Guildford Guildhall

17th-century guildhall with the High Street's gilded clock

The half-timbered Guildhall on the High Street is the visual signature of central Guildford — a 1683 frontage tacked onto an older medieval town hall, with the famous gilt clock projecting horizontally over the cobbles. The clock is the clearest single image of the town.

The interior, when open for guided tours, contains the council chamber with its original Jacobean panelling and a small collection of corporation regalia. Best photographed in late-afternoon sun when the gilt catches.

things to do sight
A story
The famous gilded clock projecting over the High Street was installed in 1683, paid for by a clockmaker named John Aylward who hoped to obtain freedom of the town by the gift. It worked: the corporation granted him his freedom and the clock has hung over the High Street ever since.