Summary
Situated on the southwestern edge of Greater London, Guildford is a prosperous town that has successfully preserved its historic charm.
This is evident along the High Street, which is paved with cobblestones and lined with 17th and 18th-century facades that hide structures far older.
The Guildhall, for example, originates from the 1300s, despite its Baroque appearance from the 17th century.
Guildford’s hilly landscape on the North Downs provides vantage points like Newlands Corner and Pewley Hill, offering picturesque views of Surrey’s undulating scenery.
Surrounding Guildford are National Trust properties and esteemed estates, such as the Elizabethan Loseley Park and the Georgian Hatchlands Park.
A leisurely walk can follow the towpath along the 17th-century Wey and Godalming Navigations, or visitors may board a boat for a scenic tour during the summer.
Let’s delve into the top attractions in Guildford:
1. Guildford Castle
Originally established as a Norman motte-and-bailey fortress, Guildford Castle experienced multiple reinforcements over the next 300 years; however, it primarily served as a royal residence, especially for Henry III in the 13th century and his son Edward I. The castle’s decline began in the 17th century when the roof was removed, but a restoration was conducted in the early 2000s.
Visitors can view a model depicting the castle’s grandeur as a royal palace during the early 14th century and ascend the Great Tower for a sweeping view of Guildford and the surrounding Surrey countryside.
The gardens encircling the keep feature vibrant flowerbeds and a statue representing Alice Through the Looking Glass, a tribute to the author Lewis Carroll, who lived in Guildford nearby at his sister’s residence, the Chestnuts, from 1868 to 1898.
2. Spike Heritage Centre
Located on the east side of Guildford, this site offers a rare glimpse into the interior of an Edwardian Workhouse.
These institutions provided “employment” and housing for the destitute in exchange for difficult living conditions.
The Guildford Union Workhouse was established in 1838, while the Spike Casuals’ Ward, completed in 1905, was designed to segregate less desirable inmates from the main complex.
The Spike was saved from demolition in the early 2000s and now recreates the experiences of a workhouse, allowing visitors to step inside a working cell to understand a vagrant’s daily life, alongside exhibitions that prompt reflection on the treatment of the homeless, both historically and presently.
3. Loseley Park
Situated outside the village of Compton to the southwest of Guildford, this splendid Elizabethan manor house was completed in the 1560s and has undergone minimal alteration since.
Constructed using materials sourced from the dissolved Waverley Abbey, this residence was deemed too small for royal visits by the Queen.
She visited Loseley Park multiple times, and the library’s fireplace carvings, dating back to 1570, commemorate one of her stays.
The great hall is adorned with exquisite wooden paneling from Henry VIII’s banquet tents and the now-defunct Nonsuch Palace, alongside carvings by known Anglo-Dutch woodcarver Grinling Gibbons.
Loseley Park holds one of the few existing portraits of Anne Boleyn, as well as two bedrooms used by royalty: the King’s Room (James I) and Queen’s Room (Elizabeth I). The walled garden, designed by the renowned horticulturist Gertrude Jekyll, is bordered by a wall believed to date back to the house’s construction.
4. Watts Gallery
This Arts and Crafts gallery was specifically designed for the Symbolist artist and sculptor George Frederic Watts, and it opened shortly before his passing in 1904. It is among the few galleries in the UK dedicated to a singular artist and features over 100 of his paintings spanning seven decades.
The Sculpture Gallery houses the bronze Bust of Clytie, which created a sensation in Victorian England.
Numerous plaster replicas were produced, including one presented to writer George Eliot.
In the adjacent Artists’ Village, visitors can enter Limnerslease, the Arts and Crafts home designed for Watts and his wife Mary Fraser-Tytler (herself a prominent artist) by Sir Ernest George.
The east wing features Watts Studios, which includes a gallery dedicated to the works of Mary Fraser-Tytler.
