 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, 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 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 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 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 November 12 with a small party of loyal officers, en-route to the Isle of Wight, where he sought sanctuary under 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 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 December 20 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 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 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.

Post-restoration[link]

Farnham became a successful market town; the author Daniel Defoe wrote that Farnham had the greatest corn-market after London,^[21] and describes 1,100 fully laden wagons delivering wheat to the town on market day. During the seventeenth 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^[22] - a plaque now marks the building on West Street where he was born.

William Cobbett's birthplace

The radical MP, soldier, farmer, journalist and publisher William Cobbett was born in Farnham in 1763, in a pub called the Jolly Farmer.^[23] The pub still stands, and has since been renamed the William Cobbett.^[24]

The railway arrived in 1848 and, in 1854, neighbouring Aldershot became the “Home of the British Army”.^[25] Both events had 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.^[26] Many officers and their families chose to billet in Farnham itself. The railway was electrified by the Southern Railway company in 1937 as far as Alton,^[27] 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.

St Andrew's Parish Church seen here from the junction of Middle Church Lane and Vicarage Lane Farnham

In 1895 Farnham Urban District Council (FUDC) was formed.^[28] In 1930 the council purchased Farnham Park,^[29] a large park which occupies much of the former castle grounds. The FUDC was abolished in 1973 by the Local Government Act of the previous year.^[28] 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 the minor roles of the former FUDC from Waverley.^[30]

In 1901, the population of Farnham was about 14,000. Since the end of the Second World War, Farnham has expanded from a population of about 20,000 to the present 38,000. Of that figure, about 15,000 live in the town centre, whilst the remaining 23,000 live in the surrounding suburbs and villages within the town's administrative boundaries.

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's) 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 the building so that it could be converted in to a community centre for the town.^[31] 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.

Transport[link]

Front of Farnham railway station

Farnham railway station is served by South West Trains services between Alton and Waterloo. South West Trains also manage the station.^[32] The Alton Line becomes a single track between Farnham and Alton station.^[33] The station formerly served as the terminus for the Tongham railway until passenger services ceased in July 1937.^[34]

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 the M3 at Hook and the A3 at Hindhead.^[35]

Farnham is served by several bus routes, with the majority of buses originating from Aldershot bus station and provided by Stagecoach.^[36] Fleet Buzz also operate two routes which include parts of Farnham. The Waverley Hoppa service run a scheduled journey from Farnham Station as well as demand-responsive travel within the area.^[37]

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.^[38] Gatwick Airport and Southampton Airport are each about 43 miles (69 km) away by main roads.

Economy[link]

Farnham is a market town^[39] with many shops located along both sides of the main thoroughfare running through West Street, The Borough and East Street. The town has a significant number of independent retailers, some who have been in business since the nineteenth 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. A more recent independent retailer (est. 1986) is Colours Ltd. situated in the Lion and Lamb Yard. There are also branches of national retailers such as Argos, Robert Dyas, Boots, Waterstone's and W H Smith. The major supermarkets are represented by Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Lidl and Iceland in the town centre, and two Tesco Express stores out of town. Sainsbury's also have a larger Superstore on the outskirts of town towards Badshot Lea. Large garden centres exist nearby at Holt Pound, Frensham and Badshot Lea.

Castle Street's market stalls have been replaced by semi-permanent "orangery" style buildings one flower market, one sweet market and a delicatssen.^{[citation needed]} Once a month a Farmers' market is held in the central car park where produce from farms in Farnham and the surrounding area is sold.^[40] The Farnham Maltings also hosts a monthly market selling arts, crafts, antiques and bric-a-brac;^[41] with specialist fairs and festivals held there on a less regular basis.^[42]

Public services[link]

Public library[link]

Farnham Public Library is a community facility that provides a free lending library service to local residents and workers of a wide range of books, audiobooks, periodicals, DVDs and videos. It includes a children's section. The library was refurbished in November 2005. The library also provides IT facilities and a reference library for research purposes. 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, a situation commemorated by a plaque on the building wall.^[43] The library also features public gardens with sculptures provided by local artists.

