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The City of Guildford
derives its name from ‘Gyldeforda’
(Golden Ford) as it was known by
the first settlers in the area around
the year 500. The name probably
relates to the golden colour of
the sand in the river bed, at least
at that time. During the 7th century,
missionary priests converted the
local ‘pagans’ to Christianity.
By the 9th century, the centre of
the town was what is now bordered
by Friary Street, North Street,
Castle Street and St. Mary’s.
Guildford had become the commercial
centre of Surrey by the 10th century,
marked by the establishment of the
Royal Mint in the town. The tower
of the church of St. Mary dates
back to this time and is the only
surviving part of Saxon Guildford.
In the 11th century,
with the population of Guildford
only around 350, the Norman invasion
of Southern England led to the building
of Guildford Castle.
The Castle is
to be found in Castle Street with
the Guildhall and Guildford House
Gallery in the High Street.
By the 13th century
Guildford had become a prosperous
town mainly from the wool trade.
With surrounding land used to graze
sheep, local villages spun the yarn
and wove the cloth, before bringing
it into Guildford for the various
finishing and dyeing processes.
During the Middle
Ages Guildford’s population
never grew beyond 1000, despite
its wealth and the town consisted
of essentially the High Street,
with some houses towards the Castle
and around St. Nicholas.
In the 16th and
17th centuries the town obviously
grew with more large buildings emerging.
Guildford Grammar School had been
established at the beginning of
the 16th century and in the 1550’s
moved to a new building in what
is now the Upper High Street.
Probably the most
prominent local figure throughout
Guildford’s history was George
Abbot. Born the son of a local worker
in 1562, Abbot was educated at the
Grammar School, went to Oxford University
in 1579 and became University Vice-Chancellor
in 1600. Abbot became a Bishop in
1609 and went on to be appointed
Archbishop of Canterbury, head of
the English Church, in 1611.
In 1619, he began
building the Hospital of the Blessed
Trinity in the High Street, now
referred to as Abbot’s Hospital,
as a home for 20 elderly Guildfordians.
He died in 1633
and is buried in a splendid tomb
opposite the Hospital in Holy Trinity
Church.
Guildford today
is a delightful town retaining much
of its historical charm. It has
many contrasts and its hilly aspect
means the visitor can move from
the modern to the past quite suddenly.
The closeness of the Castle and
the river provide unexpected treasures
amongst the activity of a thriving
town.
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