Published: 19 February 2018
Last updated: 5 March 2024
Guildford medieval synagogue (Atlas Obscura)
In 1996, renovation work on a humble bookshop in Guildford revealed a stunning medieval chamber, forgotten beneath the ground for some 700 years. Archaeologists have interpreted it as a Jewish synagogue dating back to 1180, making it the oldest synagogue in the British Isles.
Photo: Archaeologist John Boas works on restoring the synagogue (Gerry Penny/AFP)
