A historic market town south-west of London, Guildford is both ideal for the capital and represents an attractive proposition for business and serviced apartment living.
Guildford is the county town of Surrey, belonging to the Borough of Guildford. The town has a population of around 80,000, half the borough’s total population and the second largest of Surrey’s eleven districts. The town also has an abundance of nature and green spaces. The likes of Stoke Park, Chantry Wood and the intersecting River Wey contribute to making the town one of the more pleasant locations to visit in southern England. Lying twenty-seven miles southwest of London, on the A3 linking the capital with Portsmouth and the south coast, Guildford is also ideally located as a centre for business. Guildford corporate accommodation gives business travellers the perfect base from which to enjoy this historic town.
Guildford was first recognised as a Saxon settlement shortly after Roman authority no longer existed. Its name supposedly comes from the Saxon phrase meaning ‘ford of the golden flowers’, probably because of the golden flowers that grew on the riverside. One of the most significant discoveries to come out of Guildford is the twelfth-century synagogue. Historians believe it is the oldest to still remain in Western Europe.
The town was also in the news in 1974, but for the wrong reasons. Bombs went off in two pubs, leading to the arrest of the famous ‘Guildford Four’. However, they were then released fourteen years later after evidence of police corruption led to their wrongful incarceration. Conveniently, our Guildford aparthotels are located close to the town’s main museum, so guests can learn for themselves more about the area’s history.
Implementing economic strategy has been at the forefront of plans for Guildford. Strategies are clear in their aims to ensure Guildford remains a top-performing economy. Maintaining strong infrastructure, world-class businesses means the town is well placed to meet upcoming challenges and opportunities in the future. Staying in Guildford extended stay apartments grants guests the opportunity to see how this town is progressing to create a sustainable environment for people today. The hope is that future generations will also benefit from living in an ever-improving society.
One way of doing this is to improve the town’s infrastructure. It is understood that Guildford’s potential to grow economically is reliant on transportation links and infrastructural quality. In response, proposals include increasing company internet speeds, introducing a business only park and ride and improving cycle routes.
As well as making changes to benefit the internal population, the county’s council also recognises the need to make innovative changes to attract the attention of external businesses and tourists. Housing tourists in more available Guildford temporary housing as well as promoting the town’s best attractions is important for maintaining the town’s tourism industry.
Building on the status of the ‘most competitive centre in the UK outside London’, defined by the UK competitive index in 2009, has been a focal point of recent progression too. This involves attracting foreign direct investment where possible. This is particularly important for some of the town’s key growth sectors, such as IT, pharmaceuticals and electronics. The council also recognises the importance of encouraging new start-up businesses into the area. This is accompanied by the hope to persuade current prominent companies to remain in the town for the long term.
Even those staying in Guildford short term accommodation, outside of business hours or with a few hours to spare, should make the most of some of the town’s fantastic attractions. One of the most popular buildings in the area is Guildford Castle. The castle is intriguing as there is virtually no documentation to explain the castle's origins. Many believe it was part of William the Conqueror’s ambition to construct castles in England’s most important towns. If this is true, visitors to the castle can enjoy an insight into the Norman period of occupation in Guildford.
Constructed much later in history, but just as popular amongst the locals is Guildford Cathedral. The story of the building’s completion since construction began in 1936 is inspiring. Following setbacks in its construction due to the impacts of World War Two, the public rallied round to support the ‘Buy a Brick’ fundraising campaign. This enabled the cathedral’s eventual completion for the public as ‘their Cathedral’. Perhaps Surrey’s most recognised building is the Guildhall. It is certainly the most iconic building on Guildford’s High Street. It marks the place where the Mayor and Corporation of Guildford met to regulate the commerce of Borough and where various Courts of Law sat in judgement. Some of our Guildford furnished housing and short lets are just around the corner from the Guildhall. It is hard to miss too, with its most recognisable feature being the magnificent bracket clock created in 1683.
For an overall summary of the town’s history and its most important buildings, it is worth visiting the Guildford Museum. The museum has grown and adapted significantly since the museum was constructed in 1898. Nowadays, it consists of four main buildings and various smaller additions. The staff look after over 100,000 objects relating to archaeological, social, art and national history. On the whole, it is evident that wherever you go here in Guildford there is something interesting to see. Situ’s ideally located Guildford serviced apartments provide a flexible and secure environment, enabling our customers to make the most of their time in Surrey’s county town.
There are two railway stations in the town, London Road and Guildford station.
The main station is Guildford Railway Station, which serves the main line between London Waterloo and Portsmouth. It also provides links to surrounding areas such as Ascot, Reading, Epsom and Gatwick Airport. Cross Country trains also provide inter-city links to Birmingham and Newcastle.
North East of Guildford’s town centre is London Road Station, which provides services to London Waterloo and London Bridge.
There are several different bus operators in the area, including Arriva, Countryliner, Safeguard and Stage Coach.
The bus station is attached to the Friary Shopping Centre. Frequent services run to local destinations including Woking and Aldershot. National Express operates inter-city services between London Victoria and Bournemouth.
Heathrow and Gatwick are the closest airports to Guildford, both around fifteen miles or a forty-five minutes’ drive away.
Both these airports are also accessible from Guildford via train and bus services. National Express run regular coaches to both, and the journeys take approximately 30 minutes.
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