Museum of Farnham[link]

Willmer House, an eighteenth-century town house with a decorative brickwork facade in West Street, houses an extensive collection of artefacts from all periods of the town's history and prehistory.^[44] The museum has active support from both the Friends of the Museum of Farnham and The Farnham and District Museum Society. In addition to permanent displays such as "Discover the History of Farnham", "On the road to Winchester", Farnham motoring links, Farnham Greenware Pottery, William Cobbett, George Sturt and Harold Falkner, it features a changing range of activities and exhibitions, many of which are aimed to be of particular interest to children and families. The museum has received awards, including a special commendation in the European Museum of the Year awards in 1994.^[45] The museum also has a Local Studies Library to support family tree and house detectives, school projects & local history queries. The museum also has a club for children.

Leisure and recreation[link]

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 town next to the river, and includes a fenced children's play area.

Tourism[link]

The town has a number of attractive houses from various periods and many passages which reveal hidden parts of the town including old workshops, historic cottages and hidden gardens. Farnham Castle was built by the Normans and updated over the years as the Palace of the Bishops of Winchester. The former Bishops' Palace of the castle is now a training and conference centre,^[46] which also manages the keep, which, funded by a Heritage Lottery Fund Grant has been made much more accessible.^[47] The keep is open to the public, and there are organised tours of the palace once a week.^[48]

Many of the places mentioned in the books of George Sturt can be seen, and Waverley, the first Cistercian Abbey in England is open to the public. Farnham Park is attractive for walks and wildlife and there is a variety of attractive scenery - Farnham borders on the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the North Downs Way long-distance path starts here. Alice Holt Forest is nearby, as are Frensham Ponds and many heaths and downland scenery. The Rural Life Centre is nearby at Tilford, and the town is a suitable touring base for Winchester, the Mid-Hants Railway and canal trips on the Basingstoke Canal and Wey Navigation.

Culture[link]

Farnham has long had a strong association with the creative arts.^[49][50] Farnham School of Art opened in 1866 and was associated with the Arts and crafts movement when architects such as Edwin Lutyens and Harold Falkner, painters such as George Watts and W. H. Allen, potters such as Mary Watts and landscape gardeners (Gertrude Jekyll) worked in the area. Lewen Tugwell, a Farnham sculptor in the 1960s, invented a technique for production of a unique craft product made from resin, Shattaline. Items made by this process in his workshops in Long Garden Walk are now very collectable. Farnham has several art galleries - the New Ashgate Gallery in Lower Church Lane has exhibitions by established and new artists in a variety of media, the exhibition changing on the first Saturday of each month. The gallery at Farnham Maltings also has frequent exhibitions.

Entertainment[link]

Farnham Maltings has diverse concerts including opera, folk and acoustic music gigs, band evenings and stand up comedy nights, as well as shows and workshops for younger people. There is a cinema run every Wednesday at the Maltings. The Maltings also hosts a successful "Acoustic Fridays" evening once a month, and this has a student following because many students play sets there. A regular blues night takes place in the "Cellar Bar" and the whole venue is taken over for the annual Blues Festival. In keeping with the town's historical link with hop-growing and beer, the Farnham Maltings also plays host to the Farnham Beer Exhibition, an annual event that started in 1977.^[51] There are many pubs in Farnham including The Plough, The William Cobbett, The Lamb, and The Alma all of which have live music regularly. Farnham is also home to the Farnham Youth Choir.

