Guildford Plans Three-Day Celebration In a Festival of History And Culture

Published on: 23 Jun, 2025
Updated on: 24 Jun, 2025

Venues and groups across Guildford borough are being invited to take part in a national celebration of heritage and culture this autumn.

Heritage Open Days, run by the National Trust, will take place in September. Guildford will celebrate with a programme of events from Friday, September 12, to Sunday, September 14, and new venues and groups are being encouraged to get involved.

Guildford borough councillor Tom Hunt, Deputy Leader and Lead Councillor for Economy and Place, said: “Heritage Open Days is England’s largest community led festival of history and culture. The celebration will bring together local organisations and volunteers to showcase the inclusive culture and historic beauty of our borough.

Cllr Tom Hunt

“Sign up now to secure your place in this year’s festival, attract new visitors to your venue or event, and join the amazing network of Heritage Open Day organisers across the country.”

The theme of Heritage Open Days 2025 is architecture.

The council says “Your venue or event doesn’t need to be big or fancy, or boast famous connections, it just needs to meet certain conditions.”

These are:

Admission from entrance to exit must be free of charge.
You must offer something special – you could feature a venue that isn’t usually open to the public, launch a new event or online activity, offer free entry when you usually charge, or work with others to celebrate local art, music, culture or history.

The venue or event can be anywhere in the Guildford borough, and doesn’t have to be open for the full weekend.

Anyone signing up to take part in Heritage Open Days will also benefit from:

A social media training session
A “getting good press” webinar
Inclusion in event promotional materials, listings and online information.

Guildford’s Heritage Open Days programme already includes:

Vintage bus rides to events around the borough
Heritage vehicles and Victorian strollers in the town centre
Re-enactments in the Castle Grounds
Events and activities in the Council’s heritage attractions
Entertainment and music from local groups including Guildford Jazz
An event to mark 180 years of the Railway in Guildford
Guided tours
The opening of buildings that are usually closed to the public, including the Royal Grammar School and Abbot’s Hospital
A children’s trail of events around the town

To find out more, or to register your venue or event, visit the Heritage Open Days website. Registration will close on Thursday, August 14.