{"id":"6984795a533dbb4b731189e5","title":"Walk 229 Tilford Crooksbury Hill And Waverley Abbey","path":"walks/scrapbook/by-year/2016/volume-16-apr-to-jun-2016/walk-229-tilford-crooksbury-hill-and-waverley-abbey","contentMarkdown":"# 🥾 Walk 229 - Tilford, Crooksbury Hill and Waverley Abbey\n\nOn Saturday 25th June, Sue repeated a walk that she had led for us a couple of years ago. This walk is slightly outside our usual area being in Farnham, Surrey, but is not too difficult to get to. Five of us met up by the green in Tilford where the walk started.\n\nThe sun shone as we walked along Tilford Street, the main road through the village and then branched off along a footpath heading towards Normanswood. Next we joined a green lane leading to Charleshill and from there we passed through the sandy woodland of Crooksbury Common. After ascending Crooksbury Hill, we stopped to admire the view and have our picnic lunch.\n\nJust as we finished our packed lunches, the rain started. We descended Crooksbury Hill and crossed the earthworks of Soldiers Ring on our way to The Sands, a small village with a pub.\n\n![Stopping on Crooksbury Hill to admire the view.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume16/images/crooksbury_hill.jpg)\n\nThe rain stopped and the sun came out as we reached The Barley Mow pub and we decided to sit in the beer garden with our drinks. Sun glasses and hats went on just in time for the sun to fade into rain. As we decamped into the pub, it began to hail.\n\nThe downpour had conveniently stopped by the time we'd finished our drinks, so we continued along Sand Road, past Farnham Golf Club, and then joined the North Downs Way. This we followed until the intersection with the Greensand Way, which took us alongside the River Wey on a path sheltered by tall trees.\n\nAlong the way, we stopped to look at Mother Ludlam's Cave - a sandstone cave with an ornate stone entrance, now gated. After peering into the dark interior, we continued along the Greensand Way until we reached Waverley Mill Bridge, to be met by an ominous rumble of thunder.\n\n![Standing outside Mother Ludlam's Cave.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume16/images/mother_ludlams_cave.jpg)\n\nWe walked through a field alongside the River Wey to see the remains of Waverley Abbey, the first Cistercian abbey in England, founded in 1128. The rain started in earnest as we found shelter under what remained of the vaulted ceiling of the lay brothers' refectory.\n\nThe thunder and rain eased up after a short wait, so we ventured out of our shelter and explored the rest of the abbey before making our way through the rain-soaked fields back to Waverley Mill Bridge. Rejoining the Greensand Way, we followed it through Sheephatch Copse and eventually back to Tilford, where we had started our walk. See our route on Bing Maps.\n\nBy now the sun was shining again, so the waterproofs came off and the sunshades went on, in time for the journey home. Unsurprisingly there were some very deep puddles on the roads back!\n\n![Sheltering from the rain in the ruins of Waverley Abbey.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume16/images/waverley_abbey.jpg)\n\n## 📸 Back to Volume 16\n\nReturn to volume index","contentHtml":"

🥾 Walk 229 - Tilford, Crooksbury Hill and Waverley Abbey

\n

On Saturday 25th June, Sue repeated a walk that she had led for us a couple of years ago. This walk is slightly outside our usual area being in Farnham, Surrey, but is not too difficult to get to. Five of us met up by the green in Tilford where the walk started.

\n

The sun shone as we walked along Tilford Street, the main road through the village and then branched off along a footpath heading towards Normanswood. Next we joined a green lane leading to Charleshill and from there we passed through the sandy woodland of Crooksbury Common. After ascending Crooksbury Hill, we stopped to admire the view and have our picnic lunch.

\n

Just as we finished our packed lunches, the rain started. We descended Crooksbury Hill and crossed the earthworks of Soldiers Ring on our way to The Sands, a small village with a pub.

\n

\"Stopping

\n

The rain stopped and the sun came out as we reached The Barley Mow pub and we decided to sit in the beer garden with our drinks. Sun glasses and hats went on just in time for the sun to fade into rain. As we decamped into the pub, it began to hail.

\n

The downpour had conveniently stopped by the time we'd finished our drinks, so we continued along Sand Road, past Farnham Golf Club, and then joined the North Downs Way. This we followed until the intersection with the Greensand Way, which took us alongside the River Wey on a path sheltered by tall trees.

\n

Along the way, we stopped to look at Mother Ludlam's Cave - a sandstone cave with an ornate stone entrance, now gated. After peering into the dark interior, we continued along the Greensand Way until we reached Waverley Mill Bridge, to be met by an ominous rumble of thunder.

\n

\"Standing

\n

We walked through a field alongside the River Wey to see the remains of Waverley Abbey, the first Cistercian abbey in England, founded in 1128. The rain started in earnest as we found shelter under what remained of the vaulted ceiling of the lay brothers' refectory.

\n

The thunder and rain eased up after a short wait, so we ventured out of our shelter and explored the rest of the abbey before making our way through the rain-soaked fields back to Waverley Mill Bridge. Rejoining the Greensand Way, we followed it through Sheephatch Copse and eventually back to Tilford, where we had started our walk. See our route on Bing Maps.

\n

By now the sun was shining again, so the waterproofs came off and the sunshades went on, in time for the journey home. Unsurprisingly there were some very deep puddles on the roads back!

\n

\"Sheltering

\n

📸 Back to Volume 16

\n

Return to volume index

\n"}