Take the whole family on a fantastic adventure through our historic town centre and beautiful countryside during the summer holidays with Guildford’s free Secret Stories mobile app.

Created in partnership with Ordnance Survey, the app brings the town to life with fascinating facts on our unique ‘Guildford’s Golden Nuggets’ interactive walking tour.

Lead Councillor for Economy, Cllr John Redpath says:

“The tour has already been downloaded over 100 times and is a great way to get out and about during the summer holidays, to learn more about Guildford and have some fun along the way. The Secret Stories app is suitable for all ages and has many more walking tours right across the country.

“It is user-friendly with simple maps that the whole family can follow. You could enjoy a self-guided tour and stop off midway through for a picnic in one of our award-winning parks and green spaces.”

Lead Councillor for Leisure, Cllr James Steel says:

“Guildford has such a rich history and the Secret Stories app is your ideal companion for exploring the town and enjoying the tales that our streets have to tell. In our town centre alone we have the Castle and Allen House Grounds, and our museum, on Quarry Street, is free to visit. We also hope to add more walks later this year to showcase other parts of our beautiful borough.”

The app is free to download for both Android and iOS smartphones by searching ‘Secret Stories’ in Google Play and the Apple App Store. You can either search for stories in the Guildford area or the app will suggest stories based on your location.

The walk starts at Guildford Railway Station and takes you along the River Wey, though the castle grounds and up to our historic High Street. You’ll hear and see snippets from Guildford’s past brought to life, including the tale of how Guildford got its name and more quirky claims to fame.

Ordnance Survey’s Secret Stories uses pictures and audio to bring towns to life with interactive family activities and challenges. Routes are marked by simple red dots to make sure you don’t get lost, and once downloaded you can enjoy a walk as many times as you want.

Residents and visitors can also get involved and add their own ‘secret stories’ and walking tours by using the app’s Community Stories feature.