Guildford

gold quarter stater coin, found in Guildford in 1974]] The earliest evidence of human activity in the Guildford area is from St Catherine's Hill, where Mesolithic flint tools have been found. There may also have been Bronze Age and Iron Age settlements on the hill. Traces of a 2nd-century villa were discovered at Broadstreet Common during an excavation in 1998.

clock is dated 1683.]] The guild in Guildford was formed in the late 14th century shortly after 1366, when Edward III issued the fee farm grant, enabling the town to become self-governing in exchange for a yearly rent of £10. The current building is thought to have been constructed and was extended northwards in 1589. The council chamber and the exterior façade, facing the High Street, were created in 1683, funded by public subscription. The clock case dates from the same year, but the mechanism inside may be up to a century older. The original bell, which now stands in the entrance hall, was replaced in 1931 and may have previously been installed in St Martha's Church.