{"id":"6984792e533dbb4b73118674","title":"Walk 607 Tilford Crooksbury And Waverley Abbey","path":"walks/scrapbook/by-year/2023/volume-46-oct-to-dec-2023/walk-607-tilford-crooksbury-and-waverley-abbey","contentMarkdown":"# 🥾 Walk 607 - Tilford, Crooksbury and Waverley Abbey\n\nOn Sunday 22nd October, Ann and Kathy led a variation of a walk they've led before in Surrey. Fourteen of us, plus a small dog, met up on Tilford Village Green in glorious sunshine. The recent heavy rain from Storm Babet meant that some of the route would be muddy, but the sandy soil of this part of Surrey had drained most of the rain away.\n\nLeaving on a road bridge to the north-east of the green, we walked through this pleasant village before turning off onto Whitmead Lane. This we followed as far as a hair-pin bend, where we left it for a muddy footpath taking us uphill to Charleshill.\n\n![Walking through Crooksbury Common.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume46/images/crooksbury_common.jpg)\n\nCrossing the main road by The Donkey pub, we headed north on Sands Lane, through mixed woodland and into Crooksbury Common, a heathland on greensand soil.\n\nThe main path through the common is called Long Hill, and it gradually took us upward to Stone Hill, where we branched left onto Crooksbury Lane. Crossing a road, we were now at the foot of Crooksbury Hill - where we would stop for lunch.\n\n![Descending Crooksbury Hill.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume46/images/descending_crooksbury_hill.jpg)\n\nInstead of just heading straight up as we had done previously, we took a more circuitous and undulating route via Soldier's Ring, a Bronze-age hillfort. Heading steeply downhill from the fort (earthworks) and then just as steeply uphill, we arrived at the view point on the top of Crooksbury Hill. There were two benches and the stepped plinth of the trigpoint to sit on while we ate our packed lunches, basking in the autumn sun and enjoying the commanding views of the Surrey Hills.\n\nAfter our lunch, we descended a very steep footpath down to Crooksbury Road - another new addition to the original walk. A short walk along this surprisingly busy road brought us to a long, straight footpath that joined up with the North Downs Way. We followed this long-distance path westward as far as Moor Park College where we joined the Greensand Way, heading south-east along the course of the north branch of the River Wey.\n\n![Mother Ludlam's Cave, complete with a wheelbarrow.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume46/images/mother_ludlams_cave.jpg)\n\nAlong the way, we stopped at Mother Ludlam's Cave, a small cave in the sandstone cliff.\n\nThe next stop was to see the ruins of Waverley Abbey (a Cistercian abbey, founded in the 12th century). While exploring the ruins, we saw a tawny owl, sleeping in a low alcove in a stone wall. We were able to get close enough to photograph it without it waking up. We were surprised it was sleeping in what seemed a vulnerable position.\n\n![A tawny owl, sleeping in an alcove in the abbey ruins.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume46/images/sleeping_owl.jpg)\n\nAfter exploring the abbey ruins, we continued following the Greensand Way southward, back to Tilford Village Green. See our route on Google Maps. According to my GPS, we'd covered 8.8 miles with 1,950 feet of ascent in total. A good workout!\n\n![Part of the remains of Waverley Abbey.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume46/images/waveley_abbey_ruins.jpg)\n\n*Thank you to Ann and Kathy for leading this walk.*\n\n## 📸 Back to Volume 46\n\nReturn to volume index","contentHtml":"

🥾 Walk 607 - Tilford, Crooksbury and Waverley Abbey

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On Sunday 22nd October, Ann and Kathy led a variation of a walk they've led before in Surrey. Fourteen of us, plus a small dog, met up on Tilford Village Green in glorious sunshine. The recent heavy rain from Storm Babet meant that some of the route would be muddy, but the sandy soil of this part of Surrey had drained most of the rain away.

\n

Leaving on a road bridge to the north-east of the green, we walked through this pleasant village before turning off onto Whitmead Lane. This we followed as far as a hair-pin bend, where we left it for a muddy footpath taking us uphill to Charleshill.

\n

\"Walking

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Crossing the main road by The Donkey pub, we headed north on Sands Lane, through mixed woodland and into Crooksbury Common, a heathland on greensand soil.

\n

The main path through the common is called Long Hill, and it gradually took us upward to Stone Hill, where we branched left onto Crooksbury Lane. Crossing a road, we were now at the foot of Crooksbury Hill - where we would stop for lunch.

\n

\"Descending

\n

Instead of just heading straight up as we had done previously, we took a more circuitous and undulating route via Soldier's Ring, a Bronze-age hillfort. Heading steeply downhill from the fort (earthworks) and then just as steeply uphill, we arrived at the view point on the top of Crooksbury Hill. There were two benches and the stepped plinth of the trigpoint to sit on while we ate our packed lunches, basking in the autumn sun and enjoying the commanding views of the Surrey Hills.

\n

After our lunch, we descended a very steep footpath down to Crooksbury Road - another new addition to the original walk. A short walk along this surprisingly busy road brought us to a long, straight footpath that joined up with the North Downs Way. We followed this long-distance path westward as far as Moor Park College where we joined the Greensand Way, heading south-east along the course of the north branch of the River Wey.

\n

\"Mother

\n

Along the way, we stopped at Mother Ludlam's Cave, a small cave in the sandstone cliff.

\n

The next stop was to see the ruins of Waverley Abbey (a Cistercian abbey, founded in the 12th century). While exploring the ruins, we saw a tawny owl, sleeping in a low alcove in a stone wall. We were able to get close enough to photograph it without it waking up. We were surprised it was sleeping in what seemed a vulnerable position.

\n

\"A

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After exploring the abbey ruins, we continued following the Greensand Way southward, back to Tilford Village Green. See our route on Google Maps. According to my GPS, we'd covered 8.8 miles with 1,950 feet of ascent in total. A good workout!

\n

\"Part

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Thank you to Ann and Kathy for leading this walk.

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📸 Back to Volume 46

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Return to volume index

\n"}