Guildford Guildhall

The Guildhall is a 16th century building of great historic interest. It was formerly a courtroom and council chamber. It is still a thriving part of the local community. The ground floor is of Tudor origin. It has beautifully preserved panelling. The guildhall houses the civic plate and many rare items. The front of the building is dominated by a magnificent and iconic bracket clock made in 1683.

The Guildhall is used for civic functions and is also available to hire.

Guildhall address is:

131 High Street
Guildford
Surrey
GU1 3AA

Coffee Time Talks programme

Our monthly programme of Coffee Time Talks take place in the Guildhall and cover a range of topics from local speakers.

Date: The first Thursday of the month (all events are listed below)

Time: 10.30am for coffee, 11am for the talk (for up to one hour)

Price: Free, suggested donation £2 per person

Pre-booking required: email heritageservices@guildford.gov.uk or phone 01483 444751 to book. 

Who was Ann Elizabeth Epitaux? How a Victorian girl's needlework sampler inspired the search for her life story

In 1853, nine-year-old Ann embroidered a sampler that inspired a year-long investigation by Woking's u3a Genealogy Group. Born to a Swiss-Welsh family involved in London's restaurant scene, her father was a pioneer of London ice cream. They uncovered connections to elite society and the D'Oyly Carte Opera. Ann's story revealed dramatic contrasts: luxury and hardship, triumph and tragedy. Sally Gardiner will tell us more.

Date: Thursday 6 November.

Chilworth Gunpowder Mills

Colin Rumary talks about the history of the gunpowder mills in Chilworth, which started in 1626, and continued until 1920 when the works closed, but continued as a private residential estate until 1963.

Date: Thursday 4 December