On Tuesday, Upper Sixth historians were fortunate enough to be able to visit Abbot’s Hospital (a place of shelter for the elderly poor of the town since 1619) on Guildford High Street, to further our knowledge of popular culture in the 17th Century. This was a particularly interesting trip for all of us, as despite the many trips that all of us take to the High Street during lunchtimes or on shopping dates with friends, Abbot’s Hospital had gone unnoticed by us almost entirely. 

The hospital contains many historical relics from when it was built in 1619, including George Abbot’s (very small) book ‘A Brief Description of the Whole World’, chairs that were worth £8,000 each and many very valuable original stained glass windows. Throughout the tour, we were entertained with stories surrounding the hospital, learning that George Abbot was the only Archbishop of Canterbury to ever be charged with manslaughter and how the residents had to attend two church services every day, standing for the duration of the service until 1740.

A huge thank you from all of the Upper Sixth historians to Dr Carrel and Mrs Woodfine for organising and facilitating the trip. 

Freya, U6