Guildford

Guildford grew up into a large town because of its location at roughly the half way point between England's main naval port at Portsmouth and the admiralty in Greenwich, London. People travelling by horse-drawn carriage between the two would stop at inns in Guildford (such as The Angel and The Lion) to swap horses over and to refresh themselves. With the advent of the steam train in the 19th century, Guildford was no longer needed for this purpose, and it fell into decline. But as more and more people started to commute into work in London in the early 20th century, Guildford became more and more rich and popular.
Guildford is the county town of Surrey, but not the administrative centre (that is Kingston upon Thames, which is actually in a London borough). It is the economic and cultural centre of the whole of West Surrey.
Although under 30 miles away from Central London Guildford has its own individuality and is not similar to boroughs in London or other commuter towns in Surrey. Guildford is a large town with all the amenities of a city.

By bus

Guildford is served by many bus routes from Woking, Aldershot, Godalming and other local places. Prices can be fairly expensive and buses can be unreliable particularly after 6:30PM.
The main bus station, which is the terminus for all routes heading into Guildford, is on Commercial Road (off the bottom of North Street). From here, one can pick up details about bus services and buy cheaper long term tickets.

Park and ride

Guildford has several park and ride carparks, and at the weekend they are the easiest way to get into the town centre. They are situated at Artington (on the Portsmouth Rd heading out towards Godalming, about 3 miles south of Guildford), at the Spectrum Leisure Complex, at Merrow on the A246 Epsom Road, east of Guildford, and at Onslow near to the RSCH and Surrey Sports Park, west of Guildford. At all four sites, the car parking is free and you just pay for the bus fare to get into the town centre. The park and ride system is good for the environment and also it allows the city to stay congestion free!

• Onslow - buses run every 15 minutes between 7:30am and 7pm on Mondays to Saturdays. The park and ride from Onslow costs £1.50.
• Spectrum Leisure Complex – buses run every 12 minutes Mondays to Fridays from 7:27am to 11:10pm, reduced to every 20 minutes after 7:30pm. The park and ride from the Spectrum costs £2.40 return.
• Artington – buses run every 10-12 minutes from Mondays to Saturdays from 7:30am to 7:30pm. The park and ride from Artington costs £2.20 return.
• Merrow – buses run every 15 minutes between 7:30am and 7:33pm from Mondays to Saturdays. The park and ride from Merrow costs £1.80 return.

By plane

Guildford is well served by London's collection of airports. For travellers coming directly to Guildford, the most convenient (in reducing order of convenience) are:

• Heathrow Airport (LHR) is about 40 minutes drive along the M25 motorway and the A3 trunk road. It is also linked directly to Woking rail station by the RailAir express bus service.
• Gatwick Airport (LGW) is about an hour's drive away via the M23 (northbound), M25 (clockwise) and A3 (southbound) roads. There is a through train service to Guildford from a rail station in the airport terminal complex, running twice an hour and taking less than an hour.

By train

Guildford main line station is served by commuter and regional train services from many different directions, including two routes to London (one fast via Woking, the other slow via Cobham). The fast services continue southwards to Portsmouth. Guildford also lies on the line from Reading to Gatwick Airport; beyond Reading, services to Oxford and Birmingham may be accessed, and via Gatwick, connections to Brighton and Kent.
From London, you should travel from London Waterloo station and catch a train whose first stop after Woking is Guildford (there are several of these an hour), the travel time will be about 35 minutes. There are also a few Portsmouth bound trains that go non-stop to Guildford. There are other stopping services from Waterloo via Cobham, but these take so much longer it isn't normally worth considering them.
There is a smaller station called , which is the penultimate stop on the line from London via Cobham.
Train times can be found on the National Rail Planner or by calling from anywhere in the UK.

By coach

National Express serve Guildford with express bus (UK English:coach) services from around the country; advanced ticketing is necessary. They serve a stop called Guildford Park Barn, which is a slightly out-of-town location near a Tesco supermarket. You will have to catch a local bus or taxi (if you can find one) to take you into Guildford.

By car

Guildford is served by the A3 trunk road which runs from London to Portsmouth. It is about an hour's drive from central London.
If you are visiting for the day by car, consider using the Park & Ride site at the Spectrum leisure complex just off the A3 southbound, Onslow just off the A3 northbound, Merrow to the east of Guildford or the site on the Old Portsmouth Road at Artington (on the way to Godalming) and catching the dedicated express bus from these locations.

