Our final trip of the year was to Godalming. 19 of us enjoyed a guided tour round this very interesting little town. Godalming lies at the confluence of the Rivers Wey & Ock and covers an area of 3.74 sq miles. It has a population of approx. 25,000. It used to be a very important coaching town, lying on the main London to Portsmouth Road, the evidence of which can still be seen in the number of pubs and inns that still exist.
There has been a pub on this site since the early years of the reign of Henry VIII. It was the home of John Perrior, the town's warden in 1574. the extension was built as an Oddfellows Hall in the 1830's. It was subsequently used as a courtroom and for the town's first grammar school from 1885 to 1913, then used as a public hall before being merged with the pub in 1940.
The Church of St. Peter and St. Paul dates back to the 12th century and is the oldest building in the town. It is built with the local Bargate stone, which can be seen throughout the town.
The Pepperpot, so called because of its shape is located at the junction of the High Street and Church Street in Godalming. This iconic symbol of Godalming was formerly the Old Town Hall but is now available for hire. The ground floor is available as a small market place and is used by a local greengrocer twice a week. It is a grade II listed building and dates back to the early 19th century
The current Godalming station, opened in 1859 to replace one on a different site, is situated at the edge of the town. The main station building is a Grade II listed building. The station has been recognised for its architectural and historic interest, winning awards such as Best Small Station in the South West Trains Pride Awards.
