Hello again everyone!

To spark your excitement about joining us even more, I thought I could suggest some pretty cool places in the Guildford/Surrey area that you, your friends and your family could check out when you arrive at the University.

In the Guildford area:

The Lake

• The first option has to of course be the beautiful lake that we have on campus. If you find yourself, on a sunny day having nothing to do, the lake is definitely the place to be. The University has installed some really pretty art pieces around the lake, along with the fountain, creating a perfect scene for the perfect late summer afternoon.

The Guildford Castle

• The Guildford Castle is only a 1-minute walk from the high street in town. It can be the perfect backdrop for some “new to University/Guildford” pictures and is a great place to see some of the historic sites in Guildford.

Whitmoor Common

• Whitmoor Common is a wooded area, close to the Hazel Farm accommodation site. It is a great place to get in a good hike, with some small lakes being found within it. A small note, make sure that you go with a fully charged phone, try to not go alone and remember to take lots of great pictures. The reason why I encourage you to go with a friend and a fully charged phone is because it can be quite easy to keep walking in circles and you could lose your way if you aren’t paying attention.

Dapdune Wharf

• For those of you who love The Lord of the Rings, I think you will find that the Wharf gives you some ‘The Shire’ vibes. Featuring a small handful of old, Victorian-style houses on the river, it can be a very quick and scenic spot to view as you explore Guildford.

The Guildford Cathedral

• The Guildford Cathedral lies right behind the University campus and has an extremely beautiful interior. If you receive accommodation on the Stag Hill campus, you will be able to hear the Cathedral bells ring on Sunday mornings, which is one thing that I personally really enjoyed.

The high street

• A high street is something that is very foreign to many of the South African students that attend the University. It is basically one really long street, usually in the centre of a town, where you can find a bunch of stores and basically anything that your heart desires. We have a bunch of great restaurants located throughout the high street, a bunch of clothing stores, a couple of art and stationary stores, a bunch of really great book stores and great coffee places (my personal favourite is Coffee Culture).

Stoke Park

• Stoke Park is a wonder, and very big park that we have here in Guildford. Especially because of the social distancing going on not only in Guildford, but the rest of the world, the size of the park makes it easy for you and your family to maybe do a picnic without having to worry about your safety currently.

Various bars in and around the town centre

• Of course, night life can be very important to some students. Guildford offers a wide variety of bars for you to explore. From Turtle Bay, Whetherspoons (Spoons), Pews to The King’s Head, you can be sure that you will find a bar that is up to your speed and it can be a great place for you to socialise with your friends if you need a bit of an escape from University. A lot of these bars offer great food selections as well.

Woking

• Only a short train ride away from Guildford, Woking is a great place to explore and see the areas around Guildford. There are additional shopping centres in Woking and a bunch of scenic places you can explore.

London

• Only a 40-minute train ride away from Guildford, London is of course the biggest tourist attraction in the UK. From an endless selection of restaurants, shops, museums, parks and other quirky places, London can be your playground. It is a must-see for everyone new to the UK 🙂

Brighton

• Only a couple of train rides away, Brighton has a famous pier, a bunch of fun activity places (including a glow-in-the-dark mini golf place called Glow Balls) and a bunch of really great restaurants. Brighton can give you the perfect beach escape without it being too far away from Guildford.

I hope my list has given you guys some ideas about where you can go and explore!

Until next time!