{"id":"69847941533dbb4b731187d9","title":"Walk 466 Tilford And Crooksbury Common","path":"walks/scrapbook/by-year/2021/volume-37-jul-to-sep-2021/walk-466-tilford-and-crooksbury-common","contentMarkdown":"# 🥾 Walk 466 - Tilford and Crooksbury Common\n\nThere was a slight complication to the walk on Sunday 11th July. One of the leaders was having to self-isolate and she was the one who had the route in an app on her phone. After an unsuccessful attempt to transfer the route from one leader's phone to the other, they tried sending the route to me via email. I was able to print the route as a paper map and so was able to help navigate the route the old fashioned way.\n\nSeven of us, which included three regulars, two not-so-regulars and two guests (and Dylan the dog) met up by the green in Tilford. The walk started by crossing the River Wey and heading north-east into the village. Next we followed Whitmead Lane eastward out of the village and then took a rather muddy byway to Charleshill, where the track met the main road by a pub called The Donkey.\n\nMore woodland paths led us through Crooksbury Common and then up Crooksbury Hill. It's only 163m (535ft) but the ascent is quite steep - enough to test my asthma! Needless to say, we had a break at the top to catch our breath and admire the view.\n\n![Descending Crooksbury Hill on our way to The Sands.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume37/images/crooksbury_hill.jpg)\n\nSlightly embarrassingly, I led everyone down the wrong path, so we had to go back up the hill to find the right one! This footpath emerged onto the road into The Sands. Again I led everyone in the wrong direction along the road before doing a U-turn. Oh the shame of it! And I'd helped run the walk leaders training day the previous weekend! Anyway, I concentrated a bit more on navigation and a bit less on talking, and the rest of the walk went without error. Back in the countryside, we crossed fields and joined the North Downs Way and then swapped to the Greensand Way.\n\nThis path followed the River Wey to Moor Park Nature Reserve, where we stopped to look at Mother Ludlam's Cave, supposedly once the home of a white witch. Our leader told us the story of Mother Ludlam's cauldron, now residing in Frensham Church.\n\nNext stop was the remains of Waverley Abbey, which was the first Cistercian abbey in England, founded in 1128. It's had a tough history, being severely damaged by flood, then King John confiscated all of the Cistercian Order's property after a dispute with the Pope, and finally there was King Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries. We stopped here to eat our packed lunches and then explore the ruins.\n\n![Peeking into Mother Ludlam's Cave while Dylan takes a muddy drink.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume37/images/mother_ludlams_cave.jpg)\n\nAnother mile or so of footpaths got us back to Tilford, where there was a cricket match being played on the green. How civilised. See our route on Google Maps.\n\n![Standing in the ruins of Waverley Abbey.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume37/images/waverley_abbey.jpg)\n\n*Thank you to Kathy for leading this walk without her usual co-leader.*\n\n## 📸 Back to Volume 37\n\nReturn to volume index","contentHtml":"

🥾 Walk 466 - Tilford and Crooksbury Common

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There was a slight complication to the walk on Sunday 11th July. One of the leaders was having to self-isolate and she was the one who had the route in an app on her phone. After an unsuccessful attempt to transfer the route from one leader's phone to the other, they tried sending the route to me via email. I was able to print the route as a paper map and so was able to help navigate the route the old fashioned way.

\n

Seven of us, which included three regulars, two not-so-regulars and two guests (and Dylan the dog) met up by the green in Tilford. The walk started by crossing the River Wey and heading north-east into the village. Next we followed Whitmead Lane eastward out of the village and then took a rather muddy byway to Charleshill, where the track met the main road by a pub called The Donkey.

\n

More woodland paths led us through Crooksbury Common and then up Crooksbury Hill. It's only 163m (535ft) but the ascent is quite steep - enough to test my asthma! Needless to say, we had a break at the top to catch our breath and admire the view.

\n

\"Descending

\n

Slightly embarrassingly, I led everyone down the wrong path, so we had to go back up the hill to find the right one! This footpath emerged onto the road into The Sands. Again I led everyone in the wrong direction along the road before doing a U-turn. Oh the shame of it! And I'd helped run the walk leaders training day the previous weekend! Anyway, I concentrated a bit more on navigation and a bit less on talking, and the rest of the walk went without error. Back in the countryside, we crossed fields and joined the North Downs Way and then swapped to the Greensand Way.

\n

This path followed the River Wey to Moor Park Nature Reserve, where we stopped to look at Mother Ludlam's Cave, supposedly once the home of a white witch. Our leader told us the story of Mother Ludlam's cauldron, now residing in Frensham Church.

\n

Next stop was the remains of Waverley Abbey, which was the first Cistercian abbey in England, founded in 1128. It's had a tough history, being severely damaged by flood, then King John confiscated all of the Cistercian Order's property after a dispute with the Pope, and finally there was King Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries. We stopped here to eat our packed lunches and then explore the ruins.

\n

\"Peeking

\n

Another mile or so of footpaths got us back to Tilford, where there was a cricket match being played on the green. How civilised. See our route on Google Maps.

\n

\"Standing

\n

Thank you to Kathy for leading this walk without her usual co-leader.

\n

📸 Back to Volume 37

\n

Return to volume index

\n"}