Last Post for Gate Post at Castle Grounds Entrance

Published on: 29 Jun, 2026
Updated on: 29 Jun, 2026

The smashed gate post. All photos: Ben Darnton

By Daisy Edwards

Guildford Castle has suffered little in the way of attacks in nine centuries but last Thursday (June 25) a council vehicle caused the most significant physical damage in living memory.

The owner of Ben’s Records, Ben Darnton, witnessed a Guildford Borough Council van crash into one of the old gate columns outside Guildford Castle, opposite the war memorial, leaving it completely destroyed.

Speaking to The Guildford Dragon, Darnton, described what happened while he was enjoying a coffee with friends: “Suddenly, we heard this almighty crash. The passenger side of the truck could have clipped the gate that hangs on the old brick pillar, and then he reversed back to try and correct his error, but that made it even worse, pulling the gate off.”

“In the end, he was neither out nor in, but he just had to drive over the mortar and bricks and rubble that was on the floor and took the whole thing down with him.”

The council lorry in the grounds before the driver got out to inspect the damage.

Luckily it seems nobody was injured in the process. “Fortunately, there was no one there. Had there been someone at the March Hare or walking past the entrance, they could’ve been injured,” Darnton said.

The rubble and the gate was quickly cleared and Darnton noted how quickly the council called for back up. “Within five minutes, the repairs and maintenance team were out and within half an hour the worst of it was cleared up.”

The entrance cleared, the clear up begins.

Guildford Castle was constructed a little after the 1066 Norman Conquest. Under the Plantagenets it grew into a Royal Palace occupied, periodically, by various Kings of England who often hunted in Windsor Great Park, the southern boundaries of which once extended to Guildford.

The Castle Grounds, as we know them today, weren’t created until Victorian times. Guildford Corporation purchased the grounds for £4,490 in 1885 and under borough surveyor Henry Peak, who resisted a proposal to demolish the castle and erect the bandstand in its place, the grounds were laid out.

Darnton explained: “The gate hangs on an old brick pillar that dates back to about 1888, from when the castle grounds were walled. It’s going to take some time before it’s repaired because it was a nice bit of Bargate stone.”

Currently, the gate has been blocked off with barriers, requiring visitors to enter other entrances.

The column pre-destruction

A spokesperson for Guildford Borough Council said: “We are aware of an accident in which a council vehicle damaged one of the brick entrance pillars at the Castle Grounds. We can confirm that no one was hurt.

“Our immediate priority is to make the area safe, and temporary fencing is in place while we assess the extent of the damage. The entrance is currently fully closed, and signage is being put in place to direct visitors to alternative entrances and exits. This may affect access in the short-term, including for wheelchair users, and we are reviewing what access can be safely maintained.

“We know this is a well-valued heritage feature and any repairs will be carried out sensitively and in keeping with the character of the site. We expect initial assessments to be completed within the next few days, with repair work to follow as soon as possible.”

Locals had their thoughts on the matter, weighing in on local Facebook groups with one person saying: “Let’s hope it’s rebuilt as per the original by a proper craftsman, not a council brickie!” and another saying: “Oh no, this is awful, what a headache for the gardeners.”