About Woking

One of Woking's most visited attractions is the Ambassadors theatre and cinema complex, which hosts everything from a range of stage drama, international modern dance and opera to some of the biggest West End productions, especially big-name musicals.

In recent years the stunning arts and heritage centre designed by the architects behind The London Eye, The Lightbox, has appeared to offer another side of culture, with events and exhibitions showcasing contemporary art and theatrical productions.

The town was famously the location for the initial invasion by the Martians in H G Wells' science fiction classic, The War of the Worlds. The book, published in 1898, was one of the first to describe an alien invasion on Earth and has spawned countless other authors' and film-makers' creations ever since. In the centre of Woking there is a huge sculpture of one of the Martian fighting robots from the novel.

The town is the site of the country's first ever mosque, the Shahjehan mosque, which was commissioned by one of the Indian state of Bhopal's female rulers at the end of the nineteenth century. As a direct result of the mosque's long history in the town a substantial Asian community has sprung up in Woking.

The giant Brookwood Cemetery is one of Woking's most famous sights - it was originally created as an alternative burial site for the capital's dead and was served by its own private railway line. The town is also home to the country's very first crematorium.

The Surrey countryside surrounding Woking is stunning and well worth a visit, as are the town's many parks and commons, many of which are home to rare species of plants, birds and animals and are Sites of Special Scientific Interest.