Things to do in Guildford with Curious About Guildford

An exploration of Guildford's town centre with two self-guided heritage walks with an optional treasure hunt. Completing the treasure hunt keeps everyone actively engaged, and urges you to look up, down and every which-way - so you won't miss out on any of the town's treasures.
Explore, Discover, and Enjoy!
Most clues are chosen for their historical value, so you'll learn about the diverse culture, significant people and extraordinary events which have influenced Guildford in becoming what it is today.
This is an outdoor, unsupervised activity - so you can go at a pace which suits you, whilst keeping you healthy!
A Curious About walk is a fun and social activity for all the family and friends. Different people can take on different roles - follow the map, identify picture clues, read directions, etc - it's ideal for children from the age of 6, and if you can walk/wheelchair it, you're young enough!
The two walks have been designed so that the second one follows on from where the first one ends. Do both, or have a breather and do the second one another day! They both start and finish in the heart of the town - so buses, trains and car parks are easily available to get you there and back.

1. River Lock to Castle - 1.5 miles / 2.4 kms
From a busy lock on the charming River Wey this walk takes you along an historic walk - remembering Lewis Carroll who is buried in the town. Pass an electric theatre and the start of a vehicle empire before leaving the hustle and bustle of the town centre to enter the delightful gardens of Guildford Castle. Meander your way lovingly around before finishing at the beautifully restored Castle Keep and its glorious views.
1.5 hoursNot suitable, due to the number of steps

2. Castle to River Lock - 1 mile / 1.6 kms
Starting in the grounds of the Guildford Castle bowling green this walk takes you under Tunsgate Arch, past the iconic guildhall with its famous clock tower, up the High Street to Trinity Church. Circle this historic church before plunging back down the High Street past an Archbishop’s Hospital and an ancient, haunted coaching inn to the peace and calm of the River Wey and its delightful lock.
1 hourOK, small diversion marked for steps

What do I Get?

Each booklet has a page dedicated to the history of the town and 2 pages summarising each walk with suggestions on what to visit along the way. Walk 1 has 21 clues & walk 2 has 14 - both with detailed directions to follow. There are interesting stories about important people, places & events along the way; detailed instructions on how to find a clue if you're stuck; and a comprehensive map with the routes marked on.
Buy a booklet by clicking on the Add to Basket button, then either checkout, or continue shopping. Checkout takes you through payments via a quick & secure process managed by a third-party company called SendOwl. At the end of the payment process SendOwl will email you a confirmation email (inc download link if relevant).

Downloads
You have 14 days to complete your download, and up to 3 attempts are permitted. If you buy the print-at-home version you will need to print it on normal A4 paper and the email you receive, with the download link, explains how best to fold the pages to make it into an A5 booklet. If you buy the download to mobile version you will need pdf reading software on your phone or tablet, eg using the Adobe Acrobat App (free).

Printed Copy
The booklet has a flexible cover, which has been professionally printed. The inside pages are printed to order, to ensure that they are as up-to-date as possible. We post booklets out 1st class Royal Mail, usually the same, or next working day. A small postage & packing charge is added.

Reviews & Latest Revision

"Would thoroughly recommend these walks for anyone who wants to learn more about what Guildford has to offer, hours of entertainment for the price of two coffees!"

Latest Revision : May 2024