At the weekend we travelled back home and visited one of my favourite places; Waverley Abbey, Farnham, Surrey.
It is in a beautiful spot situated by the River Wey. It was the first monastery in Britain to be built by the reforming Cistercian religious order; a group of French monks settling here in 1128. The monks valued hard, physical work as part of their devotions, building a series of medieval bridges along the River Wey from the Abbey to nearby Guildford.
There is ample archaeological evidence to show that the river has attracted human settlement in this area for thousands of years, and it certainly holds a strong pull for me. It is only ruins now, but I’m amazed that what has survived has done so at all. It was my thinking place when I lived just down the road. Many a lazy afternoon, many a book read, and many a picnic has happened here.
It has been featured in several films: Elizabeth (1998), Into the Woods (2014), Hot Fuzz (2007), and my personal favourite, the post-apocalyptic zombie film 28 Days Later (2002).
Around the corner is an ancient spring (that supplied Waverley Abbey), and a cave that is the alleged home of the Surrey Witch, which I’ll share with you a bit later.
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