Farnham has been shown a sign of things to come by the new owners of Lion & Lamb Yard (LALY) with crafty initiatives and “exciting” new tenants being lined-up.

Jamestown Services vice-president Rachael Miller has further outlined the firm’s aspirations for the cobbled shopping area following their spring acquisition.

A rebranding inspired by the original Lion & Lamb hotel which stood on West Street is imminent, with new bins and benches set to be installed shortly.

But there’s more to their vision than just material changes, as the firm wants LALY to have more of an involvement in the town’s thriving arts and crafts scene.

“I’ve been coming here twice a week for a few months, and I have genuinely fallen in love with this town, as I’m a creative myself,” said Rachael.

“Everyone here is so enthusiastic about it. We want to not only complement what’s here, but also enhance it.

“I’ve met with Pippa Hufton, the craft town co-ordinator, as I’m keen on getting artists in vacant units and we’ve also met with the Farnham Society and town council.

“We want to come in and build relationships.”

Jamestown are keen for LALY to have more of a part in the town’s impressive programme of festivals and events. They’re hoping to run some activities during the food festival and look set to be part of the Craft Month and lantern festival.

But the signs are looking good – quite literally – in the meantime with the past shaping its future.

The wayfinding signs are being replaced while new signage inspired by the original font on the Lion & Lamb Hotel is on its way. Rachael found a treasure trove of material while researching into the history of the area, and thought the original font would be a great link between the past, present and future.

“She said: “The font from the original hotel is being adopted and we’ll be bringing flags back to the front, too.

“We want things to look cohesive. The new wayfinding should be in within the next month and we’re going to be replacing bins and benches too.”

While much has been made about the decline of the Great British High Street in recent months and years, Rachael believes LALY is in a better position because it has a “grocery anchor” in Waitrose.

And while there are some empty units on LALY, Rachael and Jamestown say “there’s no rush” but there could be some development soon regarding The Luxe unit.

“What is coming in is really exciting and will please people,” said Rachael, adding: “It’s in the pipeline, but it’s with legals at the moment so I can’t say too much.

“As for the other vacant units, we’re taking our time to find the right fit. We’re looking for people and shops that will sit well.

“We’re looking at independents along with established retailer because we want whoever comes in to complement what’s already here.

“It’s about creating reasons for people to spend more time here.”