A small correction first, because it is often muddled. Farnham's status was awarded by the World Craft Council, not the UK Crafts Council. It was made a World Craft City in June 2020, the first in England and, according to Great British Life, only the third region in Europe to receive it. Locally you will hear it called the craft town, and the designation was delivered by Farnham Maltings and Farnham Town Council, with support from the University for the Creative Arts (UCA).
What matters for a visitor is that the title rests on real places you can walk into. Four of them do most of the work.
Farnham Maltings
The Maltings sits in the centre of Farnham, with Red Lion Lane beside the South Wing. Malting continued here until 1956, after which the building stood abandoned. The community bought it in 1969, and the Farnham Society says that helped avoid demolition. It is now a creative arts centre with six resident theatre and dance companies, plus 16 studios, a darkroom and a pottery studio that house resident makers.
The box office is open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm and Saturday 9am to 3pm, and opens 45 minutes before any event. The number is 01252 745444.
Two fixtures suit anyone planning ahead. The monthly market is on the first Saturday of each month at 9am, paid on the door, and the Maltings calls it one of the oldest and largest markets in Surrey. The Festival of Crafts runs over a weekend in autumn, with advance tickets until midnight the day before and sales on the door after that. Check the Maltings festival page for the current dates and workshops.
Crafts Study Centre
The Crafts Study Centre is at UCA, Falkner Road, Farnham GU9 7DS, a short walk from two pay-and-display car parks. It moved to Farnham in 2000, into a purpose-built building. Entry is free. It opens Tuesday to Friday 10am to 5pm and on selected Saturdays 10am to 4pm, and is closed Sunday and Monday.
It is a specialist university museum and research centre, open to the public. The collections cover calligraphy and lettering, ceramics, textiles, and furniture and wood, along with makers' archives. The names give a sense of the depth: Ethel Mairet, Phyllis Barron and Dorothy Larcher in textiles, Edward Johnston and Irene Wellington in calligraphy, Ernest Gimson and Edward Barnsley in furniture.
Archive access is by appointment only, with at least two weeks' notice. Details are on the Centre's website.
New Ashgate Gallery
New Ashgate is in Waggon Yard, Lower Church Lane, Farnham GU9 7PS, on the corner of Downing Street and Union Road. It has been there for over 60 years and is a registered charity. Admission is free, and it is open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm, closed on bank holidays. The phone number is 01252 713208.
It is five minutes on foot from Farnham station, and the train from London Waterloo takes 55 minutes. If you drive, there is a pay-and-display car park in front of the gallery. Its seasonal craft collections have brought together work by more than 50 makers, and a recent exhibition, Surrey Craft Legacies, covered stained glass, silk weaving and rush basketry. Its Craft Your Year programme of free family workshops is listed on the gallery's what's on page.
Farnham Pottery, Wrecclesham
The potters have the longest story. Farnham Pottery stands on Pottery Lane in Wrecclesham, about two miles south of the town centre. Absalom Harris founded it in 1873, and five generations of the Harris family ran it for more than 130 years. Historic England records it as Grade II listed and notes that pottery in the Farnham area goes back to Roman times, with a distinctive green glaze noted in the 16th and 17th centuries. The pottery's greenware range is internationally recognised, according to Heritage Open Days.
Today it is a community arts and craft centre with more than 400 makers, according to Visit Surrey. There is a shop selling ceramics made by students on site, courses in making, throwing and glazing, and a café. Opening hours vary, so check with the pottery before setting out. The Historic England listing has the building's history.
Making a day of it
The Crafts Study Centre and New Ashgate are both free and close to the centre, so they pair well on a weekday. The Maltings market suits a first Saturday. The pottery is the one to drive to, and it rewards a slower afternoon with a course or a coffee.
The town council also runs an annual Artist in Residence programme, in which each artist makes a piece inspired by Farnham for the local craft collection. It is funded by Farnham South Street Trust as part of a five-year commitment. In October the town holds Farnham Craft Month, which the UK Crafts Council has listed as an event, and that is the point at which the Crafts Council name does belong in the story.