Farnham also has an annual carnival, normally on the last Saturday in June, organised by two charitable service organisations, the Farnham Lions Club and The Hedgehogs.^[52] Castle Street is closed for the evening, with bands playing on a stage in the street, a beer tent, barbecue, and sideshows. A procession of carnival floats, marching bands, tableaux, trade floats and classic vehicles parade through the main streets of the town. Local schools also participate in the parade, which has a different theme each year. Staff of the local Kar Ling Kwong Chinese restaurant traditionally perform the Lion Dance each year as part of the parade. There is also a smaller Hale Carnival which takes place in the village of Hale in the North of Farnham. This is usually held on the first Saturday of July.^[53]

The arts[link]

William Herbert Allen, the notable English landscape watercolour artist, lived and worked in Farnham for most of his career. He was Master of Farnham Art School from 1889 to 1927 and many of his works depict landscapes of the Farnham area.^[54] The artist Charles Bone was born in the town and studied at the Farnham College of Art.^[55] A popular fantasy artist, Josephine Wall, was born and educated in the town.^[56]

Since Roman times the wealden clay of the area has been exploited for pottery and brickmaking. Pottery continued on a small-scale commercial basis until the closure of Farnham Pottery at Wrecclesham in 1998, when it passed to the Farnham Buildings Preservation Trust. Farnham Pottery, in addition to utility wares, became famous during the Arts and crafts movement for their decorative wares, either hand-thrown or moulded and decorated in a variety of coloured glazes, particularly "Farnham Greenware".^[57] There was close co-operation between the pottery and Farnham School of Art (now a campus of University for the Creative Arts).

The Castle Theatre in Castle Street was replaced by the Redgrave Theatre in 1974 which, itself, closed down in 1998 due to the decline of repertory theatre in England.^[58] In 1998 'The New Farnham Repertory Company' was formed to carry on the tradition of repertory theatre in the town. The Farnham Theatre Association campaigns for a theatre in Farnham, either in the form of a restored Redgrave theatre or a new build.^[59]

Productions still regularly take place at the Maltings, which both produces work and receives touring shows as well as occasionally in the grounds of Farnham Library. Various genres of music are also promoted at the Maltings, where there is also a dance studio. Gerald Flood, stage, TV and film actor, lived in Farnham for most of his life; Peter Lupino, a well-known West End actor of the 1930s and 40s, and member of the famous theatrical family, also lived for many years in Farnham, in Red Lion Lane and was a well-known local character in his retirement. Actor Bill Maynard, the Carry On and Heartbeat actor, was born in the town, as was Bill Wallis, who learned his trade on the stage of the Castle Theatre. Opera singer Sir Peter Pears (1910–1986) was born in Farnham and Jessie Matthews, OBE (1907–1981), the popular English actress, dancer, and singer of the 1930s to 1960s, lived in Farnham, where she ran the Alliance public house (now closed).

It was in Farnham that J M Barrie wrote Peter Pan, whilst living at Black Lake Cottage.^[60]

Education[link]

Farnham has a broad mix of state, religious and private schools. There are eight infant schools, nine primary/junior schools, three secondary schools and two schools for pupils with special educational needs.^[61] There are also four independent schools in the Farnham area.^[62]

Further and higher education[link]

Farnham College (part of Guildford College) offers further education. The University for the Creative Arts at Canterbury, Epsom, Farnham, Maidstone and Rochester or UCA (a merger of the local Surrey Institute of Art & Design, University College and Kent Institute of Art & Design) offers higher education.

Farnham Grammar school[link]

Farnham Grammar School was created some time before 1585 (when a donation by a Richard Searle was recorded^[63] "to the maintenance of the school in Farnham").^[64] In 1905 the town centre assets of the old grammar school, located in West Street, were sold in order to purchase and build new premises in fields to the south of the town.^[64] In 1973 this campus became a Sixth Form College and was renamed Farnham College.^[63]

Sport[link]

Cricket is played in the ground north of Farnham Castle

There are various sporting facilities in Farnham of which the local leisure centre is one. The centre is run by DC Leisure on behalf of Waverley borough council.^[65] The leisure centre was built in 1981 with a swimming pool and training pool, gym and main hall for team sports.^[66] The entire centre was refurbished in 2010, during which the swimming pool was lengthened by four centimetres to exactly 25 metres to allow galas to be held.^[67]

The town is represented in the non-league football pyramid by Farnham Town F.C., who compete in the premier division of the Combined Counties League.^[68] There is a second football club, Farnham United FC which has several youth teams as well one adult team, Farnham United.^[69]

