Farnham was a Saxon village and probably began in the 6th century AD. It is situated on a magnesium limestone ridge - to the west and south-west are low lying lands, which were called 'mires' or 'carrs'.
The history of the village is, in part, tied to the history of the town of Knaresborough - some 2 miles to the south. The Saxon period ended with the conquest of England by the Normans in 1066 - the great Norman survey, known as the Domesday Book, has reference to Farnham and confirms that in 1080 there was a Saxon church there.
William the Conqueror rewarded his knights by granting them 'Manors' - great areas of land to control - one such 'Manor' was centred on Knaresborough and was known as the 'Honour' or 'Lordship of Knaresborough'. Farnham was one of the villages in the Honour, in an area known as The Liberty.
The church in Farnham has always been an important feature - first the Saxon church, referred to above, replaced by a Norman church, built c 1100 AD and later additions over the centuries. Partly to celebrate the millennium, there has been extensive work done in 2000/2001 to conserve and improve the building.
Farnham is a beautiful village - much admired - with a strong community spirit - and it is the hope of the inhabitants that it will remain so for another fifteen hundred years.