landmark
Dunsfold Aerodrome (Top Gear Test Track)
The famous airfield test track used by BBC Top Gear for its power laps and celebrity challenges.
14 km · about 25 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomEngland
Guildford
England, United Kingdom · Europe
About Guildford
Guildford works well as a base: 5 minutes from Chilworth, 16km from Leith Hill.
Guildford is in England, United Kingdom, with about 72,000 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Chilworth, about 4 km away.
Guildford ( ) is a town in west Surrey, England, around 27 mi (43 km) southwest of central London. As of the 2011 census, the town had a population of about 77,000; it is the seat of the wider Borough of Guildford, which had around 152,148 inhabitants in 2025. Its name is thought to derive from a crossing of the RiverRead more
Wey, a tributary of the River Thames, that flows through the town centre.
The earliest evidence of human activity in the area is from the Mesolithic and Guildford is mentioned in the will of Alfred the Great from c. 880. The exact location of the main Anglo-Saxon settlement is unclear and the current site of the modern town centre may not have been occupied until the early 11th century. Following the Norman Conquest, a motte-and-bailey castle was constructed; which was developed into a royal residence by Henry III. During the late Middle Ages, Guildford prospered as a result of the wool trade and the town was granted a charter of incorporation by Henry VII in 1488.
The River Wey Navigation between Guildford and the Thames was opened in 1653, facilitating the transport of produce, building materials and manufactured items to new markets in London. The arrival of the railways in the 1840s attracted further investment and the town began to grow with the construction of its first new suburb at Charlotteville in the 1860s. The town became the centre of a new Anglican diocese in 1927 and the foundation stone of the cathedral was laid in 1936. Guildford became a university town in September 1966, when the University of Surrey was established by Royal Charter.
Guildford is surrounded on three sides by the Surrey Hills National Landscape, which severely limits its potential for expansion to the east, west and south. Recent development has been focused to the north of the town in the direction of Woking. Guildford now officially forms the southwestern tip of the Greater London Built-up Area, as defined by the Office for National Statistics.
Where to Stay in Guildford
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Guildford?
Within an hour or so of Guildford: Dunsfold Aerodrome (Top Gear Test Track) (14 km), Brooklands (14 km), Hankley Common, Surrey (Skyfall Lodge site) (14 km), Brooklands Museum (15 km).
Are there any good drives near Guildford?
The nearest famous roads are Crystal Palace Circuit, Goodwood Festival of Speed and Rhinefield Ornamental Drive.
Where is Guildford?
Guildford is in England, United Kingdom, about 4 km from Chilworth.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 71,873
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- England
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 51.2354, -0.5743
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Guildford
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
racetrack
Brooklands
The world's first purpose-built motor racing circuit, opened 1907, where surviving sections of the towering concrete Members' Banking rear up out of the Surrey woodland. The museum holds racing cars and aircraft on the original site.
14 km · about 25 min drive
film location
Hankley Common, Surrey (Skyfall Lodge site)
The Skyfall Lodge exterior was built and burned on this MoD heath in Surrey; the location is walkable, though only the ground remains.
14 km · about 25 min drive
museum
Brooklands Museum
The birthplace of British motorsport and aviation, featuring the world's first purpose-built motor racing circuit from 1907.
15 km · about 30 min drive
film location
Bourne Wood, Surrey (Gladiator opening battle)
The Forestry England woodland near Farnham is where Gladiator's Germania battle was shot, and later Robin Hood, Thor and the Harry Potter finale.
15 km · about 25 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Leith Hill
The highest point in south-east England at 294 m, its 18th-century tower taking visitors just above the 1,000-foot mark.
16 km · about 30 min drive
cafe
David's Cafe at Box Hill
A popular roadside cafe at the base of the Box Hill zig-zag road, serving as the unofficial meeting point for the Surrey biker community.
17 km · about 20 min drive
cafe
Rykas Cafe
Iconic biker and cyclist cafe at the foot of Box Hill in Surrey, a must-stop gathering point on one of England's most famous riding roads.
18 km · about 20 min drive
Driving roads near Guildford
- 16 kmLeith HillThe highest point in south-east England at 294 m, its 18th-century tower taking visitors just above the 1,000-foot mark.
- 18 kmBox HillA steep chalk escarpment above the Mole valley, the Zig Zag Road on its flank made famous by the 2012 Olympic road race.
- 41 kmCrystal Palace CircuitA parkland racing circuit in south London that ran until 1972 and still hosts occasional sprint events. Sections of the old track survive as park roads and footpaths, complete with original kerbing among the Victorian terraces.
- 42 kmGoodwood Festival of SpeedThe hillclimb course on the Goodwood estate driveway where Formula One cars, prewar Grand Prix machinery and rally legends run flat out past a country house each summer. The 1.16-mile course is estate road year-round.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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