Farnham Cricket Club was established in 1782, originally playing in Holt Pound.^[70] The current ground is at the edge of Farnham Park near the former moat of the castle.^[70]

The Farnham and Aldershot hockey club runs three men's teams and two women's teams who play in both the surrey and hampshire hockey leagues.^[71] Floorball hockey is regularly played by the adult team Southern Vipers FBC.^[72]

Farnham also has a public golf course which is situated next to the cricket ground directly behind Farnham Castle. It was designed by Sir Henry Cotton.^[73] It is a nine-hole, par-three golf course.^[73]

Politics[link]

Farnham is represented by councillors at a county, district and town level. Farnham is represented at Surrey County Council by three councillors from three county council wards: Farnham Central, Farnham North and Farnham South.^[74] As of the 2009 election, all three sitting county councillors are members of the Conservative party.^[74]

As the town with the largest population in Waverley,^[75] Farnham has nine wards and is represented by eighteen councillors at Waverley borough council.^[76] As of the 2011 election, all eighteen of the sitting borough councillors represent the Conservative party.^[76]

Farnham Town Council is composed of 18 councillors. Of these, 14 are Conservatives, 3 are Independents, and 1 represents the Liberal Democrats.^[77] The current Member of Parliament is Jeremy Hunt (Conservative).

Media[link]

The Farnham Herald is the only newspaper exclusively for Farnham; published by Tindle Newspaper Group. It was established by E.W. Langham in 1892 and bought by the Tindle newspaper group in 1967.^[78] Farnham is also covered by Ash & Farnham News & Mail, which is published by Trinity Mirror.^[79]

The local TV stations are BBC South & ITV Meridian, received from the Hannington & Midhurst transmitters. BBC London & ITV London are also received, from the Crystal Palace transmitter. Farnham is covered on BBC radio by BBC Surrey (which covers Surrey & North-East Hampshire on 104.6FM). Ashgate Publishing, which publishes books in the Social Sciences and Humanities, is based in Farnham.

Notable people[link]

In addition to those mentioned in the text above, notable people born in Farnham include William Willett, campaigner for daylight saving time (1856); George Sturt, writer and social historian (1863); and Maud Gonne, feminist and activist in Irish politics (1866).

John Henry Knight (1847–1917), who built the first British motor car and designed a number of innovative digging machines for use in hop fields, was born and brought up at Weybourne on the outskirts of the town.

Actor Jim Sturgess was raised in Farnham (1981).^[80]

Notable sportspeople[link]

Cricketer "Silver Billy" Beldham (1766–1862) was born on the outskirts of town, in Wrecclesham. He played in Farnham Cricket Club's first match, against Odiham, when he was 16 years old. By the age of 21 he was widely recognised as the best batsman in England.^{[citation needed]} Graham Thorpe (1969– ) England cricket captain, was born in Farnham and played at the Farnham cricket ground.

Mike Hawthorn (1929–1959), driving for Ferrari, became the first British Formula One World Champion in 1958. His family moved to Farnham when he was two years old, so his father could be near to Brooklands race track.

Jonny Wilkinson (1979– ) England's world-cup-winning kicker and former captain, and England scrum half Peter Richards (1978– ) were not born in Farnham but both played for Farnham Rugby Football Club at mini level.

Joel Freeland (1987– ), international basketball player, was born in Farnham.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Farnham Town Council
• Live Weather in Farnham
• New Statesman - Just an ordinary town where Monty collected his pension, 18 December 1998

