Guildford Castle — HDYGG

For How Does Your Garden Grow This week I am sharing some photos I took yesterday from Guildford Castle.   I didn’t even know Guildford had a castle and I have lived ten miles down the road for ten years (you may recall something similar happened with Farnham Castle, as I mentioned in this post: Farnham Castle Keep ).  The only thing I knew about Guildford other than the fact it had a fabulous high street, was that the cathedral was used in the Omen films.

But in an effort to learn more about local places of interest I met up with Diana from Visit Guildford yesterday and she suggested after our meeting that I must go and wander down to the castle to take some photos of the tulips.  So after our meeting I did just that, and I am so pleased I did.

A stunningly colourful garden, just a short walk from the High Street.   Tucked away from the hustle and bustle, it is easy to see why it is the perfect place for people who work locally to bring a book and a sandwich at lunchtime.   There wasn’t a spare bench anywhere.

Nobody knows officially how old the castle is but it is thought to date back to the Norman Conquest in 1066.   The tower was conserved in 2003 and you can climb the staircase inside to get 360 panoramic views of the Surrey countryside that surround Guildford.

There is a small fee of £3.20 to go into the castle, but the grounds are free.  The opening times for the castle vary throughout the year so do check the Guildford Castle website for more details.

As the weather was so gorgeous and I only had an hour I didn’t venture into the Castle but just wandered around the grounds looking at tulips.

There is also a war memorial that makes you stop and stand for a moment to reflect and remember those to whom it is dedicated.   Over 600 names are inscribed on it, all boys, and from I read when I went home and looked up the memorial, they were boys.  Not men.   Young boys not much older than my two eldest children, two thirds of whom died in the first world war, the remainder in the Second.     The Garden of Remembrance was a very quiet and peaceful spot and it made me thankful that I know where my children will be tonight, and that they are safe.   No such luxury for the local mums who a century ago  watched their sons go into battle.

If you find yourself in Guildford then do wander up to the castle, it is just through the Tunsgate Shopping Centre.   And don’t forget to pop into the fabulous record shop on the left hand side as you walk up!