By Theo Damaskos

In 1509, Robert Beckingham passed away and his will was carried out, containing a provision with the aim of founding a ‘free school’ in Guildford. However, the current High Street site was bought much later in 1555 due to difficulties, with the Bishop of Winchester needing to intervene in order for the school to go through and be set up. Construction began and the ‘Old building’ we all know and love was built between 1557 and 1586. In it, not just classrooms were constructed but also the accommodation for the Headmaster and the Usher (assistant master) It contained a chained library, which is one of the last remaining in the country and still in use as the current Headmaster’s Study. Some of the books in this library are incredibly old, with the oldest being from 1516, written by Wynkyn de Worde. Recently, the building achieved Grade I status, preserving this history for future generations of RGS pupils and Guilfordians.

However, this piece of history was very nearly lost. In December 1962, a fire damaged a large part of the Old Building, including two of its oldest rooms. The repairs of this damage were so extensive that they took over 2 years to complete, however lessons continued on the Allen House side of the High Street. Also, there have been many changes to the side of the high street with the Old Building, including the old gym being repurposed into the Sixth Form Centre, the Victorian Labs being turned into the Art Centre and the Music centre being added, incorporating modern aspects amongst the historic building.

Construction of the New Building opposite the Old Building began in 1958 and it originally consisted of a gym building, eight classrooms, five science labs and geography and art rooms. Since its construction, the building has been expanded significantly, with many more classrooms and features. The New Building was created primarily due to a post-war school expansion and science becoming increasingly important in the school.

Moreover, the John Brown Building was opened in October 2016, bringing space for Classics, Economics, History and Politics departments as well as 3 large DT classrooms. The building was named after a former Chairmen of Governers, John Brown, and incorporated a more modern design than the other parts of the school, including a glass bridge connecting it to the Main Building.

To conclude, the buildings in the RGS provide more than just classrooms for learning – they show the development in schooling over 6 centuries, encapsulating the history of the Guildford High Street and the school with the Old Building and the historic Chained Library