The town of Guildford was already a manor in Saxon times, and its church tower shows pre-Norman work. Its earliest known charter dates from 1257. As well as the Norman castle there are many historic buildings along its axial High Street. On Stag Hill is the modern cathedral (1936–68) designed by Sir Edward Maufe, the second newly sited Anglican cathedral built in England since the Reformation. The new diocese was separated from Winchester in 1927. Nearby are the buildings of the University of Surrey (incorporated 1966).

The town has grown in modern times with some light industry, including motor vehicles; it is an attractive residential town within commuting range of London (28 mi 【44 km】 northeast). The rural area that surrounds the town was part of the original metropolitan Greenbelt. Area, borough, 105 square miles (271 square km). Pop. (2001) town, 69,400; borough, 129,717.