Tour of Guildford
The Cathedral
The University
In 1927 the first Bishop of Guildford was appointed at the
Holy Trinity Church in town.
The Earl of Onslow donated the site for the cathedral on top of Stag Hill and there was a
competition for the design of the building. Sir Edward Maufe's design was accepted
in 1932. It is cross-shaped (as viewed from above): 365' long (112.3m),
40' wide (12.3m), 70' high (21.5m), with the tower 160' high (48.8m).
Construction started in 1933 with several hundred piles being driven in to the clay to support the foundations. The Archbishop of Canterbury laid the foundation stone in 1936 and building commenced using bricks made from the clay of Stag Hill itself.
Work stopped during the war. The crypt was used to store the town treasures. The work recommenced in 1955, but a shortage of money hindered it. One way money was raised was through people buying bricks and signing them to help pay for the building: 2/6d per brick (12.5p). The building was finished and consecrated in the presence of the Queen on the 17th May 1961.
It is a popular misconception that a place in the United Kingdom which has a cathedral is automatically a city. Only a royal charter can make an official city. Guildford applied for city status unsuccessfully in 2002 and remains a borough.
- Guildford cathedral's official website
- Guildford cathedral panorama pictures
- Pounds, shillings and pence.
- UOS Snaps - photos of the University and Guildford from the 1970s
- Information about UK cities
- About Guildford's application for city status