Two-day Itinerary
Day One - Farnham Town
George and Ann Stewart from Totnes enjoy travelling around Britain but had never been to Farnham before. This is their actual agenda, with some comments from them about the things they did and the places they visited. Please note, this is one couple's view and is not intended to represent the views of the Visitor's Forum or any specific venues mentioned (or omitted). As is frequently said on the BBC, "Other venues exist!"
"George suggested we stayed at the Bishop's Table Hotel. We looked at several places, including the Mercure Bush, but the Table caught our eye. Why? It was a point ahead on the Trip Advisor Ratings and that was the deciding factor. We arrived mid-morning and had organised an early check-in. Roger made us very welcome and we were soon installed and out on the road looking for adventure."
"Ann is very interested in history, crafts and shopping, whereas I am more into the arts and the countryside. This trip was intended to cater to both of us. We started the day with a visit to The Museum of Farnham, then walked up the Bishop's Steps to Farnham Castle. I insisted that we came back through Farnham Park, where I had my first taste of Surrey countryside. I have to admit, I was inspired by some of the exhibits in the Museum and the age of Farnham Castle, but I especially loved the view down from the top. The volunteer in the Museum was very knowledgable and made our tour even more memorable with her stories of the town."
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"George enjoyed both the Museum and the Castle, although he would not admit it in case I start dragging him to more ancient places. On our stroll back to the town, I relented and allowed him to walk through Farnham Park. At the bottom, we took a small side road into Castle Street and had lunch at the Castle Inn. We both opted for sandwiches from the menu, and, as we were not intending to drive, we shared a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. I could not fault the atmosphere, service or the food. We did intend to go back for an evening meal, but other places took our fancy. We would go back in a heartbeat."
"In the afternoon we wanted to visit as many places as we could. We started at St Andrew's Church, which had many fine memorials. We saw William Cobbet's tomb and his memorial. George is 'into' authors, but had to admit never having heard about Cobbett. He did do some research on him in the evening and was pleased he learned about a new 'local' hero. From there, we went to the Maltings and took a look around. Walking back into town, I called in at the New Ashgate Gallery and was only just stopped from wanting to buy the entire place. They had so many gorgeous pieces on display."
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"Ann went a little crazy in the first gallery. She wanted to buy everything. I managed to keep her down to a reasonable shopping basket, but we did get Christmas presents for our children. From there, we walked through town to the Galleries and Craft Centre at the University of Creative Arts. Ann was in her element here. I thought I'd never drag her out! But tomorrow's my day. We will spend the day in the countryside and I can get my own back."
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"In the evening, we had a tasty Italian dinner in the Cafe Piccolo, where I had linguine and George had a pizza. After, we walked back through the town to the Hop Blossom pub. The place was charming and not too busy. We must be getting old, but we prefer quieter pubs now and the Hop Blossom was perfect."