Situated in the county of Surrey south of London, it is believed the town is almost 2,000 years old. The first part of the name means "gold", but it is believed to refer to the golden sand of the River Wey, a tributary of the River Thames which winds its way to Guildford. Another thought is that it might refer to the golden flowers fringing the river's banks, but neither story has been proved. Still, they do both conjure up some romantic images! Although the name does not refer to the precious mineral, in the tenth century Guildford became a location for the Royal Mint, the place where the country's coinage is produced. It's no longer there - three centuries later it was moved to The Tower of London.
One of Guildford's most famous sites is Guildford Castle, which dates back to the eleventh century. At the time Guildford was the only town in Surrey, so the castle was probably used as a resting place by the king during his travels. Today what remains of Guildford Castle has been turned into a museum, and visitors can access the castle's tower via a stone staircase, where they are afforded a wonderful view of the castle grounds and surrounding farm fields.
On Stag Hill, just outside the town, is Guildford Cathedral, a rather imposing brick building. It's very modern; construction began before the Second World War and it was eventually completed in the early 1950s. I'm afraid my thoughts when I first saw it was that it looks more like a hospital building than a cathedral, but then it is supposed to be modern, not traditional. The original "Omen" film used Guildford Cathedral to film the church scenes in the film's climax. The golden weather vane the filmmakers constructed especially for the film proved so popular with the congregation they asked the producers to leave it there after shooting was completed!
Although the town centre is a lively, busy place Guildford's history is clearly evident. High Street has a very steep slope, so walking up it can be a bit tiring - even for a very fit person! The street is cobbled, the surface bubbled with worn grey stones. ATM machines and banks line High Street, together with an eclectic selection of some of Europe's most well known commercial businesses and department stores. There are also many small alleyways branching off from High Street, and walking down them is an interesting experience. There are small shops with wonderfully decorated windows, and dress shops mingle with cafés, shoe shops, jewellery and herbal stores
A modern shopping complex called The Friary is located at the bottom of High Street. Architecturally it blends well with the older buildings, so that the vast amount of glass used in the roof and windows to give shoppers a feeling of "openness" is not glaringly obvious. Twice a week a market full of books, fresh flowers, fruit and vegetables trades in the open air in front of several associated shops, including a bakery and butchery. There's also a big farming community in Surrey, so Guildford is a market town, and on the first Tuesday of every month the farmers' market is open to the public.
There are many different nightclubs, pubs and restaurants in Guildford. I've been to several pubs in and around Guildford, and my favourite is "The White Lyon", which serves real ale - beer brewed using natural ingredients. I'm not a beer drinker, apart from a slight affection for Guinness, but I do enjoy traditional pub lunches. My favourite is "bangers and mash", which is sausages and mashed potato covered with gravy. My friend Helen lives opposite the Woodridge Road cricket ground - fortunately she likes cricket, so the occasional shouts of "Howzat!" and the crack of the cricket ball meeting the willow bat doesn't bother her. Surrey's Country Cricket club is the venue for several matches every season between Surrey's different cricket clubs - cricket is a popular sport in England!
Another famous historical property is Sutton Place, which was once the home of the billionaire John Paul Getty. The house has had many famous owners since it was built in the early 16th century. I remember reading Dinah Lampitt's wonderful series of books about the characters with connections to this place, including Henry VIII's wives Jane Seymour and Ann Boleyn - they are excellent books. Sutton Place contains an ornamental pomegranate that was once owned by another of Henry's wives, Catherine of Aragon, as well as the bloodstained ruff of Saint Thomas More. He was the man who first wrote about Utopia, and he was beheaded by Henry when he refused to accept the King's claim to be the head of the Church of England.
Just outside Guildford lies Clandon Park estate. At the centre of the park is a magnificent house, home to the Onslow family since it was built in 1730. The estate includes one of the quaintest villages I've ever seen. Clandon Village's stone houses are linked by narrow winding roads, fringed with graceful, gently swaying trees. A variety of pheasant, rabbit, foxes and deer live on the grounds. When I was there in January 2007 I bought some delicious bacon and ham produced on the farm. Pork is not available in Turkey, so this was a great treat for us! And still is... when I got back to Izmir I packed and froze the bacon and ham. It's our treat for weekend breakfasts, and it is probably the best bacon I have ever eaten.
I find it incredible that Guildford has managed to retain so much of its charm in a world that sometimes doesn't take the time to appreciate heritage, and the history behind so many of our places. Every time I return to Guildford I learn something new, and yet the town doesn't seem to change. I feel like I'm visiting an old, treasured place when I go to Guildford. It's a town that is growing, but so far it has managed to handle its expansion without compromising its history. That's not an easy thing to do, and I for one hope this trend continues.
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