Guildford Snippets No 24 

Published on: 9 Jun, 2019
Updated on: 9 Jun, 2019

By Nick Bale Guildford Town Guides

The face of Guildford streets is constantly evolving, but some of the most significant changes took place in the 1950s and 60s. It is not easy to remember how things were before.

Co-operative Corner in Guildford as it looked.

Have a look at the picture of the Co-operative Corner from the 1950s. I have a two part question for you to think about:

1. What is on this corner today?
2. What was on this corner before the Guildford Co-operative Society took over the premises?

 As a clue, you will see that the Co-operative has a distinctive bevel corner. This shape characterised both the previous building and the current one.

For those interested in the answer to Snippet No. 23, the Royal Oak pub is probably named after the tree which Charles II allegedly hid in one while escaping his pursuers in 1651, as illustrated in the sign outside. However, Aubrey Leahy and John Perkins wrote in their comments about other less well-known origins of this as a pub name. I am very pleased that they shared their knowledge with us. 

If you have questions or wonder what the town was like in the past, come and join one of our free guided walks. Over the next few weeks, you have a choice of several themed walks: Hidden Guildford, Alan Turing, Fakes and Originals, Pubs and Inns, the Made in Guildford as well as several Guildford Story walks.

Information on our programme is available from the Guildford Tourist Information Centre or at www.guildfordwalks.org.uk. 

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