Surrey Photo Gallery - Guildford's Historic Buildings

The Abbot's Hospital at the end of the High Street was founded in 1619 by the Archbishop of Canterbury to shelter the town's elderly poor, with the first residents moving in in 1622. Tours are available regularly and there is no need to pre-book. Just across the street, the Holy Trinity Church is the town's civic church where the Mayor is installed. The building is a replacement of a medieval church that collapsed in 1740 with Roman architectural influences. George Abbot, the Archbishop of Canterbury who founded Abbot's Hospital, is buried here. A few doors down is Guildford House, a 17th century townhouse that is now an exhibition space and tourist information centre. Keep an eye on the beautiful staircase and period-decorated rooms. Towards the other end of High Street, St. Mary's is the oldest church in town, with the tower believed to date back to the 10th century, and the rest built over the next 3 centuries. Changes were made since, with most of the windows dating from Victorian times. Guildford Museum occupies historic buildings near the castle that go as far back as the mid-16th century. They had multiple uses over the centuries, from a wealthy family's home, school, to garage.