GODALMING 



285 



But I think it is the brick buildings of the town, of 

 a later date, that give the street its more distinct 

 character, and foremost among these are some of the inns 

 that played so important a part in its life before the 

 days of railways : during the eighteenth, and nearly through- 

 out the first half of the nineteenth centuries. The most 

 important of these, architecturally, are 

 the very large inn — the ' King's Arms,' 

 the ' Great George,' and the ' Little 

 George.' 



The ' Little George ' seems to me 

 to be a quite unusually satisfactory 

 example of street architecture ; of 

 excellent proportion, of sufficient orna- 

 ment, all derived from or growing out 

 of its structure, and in all ways just 

 what a street house in such a town 

 should be. It is dignified and yet 

 modest ; in perfect taste, and therefore 

 commanding one's unstinted admira- 

 tion. It might serve well as a model, 

 not necessarily for actual imitation, 



but for safe guidance, in the case of new buildings that 

 have to be erected. 



The 'Little George' 

 Inn 



Recently there has been a rather warm discussion about 

 the little Town Hall at the western end of the High Street. 

 There was a strong feeling among one section of influential 

 townsmen that it should be removed, as an obstruction to 

 traffic. I am truly thankful, for the sake of the honour 

 and good taste of Godalming, that the better counsel, for 

 its preservation, has prevailed. The argument against it 

 was that it was neither beautiful nor particularly useful, and 



