HOW IT RATES

Guildford boasts a top ten slot for both desirable places to live and shopping centres. The county town of Surrey can be traced back to Saxon times, becoming a prosperous wool and cloth town by the Middle Ages. A stopping-off point for travellers on the Pilgrims’ Way and later stagecoaches between London and Portsmouth, nowadays it is the quintessential wealthy middle-class town.

ARCHITECTURAL GEMS

The Castle Keep is all that is left of Guildford Castle, built by the Normans in the 12th century. Abbot’s Hospital almshouse, founded in 1619, is worth a visit, where it is rumoured the headless ghost of the Duke of Monmouth wanders the halls. The cathedral, designed by Sir Edward Maufe and consecrated in 1961, dominates the town from the top of Stag Hill – it was popularised when scenes in the classic horror film

WHAT’S NEW

A small development in the village of Shere, just outside Guildford. Forrest Place has eight three and four-bedroom houses with parking. Prices from £610,000 to £625,000 through Savills, 01483 796806.

QUALITY OF LIFE

First class. A fine town centre with fantastic shops, a vibrant nightlife and plenty of culture. A short drive brings you to the Surrey Hills, an Area of Outstanding Beauty, and closer to town is the mighty Stoke Park, where GuilFest is held yearly – it won the Best Family Festival award last year. All in all, little wonder that the average life expectancy is 80.6 years.

TRAVEL

The main railway station serves the line from London Waterloo to Portsmouth. Trains to London take half an hour. There are also lines to Reading, Gatwick Airport and London Bridge. The A3 links Guildford with London, Portsmouth and the M25.

POPULATION

In the 2001 Census, the population was 130,717 and was relatively young, the average age being 38.5 years; 30 per cent of the population fall within the 25-44 age group.

SMARTEST STREETS

White Lane and Longdown Road are the premier locations, about a mile from town. They lie on the spine of the chalk ridge, with great views of Pewley Down. Longdown, being a cul-de-sac, just comes out on top, but both have five-bedroom houses from £2 million to £4 million.

BEST RESTAURANTS

Oodles to choose from. Thai Terrace has a great rooftop setting with stunning food and views. Dolce Vita is a busy tapas bar and restaurant. For Italian food, Bar Centro has good value pizza and pasta, or you could try Cambio, a very good restaurant near the castle with modern decor.

NIGHTLIFE

The Yvonne Arnaud is a major regional theatre with many preWest End shows. The Five and Lime pub has a young crowd with regular DJ sessions. Pews Wine Bar has a great courtyard for summer evenings. For clubs, The Drink is the best of a bad bunch. Most jump on a train to London for clubbing nights.

EDUCATION

The University of Surrey gives the town a student feel and Guildford School of Acting offers a creative one. Excellent schools include the Royal Grammar School, Guildford, for boys and Guildford High School for girls.

WORKING LIFE

They are a clever bunch – more than 40 per cent of workers have a degree and 23.8 per cent are in professional occupations. Unemployment is a mere 1 per cent.

UPSIDE

A lively town, with great shopping and loads of culture, not least GuilFest, which is independently-run British music festival. Not far away, the RHS Garden at Wisley is heaven for the green-fingered.

DOWNSIDE

Name still linked with the IRA pub bombing of 1974. Beware feisty girl band members: Cheryl Tweedy (Girls Aloud) and Amelle Berrabah (Sugababes) were arrested for contretemps here.

£359,555 The average price of a house in Guildford
Source: Halifax

5% The increase in house prices in Guildford over the past three months
Source: Halifax

183% The increase in house prices in Guildford over the past ten years
Source: Halifax

1550 The year of the first recorded cricket match, played in Guildford
Source: www.cricinfo.com

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