The Undercroft, Guildford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Undercroft, Guildford |
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Print showing the Undercroft as it appeared in the 18th-century
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| Type | Undercroft |
| Location | 72/74 High Street, Guildford, Surrey |
| OS grid reference | SU 99676 49427 |
| Built | 13th century |
| Official name: Medieval undercroft at 72/74 High Street | |
| Designated | 27 August 1976 |
| Reference no. | 1005924 |
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Listed Building – Grade II*
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| Official name: 72, 74, 76 and 78, High Street | |
| Designated | 1 May 1953 |
| Reference no. | 1180242 |
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The Undercroft at 72/74 High Street in Guildford, Surrey, is a really old storage room from the Middle Ages. People say it's one of the best examples of its kind in the whole country! Since 1976, it has been a special Grade II* listed building and a Scheduled Monument, meaning it's protected by Historic England.
Contents
What is an Undercroft?
Imagine a medieval undercroft as a super strong, fireproof basement. It was usually built with stone arches and was perfect for storing food, drinks like wine, or valuable items. Rich merchants often built them under their homes. This way, they could keep an eye on their important goods all the time.
Even though they are sometimes called 'cellars', undercrofts weren't always completely underground. Because they were often built partly into the ground, they survived even when the buildings above them were torn down or replaced. There are about six other medieval undercrofts still around in Guildford today.
Building with stone was very expensive back then. Only wealthy merchants could afford such strong structures. This shows us that Guildford was a very rich town during the Middle Ages.
A Look Inside the Undercroft
The Undercroft in Guildford was built in the late 1200s. Experts believe it belonged to a merchant who sold fancy things like wine, expensive cloths, or silk. It's quite large, about 30 feet long, 19 feet wide, and 9 feet high (that's about 10 meters by 6 meters by 3 meters).
The ceiling has a cool rib vault design, which means it's made of stone arches. These arches are held up by two round columns in the middle of the room. Look closely at the walls, and you'll see corbels (stone supports) carved with funny or strange faces. These carvings help support the arches.
One corbel near the steps shows the head of a woman wearing a wimple. A wimple was a popular head covering for women in the late 13th century.
The Undercroft's ceiling is actually above street level. This allowed for a large doorway and steps leading down from the High Street. This kind of entrance suggests the Undercroft was originally built as a shop! The doorway was placed on the downhill side for lots of headroom. On the uphill side, there was a small window to let in some daylight.
In the far corner of the uphill wall, you can find a narrow doorway. This led to a spiral staircase that went up to the house above. This also supports the idea that the Undercroft was first used as a shop. The original timber-framed house that stood above it is gone now. The red brick building you see there today was built much later, in 1803. The Undercroft also had another doorway in its south wall, but this was blocked up in the 1800s.
From Storage to Information Centre
For many years, starting from the 1300s, the Undercroft was mostly used for storage. Then, for most of the 1900s, it was empty. But in 1989, the old street entrance was reopened, and the room was fixed up. It became an Information Centre where visitors to Guildford could get help and learn about the town. The Information Centre has recently moved to a new location.
Visiting the Undercroft
The Undercroft is looked after by the nearby Guildford Museum. You can visit it on Wednesdays from May to September, between 2pm and 4pm. From October to April, it's open on Saturdays from 12pm to 4pm. It's free to enter! Just remember, there are steps leading down from the street, and it's not set up for disabled access.
Gallery
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A column supporting the rib vault ceiling
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Corbel dating to the late 1200s of a woman wearing a wimple
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Interior of the Undercroft
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Interior of the Undercroft
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Interior of the Undercroft
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Remains of doorway
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Corbel of a man
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Model showing the Undercroft with the original timber-frame house above
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