We started our walk at a carpark just south of Tilford called ‘Stockbridge Parking for Tilford Green’, not far from where we last left off the Greensands Spur. Tilford village is very historical. It is located where two branches of the River Wey merge and it has distinctive medieval bridges crossing the river.
The village as a triangular village green, with oak trees planted at each corner commemorating:
60 years of Queen Victoria’s reign (planted 1897)
the coronation of King Edward VII (planted1902)
the accession of King George V (planted 1910, but uprooted in the Great Storm of 1987 and since replaced).
There is also an ancient tree called the Tilford Oak. We didn’t spot this one until we were on the return leg, but it is thought to be over 800 years old – and you can tell which one it is as it has been patched together with what looks like iron plates!!
The Barley Mow pub on the green has been an alehouse since 1763, but the adjoining cottage dates from 1601. In 1821, one of England’s most famous cricketers, Silver Billy (WIlliam Beldham) took over as Landlord.
We followed the branch of the river that runs north. We spotted various pill boxes left over from World War 2, but what we were hoping to spot and remained ellusively out of sight was what is intreguingly labelled as ‘Islamabad’ on the map. The internet told us it was the international headquarters of the Ahmadiyya community.
However as we followed the Greensands Way through Sheephatch Copse, we did get a good sighting of the more ancient religous community of Walvery Abbey.
Waverley Abbey was the first Cistercian Abbey in Britain and was founded in 1128 by a small group of monks from France. The ruins are quite impressive, but the site is still owned by Christians with the Waverly Abbey Trust based in the adjoining Waverley Abbey House and offering training and resources.
A little further along the valley we came to Mother Ludlam’s Cave. The cave was formed by a spring, but may have been enlarged by the monks from the abbey who used it as a water source. Later it was made into a grotto in the 18th century and an arched entrance added in the 19th century. There are various stories about who Mother Ludlam who lived in the cave. One is that the devil visited Mother Ludlam in disguise and asked to borrow the cauldron she used for mixing her potions. Recognising the Devil from his hoof-prints in the sandy soil, she refused, so the Devil stole the cauldron. The witch in pursued him, but the Devil took great leaps, creating the series of hills near Churt, calle the Devil’s Jumps where he touched the ground.. The Devil dropped the cauldron – or kettle – on the last of these hills, “Kettlebury Hill”. Mother Ludlam recovered the cauldron and placed it in Frensham Church, where it would be safe from the Devil.
The cave above Mother Ludlam’s is known as Father Foote’s Cave, named after a man who sheltered there. He was found unwell, lying by the stream and taken to Farnham workhouse, but his last works were allegedly “Take me to the cae again”. The current inhabitants of the caves are various species of bat!
The next section of the valley is Moor Park Nature Reserve, with Moor Park House at the far end. Its most notable owner was the diplomat and essayist Sir William Temple. In the 1680s he laid out five acres of formal gardens and he employed as his secretary Jonathan Swift (best known for later writing Guilliver’s Travels). In the 18th century the house was a popular hydrotherapy spa, with some distinguished patrons, including Charles Darwin who wrote in his diary, “the country is very pleasant for walking…it is really quite astonishing & utterly unaccountable the good this one week has done me”.
The next interesting place we came to was Bourne Wood – which is an important filming location! It has been the backdrop to many films and television series, including Robin Hood, Gladiator, Harry Potter, Warhorse, Thor, Wonder Woman, Transformers 3, and The Crown and The Witcher. When we were there we could hear some strange noises and came across a fake snow scene, but we don’t know what was being filmed!
Our route then took us accross the very open Farnham Heath and back along the road to where we’d left the car at Tilford
This route was 7 miles.
Embrace your inner goat 