Nearest Settlements

	Ewshot	Hale	Badshot Lea Aldershot
	Dippenhall Crondall		Runfold
		Farnham    East
	Wrecclesham Bentley	Lower Bourne	Compton Tilford

v t e Towns, villages and hamlets in the Waverley District of Surrey, England Alfold Alford Crossways Badshot Lea Blackheath Bowlhead Green Bramley Brook Busbridge Chiddingfold Churt Compton Cranleigh Dippenhall Dockenfield Dunsfold Eashing Elstead Enton Ewhurst Farncombe Farnham Frensham Godalming Grayswood Hale Hambledon Hascombe Haslemere Heath End Hindhead Hurtmore Hydestile Lower Bourne Loxhill Milford Norney North Munstead Peper Harow Puttenham Ramsnest Common Rowledge Rowly Runwick Shackleford Shamley Green Shottermill Thorncombe Street Thursley Tilford Tuesley Wheelerstreet Witley Wonersh Wormley Wrecclesham

John Farnham
Farnham performing in November 2010.
Background information
Birth name	John Peter Farnham
Also known as	Johnny Farnham
Born	(1949-07-01) 1 July 1949 (age 62) Dagenham, Essex, England
Genres	Pop rock, AOR, adult contemporary, pop, soft rock
Occupations	Musician, singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, piano
Years active	1964–present
Labels	Columbia, EMI, RCA, Axis, Wheatley, BMG, Gotham
Associated acts	The Mavericks, Strings Unlimited, Little River Band, Brian Cadd
Website	Official website
Notable instruments
Acoustic guitar, piano

John Peter Farnham, AO, formerly billed as Johnny Farnham (born 1 July 1949), is an English-born Australian pop singer. As Johnny Farnham he was a teen pop idol from 1964 to 1979, and has since forged a career as an adult contemporary singer.^[1][2] His career has mostly been as a solo artist although he briefly replaced Glenn Shorrock as lead singer of Little River Band during 1982–1985.^[3][4][5] In September 1986 his solo single, "You're the Voice" peaked at No. 1 on the Australian singles charts.^[6][7] The associated album, Whispering Jack, held the No. 1 position for a total of 25 weeks,^[6][7] and is the highest-selling album in Australian history.^[8] Both the single and the album had Top Ten success internationally including No. 1 in Sweden.^[9][10]

Domestically he has remained one of Australia's best-known performers with a career spanning over 40 years,^[1] and he is the only Australian artist to have a number one record in five consecutive decades (echoing Sir Cliff Richard in the UK) with singles: "Sadie (The Cleaning Lady)" in 1967, "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" in 1969/1970, and "Age of Reason" in 1988;^[6][7] and albums: Age of Reason, Chain Reaction in 1990, Then Again... in 1993, Anthology 1: Greatest Hits 1986-1997 in 1997, 33⅓ in 2000 and The Last Time in 2002.^[6][7][11]

Farnham has been recognised by honours and awards including 1987 Australian of the Year, 1996 Order of Australia, and 19 Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Awards including his 2003 induction into the Hall of Fame.^{[11][12][13][14]} From 1969 he was voted by TV Week readers as the 'King of Pop' for five consecutive years.^{[15][16][17][18]} Aside from his recording career, Farnham performed on stage with lead roles in Australian productions of Charlie Girl, Pippin and 1992's Jesus Christ Superstar.^[1][18] He starred in his own TV series and specials including It's Magic and Bobby Dazzler and as a guest on numerous other popular shows such as Countdown and Hey Hey It's Saturday.^[1][19][20] Australian rock historian, Ian McFarlane described him as "the most successful solo artist in the history of Australian rock and pop [...] Farnham has retained an affable sense of humour and a simple, unpretentious 'everyman' charm which also makes him one of the most respected celebrities in Australian entertainment history."^[1]

Early life[link]

John Peter Farnham was born in Dagenham, England, on 1 July 1949, to John Farnham Snr and Rose Pemberton.^[21] His sisters are Jean and Jaquiline (Jackie), and his younger brother is Steven.^[21] Farnham spent his first ten years in England before his family emigrated to Australia in 1959 to live in Melbourne, Victoria.^[21][22] He attended school at Yarraman State School, Lyndale Primary School and Lyndale High School.^[21] During school holidays Farnham worked with a plumber and soon he began a plumbing apprenticeship and left school, in 1967 he took two years leave from his plumbing job to pursue his music career.^[23]

