Description of the attraction
The Church of the Holy Trinity in Guildford was built on the site of an old medieval church that collapsed in the middle of the 18th century. The exact date of the founding of this old church is unknown. The pastors have been listed since 1304, so it is highly likely that this was a Norman-built church. In 1740, the old building collapsed. Only the Weston chapel survived. The chapel was built next to the church in 1540 as the tomb of Richard Weston. It is curious that the Weston family and their descendants maintained the Catholic faith for many years, which was very, very difficult in England. The chapel remained in private ownership until 2005, when it was handed over by the heirs of the Westons to the Church of the Holy Trinity on the condition that a Catholic Mass would be held here at least once a year. In the chapel you can see very beautiful old tombstones.
The church itself is a red brick building of noble classical proportions. It is the only large Georgian church in Surrey. In the 19th century, great changes were made to the interior of the church. The central decoration of the church is an apse with a painting depicting a crucifixion and saints.
Buried in Holy Trinity Church is George Abbott, Archbishop of Canterbury and founder of Abbott Hospital, one of the oldest nursing homes.
When the new Guildford Diocese of the Anglican Church was established in the early 20th century, Trinity Church served as a pro-cathedral (i.e., the cathedral parish church) until the new Guildford Cathedral was consecrated in 1961.
