Bringing History Alive
A town less than an hour from London with over 1000 years of history involving the terrible King John, the curious imagination of Lewis Carroll and the dramatic life of code-breaker Alan Turing.
The best way to experience the fantastic heritage of Guildford is to join one of our guided walks.
The award-winning Guildford Town Guides are knowledgeable volunteers who are passionate about the heritage of Guildford and exploring our past with visitors.
Our Walks 2023 – 4
Plenty of interest for all ages and tastes
We have free walks:
- Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from May to September
- Every Sunday from July to September
- At other times throughout the year.
Full details of the Winter programme can be found HERE and on the Guildford Town Guides page of Eventbrite.
Scroll down to the next section to see the range of walks we offer. For a different experience, why not try one of our Encounter Walks, but be prepared for surprises.
Numbers are limited on all our public walks so, it is better to secure your place by booking online on the Eventbrite page linked above. Our interactive Encounter Walks book up quickly – prebooking is essential.
For a modest fee, you can also arrange a private tour by appointment at any time during the year.
Regular Walks
Each Regular Walk takes place 3 or more times during the summer months. Guildford Story is the exception as this takes place weekly.
Click on a walk below for more information on Regular Walks. Click on the tabs above for our exciting ENCOUNTER WALKS and SPECIALIST WALKS.
Guildford Story
Kings, Worthies & Scoundrels
Royal Guildford
Hidden Guildford
Pubs & Inns
Made in Guildford
Astonishing Inventions
Medieval Guildford
Lewis Carroll in Guildford
Fake or Fortune
Encounter Walks
Join us on an Encounter Walk and meet characters from Guildford’s past as they step out of the history books and onto our streets.
Encounter Walks are great fun but places are limited, so please reserve your space early.
Click on a walk for more information.
Alan Turing
The Fantastic Mr Carroll
Prayers, Plots & Poison
Specialist Walks
Some guides are interested in subjects outside of our repertoire of Regular and Encounter Walks. A few walks on these specialist topics are included in our public walks programme.
Each specialist walk may happen just once or twice during the summer months so look out for these if you are interested.
Click on a walk for more information.
The Mount Cemetery
Georgian Guildford
Military History
Art & Artists
Victorian Guildford
Messing about on the Wey
Guildford Markets
Private Group Walks & Talks
By appointment at any time of year
If you would like to get a group of people together, a private tour may be the ideal way to explore the town with friends, family or colleagues.
On the other hand, one of the guides can come to you to give an illustrated talk.
Click below on the category which applies to you for more information.
Charities
Each year we raise funds for a local charity.
Most recently:
2019 Oakleaf Enterprises
2020 & 2021 Guildford Street Angels
2022 Halow Project
Skillway – charity of the year 2023
Skillway offers a unique range of activities which motivate and encourage students, enabling them to gain confidence, engage with society, and acquire skills which lead to employment.
Skillway, based in Godalming, supports disengaged young people by teaching craft and technical skills in a workshop environment.
£20,000 raised for local charities in the past 12 years
The Guides
A small band of unpaid volunteers who are enthusiastic about Guildford’s past
The guides today are an independent group, supported by Guildford Borough Council.
Our knowledge of Guildford’s history is largely based on the ‘History of Guildford’ course taught at Guildford Museum by Matthew Alexander, Honorary Remembrancer of Guildford.
We normally aim to recruit a few new guides each year. If you would like to join us, contact us by email at enquiries@guildfordwalks.org.uk and we will be happy to explain how this works.
We were delighted that our efforts to introduce new ideas was recognised nationally by the award of The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2019.