1964–67: The Mavericks to Strings Unlimited[link]

Johnny Farnham performed with local band The Mavericks on weekends, while still attending school, from 1964. The band had a five song repertoire.^[4][22][23] In late 1965 he was asked to join Strings Unlimited as a singer^[4][21][22] and they had a regular booking at a local hotel.^[22][23] In 1966, after making the state finals of the Hoadleys Battle of the Sounds, they recorded a three-track demo tape with Farnham on vocals, Stewart Male on lead guitar, Barry Roy on rhythm guitar, Mike Foenander on keyboards and Peter Foggie on drums.^[24] On 29 April 1967, Strings Unlimited performed as a backing band for pop singer Bev Harrell in Cohuna.^[17][24] Harrell's boyfriend/manager, Darryl Sambell, was impressed with Farnham's vocals and offered to become his manager.^[17][24] Initially performing in Sambell's home town of Adelaide, Farnham recorded an advertising jingle "Susan Jones" for Ansett ANA and was offered a solo record contract with EMI.^[23]

1967–79: Teen pop idol[link]

Farnham's first commercially successful recording was a novelty song entitled "Sadie (The Cleaning Lady)", Sambell had disliked it as the lyrics were so persistent.^[17] However, EMI's in house producer, David MacKay, insisted and so the single was released in November 1967. The B-side, "In My Room" was written by Farnham.^[25] By arrangement with Sambell, Melbourne radio DJ Stan Rofe pretended that he disliked "Sadie" before playing it.^[17][22] Rofe continued the ploy on TV's Uptight and viewers responded with calls to play the song.^[22] It hit #1 on the Australian singles charts in January 1968 and remained there for 6 weeks.^[6] Selling 180,000 copies in Australia, "Sadie" was the highest selling single by an Australian artist of the decade.^[17][26] Rofe was also a writer for Go-Set, a teen-oriented pop magazine, another writer for the magazine, Ian "Molly" Meldrum, praised Farnham's efforts.^[17] Go-Set ran a pop poll to determine the 'King of Pop' which was first won by Normie Rowe for 1967–1968.^[15][16][17] Farnham's 1968 singles were "Underneath the Arches" and "I Don't Want to Love You", each peaked at #6.^[6] In 1969, Farnham released his album Everybody Oughta Sing a Song which peaked at #12 on the Australian albums charts.^[6] His next single was a cover of Harry Nilsson's "One"; Farnham's version peaked at #4.^[6] When television guide, TV Week sponsored the 'King of Pop' awards, readers would forward their votes from coupons, Farnham won the most popular male award and was crowned 'King of Pop' five consecutive times from 1969–1973.^[15][16][17] He recorded a cover of the B J Thomas hit "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" which became his second #1 hit in December 1969 and remained at top spot for seven weeks into January 1970.^[1][6]

Farnham's next album, Looking Through a Tear, was released in July 1970 and peaked at #11.^[6] "Comic Conversations", his single from October, peaked at #10.^[6] During 1971, Farnham teamed with Allison Durbin, who had been chosen as 'Most Popular Female Performer' at the 'King of Pop' awards for 1969–1971.^[15][16] They released an album Together in September and a single "Baby, Without You" in November, both peaked into the top 30 of their respective charts.^[6] As well as his singing career, Farnham performed in stage musicals starting with Dick Whittington and His Cat in 1971^[18] and on television variety shows either as a guest performer or as a host.^[20][26] At 22, Farnham was appointed 'King of Moomba' in 1972 with Melbourne paper, The Sun, describing him as a "likeable English migrant" who is "King of Pop, King of Kids and today Johnny Farnham was King of Moomba."^[27]