5. Watts Cemetery Chapel
Managed by the Watts Gallery, the nearby Watts Cemetery Chapel was designed by Mary Fraser-Tytler and constructed by a group of volunteers (members of Fraser-Tytler’s evening class and 74 villagers from Compton) between 1896 and 1898. The Grade I-listed structure combines Romanesque Revival architecture with an Art Nouveau interpretation of the Celtic Revival, incorporating elements from Romanesque and Egyptian design.
The chapel’s interior was decorated by the villagers under the guidance of Mary Fraser-Tytler, while George Frederic Watts created the All-Pervading for the altar.
Within the cemetery, memorials to George Frederic Watts and Mary Fraser-Tytler can be found, alongside the graves of the Huxley family, including the renowned author Aldous Huxley.
6. Newlands Corner
Located a short distance from Guildford, Newlands Corner provides a picturesque spot atop a ridge in the North Downs.
This viewpoint, situated at an elevation of 173 meters, overlooks the chalk grassland and wooded slopes of the Surrey Hills, with cycling and walking paths branching off in various directions.
The view is considered one of the finest in Surrey, and visitors can stroll down to the charming villages of Shere or Albury for a meal by the Tillingbourne River.
Newlands Corner gained international attention in 1926 when the crime writer Agatha Christie orchestrated a disappearance here; she abandoned her car and secretly traveled to Harrogate in Yorkshire, where she was found ten days later.
7. Guildford High Street
Situated on an incline, Guildford’s expansive High Street is bordered by historical edifices, housing upscale UK retailers such as Mappin & Webb and House of Fraser.
The Guildhall, constructed in the 14th century, boasts its current appearance thanks to renovations made in the 1680s.
During the summer months on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons, visitors can enter the Undercroft, a 13th-century basement situated opposite the Angel Hotel.
The intricate masonry within suggests it was once owned by a prosperous merchant.
Further up the slope, at the eastern end, stands the Jacobean Abbot’s Hospital, established in 1619 and regarded as one of England’s most beautiful surviving almshouses, still providing shelter to elderly residents.
In 1995, a subterranean chamber was uncovered on the High Street, believed to be remnants of the Guildford Synagogue, dating back to the 1100s.
If confirmed, this would represent Western Europe’s oldest known synagogue.
8. Guildford Cathedral
Prominently located on Stag Hill, Guildford Cathedral towers over the University of Surrey campus.
This striking monument, embodying Art Deco and Neo-Gothic styles, was designed by Edward Maufe, who was active throughout much of the 20th century.
Construction commenced in 1936 but was delayed by the Second World War, leading to its completion in 1961. It features two sets of intricately carved glass angels created by glass engraver John Hutton, positioned above the western entrance and over the interior doors to the south porch.
The cathedral’s interior is bright and uncluttered, showcasing flooring composed of Italian marble, walls clad in pale limestone from Somerset, and impressive vaulted ceilings above its aisles.
The wooden cross outside predates the cathedral itself, having been erected in 1933 to designate the site for its future construction, fashioned from Burmese teak sourced from the HMS Ganges, which was launched in Bombay (Mumbai) in 1821.
9. Dapdune Wharf
In the mid-17th century, the River Wey was made navigable, connecting it to the Thames at Weybridge, located approximately 15 miles to the north.
A century later, this waterway was extended to Godalming, an additional five miles southwest of Guildford.
The 20-mile Wey and Godalming Navigations are still open to recreational boating, and those on foot can enjoy the towpath as it meanders through the verdant Surrey countryside.
Dapdune Wharf in Guildford reflects the historical significance of shipping along this waterway and is managed by the National Trust.
The visitor center features interactive displays regarding the navigations, along with a stable, smithy, preserved Wey barges, and a café.
Every half-hour, a boat departs from Dapdune Wharf for a 40-minute journey, during which a volunteer shares insights about the waterway’s history and the surrounding area.
10. Hatchlands Park
Located less than five miles east of Guildford, Hatchlands Park boasts a red brick country house built in the 1750s for Admiral Edward Boscawen.
