Free tours and open days at Guildford Castle, the Guildhall, Wanborough Great Barn and the Yvonne Arnaud, 11 to 20 September. What is on, and on which days.
Heritage Open Days returns to Guildford from Friday 11 to Sunday 20 September, and everything in the programme is free. Buildings that normally charge, or normally stay shut, open their doors: Guildford Castle, the 1683 Guildhall, Wanborough Great Barn, Abbot’s Hospital and the Royal Grammar School among them. (Guildford Borough Council, 8 September 2026)
The festival is England’s largest heritage event, run locally by Guildford Borough Council with local organisations and volunteers. This year’s theme is Everyday Histories: the stories behind ordinary life in the borough, rather than just its grandest buildings.
What is on
The council’s programme includes:
- open days at the Guildhall, Wanborough Great Barn, the Royal Grammar School, Abbot’s Hospital and Guildford Castle
- tours of Guildford Cathedral and historic churches across the borough
- tours of the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre
- a guided tour of the ‘People Watching’ exhibition at Guildford House Gallery, led by the artist Rebecca Holton
- mystery object handling at Guildford Museum
- pre-war Dennis vehicles and heritage fire engines in the High Street
- Guildford Jazz playing live at Abbot’s Hospital
- guided walks and talks at the Sime Gallery
- vintage bus rides
- the Little People children’s trail; guides are at the Tourist Information Centre
Councillor Vanessa King, Deputy Leader of the Council and Lead Councillor for Economy and Place, said the festival “gives residents and visitors a wonderful opportunity to discover Guildford’s heritage from fresh perspectives”, with “free activities for people of all ages to enjoy”. (Guildford Borough Council)
Which days for which places
The programme is spread unevenly across the ten days, so it is worth planning. Visit Surrey’s festival listing gives the dates and times:
- Friday 11 September: the festival opens at the Guildford Institute
- Saturday 12 and Sunday 13: Wanborough Great Barn, 10am to 5pm; Watts Gallery in Compton, 10.30am to 5pm; a tour and talk at the Sime Gallery on the Sunday at 2pm
- Friday 18 to Sunday 20: the busiest stretch. Free admission to Guildford Castle, the Guildhall open day, and St Mary’s Church on Quarry Street (noon to 4pm Friday, 10am to 4pm on the weekend)
- Friday 18: Rebecca Holton leads tours of her ‘People Watching’ exhibition at Guildford House Gallery, 12.30pm to 2pm, and the museum runs its History Detective object handling
- Saturday 19: pre-war Dennis vehicles and heritage fire engines in the High Street
- Sunday 20: the villages’ turn. Albury Pigeon House, 11am to 5pm; Tongham’s Old School, 10am to 1pm; Hatchlands Park at East Clandon; and Watts Gallery again, through the weekend
Two events ask residents to bring something rather than just look. Guildford Voices: Guildford Stories, at Guildford House on Friday 18 and Saturday 19 September, is collecting memories, photographs, letters and objects from local people, and says the material could feed future museum displays or even join the collection. The Holton tours are the other highlight the council picks out: her paintings of overlooked everyday moments are a neat match for the festival theme.
What it means for you
Ten days, no ticket price, and most of it in walking distance of the town centre. The weekend of 18 to 20 September is the one to keep clear: castle, Guildhall and St Mary’s are all open at once, with the vehicle display on the Saturday. If you are driving in, our parking guide covers the town centre car parks; the village events at Wanborough, Albury, Tongham and East Clandon are easier by car. Check each event’s entry on the Heritage Open Days programme before travelling, as some tours have limited places. For the rest of the year, our things to do in Guildford guide covers what these buildings charge normally.
Sources
- Guildford Borough Council, Heritage Open Days returns to celebrate the Everyday Histories of Guildford, 8 September 2026 (dates, theme, programme, Guildford Voices, Councillor King quotes)
- Visit Surrey, Heritage Open Days in Guildford (per-venue dates and times)
- Heritage Open Days, Guildford area programme (full national festival listing)
Image: Guildford Castle by AleatoryPonderings, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons. Graphic by The Guildford Post.
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