Heritage open days

This year and for the first time, the Manor House in Godalming is taking part in Heritage Open Days and opening its doors to anybody who would like to look around this magnificent conference centre and hotel.

Heritage Open Days celebrates England’s fantastic architecture and culture by offering free access to properties that are usually closed to the public or normally charge for admission. Every year on four days in September, buildings of every age, style and function throw open their doors, ranging from castles to factories, town halls to tithe barns, parish churches to Buddhist temples. It is a once-a-year chance to discover hidden architectural treasures and enjoy a wide range of tours, events and activities which bring to life local history and culture.

"This is a brilliant opportunity for the local community to discover what's on their doorstep" says Centre Manager Howard Canning. "The Manor House has been here since the late nineteenth century, but we're amazed by the number of people who have lived in the area all their life who tell us they are completely unaware of its existence."

"The Manor House is a lovely late Victorian property with a character all of its own," continues Canning "and we can't wait to show people around. It took some work to restore it when the current owners bought it in 1993 and it has since been enlarged with an award-winning extension. Like all old buildings though, it requires constant maintenance, and we are fortunate to have a good team who look after that."

If you would like to look around the Manor House and see the results of all the hard work, tickets can be obtained from Godalming Museum. Naturally they are free!

Full details of Heritage Open Days can be found on their website.

Pretty as a picture

Visitors to the Manor House are currently able to enjoy two new striking exhibitions of photographs by photographers with local connections.

The first exhibitor is Trevor Skinner who has family in the area, although he now lives in Spain. A former teacher who now runs a language school, Trevor's work features breathtaking uban landscapes, such as the picture above. Most recently Trevor has exhibited at Can Manyé, Alella, Barcelona.

He is joined by first-time exhibitor Michele Howard. A local resident, Michele is a former Manor House employee who began taking pictures as a hobby. She has since turned her pastime into a thriving business.

Michele's pictures feature local scenes and sights and are full of warm charm and character.

All the pictures featured in the exhibition are available to buy

Seymour, Lord of the Manor

Our countryside location has many advantages including stunning views and a peaceful environment. It also means that we see more than our fair share of the local wildlife; foxes are plentiful, owls are occasional visitors and prize plants are often chomped away by hungry deer.

This small menagerie has recently been augmented by a proud male pheasant who struts around the grounds like the Lord of the Manor. Christened Seymour by the staff, he is obviously very pleased with himself and with his new home and has taken to declaring his joy with a piercing cry that reverberates around the gardens. Unfortunately, for our guests, his performance does start early, often around dawn.

If you are coming to stay and are a light sleeper or prefer to lay in late, we recommend ear plugs or the kind of patience that requires you gritting your teeth!

Summer newsletter 2011

Our latest newsletter is available to download or read with articles on greening the Manor House, special offers and why cakes can be on of your five a day.

Book a bedroom at The Manor House on Facebook

If you regularly use Facebook and are coming to stay in the Guildford area, it's now even easier to book at bedroom at the Manor House.


We've teamed up with our colleagues at Booking.com to make sure that you have access to all the best deals and rates available. Simply go to our Facebook page, click on the "Book Now" icon on the top left of the page and enter the dates you want to stay. It's as quick and easy as that!

It's curtains for the Manor House

Who would have guessed that curtains could be so expensive? Not I, for sure. We have just spent £6000 on new curtains for the Boardroom and together with the new carpet, they look fantastic. However, the curtains we could have bought would have been more than double that figure which is a good deal of money to spend making the windows look pretty.

We also gave the rest of the Boardroom a bit of makeover, adding more powerpoints and repairing some of the panelling. We even found a lovely old marble hearth, boarded over long ago, which we have restored to its former glory and a hidden cupboard housing an ancient dimmer switch from the turn of the century.

Even after all these years, the Manor House still has the ability to surprise and reveal hidden gems!