Guildford Library

Guildford Library sits right in the town centre, a proper modern facility that punches above its weight for a provincial library. The building itself is fairly unremarkable from outside - all glass and contemporary lines - but step through the doors and you get a serious amount of space across multiple floors. There's a decent general collection, a solid reference section, and the kind of local studies archive that actually matters if you're interested in Surrey history.

It's worth a visit if you're killing time in Guildford on a rainy afternoon, or if you need to use the free wifi and public computers. The staff are genuinely helpful, not the library type who make you feel like you're disturbing them. Children's section is reasonable without being exceptional - fine for a browse, not somewhere kids will spend three hours.

Admission is free, though borrowing requires membership. Opening hours are decent enough for a library - Monday, Wednesday and Friday until 6pm; Tuesday and Thursday stretch to 7pm; Saturday mornings until 5pm. You won't need more than an hour unless you're doing serious research.

If you're based at Chantry Wood Campsite just 1.6 miles away, or any of the other parks dotted round the Surrey Hills, this is a handy wet-weather option. Guildford itself has enough cafes and shops nearby to make an afternoon of it. Worth the detour? Only if you're already in town.