To follow on from my previous list, I hope this gives you an idea or two of some things you can get up to this summer.
Guildford Castle
You can head in to see a model depicting the building in its heyday as a royal palace at the turn of the 14th century, and go to the top of the Great Tower for a complete panorama of Guildford and the Surrey countryside. The gardens around the keep have very colourful flowerbeds and a statue of Alice Through the Looking Glass, a memorial to the author Lewis Carroll who lived in Guildford for 30 years.
Stoke Park
This generous park a little way from London Road station wins the Green Flag award every year. There’s a paddling pool, 18-hole mini golf course and skate park. There’s a paddling pool, 18-hole mini golf course and skate park. Much of Stoke Park is rolling grassland, serving as the site for the Surrey County Show on the bank holiday at the end of May, when you can check out arts and crafts, inspect award-winning livestock, sample food and watch equestrian shows.
Unplug + Play Boardgame Cafe
They have over 600 board games for you to enjoy. They make a fantastic cup of coffee, and the cakes and brownies are simply to die for. They have a team of Board Game Hosts, ready to not only recommend you something new and exciting to experience, but to set it up, teach you the rules, and help you get to grips with it. Everyone finds themselves in very different circumstances, so they’ve now opened up our board games collection for people to take away and enjoy at home. Whether you’ve got a family games night, or if you’re a couple who want something new to do together, or even a single person in lockdown isolation, they’ve got games and a rental package to suit you.
The Boileroom
This little music venue has been around a lot longer than some people realise and has played a bigger part in the music industry than some realise. The team are committed to bringing some of the most diverse and talented artists across all genres of contemporary music; with the driving principle to create an inclusive space for all walks of life to enjoy the culture of live music. Over the years they’ve had artists like Ed Sheeran, Foals, The Bronx, First Aid Kit, Lucy Rose, Wolf Alice, Sugarhill Gang, Lee Scratch Perry, You Me At Six, Bastille, The 1975, David ‘Ram Jam’ Rodigan OBE, Declan McKenna, Tony Christie; and The Amazons to name a few. They also host other community based events such as a gamer’s lounge, comedy nights, drink & draw, and they even hosted a few festivals.
Watts Gallery
This Arts and Crafts gallery was purpose built for the Symbolist artist and sculptor George Frederic Watts, and opened just before he passed away in 1904. It is one of only a handful of galleries in the UK devoted to a single artist, and contains more than 100 of his paintings, spanning 70 years.
Dapdune Warf
In the middle of the 17th century the River Wey was made navigable, linking it to the Thames at Weybridge, some 15 miles to the north. The 20-mile Wey and Godalming Navigations remain open to pleasure boaters, and if you’re on foot, the towpath weaves through the green Surrey countryside. Every half-hour a boat sets off from Dapdune Wharf for a 40-minute trip, with a volunteer recounting the history of the waterways and area. If that’s not your cup of tea you can also book canoes and kayaks for your own little pleasure ride.
There is so much to do in Guildford that this list doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface, but I hope it gives you an idea as to the options available for you, your friends, and everyone who’ve you’ve missing hanging out with lately.
