The best city hikes and walks around Guildford

Nice quick shortcut into town. Some big steps though

Part of the huge Stoke Park grounds, the garden is a favourite spot! With several ponds, a children's paddling pool, an ice cream parlour, bridges and generally wonderful plants, it is sure to delight the hearts of all! The garden is closed (fenced) after sunset

Very friendly Anglican parish church that warmly welcomes visitors. No one needs to be shy here 😉 The church itself is pretty and the cemetery is an oasis of calm in the hustle and bustle of the street around it

The whole park is a dream and has great bike paths (separated from pedestrians) If you like, you can park your bikes for a while and look at the garden. Very worthwhile, but only on foot. The café is very small and more of an ice cream stand 😉

The lakes are just as beautiful as the pleasant wooden path through the marshland. It's very quiet here, although you can hear the noise of the nearby highway. Nevertheless, you can find and enjoy the silence here - we were thrilled by this little paradise!

look out for the famous clock, The Guildford Guildhall Historic Clock, which projects over the High Street from the Guildhall, and which has regularly appeared on television.

This wonderful Jacobean building was founded in 1619 by George Abbot who was Archbishop of Canterbury. Abbot’s Hospital is an almshouse situated at the top of Guildford High Street opposite Holy Trinity Church where George Abbot is buried. The building has become a landmark throughout the centuries and is well worth a visit! Abbot’s Hospital was George Abbot’s gift to the place of his birth. For over 400 years it has provided homes to local residents aged over 60 who are of modest means and of good character. At the time of writing there is accommodation for 27 residents. When the front doors are open passersby can view the fine courtyard inside. There are also regular tours of the ‘Hospital’ to learn about its fascinating history, fine architecture and well-kept grounds (please see https://www.abbotshospital.org/visits-tours/ for timings).

The acclaimed view looking down Guildford’s sloping High Street typifies the city’s rich historical and natural heritage. This iconic sight is only 200 m from Guildford Castle and is well worth seeing during a nearby hiking, cycling or running tour. The ‘view’ encompasses historic buildings, a pedestrianised street of granite setts that slopes down to the Town Bridge over the River Wey, and the green and steep Mount hill on the North Downs which the historic Pilgrims Way drovers’ road between Guildford and Winchester used to wind its way over. The historic buildings on Guildford’s sloping High Street include the Guildhall constructed about 1550, the Guildhall clock and balcony that overhang the street and date from 1683, the Abbot’s Hospital founded in 1619 and still in use today, and the Angel Gate and Livery Stables building part of which dates from the 1300s. Should you have time, you may wish to also see some of the historic side alleys that join the High Street.