By foot

The central area of Guildford is easily walkable, but hilly. From the railway station you must cross the river Wey in order to reach the town centre and the bus station.

By bus

Buses not only provide a good way of getting around the central district of Guildford itself, but are adequate for the local community. Buses are operated mainly by Arriva Kent and Surrey, Stagecoach South and Safeguard.

• Traveline

  phone: 087-608-2-608 (local rate)
  provide an impartial online travel planner and telephone query service for local bus services.

By taxi

Taxis are by far the most expensive way to get around Guildford. If you do wish to travel by taxi, there are taxi ranks at the front of the Railway Station, and at the bottom of North Street on the other side of the road from the Electric Theatre. You can also get taxis from various places around the city centre.
Taxis can also be booked by phone and will usually pick up from most locations within a 5-mile radius of the town centre. Popular operators include:

• 5 & 6's +44 1483 565656
• A-Line Cars +44 1483 564656
• Beeline Cars +44 1483 566666
• City Cabs +44 1483 888666
• GTA Taxis 0800 502250
• Guildford Express +44 1483 577171
• Surrey Cars +44 1483 577677
• Guildford Taxi +44 1483 905789

By car

Whilst not as bad as either London or Oxford, Guildford's roads can get very congested at peak periods, especially at the hogs back. Especially if you are not used to driving on the left, central Guildford is probably best avoided.
On the other hand, a car is the one (possibly along with cycling) of the only really practical ways of seeing a lot of the local countryside and villages. Out here the roads are a lot quieter.

Maps

If you are planning to do any visiting or exploring beyond central Guildford, you will probably want to obtain a decent map of the area. You should ensure that any map you buy clearly shows the national grid reference lines, and explains how to use them, as grid references are frequently used to indicate out of town locations. The best maps for this purpose are those published by the Ordnance Survey (Britain's national mapping agency) and the following maps cover all the locations mentioned below:

• Ordnance Survey Landranger 186. This map covers the area around and between Guildford and Aldershot at a scale of 1:50000 and is best for exploration by car or cycle.
• Ordnance Survey Explorer 145. This map covers the area around Guildford at a scale of 1:25000 and is best for walking.

These maps can be found in any good bookshop in Guildford (see 'Buy' section below), or can be bought online from the Ordnance Survey.

Central Guildford

• Abbot's Hospital

  address: High Street
  Built in 1619 by Guildfordian Archbishop of Canterbury George Abbot as a retirement home for the local elderly.

• Chestnuts

  address: Castle Hill
  Lewis Carroll, author, mathematician and photographer, Lewis Carroll (b1832) lived in Guildford until his death in 1898. Visit Lewis Caroll's house 'Chestnuts', on Castle Hill in the centre. See Guided Tours of Guildford.

• The Guildhall

  address: High St
  A marvellous Tudor/Stuart building with its overhanging 1683 clock.

• Guildford Museum

  phone: +1483 444751
  address: Quarry St

• The Spike Heritage Centre

  phone: +44 1483 598420
  address: Warren Road, GU1 3JH
  19th-century workhouse used to house vagrants until 1960. This site has now been fully restored and is one of two similar sites in the UK.

• Guildford Castle and Grounds

  address: Castle Street, GU1 3TU
  Medieval castle built to protect the town in the 1400s and one of Henry III's most luxurious residences. Conservation work revealed a 12th century first floor chamber which is now open to the public.

• Guildford Cathedral

  address: Stag Hill, GU2 7UP
  A 1930s brick cathedral which was the first to be built on a new site in the south of England since the Reformation. The inside is more impressive than the outside. The cathedral was started in the 1930s, but it wasn't until 1961 that it was consecrated due to an interruption in construction due to World War II.

• St Catherine's ChapelRuined chapel a short walk along the river wey from Guildford town centre.

• The Wey NavigationThis canal winds its way through Guildford until it reaches the River Thames in Weybridge. Of particular interest is the HQ at Dapdune Wharf, but just sitting down by the locks near the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre watching canal boats is very peaceful and gives one an insight into what the Wey once was - a busy industrial thoroughfare connecting Guildford and Surrey's industries with the rest of the country - and you might even get to help open the locks for the boat!

