
English: 
The History of Guildford House
1660 Guildford House built for John Childe and family
1736-1840s Owned and lived in by the Martyrs, a prominent Guildford family
1850-78 Bought by Frank Apted and used as shop for his brush and carpentry business
Amalgamated with Mr Bull's shop, making tents and horses' saddles
1914-28 Run as a stationer's and bookseller's
1928-29 Used as the carpet department of the adjoining draper's store
1929-56 Converted into a restaurant, firstly Lamberts, then Nuthalls
1958-59 Renovation work carried out
1959 Opened as an art gallery showing items from the permanent collection and temporary exhibitions
1993 Conservation of the 'Painted Closet' carried out
2009 Guildford House is now one of seven historic properties managed by Guildford Heritage Services
Present Day Houses the borough art gallery, hosting exhibitions and talks
Present Day Hosts family friendly activities
Present Day Houses Tourist Information Centre and Gallery Cafe
Join us on our tour of Guildford House
Welcome to a history of Guildford House
Since 1959 Guildford House has been an art gallery
Today it also houses Guildfor's tourist information centre
but the house has a fascinating history
as a family home, restaurant and shops.
The house was built in 1660 for John Childe, a London lawyer
He lived here with his wife Olive
and their three children, John, Lawrence and Olive.
John Childe was Mayor of Guildford three times.
In 1736 the house was sold to another lawyer,
John Martyr, who also became Mayor of Guildford.
The Martyr family lived here until the 1840s.
Please join me on a virtual tour of the house.
The ornate carving around the door and balcony
indicate this was a fashionable and expensive house.

English: 
Welcome to a history of Guildford House.
Since 1959 Guildford House has been an
art gallery.
Today it also houses Guildford's tourist
Information Centre,
but the house has a fascinating history
as a family home,
restaurant and shops. The house was built
in 1660
for John Childe, a London lawyer. He
lived here with his wife Olive
and their three children John, Lawrence
and Olive.
Jonh Childe was Mayor of Guildford three
times.
In 1736 the house was sold to another
lawyer
John Martyr who also became Mayor of
Guildford.
The Martyr family lived here until the
1840s.
Please join me on a virtual tour of the
house.
The ornate carving around the door and
balcony

English: 
Originally the door and entrance floor level were higher
They were lowered when the High Street changed
from a road of many private houses
to one with more shops.
Ground floor
We enter the building through the Tourist Information Centre
The room behind the TIC was Mr Childe's office.
The Garden Room was used as a dining room
and overlooked the courtyard.
The plaster ceiling would have been very expensive.
The oak and pine wood panelling was fashionable.
A secret door hid a spiral staircase down to the kitchen.
A second concealed door led to a staircase outside into the garden.
The external staircase is no longer there but you can see where it used to be.

English: 
indicate that this was a fashionable and
expensive house.
Originally, the door and entrance floor
level were higher.
They were lowered when the High Street
changed from a road of many private
houses
to one with more shops. Ground Floor:
we enter the building through the
Tourist Information Centre (TIC).
The room behind the TIC was Mr Childe's
office.
The Garden Room was used as a dining room and overlooked the courtyard.
The plaster ceiling would have been very
expensive.
The oak and pinewood panelling was
fashionable.
A secret door hid a spiral staircase
down to the kitchen.
A second concealed door led to a
staircase
outside into the garden. The external
staircase is no longer there

English: 
The leaded windows and decorative catches are original.
The oak and elm staircase is typical of the Restoration period,
the time around 1660 when Charles II became king.
The urns of fruit and flowers were popular designs.
The staircase may have been moved here from elsewhere.
First floor.
On the first floor is the Pine Room.
It is named after the pine panelling on the walls.
The room was probably a bedroom for Mr Childe.
The wooden shutters are original and acted like curtains,
they were very modern when the house was built.
The Powell Room, also on the first floor, was the main room to see guests.
The Powell Room has a balcony overlooking the High Street.
The magnificent plaster ceiling shows how wealthy the family was.
It was made when the house was built in 1660.

English: 
but you can see where it used to be. The
leaded windows
and decorative catches are original.
the oak and elm staircase is typical of the
Restoration period,
the time around 1660 when Charles II
became King. The urns of fruit and
flowers were popular designs.
The staircase may have been moved here
from elsewhere.
First Floor: on the first floor is the
Pine Room.
It is named after the pine panelling on
the walls.
The room was probably a bedroom for Mr
Childe. The wooden shutters are original
and acted like curtains. They were very
modern when the house was built.
The Powell Room, also on the first floor,
was the main room to see guests.
The Powell Room has a balcony overlooking
the High Street.
The magnificent plaster ceiling shows
how wealthy the family was.
It was made when the house was built in
1660.

