Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
of the grounds. The result is a stirring 1930s' architectural masterpiece, with an inte-
rior of grand simplicity.
Stag Hill.
&
01483/547860.
www.guildford-cathedral.org. Free admission; guided tours £3. Open
daily.
Loseley House
HISTORIC SITE The Loseley estate has been in the same
family since the early 16th century, and they had this gorgeous Elizabethan mansion
built in the 1560s. It's been visited by Queen Elizabeth I, James I (the Drawing Room
has a gilded ceiling created especially for his visit), and Queen Mary. It's full of works
of art that include paneling from Henry VIII's Nonsuch Palace and a unique carved
chalk chimney piece. There is a superb walled garden, divided into flowers, herbs, and
roses, the latter featuring more than 1,000 historic bushes. The Courtyard Tearoom,
in the old kitchen and scullery, serves cakes from its own bakery, as well as lunches.
Loseley Park (2
1
⁄
2
miles southwest of Guildford).
&
01483/304440.
www.loseley-park.com. Admission
to house and gardens £8 adults, £7 students and seniors, £4 children 5-15; gardens only £4.50 adults,
£4 students and seniors, £2.25 children. House May-Aug Tues-Thurs and Sun 1-5pm; gardens May-Sept
Tues-Sun 11am-5pm.
RHS Garden Wisley
GARDEN Possibly Britain's most important garden
and the home of the Royal Horticulture Society. It's actually a whole world of gardens,
from the herbaceous borders that line Battleston Hill to the wild, rhododendron
woods at the summit; from the clipped show gardens to the wildflower heaven, which
rolls down to the little stream. This isn't just a pretty garden, it's a scientific project,
where seeds and plants are in trials so at the right time you might find a profusion of
runner beans or chrysanthemums down in the trial beds. It is a good place to spend
the day—and not just for garden-lovers and families with tots who run around the
landscaped grassland and through the trees. The huge Glasshouse, on a man-made
lake, opened in 2007 and displays delicate plants from several climatic zones in a
theme park-like faux rock setting. In the early part of each year it's also turned into a
butterfly house. Wherever you walk, and no matter what season, you'll find something
different. There's also the good Conservatory cafe and restaurant, and various coffee
bars, but it's a joy to bring a picnic and sit under the towering trees outside the gate.
Large plant and gift shops mean there's no shortage of souvenirs.
Wisley (just off the M25, junction 10, on the A3 London-Portsmouth Rd.).
&
01483/224234.
www.rhs.
org.uk. Admission £9.90 adults, £3.60 children 6-16, free for children 5 and under. Mar-Oct Mon-Fri
10am-6pm, Sat-Sun 9am-6pm; Nov-Feb Mon-Fri 10am-4:30pm, Sat-Sun 9am-4:30pm (last admis-
sion 1 hr. before closing).
Entertainment & Nightlife
The
White House,
8 High St. (
&
01483/302006
), is a riverside pub with a con-
servatory overlooking a lovely waterside garden. It is a great place to wind down on a
summer's evening.
The Electric Theatre,
Onslow Street (
&
01483/444789;
www.visitguildford.com), is a modern riverside venue that features music, drama,
film, and other shows.
The Boiler Room,
13 Stokefields (
&
01483/440022;
www.theboilerroom.net), is a hip live music venue featuring emerging acts (Sun-
Thurs 7pm-midnight, Fri-Sat to 1am; tickets £4-£7).
In mid-July Guildford's Stoke Park is home to
Guilfest
(
&
0871/230-1106;
www.guilfest.co.uk), one of the country's most relaxed music festivals. From Friday
evening to Sunday a vast collection of acts, from modern-day stars such as James
Blunt to the likes of 70s' space rockers Hawkwind play on seven stages in an atmo-
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