Another stage musical for Farnham was Charlie Girl in 1971.^[18][28] Jillian Billman was one of the dancers, and Farnham married her on 18 April 1973.^[17] Meldrum announced their wedding plans in Go-Set but Sambell denied the early reports,^[23] and, despite being best man at the wedding, was against Billman marrying Farnham.^[17][23] The clean-cut pop star had made several more albums and singles, but by the mid-1970s his recording career had begun to dwindle and he turned more to stage musicals and television.^[26] Farnham and 'Queen of Pop' for 1972–1973, Colleen Hewett, combined on the 1973–1974 stage musical, Pippin,^[18][29][30] and its associated show album released in 1974.^[31] Also in 1974, Farnham and Hewett were co-hosts of It's Magic, a children's TV series on Channel Ten.^[31] He became familiar to viewers of Countdown when hosting its first colour transmission in early 1975 and introducing Skyhooks' performance of "Horror Movie".^[19]

Relations with Sambell became strained and in January 1976 they announced their split.^[17][23] Farnham first turned to Kenn Brodziak, producer of Pippin, for his management during 1976–1978 and then to Danny Finley, Hewett's then husband, from 1978.^[22] Farnham starred in a situation comedy series Bobby Dazzler as the title character during 1977–1978, and narrated documentaries including Survival with Johnny Farnham.^[1][20] Farnham was in financial trouble with unpaid taxes and the collapse of a restaurant venture with Hewett and Finley.^[22] Farnham's singing career was now confined to the cabaret circuit and stage musicals,^[23] in 1979 he changed his stage name to John Farnham.^[1][22]

1980–85: Little River Band era[link]

Farnham had met Glenn Wheatley, who was bass guitarist of 1960s rock group The Masters Apprentices, when both acts were managed by Sambell.^[17] Wheatley was now managing Little River Band (LRB) and in 1980 Farnham signed with Wheatley.^[17][23] They decided his comeback single would be a reworking of The Beatles' "Help!",^[23] which was produced by LRB's Graeham Goble,^[4] it peaked at #8.^[6] Farnham was utilising a more adult contemporary pop style^[1][26] and the associated album, Uncovered, also produced by Goble,^[4][23] peaked at #20.^[6] The B-side of "Help" was another of Farnham's songwriting efforts "Jillie's Song",^[23] co-written with Goble.^[32] In recording the album, Farnham's studio band were guitarist Tommy Emmanuel (ex-Southern Star Band), keyboardist Mal Logan (ex-Renée Geyer Band, LRB), drummer Derek Pellicci (LRB) and bass guitarist Barry Sullivan (ex-Chain).^[1] They became his tour band until Logan and Pellicci returned to their LRB commitments and were replaced by Sam McNally and David Jones respectively.^[1] In 1980, Farnham also appeared in a TV series, Farnham and Byrne with former Young Talent Time teen star and 'Queen of Pop' Debra Byrne.^[1][20] Three other solo singles followed in 1981 but none charted into the Top 50.^[6]

In February 1982, after Glenn Shorrock had departed Little River Band, Farnham became their lead vocalist with recommendations by Goble and Wheatley.^[1][22] Farnham had initially resisted the idea of joining LRB but Wheatley convinced him that Shorrock approved of the replacement.^[17] This continued Farnham's move away from cabaret and into rock music.^[26] As Little River Band was a successful band prior to Farnham joining, it was a surprise that they found little initial success.^[23]

With Farnham, Little River Band recorded three studio albums, which had modest success – not enough to pay back the advances the record company had provided. The first studio album, The Net, was already written and Farnham had no say in the songs, he just had to record his lead vocals. In the US, charting albums with Farnham's vocals, were Greatest Hits (1982), The Net (1983) and Playing to Win (1984) on Billboard Pop Albums chart/Billboard 200.^[33] While charting singles were, "The Other Guy", "We Two", "You're Driving Me Out of My Mind" and "Playing to Win".^[34] Farnham's biggest Australian hits with LRB were the 1982 single "Down on the Border" which peaked at #7 and The Net which peaked at #11 on the albums charts in 1983.^[6]

During this time, Farnham started supplying vocal tracks for films including, Savage Streets (1984), The Slugger's Wife (1985), and Fletch (1985); he later continued with Rad (1986) and Voyage of the Rock Aliens (1987).^[1][20] "Justice for One" was co-written by Farnham,^[35][36] for Savage Streets and it was released as a solo single.^[1]