English: 
The design contains leaves and flowers
including sunflowers
and also cupids, female heads and
pineapples,
which were a very recent and exotic
discovery.
The ceiling is one of the finest in
southern England
and is one of the reasons Guildford House
is a listed building.
There are further rooms on the top floor.
Second Floor: the room at the front was
probably Mrs Childe's bedroom.
There were bedrooms for the children too.
There was a small room off Mrs Childe's
bedroom.
We call this the Painted Closet. The
painted walls are meant to look like
wood panelling.
It dates from 1660. This room
may have been used by the mistress of
the house to read,
study or pray. The rooms at the back on
the top floor
were probably bedrooms for two female
servants.

English: 
The design contains leaves and flowers, including sunflowers, and also cupids,
female heads and pineapples, which were a very recent and exotic discovery!
The ceiling is one of the finest in southern England
and is one of the reasons Guildford House is a listed building.
There are further rooms on the top floor.
Second floor.
The room at the front was probably Mrs Childe's bedroom.
There were bedrooms for the children too.
There was a small room off Mrs Childe's bedroom.
We call this the Painted Closet.
The painted walls are meant to look like wood panelling. It dates from 1660.
 
This room may have been used by the mistress of the house to read, study or pray.
The rooms at the back on the top floor were probably bedrooms for two female servants.
Lower ground floor.

English: 
Lower Ground Floor: downstairs,
beneath the dining room, was the kitchen.
It is still a cafe today.
Although Mrs Childe had servants, she was
probably involved with the cooking.
She also made medicines and cosmetics in
a still room,
a special room perhaps near the kitchen.
Mrs Childe distilled herbs and plants
to make the medicines. The cellars may
have stored wine and beer.
The back of the house looks like it is
made from bricks but they are in fact
tiles.
The courtyard was part of the garden.
The garden was much longer than today. It
had stables with a loft above.
There was a walled garden and fruit and
vegetables would have been grown.
The Brew House is a brick building in
the garden. It was used for brewing beer,
baking and washing clothes. There used to
be a banqueting house where guests were
taken to eat dessert.
The porch of the banqueting house now

English: 
Downstairs, beneath the dining room was the kitchen. It is still a cafe today.
Although Mrs Childe had servants, she was probably involved in the cooking.
She also made medicines and cosmetics in a 'still room'
a special room, perhaps near the kitchen.
Mrs Childe distilled plants and herbs to make the medicines.
The cellars may have stored wine and beer.
The back of the house looks like it is made of bricks but they are in fact tiles.
The courtyard was part of the garden.
The garden was much longer than today.
It had stables with a loft above.
There was a walled garden and fruit and vegetables would have been grown.
The Brew House is a brick building in the garden.
It was used for brewing beer, baking and washing clothes.
There used to be a banqueting house where guests were taken to eat dessert.
The porch of the banqueting house now surrounds the entrance to the Brew House.

English: 
Today the Brew House has a craft shop downstairs and a meeting and gallery space upstairs.
By the mid-19th century many of the buildings in the High Street had been turned into shops.
This happened to Guildford House.
For nearly thirty years from 1850, the house was a business, making brushes, and a turnery, making wooden items on a lathe.
It then amalgamated with Mr Bull's shop, making tents and horses' saddles.
From 1914 to 1928 it was a stationers and booksellers, Curtis.
From 1929 it was a tearoom and grill, firstly Lamberts, then Nutthalls. It was a popular place for wedding receptions.
In 1959 Guildford Borough Council bought Guildford House and turned it into an art gallery.
We hope you enjoyed your virtual tour of Guildford House.

English: 
surrounds the entrance to the Brew House.
Today, the Brew House has a craft shop
downstairs
and a meeting and gallery space upstairs.
By the mid-19th century many of the
buildings in the High Street
had been turned into shops. This happened
to Guildford House.
For nearly 30 years from 1850
the house was a business making brushes
and a turnery,
making wooden items on a lathe. It then
amalgamated
with Mr Bull's shop making tents and
horses' saddles.
From 1914 to 1928 it was a stationers
and booksellers
Curtis. From 1929
it was a tea room and grill, firstly
Lambert's
then Nutthalls. It was a popular place for
wedding receptions.
In 1959 Guildford Borough Council bought
Guildford House
and turned it into an art gallery. We
hope you enjoyed your virtual tour of

English: 
Guildford House.
you
