Final Phase of Renovations Completed at Historic Guildford House

Published on: 28 Mar, 2025
Updated on: 30 Mar, 2025

Guildford House in the High Street.

Guildford Borough Council has just completed a four-year programme of external repairs and redecorations to the iconic Guildford House on the High Street.

The Grade I listed building is home to Guildford House Gallery, a gift shop and the Tourist Information Centre.

Dating back to 1660, it was built for John Childe, a successful lawyer who served as the Mayor of Guildford on three occasions.

The works were carried out to restore the building to its former glory and help to preserve it for future generations.

Repair and restoration work began in 2021, including:

Stripping damaged mathematical tiles from the upper section and retiling with custom made replacements
Repairing and/or replacing rotten sections of timber and rotten window sills
Stripping paint from the decorative carved wood window aprons, revealing the original intricate details underneath
Redecoration of the rear courtyard elevations

The redecoration of the front street elevation began last summer and was completed this month, marking the final phase of the restoration project.

Cllr Richard Lucas, Lead Councillor for Finance and Property, said: “It is brilliant to see the renovation work on Guildford House has now been completed. Our teams have worked hard over the past four years to carry out vital repairs and restorations to this historic building.

Cllr Richard Lucas

“The results are fantastic and I’m very proud of the work our teams have done. Not only have original features been brought back to life, but key structural repairs have also been made, which means that the building can continue to be enjoyed by visitors for years to come.”

Guildford House is timber framed, clad to the front in painted timber and to the rear with mathematical tiles that resemble brickwork, as well as vertically hung plain tiles.

In 2021, it was noted that the rear gable had developed bulging below the second-floor attic windows and that it was progressively getting worse.

Water was able to enter below the windows which was causing the tiling to bulge outwards. This posed a risk of collapse onto the courtyard below that is used by the Gallery Café and the site was quickly secured while investigatory work was carried out.

Restoration and repair work then began in 2021.