Little River Band recorded a concert in Melbourne that aired in the United States on HBO. The concert video was only one hour long, and it highlighted some of the songs from The Net as well as reworked versions of Little River Band classics such as "Cool Change" and "Reminiscing". "Please Don't Ask Me", a song written by Goble,^[37] and a non-Top 50 single for Farnham almost three years previously,^[6] was played during the "Australian Themed" opening of the show. Despite positive Australian and US reviews and responses, this performance has not yet been released on VHS or DVD.

In an interview with Channel Seven, Farnham stated, "I'll be better off leaving, rather than putting myself under pressure that I've created." Through this matter, it became apparent to the band that Farnham was intending on leaving and Playing to Win's lead single "Playing to Win", a song believed by all to be the band's return to success, then started having authorship disputes. According to Farnham:

["Playing to Win" was] about my frustration in the band, about wanting out, not wanting to be there any more. There was a bit of in-fighting and we were doing it hard on the road. That's what inspired the song.^[17]

—John Farnham

As a result, Farnham's relationship with the band was further sullied. To date, the royalties for the song are meticulously divided with different shares to each of the song's contributors, including Goble, Farnham, Stephen Housden, David Hirschfelder and Wayne Nelson.^[38] By late 1985, LRB were in conflict again and Farnham left.^[1] In mid-1986, Little River Band released the third studio album, No Reins, but Farnham was already pursuing his solo career.^[17]

1986–97: Peak solo years[link]

[edit] "You're the Voice" and Whispering Jack

Farnham had started collecting a songlist for a future solo album while still in Little River Band, he finished his vocals for their album, No Reins, and left in late 1985.^[1][17] Farnham's first solo performances since 1981 were live shows with the John Farnham Band consisting of Brett Garsed on lead guitar, Sam See on guitar and Derek Pellicci, formerly of Little River Band, on drums.^[1][4] In early 1986, sound engineer Ross Fraser suggested to Farnham's manager Glenn Wheatley that it was time to start working on the solo album.^[22] Wheatley searched vainly for a producer and record label willing to work with Farnham,^[22] Fraser took on the producer role and Wheatley provided financial support after mortgaging his house.^[22][23]

Whilst visiting a jazz club in the US, Farnham was mistakenly introduced as Jack Phantom, and when he subsequently provided a running commentary for a local pool game he named himself Whispering Jack Phantom after the Pot Black commentator 'Whispering' Ted Lowe.^[17] Farnham's work for the album, Whispering Jack, included expanding his songlist with Fraser's advice. "A Touch of Paradise" was written by Gulliver Smith and Mondo Rock's Ross Wilson,^[39] while "Pressure Down" was provided by Harry Bogdanovs.^[40] Two weeks before the album was due to be recorded a demo tape arrived from London with similar material as "Pressure Down", Farnham and Fraser listened to the demo of "You're the Voice" and knew they had found a once-in-a-lifetime song.^[17] Another song on offer was "We Built This City" but Farnham knocked it back, it was later recorded by US band Starship.^[17]

Initially, public interest in the re-branded former teen-idol was difficult to cultivate, and radio stations refused to play Farnham's album. Things however started to change after Sydney radio station 2Day FM played its first single, "You're the Voice", which was released in September 1986. Henceforth, radio stations began receiving requests for the song. Its television debut was on Hey Hey Its Saturday with Skyhook's Greg Macainsh providing bass guitar.^[17] "You're the Voice," peaked at #1 in Sweden^[41][42] and Australia,^[6] as well as being a Top Ten hit in some European countries: #3 in Switzerland,^[41][43] #6 in the UK,^[44] and #6 in Austria.^[41][45] The song was written by Andy Qunta (ex-Icehouse), Keith Reid (Procol Harum), Maggie Ryder and Chris Thompson (ex-Manfred Mann's Earth Band).^[46]