Discover Guildford, Surrey

Guildford, Surrey, England: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chapel_Street_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1195027.jpg
Author: Colin Smith


Guildford is the county town of Surrey, England. It is located in the heart of Surrey, about 43 km (27 mi) to the southwest of London. The town has a population of around 65,000 people (2012 estimate).

Guildford dates back to the Anglo-Saxon period, though human habitation here goes back even further, to the Roman period and perhaps earlier. Guildford was occupied by Saxon settlers shortly after the Romans withdrew from Britain around AD 410. The site was chosen as a settlement probably because there was already an ancient trackway in the area, called the Harrow Way, which crosses the River Wey.

By the 10th century Guildford was already a town of considerable significance. It was a site of the Royal Mint and was also along the Pilgrim's Way, a pilgrimage route between Winchester and the shrine of Thomas Becket at Canterbury, Kent. Following Norman Conquest, Guildford Castle was built. The town was listed in the Domesday Book in 1086 as Geldeford and Gildeford.

Guildford Castle: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Great_Keep,_Guildford_Castle_-_geograph.org.uk_-_294195.jpg
Author: Colin Smith


The sport of cricket is said to have been first played in Guildford. Its first mention was in 1598, when a game called kreckett was played at the Royal Grammar School, Guildford. The improvement to waterborne transportation in the 17th century helped to boost Guildford's economy. The Wey Navigation canal was completed in 1653, connecting Guildford with the Thames. It was another century before Britain embarked on a large-scale canal building program.

Today Guildford is a modern, bustling English town. Most of the major shops and department stores are represented here. The town also continues to hold a market on Fridays and Saturdays and a farmers' market on the first Tuesday of every month.

Guildford Cathedral: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spring_at_Guildford_Cathedral_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1215976.jpg
Author: Colin Smith

Visiting Guildford

From London, take the A3 trunk road heading southwest till you reach Guildford.

Places of Interest in Guildford

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About this website

Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.

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