Touring Guildford

After yesterday’s long journey, it was great to have an easy day with no travel. We have breakfast included at our hotel so that’s how we started the day. Afterwards we walked down the hill into town to find the tourist information office. It was not open yet so we went for cappuccinos at really nice, Italian coffee bar. Nearby we noticed a huge, final closing out sale with everything marked off by an additional 50%, at a department store. Had to check that out even though we really have no room to carry more. Still, I couldn’t resist buying a pair of Levis and a pair of shoes!

The tourist information office was very helpful and we walked away with handfuls of maps and brochures. It also contained an art gallery inside the historic building so we decided to check that out. We then proceeded to follow “The Historic Trail” to see places of interest, old as well as new, around the heart of Guildford. We had a numbered map for a self-guided tour so that made it quite simple.

Sights included Tungsgate Arch, built in 1818 and located on High Street, a pedestrian only street; Castle Square, the boundary of the medieval town; The Great Tower, built by the Normans in the early 12th Century; the remains of The Royal Palace, visited more than 100x by Henry III; Castle Arch, built in 1256 as the main entrance to Guildford Castle; Guildford Museum, with its display of artifacts and St. Mary’s Church, the only building in Guildford that dates from Saxon times.

After all this touring, we had worked up a pretty good thirst and appetite for a British pub meal. We chose the historic “Three Pigeons Pub” on High Street. We ended our day with a stroll along the Wey River before walking back to the hotel.Read more