Woking, town and borough in Surrey, south-eastern England. Woking is located about 40 km (25 mi) south-west of London, near Guildford, on the River Wey. It is a London commuter town, developing quickly after a railway link with the capital was established in 1838. Old Woking was a market town in the 17th century and has retained a number of buildings from the era. The town is commercially important: it is the area's major retail centre and has a light industrial base that includes printing.
There are a number of important buildings in the town, including the Shah Jehan Mosque. Built in 1889, it was the first mosque in England and is now the headquarters of the Islamic community in Great Britain. It was mainly financed by Begum Shah Jehan, ruler of the former princely state of Bhopal in India, following her visit to Woking. Woking is also the location of the first crematorium (built 1885) in England. Population (1991) 86,765.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Woking Information info
|
