Guildford is the county town of Surrey. The town has a population of over 66,000 people. Guildford is situated 27 miles southwest of London and is a popular commuter destination for those wishing to work in the capital. Guildford is known for being one of the most expensive places to live outside London.
Guildford is a market town and the markets take place weekly on Friday and Saturday. There is also a farmers' market on the first Tuesday of each month within the town. Guildford has its own castle which was built by William the Conqueror just after the 1066 invasion. It is a popular visitor attraction within the town along with Guildford Museum which is also located near to the castle.
Guildford has a widely popular art gallery, the Guildford House Gallery, which attracts well over 100,000 visitors a year. It is situated in a Grade I listed town house in the centre of town and its art collection includes works Guildford artists and works of the town and the surrounding areas.
The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre is a popular attraction within Guildford. The town's proximity to London ensures that it often shows productions which have just finished in London's West End. The town also has a new live entertainment and conference venue, G Live, which opened up in the city in 2011.
Guildford has its own annual music festival Guilfest, which began in 1992. It has music acts from a range of genres including rock, blues and folk and attracts visitors from all over the UK for the 3 days in July over which the festival is held.
Guildford is a thriving centre for industry and there are many large companies based in the town. There are a number of companies within the media, finance and I.T sectors which create a large number of jobs within the town. Companies in Guildford include Ericsson, Philips Electronics, Surrey Satellite Technology Company and bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis. Guildford is prominent within the videogames industry and companies within this field include Electronic Arts, Lionhead Studios and Criterion Games.