Guide to Guildford

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This page serves as a guide to Guildford - for buyers or investors looking to buy new properties here.

Guildford is the county town of Surrey and, as well as being a great place to settle in its own right, is very well located for numerous other towns, cities and the capital.

London is accessed via the A3, with other towns also within easy reach including Portsmouth (A3), Godalming (A3100), Horsham (A281) and Leatherhead (A246). Guildford has excellent rail links to Central London and Portsmouth, including a non-stop service to London. Trains from Guildford terminate at Waterloo Station. From London Waterloo you can get a link to the Eurostar service, which provides direct rail access to the European mainland.

Both Heathrow and Gatwick airports are within reasonably short drives via the M25 ­ Heathrow along the M4 and, slightly further away, Gatwick along the M23.

At the 2001 Census, Guildford was recorded as having a population of 129,701 ­ around 5,000 being in the centre - with a predicted increase of almost 10% by 2016. An additional statistic of great interest to those house hunting in this area is that between 2000 and 2004 the average house price in Guildford borough rose by a staggering 48%.

The town centre offers a great range of shops, from interesting independent boutiques to some of the big names including French Connection, Space NK and House of Fraser. Its closest competitors are cited as being Kingston and London¹s West End, with Guildford¹s reputation for safety far surpassing its rivals.

Guildford¹s leisure facilities are fantastic whatever your interests ­ the arts are showcased at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre and The Electric Theatre and Guildford even has its own philharmonic orchestra and Music Festival. Good sporting facilities are available at the incredible Spectrum ­ offering everything for ice skating to ten pin bowling ­ the Lido and Ash Manor.

Restaurants and bars are plentiful with everything from brand name eateries including Café Med, Café de Paris, Ha Ha Bar and Pizza Express to high quality independent restaurants and cafes.

Guildford¹s beautiful castle was renovated in 2003 and is now open to ­ and welcoming of ­ visitors. This and the imposing cathedral on Stag Hill are well known sites, and add to Guildford¹s popularity ­ as does its famous university, well respected across the UK. The river, near Metro, allows ample opportunity for walks into the lovely North Downs countryside.

The metro Development is a little way up Walnut Tree close, near to other attractive modern apartments and funky office blocks. With a very short walk of the station, Metro also offers convenient walking access to the town centre and its facilities.

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