Guildford, the golden town in Surrey by Sanjoo

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Guildford, the golden town in Surrey
by Sanjoo

Guildford is a town found in the county of Surrey south of London. It is believed that Guildford is around 2,000 years old. The first part of Guildford means ‘gold’. Therefore, people believe that the name of Guildford had been derived from the golden sand of the River Wey which is a tributary of the River Thames. Some people also believe that Guildford might have taken its name from the golden flowers that grow along the banks of the river.

In the tenth century, Guildford was selected for the Royal Mint, a place to produce all the country’s coins. Nowadays, the Royal Mint is no longer situated in Guildford. It has been transferred to The Tower of London. One of the best things to see in Guildford is the Guildford Castle. The castle had been built during the eleventh century when Guildford was the only town in Surrey. Thus the castle might have probably been used as a resting place by the king when he used to travel. Today, the Guildford Castle has been transformed into a museum. Visitors get the opportunity to tour the castle and have a wonderful view of its grounds and fields.

Moreover, Guildford is a place full of monumental buildings. So, the Guildford Cathedral is a striking building made of brick. Its erection began before World War II and its completion was made during the year 1950. Part of a movie called ‘Omen’ was even filmed in the Guildford Cathedral. This said, the place is more beautiful from the inside than it is from the outside. Also, the town centre of Guildford is a very lively place to go. The High Street has a very steep slope and most of the street is made of stones, worn out during the course of time. Many of Europe’s top flight businesses can be found in the town centre of Guildford. As such, other small businesses take place such as cafes, jewellery and shoe shops which can all be discovered by walking down the streets of the Guildford town centre.

Furthermore, Guildford can boast to have a modern shopping complex called the Friary which is found at the bottom of High Street. The building has been designed to rhyme perfectly with the architectures of the other older buildings. Additionally, two times per week in Guildford, a market takes place in the open air. People sell books, home grown vegetables, meat and flowers. There are as well many farmers in Guildford. So, on the first Tuesday of each month a farmer’s market is opened to the public. Besides, Guildford does not fall short when it comes to nightlife. There are many nightclubs, pubs and restaurants in Guildford. The White Lyon is among one of the best pubs in Guildford and serves real ale and fresh brewed beer using natural ingredients.

As seen, Guildford can be a much exciting place to go than one can imagine. Many more things can be learnt and discovered while in Guildford. So, you could make it your next destination the next time you plan to go on holidays.

Sanjou is a freelance writer who writes articles for Guildford (

Author's Biography:

Sanjou is a freelance writer who writes articles for Guildford (

Posted on: May 3,2008

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