Despite Alan Turing’s important historical links with Bletchley and Wilmslow, the codebreaker had enduring links with Guildford. The computing pioneer lived from the age of 15, at the family home in Ennismore Avenue, near Stoke Park and, until his death in 1954. Although his work took him to other parts of the country but he frequently visited the town to see his mother and brother’s family.
Members of the Turing family were members of Merrow Golf Club. There is a record of Alan playing a round of golf there with his mother during a summer vacation from Cambridge University. When Alan’s brother got married in 1934. Alan was best man at the wedding, which took place at St John’s Church, Stoke Road. The reception was held at the bride’s family home in Ganghill. The newly married couple settled in Jenner Road. They had three daughters and Alan was a regular visitor to see his nieces. While working in Teddington in the late 1940s, he often ran the whole way there, sending on a change of clothes in the post.
Mrs Turing regularly worshipped at St Nicolas Church. During the Second World War, on a break from his code-breaking work at Bletchley Park, he attended a service there with his whole family and Joan Clark, who was his fiancée for a brief period.
After her husband’s death in 1947, Mrs Turing bought a house in South Hill, near Guildford Castle. Alan often stayed here. This is where he first told her that he had been arrested for a gay relationship. The last time that Alan visited Guildford was at Christmas 1953 – just six months before his death.
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