This site contains articles on Woking’s History and Heritage by Iain Wakeford and the archive of historic documents that were originally featured on the  website www.heritagewalks.org.

For 2023 I intend to continue on a quarterly basis, but may add extra walks (such as the Woking Palace Wildlife Walk below) as we go through the year.

The first walk of 2023 will be on Sunday 12th March around the Mount Hermon and Heathside area of Woking (meeting at 2pm by the Bandstand in Woking Park, GU22 9BA).

This will be followed by walks on...

Sunday 11th June around Pyrford (meeting at 2pm by the Church of the Good Shepherd, Coldharbour Road, GU22 8SP)

Sunday 10th September around Mayford (meeting at 2pm by the Post Office, Mayford Green, GU22 0NL)

Sunday 10th December around Horsell Moor and Goldsworth (meeting on the bridge over the canal by the WWF Living Planet Centre, GU21 4LL)

All Heritage Walks are free and open for anyone to attend. There is no membership, no booking, just turn-up and walk. They are all circular (bringing you back to where you started), and last up to two hours. There will be frequent stops on the walk to look at features of historic interest (and hear about their heritage), so the walks are more like gentle strolls, rather than rambles. Everyone who joins the walks, does so at their own risk.

Also this year, I am conducting a couple of extra walks investigating the Wey Valley as it was in the mid-17th century (between the beheading of Charles I and the restoration of Charles II) on Saturday 6th May - one starting at 10.30am in Old Woking (and ending at the New Inn in Send), with the other starting at 2pm on the Cartbridge at Send  (and ending in Old Woking). I beleive the pub will be open for food and drinks, but you can, if you like, bring a picnic for beside the Wey Navigation between walks, or just join me for one or the other walk, by returning to the start of each walk via Broadmead Road.

I am also conducting a special Wildlife Walk to Woking Palace to hopefully see the Barn Owls in flight on Thursday 15th June, starting at 8pm beside the village sign in Old Woking. Please wear suitable clothing (as we will be crossing the meadows NOT on public footpaths) and bring a torch (as the return will be after sunset via Carters Lane).

Both the first 'Wey Valley' walk and the 'Wildlife Walk' start by the village sign in Old Woking, at the junction of the High Street (B382) and Broadmead Road (A247) - with parking opposite in the rear car park (GU22 9JH).

For those interested in purchasing some of my books and booklets (as well as other second-hand copies of local history books of Surrey*) I will have a sales table at the West Surrey Family History Fair at Woking Leisure Centre on Saturday 4th November 2023 - with any profits from the stall going towards funding this website and my research.

*The stall will also include sales of books and ephemera for the whole of the British Isles, only some of which is currently on sale on E-bay via my 'heritagewalks.org' account (the sales of which again help to fund this site and my research)

This site now 'houses' my archive of local history material and memorabilia, copies of some of my books and booklets that I have written and published in the past, and the notes and illustrations that have been submitted for publication over the years to various  newspapers, notably the Woking Informer (from June 2010 to December 2012) and the Woking Advertiser (from January 2013 to July 2019) – the latter articles including the ongoing series on Woking’s Chronological History.

Whilst these are no longer being published in the newspaper, I intend to continue to upload items from time to time, so please return on a regular basis to view how Woking progressed (if progress is the right word), from the 1970's onwards!

Also under the 'Articles' section you will find a series looking at 'Woking's War of the Worlds'. Based on my research for my guided heritage walks and illustrated talks on 'Wells, Woking and the REAL War of the Worlds'. Each article looks at a different chapter of the story with contemporary illustrations and notes on the history behind places featured in the original story.

There is also a section on 'Woking on Film' with links to the BFI and Britsih Pathe (and other websites) that have free access to historic films featuring this area.

In 2018, to commemorate the centenary of the end fo the First World War, and in conjunction with the Woking Magazine, I added two of the  three Heritage Walks on the area that start from local War Memorials. These may also be added to from time to time.

This site now has over 600 different pdf files to download, and links to at least 70 other pages, making it probably the largest independent site dedicated to Woking's History and Heritage.

There is also now a new section on the research I have carried out into the history of my home in Old Woking (and that of some of the neighbouring properties), looking at the recent history of each property in detail, with another section on the history of Old Woking in general, starting with a look at where Old Woking begins - geographically and geologically, as well as historically.

If  you find this website of interest please feel free to tell anyone its address. If you wish to place a 'link' to it please let me know as  this site is free and independent of any organisation or authority and I want it to remain (and be seen to remain) that way. Any comments or views expressed on this site should not be taken to be the views of any company or organisation that I may be associated with.

If you have any constructive comments to make about the site, please email me at info@heritagewalks.org although I cannot guarantee that I will make any alterations or even be able to reply straight away.