NOTE: These are informal notes and started from a discussion on Guildford Town Past and Present facebook. I really enjoyed it and did a bit of a trawl on the internet. I found lots more information which I have pulled together here. I hope people don’t mind me using their quotes. It is a series…
Author: admin
Leas Road Bus Depot Closure
A historic site is vanishing for many of us who remember the excitement of seeing buses at the end of Leas Road. I remember the joy of seeing the buses go to bed as a child. The depot is now due to close due to a business and the opportunity for housing development. This article…
High Street Shop Closures
The Surrey Advertiser reported on 1st October 2021 that 15% of Guildford’s retail spaces are now empty. This is double what it was in October 2019 and greater than the national average. The average for the south-east is 12%. The Surrey Advertiser reported that shops are pulling out as leases expire. The large chains tend…
Guildhall
Guildford High Street is truly unique with some very distinctive buildings. There is a red brick church, a gate house looking like it comes from Hampton Court, a Greek arch but pride of place must be the Guildhall with its famous clock The clock is beautiful and you can see the date 1683. The story…
Guildford Heritage Service
The Future of Guildford’s Heritage – 2021 Review Posted onJune 6, 2021 Thoughts on the future of Guildford Museum Posted onJune 21, 2020
The Future of Guildford’s Heritage – November 2021 Review
In the current financial climate it seems very likely there will be cuts to the heritage service but Guildford is unlikely to get rid of its service completely. So, how can Guildford get the most from its investment in heritage? The Council needs to accurately assess the costs of the service and understand in detail…
Guildford Museum re-opens – May 2021
Guildford Museum has reopened with a new exhibition on John Russell, the 18th century portrait painter to the rich and famous. The museum underwent a redecoration in 2019-20 and is much smarter. In fact the staff has done about as much as could be done without actually re-doing all the displays. During this period Guildford…
Godalming Museum – re-opens – May 2021
Godalming Museum is charming, uplifting, well designed and welcoming. Run by a Trust it has a two permanent staff, a curator and a volunteer manager. It gets about 16000 visitors which is good for a small museum in a small town. If you are in Godalming it is worth a visit. It has just reopened…
Conservation Areas and Listed Building
Guidford Borough Council has a lot of information on listed buildings and the Conservation Areas set up. Here are some useful linked Reports on conservations areas – there are excellent reports on each area which provide some fascinating local history see also Maps of Conservation Areas and Listed Buildings
Guildford in 1827
This map by Charles Witherby offers a glimpse of Guildford just before the arrival of the railways in 1845. In this article I have identified buildings that are still surviving. The map shows a Guildford that had changed very little since the 18th century map by Samuel Richardson in 1748. Indeed it had hardly changed…