The River Wey opened up as a navigation channel in the 1600s, and with the development of new industries, the site in question would become an important timber yard known as St Mary’s Wharf.
John Moon & Sons timber yard, operating from the wharf, supplied timber for the housing and boating industries in Guildford until the early 1960s, when the timber yard buildings were demolished, and a new branch of the Plummers Roddis department store was built in its place.
The Plummers chain was eventually bought by Debenhams in the late 1960s, and the Guildford branch was later rebranded as Debenhams in the mid 1970s.
Our proposals aim to make the most out of this famous site with the wider community in mind. This includes complementing the neighbouring Yvonne Arnaud theatre’s cultural offering and opening up the riverside to be enjoyed by the local community.