Gardeners in Godalming

An introduction to the town and some insider tips on places to visit as well as our 3 favourite lunch spots!

There are many reasons to love Godalming… It’s picturesque town streets, its proximity to accessible countryside and links to London. Here are some of it’s tops spots as recommended in Surrey Life magazine…

  • River Wey – No visit to Godalming is complete without a visit to the river. Not only are there riverside strolls as picturesque as any you’ll find in Surrey, but there are also Farncombe Boat House, from whom you can book a narrowboat holiday when the river is in the right frame of mind, or Godalming Packetboat Company, where you can enjoy a horse-drawn narrowboat ride from Godalming Wharf.
  • Secretts – Undoubtedly one of the powerhouses of the Surrey food and drink scene, Secretts is found in the neighbouring village of Milford. Not only has the farm produced fresh fruit and veg for pubs, restaurants and markets since 1938, but it is also home to an excellent farm shop, butchers and English wine store (Hawkins Bros).

24 hours in…

  • Morning – Godalming is not a place to rush about. Settle down and relax into your visit. Depending on where you’re staying or visiting from, perhaps an excellent breakfast/brunch at somewhere like Café Mila would be the perfect start. You may wish to partake in a little yoga, if there happens to be a class going on, but at this time of day – and if the weather is playing the game – then it’s only a short walk to the riverside anyway. Bliss.
  • Afternoon – If you’re looking to stay local for a wrapped up riverside picnic, pop into Godalming Food Company, but if you’re looking to head further afield then Secretts is a must – make sure to grab a bottle of English sparkling wine at Hawkins Bros while you’re there. If pushed, Winkworth Arboretum should be your destination. Even if it’s a little early for spring, you’ll get the feel for the life to come here.

Gertrude Jekyll (1843-1932), created some 400 gardens in the UK, Europe and America; her influence on garden design has been pervasive to this day. She spent most of her life in Surrey, England, latterly at Munstead Wood, Godalming. She ran a garden centre there and bred many new plants. Some of her gardens have been faithfully restored, wholly or partly, and can be visited. Godalming Museum has many of her notebooks and copies of all her garden drawings, (compiled and sorted by members of the Surrey Gardens Trust); the original drawings are in the University of California, Berkeley.

You can visit Munstead Wood today and see her famous garden by appointment.

Our 3 favourite lunch spots are The White Horse in Hascombe, The Stag on the River in Eashing and The Olde Ship in Artington.

https://www.whitehorsepub.net/

https://www.stagontherivereashing.co.uk/

https://www.yeoldeshipinn.pub/gallery

Our Gardeners

Brenda Cross

Brenda Cross

I’ve always loved working in my garden – the great outdoors! Working hard to achieve a space which I can then relax in and feel proud of the hard work I’ve put in to enjoy it. I’m a self-taught gardener and my earliest memories of gardening are ‘taking care’ of my parents’ round and rectangular privet hedges. I love the look of carefully trimmed hedges, a weed-free colourful flower bed and neat lawn edges.

I’ve recently enjoyed constructing a woodland path. I find structure pleasing in the garden, by way of shape, height and form. Every garden is different and has the potential to make it a magical space!

Jenny Goodhand

Jenny Goodhand

“I’m an enthusiastic gardener and love spending time outdoors. I have developed my ‘unusable’ allotment and ‘never before touched’ garden into thriving paradises with fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers. I have spent many years volunteering with The National Trust and with Surrey Wildlife Trust in hands-on countryside management and am keen to further my passion in this field. My parents are excellent gardeners who are almost self sufficient, which has given me a good insight into dealing with plants from a young age.”

Lucy Palmer

Lucy Palmer

I was blessed to grow up playing and gardening in a beautiful Irish walled garden. My mother passed on her love of all things horticultural. Experiencing the joy that my own garden has brought me these past 19 years, I hope to share my passion and further my training. I’ve propagated plants for several charitable sales, I’m a volunteer gardener at a local school and feel so convinced of the therapeutic values of gardening that it should be part of the national curriculum! Our outdoor spaces now need more than ever to nourish and delight, whilst being an invaluable place for all living creatures to flourish. Lucy is the newest member of our Surrey Gardeners’ team.