Surrounding area

There are also many interesting things to see around Guildford:

• Clandon Park

  phone: +44 1483 222482
  address: West Clandon, GU4 7RQ

• Denbies Wine Estate

  phone: +44 1306 876616
  address: London Road, RH5 6AA
  Very good wine, England's largest vineyard.

• Hatchlands Park

  phone: +44 1483 222482
  address: East Clandon, GU4 7RT

• Leith Hill and its folly

  phone: +44 1306 712711
  address: near Coldharbour village, Dorking

• Loseley Park

  phone: +44 1483 304440
  address: GU3 1HS

• Newlands Corner

  phone: +44 1483 795483
  address: Albury, GU4 8SE
  Situated on the southern facing side of the North Downs, there are fantastic views over Surrey and also plenty of walks to be done. 10-min drive from the centre of Guildford.

• Painshill Landscape Gardens

• RHS Garden Wisley

  phone: +44 1483 224234
  address: Wisley, Surrey, GU23 6QB
  The Royal Horticultural Society's (RHS) flagship garden is one of the world's great horticultural gardens, with thousands of plants from every continent across dozens of themed areas including formal gardens, borders, arboreta, rockeries, orchards and glasshouses.

• Waverley Abbey

  phone: +44 370 333 1181
  address: Farnham, GU9 8EP

• Watts Gallery and Watts Chapel

  phone: +44 1483 810235
  address: Down Lane, Compton, GU3 1DQ
  The gallery and exceptional chapel are just off the A3, south of Guildford, near Compton. It is well worth a visit to see the fine Arts and Crafts buildings.

• Shalford Mill

  phone: +44 1483 561389
  address: Shalford, near Guildford, GU4 8BS

• G-Live

  phone: +44 1483 369350
  address: London Rd, GU1 2AA
  Replacement for the Guildford Civic Hall.

• Guided tour of Guildford

  address: Tours start from under the Tunsgate arch
  Walks last 70 to 90 minutes and cover about half a mile, and there are a choice of tours to do from ghosts and legends to tours looking at historic buildings in the town.

• Odeon Cinema

  address: Bedford Rd, GU1 4SJ
  Multi-screen cinema showing all the usual Hollywood offerings.

• Craggy Island

  phone: +44 344 880 8866
  address: Unit 9 Cobbett Park, Moorfield Rd, GU1 1RU
  An artificial climbing experience for all abilities.

• Spectrum

  phone: +44 1483 443322
  address: Parkway, GU1 1UP
  Leisure centre with swimming, bowling, ice skating, fitness suites.

• Guildford Lido

  address: Lido Road, Stoke Park, GU1 1HB
  Fully restored 1930s art deco outdoor swimming pool.

River trips

• Boat trips from Dapdune WharfRun by the National Trust with help from volunteers.

• Guildford Boats

• Hire a rowing boat (£7) or a canoe (£5) and travel along the river at your own pace. Boats can be hired from the Guildford Boathouse, located at the back of Millmead short stay car park off the Shalford Road. The boats tend to be in good condition and the river is not too crowded!

Walks

There are many walks around the North Downs surrounding Guildford including the North Downs Way which runs from Farnham (8 miles west of Guildford) to Folkestone some 80 miles away. There are also pleasant walks to be had along the River Wey to Godalming or Woking. Pewly Down and The Chantries which are south-east of the town centre offer a change of scenery. The Fox Way is a another walk of 39 mi (63 km) split in 7 stages around Guildford.

Festivals

• Guildford Book FestivalAnnual festival of literature featuring signings, readings, plays, etc.

• Guildford International Music FestivalA biennial festival (2017, 2019, etc.) featuring many concerts across 2–3 weeks. Genres are mixed, and the festival brings high quality professional acts to the town.

• Farnborough International AirshowNot in Guildford (10 miles away in Farnborough), but well worth a visit to this biennial airshow.

Adult learning providers include

• University of Surrey

• Guildford College

  phone: +44 1483 448500
  address: Stoke Road
  Courses include summer English courses of two weeks or longer.

• Guildford Adult Education Centre

  phone: +44 1483 518528
  address: Sydenham Road
  Run by the county council. Has some 1-day summer art clasees.

