Allen House Gardens
Arriving in Allen House Gardens you’ll see a maze on your right, and a small brick-built building more or less straight ahead of you. The jabberwocky themed maze and stepping-stones are a direct reference to Lewis Carrol and his more eccentric work.
The brick-built building is one of the ventilation shafts for the Foxenden Quarry Deep Shelter (which we will come to in a moment).
The present Allen House Grounds are the northern end of a grand garden that once stretched from here to the rear of Allen House – a mansion on the Upper High Street that stood opposite the Royal Grammar School. Built in about 1660, and fronting onto Spital Street (AKA Upper High Street, AKA High Street) opposite the white-washed Royal Grammar School, Allen House was a fine three storey building, designed in a larger and grander style as that already seen at Guildford House.
Road widening of High Street in the early 1930’s was the end of one of the finest residences in Guildford. What’s left is the Jabberwokky themed maze, a few walls, and the summer house – which you pass as you leave the gardens.
Continue straight ahead, through an opening in a wall, and into the open area beyond. Follow the path straight ahead of you.
As you walk the length of the lawn and sports pitches, you’ll arrive at a second small brick-built structure – being the “twin” of the earlier one. This is part of the Foxenden Quarry Deep Shelter.
Next : Foxenden Quarry Deep Shelter
Previous : Royal Grammar School
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