He commissioned architect Robert Adam, then at the onset of his career, to design the interiors.
This marked Adam’s first country house commission, where from April to October, visitors can tour six restored rooms showcasing his craftsmanship, as well as exhibits of paintings and musical instruments.
The collection features 40 keyboard instruments, making it one of the largest of its sort globally, accompanied by a portrait of Shakespeare from 1610 and Titian’s Venus and Adonis.
Surrounding the house are elegant parterres and 422 acres of parkland, which include a Georgian icehouse, a pair of resident donkeys, expansive woodlands, and fields grazed by cattle.
11. Shalford Mill
Located on the River Tillingbourne, less than two miles from Guildford’s center, this mid-18th century watermill is remarkably well-preserved.
The Shalford Mill operated almost continuously from its establishment until 1917 and has been preserved as a National Trust property since 1932. Its excellent state is partly attributed to the efforts of the Ferguson Gang, a notable group of affluent women who recognized the mill’s significance, raised funds for its restoration, and subsequently donated it to the National Trust.
Visitors can explore the mill’s machinery, including drive shafts, pit wheel, and oat crusher, and admire the diamond-patterned leaded windows while learning more about the Ferguson Gang’s contributions.
12. Guildford Museum
Situated on Quarry Street adjacent to the castle grounds, the Guildford Museum occupies a collection of historic buildings that includes Castle Arch, a Gothic portal to the castle.
The museum relocated here in 1898, with its roots tracing back to the Surrey Archaeological Society, founded in 1845. The archaeological section showcases Neolithic pottery, Roman coins, and Medieval gaming pieces, seals, arrowheads, floor tiles, and wall hangings.
Furthermore, the museum offers fascinating artifacts reflecting Guildford’s social history, including ration books and a Home Guard helmet from WWII, a 19th-century snuffbox, and various consumer products from the Victorian and early 20th centuries.
Among the art and textile collection is the Braganza embroidered box from the 1600s, intricately covered with biblical imagery.
13. Stoke Park
This expansive park, a short distance from London Road station, consistently earns the Green Flag award each year.
Historically part of a manor, Stoke Park was gifted to Guildford by Lord Onslow in 1925, maintaining much of its 18th-century design.
For those seeking an economical summer day with children, Stoke Park offers a variety of amenities, including a paddling pool, an 18-hole mini-golf course, and a skate park.
Additionally, the park features a sensory garden and a rose garden, along with an 18th-century walled garden that contains formal flowerbeds and the park’s tennis courts.
The majority of Stoke Park consists of rolling grassland, serving as the venue for the Surrey County Show during the May bank holiday, where attendees can explore arts and crafts, view award-winning livestock, sample food, and enjoy equestrian exhibits.
14. Pewley Hill
This hill rises above the River Wey to the southeast of Guildford and is reachable on foot in a few minutes from the town center.
As the area’s principal elevation, Pewley Hill was the location of a semaphore station in the 19th century, which formed a communication line that extended from Portsmouth to London.
The Admiralty semaphore station that was established in 1822 remains intact and has since been converted into a desirable private residence, featuring a cupola that has replaced the semaphore.
The views of the Surrey countryside from Pewley Hill are spectacular, and those who continue southeast will enter the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, traversing picturesque farmlands on Pewley Down.
15. Clandon Park
Four miles east of Guildford lies this elegant 18th-century Palladian country house, which was severely damaged by fire in 2015. Clandon Park was designed by the Italian architect Giacomo Leoni, who played a role in popularizing the Palladian style in England.
The grounds feature two exquisite parterres flanking the house, designed by Capability Brown, the preeminent garden designer of the era.
The National Trust plans to restore Clandon Park’s ground level to its 18th-century grandeur while incorporating 21st-century exhibition space on the upper floors, with restoration efforts commencing in 2019. As of 2018, when this article was drafted, the house welcomed visitors to wear hard hats and explore the less damaged areas of the structure.
