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…
Category: News
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…
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…
New ideas for Guildford Museum
The Friends of Guildford Museum recently listed a set of ideas for taking Guildford Museum forward in leaner times. Ambitious plans for a new extension had to be shelved when the National Lottery Heritage Fund put all new applications on hold. In July I reported on some statements from the Council for a “scaled down…
Marlyn’s House, Burpham
Marlyn’s was threatened with demolition via a planning application that was overturned in 2018. The building has now been locally listed. Marlyn’s and Marlyn’s Cottage are both very old buildings. They appeared on the Tithe Maps of 1838 and there are references to property on the site back to the 17th century. At the rear…
Old School House Demolished
Sad to have to say goodbye to the Old Schoolhouse in Slyfield. Dating from 1870 it was apparently once the only building in the area and over the years a community grew up around it. It was an original school building dating from the time of the 1870 Education Act which introduced national education into…
Views of Changing Guildford
This very clever video by Nick Armstrong shows how many well loved views have changed whilst others remain timeless. You can find it on YouTube
Wanborough Barn has secure future in Borough
Writing in the Guildford Dragon, Stephen Callendar says: In support of the GBC Asset Team (reference Burchatts Farm Barn), we have successfully negotiated a long-term lease with them for a fabulous wedding reception (and funeral wake) venue.We manage the building and pay for running costs and maintenance, as well as contributing to repairs. GBC handle…