11 September 2021
The Times names Woking as one of UK's top towns to live in
The commuter town appeals to many, with its rich history, parks, leisure facilities, arts venues, and schools.
The Times has listed the UK's top 23 towns to live in, focusing on the places that offer "the best of both worlds" - rural, but not remote.
Woking features among the best in the south east, and we can understand why.
It's also a great place to bring up a family, with its parks, leisure facilities, arts venues, and schools to be proud of.
Below, SurreyLive has listed some of the other reasons why Woking is a great place to live.
History
From martians (fictionally) landing on Horsell Common thanks to H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds, to having the oldest purpose-built mosque in the country, the Shah Jahan Mosque, Woking has a rich history.
Brookwood Cemetery, a beautiful Grade I listed site, has been serving the community since 1854. The 220-acre park provides a tranquil setting for visitors all year round, and if you're lucky, you may see filming crews there.
We can't forget the town's musical history either, as we celebrate the songs of The Jam and Status Quo.
Green spaces and walks
The Basingstoke Canal runs through the borough, and if you've never walked along it, you're missing out.
The 33-mile stretch is a paradise for walkers and cyclists, offering people of all ages an opportunity to soak up nature in a peaceful, quiet and relaxing environment.
The flat footpath runs from West Byfleet, where it joins the River Wey and goes through Woking, Brookwood, Mytchett, Ash, Fleet, Church Crookham and Odiham, before finally ending up at Greywell in Hampshire.
Away from the construction sites in the town centre, Woking is also surrounded by acres of green space, including Goldsworth Park Lake and Horsell Common.
The arts
The arts are really celebrated in Woking, where theatre-goers are blessed with the New Victoria Theatre, the Rhoda McGaw Theatre, and the Nova cinema.
The New Victoria Theatre boasts state of the art facilities, and has hosted the likes of the Royal Shakespeare Company, National Theatre and the Peter Hall Company.
The Rhoda McGaw Theatre has a varied programme of entertainment throughout the year, including musical theatre, comedy, opera, dance, and youth performances.
Diversity
Woking is home to many different communities, who are celebrated throughout the year thanks to a variety of events in the borough.
The town comes to life for Chinese New Year and Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, but sadly, the coronavirus pandemic has put some of these events on hold.
Back in August 2019, Woking hosted Pride in Surrey, the first LGBTQ+ event for the county. Around 3,000 people lined the streets to mark the day, as a dazzling parade made its way through the town centre.
Schools
Woking is one of the top places in the country for schools, with a number of establishments rated outstanding. St John the Baptist School came top of the local Real Schools Guide 2020 state secondary school league table.
The town is ever-changing
Woking is constantly changing, with planning application after planning application being submitted for new developments across the borough.
Developers eye up prime spots in the town and one development starts as another finishes.
Love it or hate it, it's entirely up to you, but Woking is progressing and it's progressing quickly, which is an endorsement of its merits and potential.
To read the full article from The Times, which lists the UK's top 23 towns to live in, see here.
Credit: Ellie Flemming,Surrey Live
