Zamek Guildford
Facilities
No information
Opening hours
Wednesday
12:00 - 16:30
Thursday
12:00 - 16:30
Friday
12:00 - 16:30
Saturday
12:00 - 16:30
Weather for today
15°C
Patchy rain nearby
Today
10 — 20°C
Sat
10 — 23°C
Sun
12 — 24°C
Additional conditions
Sunrise
05:28
Sunset
20:49
Max wind
19.1 km/h
Uv Index
1.2
Description
Guildford Castle is one of the oldest fortresses in England, built shortly after 1066 by William the Conqueror. This medieval monument impresses with its imposing watchtower with 3-meter thick walls, which is the only remnant of the original fortress.
Climbing to the top of the tower, you'll discover breathtaking views of the entire city and the surrounding area. The castle served a variety of functions, from a royal residence to a jail and sheriff's headquarters.
The restored interiors hide a fascinating museum that will take you back to medieval England and tell the story of this unique place.
Reviews
★4.5
RithuTheExplorer Vlog2 weeks agoGuildford Castle is a lovely place to explore if you’re in town. The grounds are beautifully maintained, with great views from the top overlooking Guildford and the surrounding countryside. It’s peaceful, informative, and perfect for a short, scenic visit. Highly recommended for history lovers and casual walkers alike.
Pahris Android3 months agoThere is something deeply satisfying about a castle that doesn't try too hard. In an age where historic attractions battle for your attention with interactive displays and costumed guides thrusting fake swords at children, Guildford Castle sits on its hillock with the quiet confidence of the genuinely significant.
On this splendid May afternoon, sunlight slants across the Norman keep's weathered stones like a spotlight operator who knows exactly what they're doing. The 12th-century structure – squat, no-nonsense, magnificently unapologetic – commands the surrounding gardens with the authority of a headteacher who never needed to raise their voice.
The castle gardens, it must be noted, are dressed for success. Floral displays so vibrant they verge on the ostentatious frame meandering paths where Surrey's well-heeled residents stroll with a deliberate casualness that suggests they believe themselves to be in a period drama. The council has maintained these grounds with the kind of attention normally reserved for royal visits or particularly judgmental in-laws.
For those willing to part with a modest entrance fee, the keep itself offers views across Guildford that transform the provincial High Street into something approaching charisma. The interior, while certainly not lavish, provides just enough historical context to satisfy without inducing the particular form of exhaustion that comes from reading too many information panels.
What Guildford Castle understands, unlike so many heritage sites, is restraint. It doesn't need to bombard you with entertainment. It stands, nine centuries on, perfectly content in the knowledge that its thick walls and commanding position tell their own story. Like the most confident dinner party guest, it doesn't feel the need to dominate the conversation.
Is it the most spectacular castle in England? Certainly not. But on a sun-drenched May afternoon, with birdsong providing a soundtrack and the scent of early summer blooms in the air, Guildford Castle delivers precisely what it promises – a quietly dignified encounter with history that doesn't demand too much of you in return. And sometimes, dear reader, that is quite enough.
Andy “Warhol’s Favorite” Wig7 months agoBeautiful Norman flint castle but it never seems to be open when we visit, nice to walk around the grounds and local area and town, signage outside to give a bit of history and a small separate information/ town museum nearby. It had horrible plastic tulips stuck around the garden when we were there in December. Free to visit the grounds.Related categories
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