There are also various private education providers including a Pitman Centre

Guildford has a vast array of temping agencies and private owned job centres. Walk up the High Street or North Street, or look in the local newspaper, the Surrey Advertiser.

Shopping

Sometimes regarded as one of the premier shopping destinations in the South, Guildford is the major shopping centre of West Surrey - possibly the whole county - with most of its shops clustered in a fairly compact area on and around the High Street, and the parallel North Street.
There are three shopping centres:

• Friary Shopping Centre

  phone: +44 1483 503773
  address: North St, GU1 4YT

• The White Lion Walk

  phone: +44 1483 506877
  address: 40 Friary St, GU1 3DW

• Tunsgate Quarter

  phone: +44 1483 537153
  address: Tunsgate, GU1 3QT

There are two major department stores,

• House of Fraser (A&N)

  phone: +44 344 800 3730
  address: 105 - 111 High St, GU1 3DP

• Debenhams

  phone: +44 344 800 8877
  address: Millbrook, GU1 3UU

Although there are several shopping malls, unlike many modern towns in England, the famed and attractive cobbled High Street has remained the focus of Guildford's shopping district. It is here, on the High Street and on North Street that you will find the best shops, and have the nicest shopping experience.
In general stores open M-Sa 9:30AM–5:30PM and Su 10AM-4PM although many stay open longer on some days and some do not open on a Sunday.
In addition to the shops and malls scattered around North Street and the High Street there is also a regular market each Friday and Saturday which stretches along North Street which offers a variety of goods including traditional fresh meat, fish, fruit, fresh ground coffee, cheese, olives, vegetables, flowers, pet food, luggage, linen, rugs, bags, towels, jewellery, clothes, cards, wooden carvings, CDs and picture frames.
The market operates during normal shopping hours on Fridays and Saturdays on North Street in Guildford, and is very close to Leapale Road and Castle multi-storey car parks.
There is also a Farmers Market on the High Street generally on the first Tuesday of every month. These times can vary during the summer season and during Guilford Summer festival, where markets, including crafts and handicrafts markets can be seen lining the high street for several weeks. During the run up to Christmas, too, there will be extra markets.

Money

All main British banks and building societies have branches in Guildford, and most of them are situated around the eastern end of the High Street. These branches normally open M-F 9AM-4PM and Sa 9AM-noon.
Most bank and building society branches have 'through the wall' type ATMs that are open 24x7.
For changing money there are many Bureaux de Change services throughout the town, with some such as the post office offering commission free exchanges.

Guildford has a good selection of restaurants with many different themes attracting different tastes. On Friday and Saturday many of them are booked up weeks in advance and early booking is advisable to avoid disappointment.

Central Guildford

• Olivio

  address: 53 Quarry Street
  Tucked away from the high street and hard to find if you are not a regular visitor to the town. Worth perservering as an excellent choice.

• Loch Fyne

  address: Centenary Hall Chapel Street
  Part of a national chain of restaurants - situated in a classic style building in a prominent position in the town.

• Shardana

  address: Bakers Yard, High Street
  Italian bar and Pizzaria.

• Cote Bistro

  address: 35 Castle Street
  French cuisine.

• Brasserie Gerard

  address: 260 - 262 High St

• Magnifico's Restaurant

  address: 144 High St

• Mandarin Restaurant

  address: 13 Epsom Rd

• Maloncho Tandoori

  address: 7 Epsom Rd
  Indian food.

• Pews Bar & Restaurant

  address: 21 Chapel St

• Rose Valley Curry House

  address: 50-52 Chertsey St
  Best curry house in town. Prince Harry and his mates have been known to dine here in the past.

• Rumwong

  address: 16-18 London Road
  Well presented Thai restaurant with a decent menu. There is normal seating, and for the brave, more traditional Kan Tok (much lower!) seating.

• Sir & Madam Thai Restaurant

  address: 8-9 Jeffries Passage

• Strada Restaurant

  address: 222 High St

• TGI Fridays

  address: 2 North St
  American restaurant chain. Good cocktails and ribs.

• The Thai Terrace-Rooftop Restaurant

  address: 7th Floor Castle Car Park
  Offers a superb view of the town

• Yvonne Arnaud Riverview Restaurant

  address: Millbrook

• Zinfandel Restaurant

  address: 4 Chapel St

• Turtle Bay

  phone: +44 1483 300307
  address: 1 North Street
  Caribbean food and cocktails. Part of a chain.

