Farnham Hospital ~ This Hospital was rebuilt about seven years ago. There is a fault on the Main automatic opening doors. If you stand too close to them on the inside of the doors they do not always open. This is because when they were first fitted they were found to be incorrect in size and were never replaced because of the expense! Oh dear! God forbid they ever have to get patients out in an emergency!
Most of the internal walls are not solid! Look at the hole in the wall in the photograph. This was in Runfold Ward and caused by my Husband Michael's head in March 2005 when he was staying in the hospital. He lost his balance and fell over!
To get the plans for the hospital accepted by the general public they promised us an A&E for minor injuries but guess what? When the hospital was built I guess they just forgot to add it! Farnham Hospital used to be the local A&E along side the military hospital in Aldershot before Frimley Park and The Royal Surrey were built.
The Hospital is believed to be haunted. It is built on or very near the site of the old Farnham Workhouse so not surprising.
Roman Way ~ Called Roman Way because it is built on the site of a Roman Palace. Across the Estate was a Roman Aqueduct. The soil here is mostly London Clay which holds the water. The controversial Flats opposite where my Daughter lived before I moved her and the children here are very damp because of this soil. They also have a number of streams which run under the ground. A stones through from the flats is the Farnham Bypass and the river runs parallel with this.
But the Romans built on far older ground here. Also running alongside the flats is a vast copse with a very steep bank leading down into it which is mostly bogland and very dangerous for young children living on this estate. The Counsel have not fenced this land off. On the other side of the bogland is the Sewage Works. This was originally a Saxon Settlement and both Romans and Saxons always built close to a water sauce. But after all said and done Waverley Borough Council will not admit to rising damp in those flats! Water Water Everywhere!!!
Across the Bypass is the site of one of the oldest Iron Age settlements in this area.
Local Author and Historian Jean Parratt also an old friend and my ex boss! has a plaque on her house wall, as in Jean's garden is a Roman Bath. Also when Jean's children were small they woke up one night to see a Roman Centurion standing in the room.
The Counsel Houses on this estate are some of the worst neglected houses owned by Waverley. There was a big issue this year saying they were going to Double Glaze 1000 houses! I have been waiting for double glazing for 23 years! My windows are metal framed ~ most of them don't close properly ~ the window in my disabled Son's room is held in by two screws but never mind another cold winter for a severely disabled household!
At the far end of the Estate there used to be prefab houses where my neighbour was brought up in. My father-in-law actually worked on the building of this estate after the ww2
Westminster Hall and Farnham ~ I'm a member of the 1395 committee. Our Chairman is local archeological conservationist John Price and members of the committee include Madge Green of Farnham in Bloom and Honary Member Virginia Bottomley. Virginia unveiled the Commemoration Plaque at The Hart for us. The Committee was set up by John to investigate and commemorate the building of the roof of Westminster Hall in Farnham. I am a research member on the committee.
The Oak Hammer Beam Roof of Westminster Hall was built in Farnham in 1395 by the order of King Richard 2nd. Hugh Herland was the master carpenter. It comprises of 600 tons of Oak. 200 Oaks came from The Abbot of St. Albans ~ 200 Oaks from Stoke d'Abernon, the other side of Guildford and 200 Oaks from the Kin's Park at Odiham and also from Alice Holt Forest. The Roof was built on a frame at Farnham Castle which was then the home of the Bishops of Winchester.
The Rood was then taken apart ~ loaded on wagons and went by road to WeyBridge then down the River to Westminster and reassembled.
Virginia organized two super visits to Westminster Hall for our committee to view the Roof and also organized a private visit for me to Photograph the Roof for our committee.
Secret Services and Police in Farnham ~ Not so many years ago I was told this story. A close friend at the time knew a friend that owned a house in Castle Street Farnham next to the Castle. In his cellar was his computer and on this he was picking up transmissions coming from the cellars of Farnham Castle. He happened to mention this one night in The Nelson Public House in Castle Street. The next morning some mysterious men knocked his front door ~ removed everything from his cellar and sound proofed it and warned him not to say anything! That story really is not surprising! Only 5 miles away at that time was the Top Secret Government RAE. Also Farnham Castle to this day is The International Briefing and Conference Centre! The Castle itself is only open to the Public one day a week. What an excellent cover for our Secret Services MI6 which still operates in this area! I have a friend who works for them.
To be continued!
