I recently made my way to Woking, a town nearby Guildford, for a day out. I thought it would be fun to share my experience with you guys. Woking Train Station is less than 10 minutes from Guildford train station, and with a railway card, you can get there with a £3.3 fare, making this a very accessible place for a day visit.

I found myself in Woking on a super sunny Spring Day and had a fantastic time strolling through the town. What I found super interesting about Woking was that the town center felt like a homage to the book The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells, which was set in Woking, written by the author while he lived there. Notably, I found a statue of the author, as well as a giant stainless-steel structure depicting the Martian and the ‘alien pod’ as described in the book. I also saw planet-themed walking and cycling trails scattered throughout the train, which I assume were also inspired by the book. I personally have not read this book, but a quick stroll through the town really piqued my interest in the book. Hopefully, sometime soon I plan to read the book and return to explore the town with a new perspective.

Woking is also home to Shah Jahan Mosque, which is the first purpose-built mosque in Britain! It was built in 1889 by Dr Gottleib Wilhelm Leitner, as a place for students at the Oriental Institute in Woking to worship. It was my first time in the UK seeing a mosque with such beautiful architecture and made me reminiscent of the mosques back home. I was also lucky enough to hear the Azan (Islamic prayer call) from the mosque and hearing it again out loud after such a long time really filled my heart with happiness and peace.

There were more places I was excited to explore in Woking, such as The Lightbox which is a museum of art, sculptures and inventions, and WWF Living Planet Centre which offers visitors to explore interactive zones to learn about the secrets of nature and the work of the World Wildlife Fund. Unfortunately, the Lightbox was closed on the day I visited as it was a public holiday, and the WWF Living Planet Centre was temporarily closed for updates and renovation. Hopefully, I will take a trip to Woking once again when these two places are open and do a review of these attractions as well.

Overall, I really enjoyed my visit to Woking, and recommend anyone staying in Guildford to give it a visit. Thanks for reading, if I missed any must-visit places in Woking, do let me know! Have a great day!