While Mr and Mrs Childe lived in the house, the attic rooms would most likely have been used as the female servants’ quarters. Originally, in the 1680s, the attic may have been just one room, open to the rafters. Possibly it was in the 1730s that the attic was divided into two small rooms, with a lath and plaster partition, and a half ceiling added. The current arrangement was created in the 1950s when the partition was stripped back to reveal the timber framing. A reproduction of the plastering can be seen on the left as you go in. You can also see a section of wall panelling here which was salvaged from elsewhere in the building.

If you look around the attic, you will notice that there is a fireplace. Heating would have been a luxury in a servants’ chamber at this date. The fireplace may have been intended for an iron hob-grate to burn coals, which were rapidly replacing wood as a domestic fuel. In fact, most servants would have been used to sleeping in small and overcrowded areas - often in the kitchen on straw under the kitchen table. By comparison, this arrangement would have been very comfortable indeed.

The small closet to the right hand side of the fireplace would have probably been used to keep clothes in and possibly the chamber pot!

During the time that Guildford House was Nutthalls Restaurant the attic rooms were where the waitresses changed into and out of their brown uniforms.

More recently the attic has seen many costume exhibitions from the Marion May Collection. However, due to health and safety restrictions, these exhibitions are now held in the Garden Room.

Heritage Open Day is now the only opportunity to see the Attic Room.

Guildford House Gallery
155 High Street
Guildford
Surrey
GU1 3AJ

Tel: 01483 444740
Fax: 01483 444742
Email: guildfordhouse@guildford.gov.uk