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Guildford, Surrey, England: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chapel_Street_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1195027.jpgAuthor: Colin Smith
Guildford is the county town of Surrey, England. It is located in the heart of Surrey, about 43 km (27 mi) to the southwest of London. The town has a population of around 65,000 people (2012 estimate).
Guildford dates back to the Anglo-Saxon period, though human habitation here goes back even further, to the Roman period and perhaps earlier. Guildford was occupied by Saxon settlers shortly after the Romans withdrew from Britain around AD 410. The site was chosen as a settlement probably because there was already an ancient trackway in the area, called the Harrow Way, which crosses the River Wey.
By the 10th century Guildford was already a town of considerable significance. It was a site of the Royal Mint and was also along the Pilgrim's Way, a pilgrimage route between Winchester and the shrine of Thomas Becket at Canterbury, Kent. Following Norman Conquest, Guildford Castle was built. The town was listed in the Domesday Book in 1086 as Geldeford and Gildeford.
Guildford Castle: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Great_Keep,_Guildford_Castle_-_geograph.org.uk_-_294195.jpgAuthor: Colin Smith
The sport of cricket is said to have been first played in Guildford. Its first mention was in 1598, when a game called kreckett was played at the Royal Grammar School, Guildford. The improvement to waterborne transportation in the 17th century helped to boost Guildford's economy. The Wey Navigation canal was completed in 1653, connecting Guildford with the Thames. It was another century before Britain embarked on a large-scale canal building program.
Today Guildford is a modern, bustling English town. Most of the major shops and department stores are represented here. The town also continues to hold a market on Fridays and Saturdays and a farmers' market on the first Tuesday of every month.
Guildford Cathedral: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spring_at_Guildford_Cathedral_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1215976.jpgAuthor: Colin Smith
Visiting Guildford
From London, take the A3 trunk road heading southwest till you reach Guildford.Places of Interest in Guildford
- Guildford Castle: Norman castle built shortly after the Norman Conquest by William the Conqueror.
- Guildford Cathedral: The Cathedral Church of the Holy Spirit, Guildford, was built in 1945. Guildford was made a diocese in its own right in 1927.
- Guildford Museum: Museum on Quarry Street. Its collection grew from the collections of the Surrey Archaeological Society founded in 1852.
- Holy Trinity Church: Large, red-brick Anglican church in Guildford dating to the mid-18th century.
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Dear visitor, thank you so much for reading this page. My name is Timothy Tye and my hobby is to find out about places, write about them and share the information with you on this website. I have been writing this site since 5 January 2003. Originally (from 2003 until 2009, the site was called AsiaExplorers. I changed the name to Penang Travel Tips in 2009, even though I describe more than just Penang but everywhere I go (I often need to tell people that "Penang Travel Tips" is not just information about Penang, but information written in Penang), especially places in Malaysia and Singapore, and in all the years since 2003, I have described over 20,000 places.
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