It’s fair to say that we love Guildford, our beautiful town is often referred to as ‘the jewel of the south east’, and it’s easy to see why.
Surrounded by glorious countryside and nestled peacefully in the Wey Valley just over half an hour from London and a tiny bit further to the coast Guildford has every convenience associated with a modern town while maintaining a wonderfully rural charm.
So, here’s our A-Z guide to the town, we have taken a few liberties with some of the letters, but we hope you get the picture.
A is for Amenities, and boy have we got lots of them. Artisan cafes, independently owned boutique shops, world class entertainment options, stunning parks and lots of places to sit and watch the world go by.
- B. We’ve gone for beautiful, and why wouldn’t we, there are some truly delightful views to be had, including from the top of The Mount, the rolling hill that sits above the town centre. It’s a bit of a stroll up the hill, but the views are worth the effort,
C for culture. The Yvonne Arnaud is the obvious star of the show, but there’s so much more to Guildford Arts, including our annual Fringe Festival, regular performances from local groups and a thriving creative community.
D, well we had to go for dining and drinks. Guildford has dozens of wonderful restaurants, great pubs, quiet wine bars and just about every type of dining option you could ask for.
E must be reserved for education. Guildford is home to some of the top independent and state schools in the UK, and then there’s the University of Surrey of course, regularly voted as one of the top universities in the country.
F is for families, there are few better places to raise a family than Guildford. Safe streets, sprawling parks, first class schools and strong community groups all add up to somewhere very special indeed.
Let’s go green for G. Surrey is the most treed county in England, with almost 9 trees per head of population, everywhere you look is green, from Stoke Park to the Surrey Hills AONB.
H has to be housing. Guildford has long been considered a great place to live, and the amount of estate agents will testify to its enduring popularity. From studio apartments to stunning homes of architectural importance, our property market is diverse and always in demand.
We’re going to cheat a bit for I and say Ice Hockey. The Spectrum is home to The Guildford Flames but we wanted to mention everything else that’s on offer at one of the top leisure centres in the country. Swimming, keep fit, bowling, indoor mini-golf, athletics, football, racket sports and much more is available, just a short walk from Mandolay.
J is for jobs. Guildford is an international hub for scientific research, satellite technology and of course gaming, with many of the top names in game development based in or near the town centre.
K for Kings. From William the Conqueror, the man responsible for our castle, to Henry VIII who used the area for regular hunting trips, Guildford has a great many royal connections, and they are all well worth investigating.
L has to be location. If you wanted to create a town that had just about everything on hand, or within easy reach you could not do much better than Guildford. London is half an hour to the north, and around the same time south are some of the most traditional of all English seaside towns.
Markets take pride of place for M, with regular outdoor events including a monthly farmer’s market, as well as specialist arts and antiques, wellness and a growing vegetarian and vegan market.
Night time is our N. Guildford boasts a thriving night life with a great many superb restaurants, nightclubs, pubs and entertainment options. It also happens to be one of the safest towns in England, holding the cherished Purple Flag accreditation as ‘Safe, Clean and Welcoming’ for many years.
O is for the great outdoors. Just take a look around you, there’s treasures everywhere, from the Surrey Hills and the Hogs Back, to wonders of nature like Newlands Corner (incidentally, this is Eric Clapton’s favourite view in the whole world, and he’s really rather well travelled!) Jump in the car, hop on a train or go for a stroll, you will not be disappointed.
P is for People. True Guildfordians will tell you that there’s nowhere quite as vibrant and culturally diverse as this part of the south east. There’s a genuine sense of community and belonging with visitors and new residents from around the world welcomed with open arms to our beautiful town.
OK, we’re getting to the tricky end of the alphabet now, but Q must stand for Quality. From shopping to housing, transport links to schooling, scenery to facilities, Guildford is packed with quality.
R is for Royal Surrey Hospital. A strange choice you might think, but our local hospital is truly magnificent. Obviously it’s the usual miracle factory that’s expected of the NHS but working with the University of Surrey, and businesses on the Research Park, it is comfortably one of the greatest centres of excellence not just in the UK, but globally.
S is for lots of things, safe, Spectrum, shopping, safety are all strong contenders but we have gone with setts. If you want to irk a Guildfordian, tell them that the High Street is cobbled, they will very quickly let you know that we don’t have cobbles, we have setts.
T for Transport seems logical. Fast trains to London and the coast, local buses to the prettiest villages you can imagine, 40 minutes from Heathrow and Gatwick airports and straight links to the M25 and beyond.
U has to be University of Surrey. The prestige, international student bodies, visitors and investment that the university attracts to the town cannot be underestimated. The university is part of Guildford, with faculties and of course students playing an active role in the town’s development.
V, can we mention the views again? We absolutely can, whether it’s looking across the River Wey, or looking out from Guildford Cathedral, it’s a picture of a busy town with so much space to breathe in. Relax with a good book and take it all in, we are very proud of our vistas.
W is a bit of a cheat but when you have RHS Wisley on the doorstep we think people will forgive us for ‘claiming’ it. Wisley is a wonder of nature, perfectly manicured gardens and mature woodlands, an internationally acclaimed research facility and the perfect place to explore. It’s just a ten minute drive from the hotel and we cannot recommend it more highly. Tip – Head through Ripley to avoid much of the A3 and you’ll have the added bonus of seeing some lovely countryside with some excellent pubs and shops along the way.
X, Y and Z are tricky, so we will sign off with…Guildford is an eXcellent place for Young and old alike, but sadly we do not have a Zoo.