Originally built for John Childs, a lawyer and, later, Mayor of Guildford on three occasions.

After a year as the carpet department of the adjoining drapers store, in 1929, it was converted into a restaurant which operated until 1956.

[1] The house is a Grade I listed building in part for having many original features including a carved staircase, panelled rooms, original decorative plaster ceilings and wrought iron window fittings.

Also for its timber-framed basic structure, which is clad to the front in painted wood and to the rear in mathematical tiles and tile-hanging.

[2] The house contains some of Guildford borough's art collection including the world's largest public collection of pastel portraits by Guildford-born artist, John Russell, RA (1745–1806).