The University of Surrey is situated in the quintessential town, Guildford, in the Southern part of England. The town owes its location to the existence of a gap in the North Downs where the River Wey is forded by the Harrow Way. It’s famous for its historic cobbled High Street and the town centre which has almost all the branded and local shops. The town was named as the UK’s tourist destination of the year in 2014 by the Tourist Network Awards. Speaking of the Royals, Guildford Castle is the only royal castle ever to be built in Surrey County. Interesting? Let’s dig in more!!
The stag! 
Guildford Cathedral 
View from cathedral 
The main campus of the University, the Stag Hill Campus, was named after the Stag Hill and shares it with the Guildford Cathedral. It is so beautiful and being on the top of the hill, it is visible from the entire town. I love visiting the cathedral when I feel like sitting in a quiet place and introspect. The cathedral is surrounded by the residential area which makes the place a bit homely. You will find natives walking around with their kids and dogs or having a small picnic somewhere in the garden. There are a lot of activities such as The Luna Cinema, Coffee concerts, Christmas Fair, Art Exhibition etc. that are organized at the Cathedral. September’21 batch can expect these to take place in the coming months as the lockdown has completely lifted. Lucky people 😉
Guildford Cathedral 
Cathedral in the night! 
Residential area next to the cathedral! 
View from Mount! 
High Street!
If you are at the front of the Cathedral, you see a green lust mount on the opposite end, known as the Mount. It is situated on the west of the town centre and has the best view of the entire town. In fact, from the Mount, you can see the tall buildings in Woking, the next town on the way to London from Guildford. The Mount is a beautiful place to go for running or chilling. I remember my first time to the Mount. I was so excited to see the orchids and of course the view of the entire town from up there. I love the houses on the way to the Mount if you hike from the town centre and it is one of the first places people go to in Guildford.
St. Catherine’s Chapel 
St. Catherine’s Lock
During our spring break, we decided to go on a small little walk to the St. Catherine’s chapel and lock. It is situated about half a mile south of Guildford in St. Catherine’s village. It was a nice sunny day, and we were mesmerized to see the color of the sky, the river and the greenery around it. I am putting up some pictures here although it does not give justice to the beauty of the place. If you visit the place on a holiday or over the weekend, you will also see many people cycling on the riverside, having a picnic or taking a dip in the river. The ruined chapel is on the top of the St. Catherine’s hill and the first thing you see when you take a turn towards the village from the highway.
The Mount 
Pewley Down 
The summer break was a bit hectic time for most of us because of the dissertation deadlines. To take a break and chill for some time, a friend of mine and I decided to cycle to the Pewley Down which is a huge nature reserve on the outskirts of Guildford, at the back of the town centre. This chalk grassland site has a lot of different species of flowering plants, butterflies and a lot of insects (BEWARE!). The way to this Pewley Down is steep and we were so tired by the time we reached the top, but all those efforts were worth it all. Putting up some pictures here for you all!
Stoke Park 
Look at the rainbow… 
You know there is a massive award-winning park in the town, Stoke Park. It is next to the Guildford College accommodation. It is sooo big that I have never been able to cover it completely. However, that is the place where I saw my first rainbow in the UK; Special Place! The Park has a bit of a Japanese touch. There is a skating ring, playground, paddling pool, mini golf, fitness trail, boating pond and most of these are free of cost to use. What else does a student want Afterall! 😉 Maybe visit this place on the day you feel like going for a walk to a new place!
High Street!
Guildford is famous for its historic cobbled High Street and retail facilities. It is highly picturesque, and it has been seven months in the town, I have never got bored or tired of capturing it. Hope you get the same feeling when you arrive here. 😊
