Woking

Woking lies in Surrey southwest of London, among villages, farmland, woodland and heath. The older settlement stood beside the River Wey, in a rural landscape of estates and parish communities.

A moated manor house at Woking became the home of Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII. In 1503 Henry acquired the manor and transformed the house into a royal palace; a new great hall followed later in his reign. Henry VIII visited frequently and continued to alter the buildings. The palace remained a royal residence until 1620, when it was granted to Sir Edward Zouch and subsequently fell into ruin.