Guildford is a beautiful place, filled with history and intrigue almost wherever you look. Of course, just because somewhere has plenty to tell you doesn’t always mean that people are willing to listen. In fact, most people know less about the area in which they live or work than they do a random place they once visited and went on an open bus tour of.
If you feel that way about Guildford, then you might want to consider going on one of the free guided walks that Guildford Town Guides are offering during the summer, increasing your knowledge of your local area.
Who Are Guildford Town Guides?
Before you commit to spending your time wandering around Guildford with a complete stranger and a group of other people that you don’t know, you might be interested to learn who, exactly, Guildford Town Guides actually are. The short answer is that Guildford Town Guides is a group of unpaid volunteers who are enthusiastic about Guildford and want to help other people learn more. The Guides are an independent group of people that are supported by Guildford Borough Council, spending their time learning about the town’s history and telling others what they’ve learned.
The work that they do is based on a course entitled ‘The History of Guildford’, which was created by Mathew Alexander. That course is carried out in collaboration with the Guildford Museum Heritage Service, offering 14 sessions that are mostly held at Guildford Museum, with one at Guildford Cathedral. The course itself goes into a huge amount of detail, which is more than is possible to be taught on a walk, but ensures that the Guides are full of knowledge. In 2019, the Guildford Town Guides were recognised nationally when they were awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.
The History of Guildford Is Brought to Life
Guildford itself is located less than an hour from London. The result of that is that there are many people who live in the area but don’t know a huge amount about its history. Having stood in place for more than 1,000 years, however, it’s fair to say that there is plenty of history to tell. Whether it be the impact of Terrible King John on the area or the manner in which the code-breaker Alan Turing lived in Guildford, the Guildford Town Guides look to bring that history to life as they take you on a tour of the local area and walk from place to place, seeing what went before.
Lewis Carroll also has an association with Guildford, which is something that is explored during the course of a walking tour. You can see how it is that the town had an influence on Carroll’s wild imagination, thanks to the manner in which the Guildford Town Guides will try to explain the heritage of Guildford itself. There is a thrilling and fascinating past to be explored in the area, which is best seen by walking around and taking in the sights, sounds and even the smells of one of the most intriguing commuter towns that you’re likely to find on the outskirts of the capital.
When You Can Join a Tour
If you’re interested in taking part in one of Guildford Town Guides’s walking tours, then you’re in luck. When you want to go will dictate when the best time to do so will be, given the fact that the walking tours are on offer at different points throughout the summer. Between May and September, for example, there are free walking tours every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. That means that there are plenty of opportunities to get out and about and discover a whole new side to Guildford that you probably didn’t even know was out there, so pick the time that best suits your needs.
Between July and September, Guildford Town Guides also add in another walk on Sunday, with the walks usually getting underway at 11am. There are some that are done at 1pm, though, and others at 2pm, so you should look to see which ones are available for you. It is important to book ahead, given the popularity of the tours and the fact that they have a limited capacity, so if you want to avoid disappointment, then you would do well to get your place and the places of those you want to go on a walking tour with booked down as early as possible to ensure you’ll be on it.
Different Tours Available
One of the key things about the Guildford Town Guides is that they know their stuff, but some guides specialise in some areas more than others. There are numerous different guided tours of Guildford available for you to do during the summer, with names like the following:
- Guildford Story
- The Guildhall
- Law & Disorder
- Fake or Fortune
- Brief Lives
- Medieval Guildford
- Fantastical Mr Carroll
- Hidden Guildford
- Kings Worthies & Scoundrels
- Pubs & Inns
As you can imagine, some of them, such as the Pubs & Inns tour, get booked up more quickly than others, but the fact that there are so many means you can always do more than one.
Which tour you’ve booked onto will dictate where you will need to meet in order to enjoy your tour. Obviously, this can change from time to time depending on numerous different factors, but typically speaking, the majority of tours will meet at Tunsgate Arch, which is opposite the Guildhall Clock on the High Street. The exceptions to this are the Alan Turing walk, which begins at G Live, and both the Fantastical Mr Carroll and the Lewis Carroll & Guildford tours, which begin at the Two Bridge. Make sure to find out where you’re expected to meet for your tour.