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Dragon Interview: Why “The Friary”? Matthew Alexander Explains

Published on: 16 Sep, 2022
Updated on: 20 Sep, 2022

A model of The Friary as it would have been before the dissolution in the 16th Century.

Thousands use the Friary Shopping Centre every week. Before it was built, the Friary Meux brewery was located at the site and now a proposal has been made for a new Friary Quarter to be built nearby. 

But why is the name “Friary” associated with this area of Guildford?

After the original Friary was demolished the Earl of Annandale built a new house called The Friary, of chalk with squares of flint.

In the interview below, Matthew Alexander, former curator of Guildford Museum, gives a concise account of the history. For those who would like to learn more of Guildford’s saga, Matthew will soon commencing his Guildford History course at the museum. Please see: Matthew Alexander’s Local History Course Commences Soon.

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Responses to Dragon Interview: Why “The Friary”? Matthew Alexander Explains

  1. Aubrey Leahy Reply

    September 17, 2022 at 4:59 pm

    Interesting. I believe that something of the Friary remains in Guildford to this day, a stained glass window in the Abbots Hospital chapel.

    As a piece of totally useless information, when it was swallowed up by Allied Breweries the official letterhead of the Friary Brewery contained the names of 42 other smaller breweries that it had taken over.

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