Guildford was first mentioned in about 880 A.D. when it started to develop into a major defensive and commercial centre for West Surrey. During this time the street pattern of the town was established and it is still unchanged today. The pattern then built became the three main roads High Street, North Street and Castle Street. By about 950 A.D. Guildford was the commercial centre for Surrey and in 1050 the wooden church of St. Mary's was rebuilt in stone showing how prosperous Guildford had become. The tower of this church is the oldest building in modern day Guildford and is the only surviving part of Saxon Guildford.

In 1066 the Normans conquered England and castles were built throughout the country including one in Guildford which is still there today.

During the middle age Guildford became a wealthy town. Its prosperity was principally from the wool trade, introduced by the Cistercians in the 1100's. In 1257 Guildford became the county town of Surrey. This was declared by Henry III. Surprisingly though Guildford still had a very low population. This was put down to the fact it was very close to London.

During the Tudor period there was a religious reformation throughout England. In this period the Friary of Guildford got demolished and hence education was carried out by the grammar schools as it was no longer the responsibility of the Friars. The Royal Grammar School was built during the period and is still intact today.

Guildford's most famous historical figure emerged in the 16th century. George Abbot was born in 1562. After having a successful academic career starting at the Royal Grammar School George Abbot was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury. In spite of relocating he stayed loyal to the town and it 1619 began building his "Hospital of the Blessed Trinity", in Guildford High Street. This building is more commonly known as "Abbot's Hospital". Abbot died in 1633 and was buried in Holy Trinity Church.

This period brought still more prosperity to Guildford, and the Wey navigation was built in 1651-1653 and was 15.5 miles long transporting grain, timber, gunpowder and chalk.

In the 17th century the wool trade began to fail so the economic base of the town had to shift. Its new success came from the fact that it is strategically located in the North Downs cutting and is halfway between London and Portsmouth. It was used as a resting place for travelers during this time and many inns appeared in this time In 1683 the front of the Guildhall was built . The structure of the hall itself is Elizabethan but it stands on the earlier medieval Guildhall.

The extension of the London and South West Railway into Guildford in 1845 was probably the most important development of the Victorian Era. During this time the coaching inn era met its demise directly due to the railway but Guildford's other industries thrived and new ones were established.

In 1868 the paving of Guildford High Street with granite sets was a clear indication of the town's ever growing prosperity. It cost 11,000 pounds to build which was a considerable outlay. Also around this time an arts and crafts movement was formed by upper-middle class professionals and successful artists. They made a lot of buildings in Guildford picturesque and also ensured gardens were given equal consideration. Today a lot of the buildings and gardens still survive from the end of the 19th century.