The History of Guildford-Part 1

                                                                                         

Guildford is a place found in England. It is also the county town of Surrey. At Guildford one would be able to find the seat of borough of Guildford as well as the administrative offices of South East England. Guildford had been twinned with a town called Freiburg in southern Germany. Additionally, Guildford can be found at around 50 km southwest of London. Similar to many other places around the world, Guildford also has a rich historical background. Let’s have a look.

The town of Guildford had been founded by Saxon settlers after the Roman Empire had retreated from Great Britain. The name was chosen because of an ancient trackway that crossed the River Wey through a ford. The River Wey is a tributary of the river Thames. Moreover, a ford is a place in a river that can be crossed by either riding on a horseback or in a vehicle. This can probably explain the second part of Guilford’s name. As for the first part, it could have been gold rather than guild. Gold may have referred to the golden flowers that probably grew near the ford.

Furthermore, at Guildford one may be able to find places such as Guildford’s model railway club, a local pub called Astotlat and the Astotlat Model Railway Circle. These can be considered as reminders of the exceptional history of Guildford. A castle named as the Guildford castle also adds up to the beauty of the town. It is believed that this castle may have been built during the Saxon era. The castle may have been used for battle purposes long ago as places such as the Pilgrims Way and the ford itself could have been easily spotted from there. In other words, the Guildford castle may have been used as a control tower to guard the East-West region of the country. The Windsor Castle and the Tower of London may have been once used in a similar fashion to guard the Thames River.

In addition to, at the Battle of Hastings, a man known as William the Conqueror won Guildford as well as its close surrounding areas. William the Conqueror was a Norman and so rebuilt the castle of Guildford in a classic Norman style. The castle was built this way so as to scare the conquered population of Guildford at that time. As time passed by, the risks of war diminished and consequently saw the castle become a Royal Hunting Lodge. This idea was suitable as the castle of Guildford was situated near the Windsor Great Park. The castle may have been visited by King John and King Henry III on numerous occasions. Some of the parts of the castle that were not destroyed through time may have been restored during the Victorian times and also in the year 2004. The remainder of the land, may now be a wonderful public garden.

During the year 1995, a discovery was made at Guildford which revealed an ancient Jewish house of prayer called a synagogue. The synagogue can be considered as one of the oldest in Western Europe.

About the author:
Sanjou is a freelance writer who writes articles for Guildford (Guildford) Eye, an innovative local community website


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