Similar to much of London and its surrounding landscape, Guildford’s origins are ancient, obscure, and fascinating. There is archeological evidence to suggest that there were human settlements in the Guildford locale from the Middle Stone Age, and was even referenced in the will of King Alfred the Great c. 880! Nowadays, Guildford is well-known for being one of the most expensive property areas outside of London, with an average price-point of £600,000, ranging from terraced suburban housing to grand country manors. With the granite sett high-street, the banks of the River Wey, the towering cathedral and the University of Surrey, there is a wealth of history and culture nestled in this town.

As mentioned, there is evidence that traces Guildford’s origins to the Mesolithic era, and some argue even further back than this! Guildford’s naming, however, is fairly unusual in the tradition of English place-names. Alfred the Great’s will writes the area as ‘Gyldeforda’, and by the 1086 Domesday Book it was recorded as ‘Gildeford’, then ‘Gyldeforde’ and ‘Guildeford’. This means that not only has the name rarely changed throughout a thousand of years of history, but it’s one of the few names that directly correlates to its geography. ‘Gylde’ is the Anglo-Saxon for ‘Gold’, and probably refers to the sandy banks of the River Wey, or the bright-yellow marigolds native to the area. ‘Ford’, means river crossing, which is exactly what Guildford was built on! So we can think of Guildford as a ‘golden crossing’!

Guildford is an incredibly desirable area, and many choose it as their home-town due to its commutability to London. This means that Guildford is ever-increasing in price. Whilst this is true, there is still a variety of housing-stock available at a range of price-points, from £600,000 to £6 million! There has been a council backed effort recently to regenerate the town centre of Guildford; focusing particularly on social spaces, such as re-vamping the Town Wharf into a vibrant community hub, and increasing the presence of independently run businesses in the area!