The castle was never involved in any battles or sieges and from the 14th century started to fall into disrepair, by everything but the Kings chamber and the keep had fallen down. The keep continued to be used as a jail until when it relocated and the gardener John Daborne was left in charge.
In King James I granted the castle to Francis Carter who removed the roof and rented out parts of the grounds for farming. In the current owner Lord Grantley sold the site to the Guildford Corporation who restored the walls and tower and opened it to the public.
In a conservation and restoration project was started on the keep which revealed the original crenellations; a new floor and roof were also constructed. Guildford Castle and Gardens. Guildford was a stopping place for the English royal court on their journeys between London and Winchester.
Photograph by Colin Smith. Guildford Castle remained a timber structure until the reign of Henry I Within the first few years of his reign he rebuilt the timber palisade around the motte into a polygonal shell Keep constructed from chalk. Initially the tower within remained a timber structure but, at some point during the twelfth century, this was replaced with the stone built Great Keep but records are inconclusive as to precisely when this happened.
Architectural styles suggest it was probably in the s during the reign of Henry II but, although Guildford is mentioned in official Royal accounts, there is no allocation of funds sufficient to build such a substantial structure. It was possible work was undertaken during the latter years of Henry I's reign or by King Stephen Regardless the result was a grand structure which, coupled with the castle's proximity to London, ensured regular Royal visits.
During the reign of Henry II new Royal apartments were added to the bailey and Guildford later became a favoured residence of King John. However, in the castle suffered a major accidental fire and was gutted. Henry III commissioned John of Gloucester to conduct repair work and he made numerous improvements to the castle including building apartments for Prince Edward the future Edward I and Eleanor of Castile.
However, by this stage the castle's status as a Royal residence was being eclipsed by its role as the county gaol for both Surrey and Sussex with felons incarcerated within the Great Tower. In Lewes Castle took on greater responsibility for Sussex prisoners but Guildford continued as the county gaol for Surrey and remained in the role until Thereafter the castle was abandoned and quickly fell to ruin.
In the early seventeenth century it was sold by James I to Francis Caster who attempted to convert the Great Keep into a residence. His plan failed and instead he built a new house within the bailey. Later the castle grounds were leased for agricultural purposes until when the site was purchased by the Guildford Corporation. They started the long process of restoration and also laid out the pleasure gardens that surround the Keep.
Armitage, E. S Early Norman Castles of the British Isles. Creighton, O. H Equinox, Bristol. Douglas, D. C and Greeaway, G. W ed English Historical Documents Vol 2 The castle gardens are famous for their vibrant floral displays, centred on the 11th Century Castle Keep.
Other attractions include a life-size statue of Alice Through the Looking Glass, a bowling green and music concerts in the bandstand. The town's war memorial stands in the grounds.
Open-air theatre takes place in the summer months. Watch this short video of the beautiful castle grounds.
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