Discover Farnham: Crafts, History and Walking Trails

Farnham offers several ways to plan your trip, through its history and crafts as well as its walking routes. The castle, museum and themed trails offer different perspectives: some routes pass through the town centre, while others focus on trees, public art or urban green spaces. If you’re looking for a hotel in Farnham, you can start by considering which of these aspects of the town interests you during your stay.

The Castle, Museum and Farnham’s Crafts

The keep at Farnham Castle is a motte-and-shell keep founded in 1138 by Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester. The keep is currently closed because of falling masonry and for safety reasons. Check its visitor status again before travelling. Tours of the Bishop’s Palace take place every Wednesday afternoon from 2 to 4 pm; the schedule may vary. These tours are of the Bishop’s Palace and should be distinguished from the closed keep.

The Museum of Farnham presents local history, crafts, costume and art in a Grade I listed Georgian townhouse. It is part of Farnham Maltings. Farnham is also a designated craft town and was named a World City of Craft in 2020. The museum brings together several different themes: its exhibits include not only crafts, but also local history, costume and art.

Town Trails with Different Focuses

Several trails explore Farnham town centre on foot, but each has a different theme. The Tree Trail is a self-guided, roughly circular tree trail through the town centre by Peter Bridgeman. The Heritage Trail uses numbered plaques to explore the centre. The also self-guided Industrial Heritage Trail focuses on the town’s industrial roots. Trees, plaques and industrial history offer a simple guide when choosing between these options.

The Farnham Public Art Trail includes sculptures, wood carvings, terracotta works and ironwork. The Farnham Bee Trail passes through green spaces, gardens and hidden corners of the town. The trails therefore draw attention to different aspects: public art on the one hand, and urban greenery and gardens on the other.

For planning a longer route, you can also consider the North Downs Way. It runs from Farnham to Canterbury and passes through Guildford and the White Cliffs of Dover. Its stated route therefore differs from the trails that explore the town centre.

Guided Walks and Festival Themes

The Farnham Walking Festival includes around 30 walks. Experts in their respective fields lead the tours, and the walks have different levels of difficulty. Topics range from art and creativity to nature and wildlife, as well as history and heritage, health and wellbeing. The themes show that the festival is not focused on just one type of walk. When choosing, you can consider both the subject matter and the level of difficulty.

The annual festival programme may vary. Check the latest information before planning a particular walk. The self-guided trails offer other thematic perspectives for exploring the town, while the festival adds guided walks with an annual programme that may change.

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For the wider travel overview: Surrey.