For more information on the Heritage Open Days in Guildford and how to get involved, please contact us using the form below
PRESS RELEASE
Guildford’s Heritage Open Days takes place this Saturday. A lot is happening in the town centre but don’t forget the many other churches and historic buildings and events across the borough – 57 in all. Full details are on the Heritage Open Days website.
- Visit Guildhall, Guildford House, Castle and buildings across the borough
- Knights at Guildford Castle
- Historic vehicles in the High Street
- Surrey Police Band
- Tours by Guildford Town Guides
- Audio Guide to Castle
- Children Sticker book
In the town centre you can visit the Guildhall, Abbot’s Hospital, climb the castle tower for free and visit the RGS chained library to name a few. We will have historic vehicles lining the High Street and knights battling it out at the castle. At 11am the Rock Choir will be performing at Holy Trinity and in the afternoon the Surrey Police Band will be playing at the bandstand (2pm – 4pm). Whilst there you can also have a go at bowling as the Castle Green Bowling Club celebrate their centenary this year.
Information on the event will also be available at venues and families might like to pick up a sticker book and collect stickers as they visit various properties. The guide will introduce you to the history of the town but if you want more detail then join one of the walks by the Town Guides. The Guildford Story walk covers 1000 years of history. Booking is required. There is an architectural walk at 2-30pm (Holy Trinity Church steps – no booking required) (another on Sunday 11am). For something more specialised book a place on Eventbrite for Fake or Fortune which looks at the High Street architecture in detail. Appearances can be deceptive and it is surprising what lies behind some of the so called Georgian shop fronts. You can get a different view on the town’s history. You can also enjoy a look at the town’s past in two excellent exhibitions at Guildford House and the museum. “Town Tales: Guildford’s Iconic Buildings” runs at Guildford House Gallery until the end of October. The atmospheric period rooms of this fine seventeenth house are displayed with paintings from the borough art collection. Guildford Museum is offering a parallel exhibition called “Weyside Stories: The River Wey in Guildford”. This exhibition contains some fascinating photographs of the river.
The town’s three churches are open. Holy Trinity will be the location for a display of Dennis cars and a 1936 Dennis Fire Engine from the Surrey Rural Life Centre at Tilford. The 1902 and 1909 cars are from the collection of John Dennis. The Guildford Rock Choir will also be performing on the church steps at 11am. St Mary’s has a wonderful photographic installation by students at the University of Surrey called ‘Proud to be Surrey – Students of Faith’. St Nicholas Church is running tours of the tower but please book in advance.
At Guildford Castle there is a free audio tour. Look for the posters with the QR codes and new images of the medieval castle created by games company HistoricVR. You can discover stories you have probably never heard before such as Guildford’s links to
The week long event ends on 16th September with the unique National Trust Wey River Festival at Dapdune Wharf. There will be food and craft stalls, live music and children’s activities during the day and then the highlight – the spectacular, illuminated boat procession at dusk with a variety of boats travelling from the town bridge by Debenhams to Dapdune Wharf.
Guildford’s contribution is organised by The Guildford Society, Town Guides, Friends of Guildford Museum, Guildford Heritage Forum with Guildford Borough Council and national event is run by the National Trust. Speaking about the event a spokesperson told us “we are looking forward to showcasing Guildford’s cultural heritage through various activities and events. We encourage all organizations, businesses, groups, and individuals to get involved and be a part of this amazing celebration of our town’s history. This is an excellent opportunity for visitors to learn about the town’s rich history, culture, and heritage and discover why Guildford is such a great place to visit.”
For more information on the Heritage Open Days in Guildford and how to get involved, please contact us using the form below
Video of 2021 event on YouTube. As above
Click here to view Town Centre Map of Events for 2021