Surrounding Villages

• Worplesdon Place Hotel - very good food, but a bit expensive, and service can be slow.

Pubs and bars

In the town centre, Bridge Street (between The Friary shopping centre and the railway station) has a cluster of formulaic wine bars and cafe bars. Cheap prices and themed nights are fun, and popular with locals, as such the area gets extremely busy around closing time.

• Bar Mambo Onslow Street. Brilliant location.... Drink prices now very reasonable. Shows a lot of sport - football, rugby, etc. Staff are very friendly, food is fantastic. It's the place to be...
• Bar Med Bridge St. A (loosely) Mediterranean themed bar that shows a lot of Sky football matches. Reasonably priced beer, and pretty good food as well. Well due a facelift.
• Rodborough Buildings Bridge St. huge bar on two floors. JD Wetherspoons bar.
• Tickled Ivory Onslow Street. Piano bar with a limited drinks selection. Avoid on Saturdays.

On or near the High Street:

• Joe Clarks

  address: 176 High Street
  Cafe and wine bar with a Mediterranean feel.

• The Tudor Lounge

  address: 144 High Street
  Small bar - good for a passing drink.

• The Three Pigeons

  address: 169 High Street
  Historic town pub renamed back to the Three Pigeons in 2009.

• Fahrenheit 55

  address: 3 Milkhouse Gate
  Independent tapas bar which is quite cramped inside. Serves as a late bar and can be a cheaper alternative to going to one of the clubs.

• Five & Lime

  address: Leapale Road
  Small cocktail bar.

• The King's Head

  address: 52 Quarry Street
  Inside, a traditional English pub, outside a very chic rooftop terrace. Very nice sitting outside in the summer.

• Pews Bar

  address: 21 Chapel St
  Large outdoor bar area.
• The Robin Hood Sydenham Road, +44 1483 888307. Just behind the High Street, a 'proper' pub, good beer, great friendly atmosphere, food lunchtimes and evenings with new menu and famous Sunday Roast which takes some beating! Live music Friday and Saturday evenings with acoustic Sunday night entertainment starting mid-August. Need to book for Sunday lunch.

• The Royal Oak

  address: 15 Trinity Churchyard
  Hidden just behind the top of the high street, a traditional English pub, serving a range of real ales and imported drinks. Also known to host a few live music events from time to time.

• The Star Inn

  address: 2 Quarry St
  Quite a lively pub with a young crowd. Good live local bands on some nights.

• The Guildford Tup

  address: 46 Chertsey St
  Close to York Road Car Park. Expensive beer.

• Ha Ha Bar and Canteen

  address: 16-17 North Street
  Refurbished in a fairly central location, close to the bus station and taxi rank.

Close to the River Wey

• The White House

  phone: +44 1483 302006
  address: 8 High Street
  Nice outside terrace close to the river, very nice to relax an a summers day or night.
• The Rowbarge, 7 Riverside. Outside deck looks over the river.

• The George Abbot

  phone: +44 1483 302006
  address: 7-11 High Street
  Large Pub with big screens with live sports. Good selection of beers and real ales. Nice selection of food.

• The Britannia

  phone: +44 1483 572160
  address: 9 Millmead
  Previously called Scruffy Murphys, there is a deck on the front of the pub which overlooks the river.

• The Boatman

  address: Millbrook
  A short walk out of town close to the Yvonne Arnold Theatre, nice outside deck which stretches right out next to the river (railings are now placed at the edge for safety).

More traditional English pubs

• Ye Olde Ship Inn, St. Catherines, Portsmouth Road. Next to the College of Law, is the oldest pub in Guildford.
• The Angel, on the High Street. A very pleasant pub, with a fine selection of locally brewed ales. It is expensive to drink here but this keeps the youth out, making it one of very few pubs in Guildford town centre where you can enjoy a quiet drink!
• The White Hart, White Hart Lane, Wood Street (3 miles outside of Guildford) is a nice traditional English pub serving good quality local ales in a very attractive setting.
• The Ship Inn Pitch Place, Worplesdon Road, 1 mile out of Guildford. Next to Yeomans Honda, serves traditional food and quality ales.

