The name Guildford likely derives from "golden ford," a crossing point on the River Wey where marigolds or sandy soil marked the bank. Archaeological evidence suggests settlement here from at least the Saxon period, and by the time of the Domesday Book in 1086 it was already a significant town with a royal mint. The castle was built soon after the Norman Conquest, with the great tower added around 1130 using Bargate stone quarried locally. Henry III was particularly fond of Guildford and spent considerable sums on a palace within the castle grounds, adding a great hall, private chambers, and gardens. The castle remained a royal residence into the 14th century before falling into decline.
The medieval town prospered through the wool trade, and the wealth of the cloth merchants built many of the buildings that still line the steep High Street. The Guildhall, with its famous projecting clock that has hung over the street since 1683, remains the most photographed building in Guildford. Archbishop George Abbot, born in Guildford in 1562, founded his Hospital on the High Street in 1619 as an almshouse for elderly residents. It still operates today, and its red brick Tudor facade is one of the finest in the county. The Angel Hotel, a coaching inn on the High Street, hosted visits from Lord Nelson and Jane Austen's mother.
Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson) had a family home at The Chestnuts on Castle Hill, and he spent many of his later years here. He died in the house in 1898 and is buried at the Mount Cemetery. The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, opened in 1965 on the banks of the Wey, was named after the French actress who lived in the town. Guildford Cathedral, designed by Sir Edward Maufe in a stripped-down Gothic style, was built between 1936 and 1961 on Stag Hill. It was one of only two Anglican cathedrals built on an entirely new site in England during the 20th century, and its clean brick lines are visible from miles around. The University of Surrey moved to its campus on the adjacent hillside in 1966, and the Electric Theatre opened in the old electricity works by the river in 1997.
