Preston Guild
Preston Guild is a tradition that stretches as far back as
1179 when King Henry II granted Preston its royal charter. It was this charter
that allowed Preston to have a Guild Merchant with traders, merchants and
craftsmen. Only those traders that were part of the Guild were allowed to trade
in Preston and anyone wanting to join the Guild had to undergo a rigorous test
as approval was not given lightly.
The Guild, held every 20 years is now mainly a symbolic
celebration, and 830 years later, Preston
is the only town or city within the UK to still have their own Guild.
Over the coming weeks I hope I can update you on the events that are happening to celebrate this historic event.
