The Evolution of Small Town England

On Tuesday 15 November, A level Geographers visited Farnham as part of their study of a 'near place'.  Once they arrived (after listening to ‘Driving Home to Farnham’ by Farnham-based songwriter Peter Crutchfield on the bus ride there) the students were met with their tour guide, Roger.  He took the girls on a tour around the town, describing the history of each location, from the Maltings to old pubs, a church, and the castle.  This gave them an insight into how Farnham has changed over the years, evolving from the hop-farming background of the town, and they even learnt about how Charles I of England stayed in Farnham the night before his execution.

After the tour the group headed off for some lunch, into the shops and carried out a survey of whether Farnham was a ‘clone’ town by marking down the amount of independent and chain business.