SCHOOL COMMUNITY & YOUNG PEOPLE’S GROUPS –
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is the walk free or do we need to pay?
Walks are free for most education 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.
For other private bookings we request a donation of £5 per head (minimum £30) to raise funds for our charity of the year.
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?’).
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 School 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.
Risk Assessment
When booking a walk for your group, please read the Risk Assessment (updated annually) and ensure it matches your requirements.
Supervision of the group
School staff and group leaders remain responsible for their charges at all times
during the walk. The behaviour of the group members is your responsibility, and appropriate accompanying adults must be present with all groups of under 18-year-olds
and all groups of vulnerable adults. Over 18s, such as university students, will
usually be accompanied by their teachers, but their absence will not affect the
viability of the walk. Guildford Town Guides will not accept sole charge of a group of under 18s or vulnerable adults under any circumstances, and it is your responsibility to ensure the adult:pupil ratio is appropriate.
Walks specially adapted for schools and other younger groups
Please let us know if you would like a particular focus or emphasis for your walk. For
example, Guildford astle and life in Mediaeval Guildford; Lewis Carroll; Geography –
The River Wey, the North Downs and the Wey Navigation, the Tudors, Victorian
Guildford. Walks can be scaled down to 60 minutes for younger groups instead of 90
minutes.
Is there somewhere suitable for a picnic lunch or snack break?
The Castle Gardens offer a traffic-free environment for lunch breaks. The upper part
of the grounds above the bandstand has ample space for several groups, and there
are some benches for seating. The bandstand offers some shelter in inclement
weather.
Can we visit Guildford Castle Keep or Guildford Museum?
If you wish to combine one of our tours with a visit to the Keep of Guildford Castle,
you will need to contact the Heritage Services team to confirm the costs and timing
of such activities (heritage@guildford.gov.uk).
Guildford Museum has a classroom which can be booked and/or used in conjunction
with a visit to the Museum itself. You might be able to deposit pupils’ school bags at
the Museum during the day and, in case of bad weather, use the classroom for
shelter if it has not been reserved for another group. Please contact the Heritage
Services team directly on the above email if this is of interest.
Is there a convenient coach drop-off point near to the meeting point?
it is usually possible to be dropped outside Guildford Museum on Quarry Street.
From here it is a 5 minute walk to Tunsgate Arch.
Can we walk to the meeting point 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 the majority 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.
Feedback on your group’s experience
Let us know if you enjoyed the walk and if you can suggest any improvements in the
walk or arrangements. We do our best to ensure your walk is enjoyable, but no-one
is perfect. Please note that all the guides are unpaid volunteersvolunteers, and we
are not full-time professionals.
• You can email us directly with your comments on
groupwalks@guildfordwalks.org.uk, or
• Email Guildford Tourist Information Centre on tic@guildford.gov.uk
We also appreciate comments on Trip Advisor and social media:
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