Discover Farnham: Crafts, History and Trails

Farnham combines urban history, crafts and walking trails with many different ways to spend a day on holiday. Families can alternate cultural discoveries, short explorations in the centre and longer walking experiences. A holiday apartment in Farnham is therefore a suitable base for anyone who wants to arrange their stay according to their interests and how they feel each day.

History and crafts as special aspects of Farnham

Farnham is a designated craft town and was named World City of Craft in 2020. This focus shapes the town as a destination and provides a good reason to discover not only individual sights but also the craft tradition as part of the place.

The motte-and-shell keep of Farnham Castle was founded in 1138 by Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester. An important current notice for planning purposes is that the keep is currently closed because of falling masonry and for safety reasons. The closure affects the keep; this should be taken into account when choosing activities.

The Museum of Farnham presents local history, crafts, costumes and art in a Grade I listed Georgian townhouse. It is part of Farnham Maltings and thus offers another cultural perspective on the town. For a holiday with varied interests, a museum visit can easily be combined with a walk or a self-guided exploration of the town.

Walks between the town centre and surrounding landscapes

Several trails have different focuses. The Heritage Trail uses numbered plaques to explore Farnham town centre on foot. The Industrial Heritage Trail is also a self-guided walk through the town centre and focuses on the town’s industrial roots. Those who want to focus on design and public art can find sculptures, wood carvings, terracotta works and ironwork along the Farnham Public Art Trail.

Farnham’s approximately circular, self-guided Tree Trail leads through the town centre and was created by Peter Bridgeman. The Farnham Bee Trail runs through green spaces, gardens and hidden corners of the town. These different themed trails make it possible to choose how to explore not only by distance but also according to personal interest.

For longer walking days, the North Downs Way runs from Farnham to Canterbury via Guildford and the White Cliffs of Dover. The Farnham Walking Festival includes approximately 30 walks. The tours are led by experts in their respective fields, have varying levels of difficulty and cover topics including art and creativity, nature and wildlife, history and heritage, as well as health and wellbeing. This allows you to choose between an independent walk and a themed guided excursion.

Farnham as a base for planning your trip

Farnham railway station is approximately a ten-minute walk from the town centre. This is a useful point of reference when planning your arrival and daily journeys. When choosing a holiday apartment, you can therefore consider whether you mainly want to explore the attractions in the town centre or use Farnham as a base for a longer walking day. For families with different interests, this arrangement allows time for shared sightseeing as well as days with a clear focus on history, art, crafts or exercise.

Guided tours of the Bishop’s Palace take place every Wednesday afternoon from 2 to 4 pm. This fixed time slot may be relevant for planning your day, while the self-guided trails offer more flexibility in the order of your experiences. When planning, pay particular attention to the current status of the keep and organise the remaining activities around your preferred topics and the time available.

Further places to choose from

For further travel planning, you can also view the destination pages for Hindhead, Frensham, Abinger Common, Godstone, Virginia Water, Banstead, Buckland and Woking.

For the higher-level travel overview: Surrey.