Guildford URC

The church moved to its present site in 1966 from a huge Victorian building right in the centre of Guildford. The site had previously been a doctor’s family house and surgery with a good sized garden but limited frontage width. To cope with this the architect created an octagonal sanctuary within and rising from a larger octagon containing rooms for church activities.

The sanctuary is lit by windows of coloured glass at roof level above the surrounding rooms. When lit at night these make the building appear as a lantern to Guildford.

The interior is simple but elegant. The organ was originally a Forster & Andrews in the old church, with major enhancements by Binns in1913, It was transferred to the present building and has been substantially improved then and since. It has about 2,000 pipes which makes an impressive back west wall to the sanctuary.

Recently a rather unwelcoming front vestibule has been enlarged and opened up to give a clear view of the sanctuary from outside. This and the addition of a small kitchen has enabled activities to take place in a an area easily accessible to all.

As the church sits half way up a hill on the east side of the town, from the church hall at the back of the sanctuary with huge windows there is a magnificent view over Guildford towards the Castle Keep and other old buildings in the town centre on the opposite side of the river.