ADULT GROUPS – FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How many people can you accommodate?
The maximum number of people depends on the walk you have chosen:
• Guildford Story walk – up to 60 people
• Other Regular Walks – up to 30 people
• Specialist Walks – 15 or 30 people depending on the walk.
For the Encounter walks:
• Alan Turing walk – up to 30 people with two guides
• Fantastical Mr Carroll – up to 24 people with two guides.
Prayers, Plots & Poisons is only available during a few weeks in July/August which
does not suit many groups. If we can arrange a date with you, we can accommodate
up to 24 people.
As you will appreciate, the number that we can accommodate depends on the
requisite guides being available so please contact us a reasonable time in advance
(see ‘How far in advance do I need to book?’).
Do we need to pay for a booked walk?
We request a donation of £5 per head (minimum £30) to raise funds for our charity
of the year. However, walks are free for most education, community, and charity groups:
• School groups
• Groups of students in full time education at colleges and universities
• Community groups such as Brownies and Scouts
• Charity groups supporting vulnerable children and adults
• Groups who are guests of Guildford Borough Council, including groups from Guildford’s twin town of Freiburg.
It should be noted that groups from commercial language schools and the like
are normally expected to pay £5 per head.
How far in advance do I need to book?
We recommend contacting us approximately 6 weeks in advance so that there is a
reasonable chance that our guides will be free. However, if your group is over 30
people, longer notice would be better.
Encounter Walks involve a team of 5 or 6 people so, again, longer notice is better.
The first step is to send us the appropriate Walk Request Form. We will need to
know roughly how large the group will be, what walk you are interested in and your
preferred date and time, with some alternatives if possible.
We aim to finalise arrangements as quickly as possible, although this can take up to
10 working days as we need to contact the guides to confirm their availability.
Can we visit Guildford Castle Keep or other historic buildings?
You might wish to combine one of our tours with a visit to the Keep of Guildford
Castle or a visit to Guildford Museum. If so, you will need to contact the Heritage
Services team email: heritageservices@guildford.gov.uk to confirm the costs and
timing of such activities. Our walks are largely outdoors, and we do not usually go
inside the historic buildings that we talk about.
Can we walk to the meeting point for the walk from the railway station?
Yes: Guildford Main Station is the closest (0.4 miles approx.), Guildford London Road
Station is slightly further away (0.6 miles approx.).
• Guildford Main Station to Tunsgate Arch; take the underpass from the corner
of Farnham Road and Walnut Tree Close in front of the station, across to the
riverside gardens of Wey House, walk along the riverbank to the Town Bridge
and cross at the pedestrian crossing at the bottom of the High Street. This
separates pedestrians and traffic for most of the route.
• Guildford London Road Station to Tunsgate Arch: a safe route is to leave the
station precincts, turn left on York Road and cross York Road at the pedestrian
crossing by the traffic lights. Walk along London Road to G Live concert venue
and along Upper High Street, which has fairly wide pavements. Cross at the
pedestrian crossing by the Royal Grammar School and continue to the High
Street and Tunsgate Arch.
Extreme weather conditions
In extremely adverse weather conditions, you may decide to cancel the walk. If you
do so, please try to give us as much notice as possible. Guides typically leave their
home between 30 minutes and an hour before the agreed time of the walk, so
please help us to avoid a wasted journey.
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