In the Stoke Park Area

For visitors to Guildford this is generally an overlooked area of guildford, which is up and coming due to the increasing student population. Also it has been billed as Guildford's Latin quarter because of its dancing and salsa venues.

• The Stoke

  address: 103 Stoke Road
  Holds dance classes every Thursday which include include Salsa (Cuban, Cross Body On 1)and Rueda. Student discounts apply.

• The Prince Albert

  address: 85 Stoke Road
  It offers a selection of pub meals from £2.

Nightclubs

• The Casino, Onslow St. Guildford's main event night club.
• Dusk (formerly known as Cinderellas). This is a smaller club than Harper's, attracting a younger crowd.
• The Legion, Millbrook. On 3 floors, with 2 bars and a dance floor.
• Flares, Bridge Street. 1970s/80s themed bar.

• m.Brasserie & Bar

  address: 36-40 London Road
  Part of the Mandolay hotel, this bar is at the top of the high street on the town centre and has a free-entry disco/club before 10:30PM.

Live music venues

• The Boileroom, 13 Stokefields +44 1483 440022. Billed as Guildford's Premier Live Music venue.
• Wooden Bridge Pub, Woodbridge Hill, GU2-9AA, +44 1483 572708. Guildford's live music venue for the talent that the ACM, Guildford and the surrounding areas have to offer. Weekly Live nights: The Other Side Of The Bridge, hosted by Way Out. Every Saturday from 8PM.

Budget

• Acacia Villas Guest House

  address: 29 Woodbridge Road

• Stoke House

  address: 113 Stoke Road

• Guildford Guest House

  address: 117 Stoke Road

• Holiday Inn

  address: Egerton Rd

• Premier Travel Inn

  address: Parkway

• Travelodge

  address: Woodbridge Meadows

Mid-range

• Holiday Inn Guildford

  address: Egerton Road, GU2 7XZ
  Situated on the outskirts of Guildford, the hotel is near Heathrow Airport and Central London. There are also leisure and business facilities on-site.

• Asperion Hotel

  address: 73 Farnham Rd

• Clavadel Hotel

  address: Epsom Rd

• Quinns Hotel

  address: 78 Epsom Rd

• The Angel Posting House and Livery

  address: High Street

• The Guildford Hotel

  address: 253 High St

• Premier Inn Worplesdon Place

  address: Perry Hill

• Ramada Jarvis Hotel in Guildford/Leatherhead

  address: E Horsley

Splurge

• Manor House Hotel

  address: Newlands Corner

• Mandolay Hotel

  address: 36-40 London Rd

• Radisson Edwardian

  address: 3 Alexandra Terrace, High Street
  Landmark hotel next to G-Live.

Guildford was the safest and most attractive shopping destination in the UK, according to the Eve Prime Retail Survey, 2004.
Much of the centre of town is monitored 24 hours a day by CCTV cameras.

Phone

Guildford's area code (for landline numbers) is 01483 when dialed from within the UK or +44 1483 from outside the UK.
Cellphone coverage is generally good within the city and surrounding area.

Internet

If you are travelling with a laptop then you will find broad-band internet access in the rooms of most, but not all, medium to high end hotels. If this is important to you check before booking. And there are many Wi-Fi hot spots in and around Guildford.
There are also several places that offer web and other internet access if you are travelling without a laptop. These include:

• Caffe Nero, High Street.

• Guildford library

  phone: +44 1483 568496
  address: 77 North Street
  Free access.

• Quarks Internet Cafe

  phone: +44 1483 451166
  address: 7 Jeffries Passage

Consulate

• Bhutan

  phone: +44 1483 538189
  address: Windacres, Warren Road, GU1 3HG
  Bhutan's consulate to the UK.

• There are three very good theme parks within 45 minutes drive of Guildford:

• Chessington World of Adventures, Epsom
• Legoland Windsor
• Thorpe Park, Chertsey

Surrey Hills

London 45 min by train or car, with many tourist attractions and things to do.

Portsmouth to see the historic dockyard. About 50 min by train/car.

Farnham Historic market town, about 15 minutes by train or car from Guildford Centre.

Windsor Fabulous royal castle, which the Queen still uses, and very attractive town. St George's Chapel in the town hosted the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Brookwood Military Cemetery, home to a lot of British, Commonwealth and Allied war graves from the world wars and the modern era.