Ruins of an ancient stone castle surrounded by green grassy field and mist, with a pink and blue sky at dawn or dusk in the background.

Beautiful Surrounds

Begin by crossing the Wey to Waverley Abbey House, a gracious riverside setting with long lawns and calm water. Just beyond, the medieval ruins of Waverley Abbey sit among willows and meadow, their arches catching light in every season. Wander up through the parkland towards Moor Park House, then lift your gaze to the North Downs and pick up the ridge path towards Guildford for big skies, soft heathland light and long views over the valley.

Turn south and you reach Hankley Common, all open heath, sandy tracks and tall pines that glow at dusk. Slip into Bourne Woods for cinematic clearings and quiet glades where the forest floor runs to rust and gold. To the east, Crooksbury Hill and Common rise in sweeping curves with Scots pines on the skyline, a perfect spot for sunrise recce notes and wide establishing shots. Continue across to Puttenham Common, where low ridges, ponds and birch scrub give you calm horizons and tranquil pockets that suit both walkers and camera crews.

Make time for the villages too. Pause on the greens at Tilford, cross the twin bridges, and choose a proper pub beside the water. Drift along the lanes to Elstead for mills, river light and another good stop. Taken together, this corner of the Wey Valley gives you a neat circuit of history, scenery and film-friendly spaces, all close enough for an easy day’s exploring and a clear plan for your next visit.

Below are a few highlights of the local area…

Bourne Woods

Set on the western end of the Greensand ridge above the Bourne stream, Bourne Wood has seen centuries of managed forestry on sandy heath. Local records remember old rides and banks, and in the 20th century large conifer plantations reshaped parts of the plateau. Today it sits in a joint Forestry England plan with neighbouring Crooksbury, together covering 105.2 hectares, a good measure of the working woodland landscape here. Home | Forestry England

Filmed here: Gladiator, Captain America: The First Avenger, War Horse, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Napoleon, House of the Dragon. Wikipedia

Official info: Forestry England – Bourne Wood (button link). Home | Forestry England

Sunlight shining through a dense forest of tall trees with long shadows on the forest floor.
A dog looking out over a forested landscape with trees and rolling hills in the distance.
A scenic landscape with a field of purple wildflowers in the foreground, green trees in the middle, and a blue sky with scattered white clouds.

Hankley Common

A classic Surrey heath of heather, gorse and Scots pine, Hankley carries traces of grazing, military training and prehistoric barrows across its ridges. The free-draining Lower Greensand gives those long, pale tracks that catch evening light, while open horizons show how extensive the commons once were along this edge of Surrey. The protected heath and woodland extend to 560 hectares, making it one of the largest connected heathland blocks in the area. Wikipedia

Filmed here: Skyfall, 1917, Black Widow, Macbeth, The King’s Man, The Sandman, Napoleon. Wikipedia

Official info: Wikipedia overview (button link). Wikipedia

The River Wey

The Wey is both a river and a historic navigation, one of the earliest in England to be engineered for trade. Locks, weirs and a towpath from the 17th and 18th centuries still shape the banks, linking mills, bridges and meadows from the Thames to Godalming. The combined River Wey and Godalming Navigations run for about 19.5 miles with 16 locks, and the towpath ties into the North Downs Way near Guildford, which is handy for walkers and crews alike. Wikipedia

Official info: National Trust – River Wey and Godalming Navigations (button link). National Trust

A peaceful creek surrounded by lush green trees with overhanging branches in a bright outdoor setting.
Ruins of an old stone building with arched windows on a grassy field, against a blue sky with some clouds.

Waverley Abbey

Founded in 1128 by the Bishop of Winchester, Waverley was the first Cistercian house in Britain. Monks laid out church, cloister and ranges in water meadows beside the Wey, and the surviving arches and undercrofts still give a clear sense of the plan. After suppression in the 16th century the stones served new uses nearby, but the core ruins remain an evocative landmark of medieval Surrey. English Heritage

Filmed here: Hot Fuzz, The Mummy (2017), The Huntsman: Winter’s War. filminginengland.co.uk

Official info: English Heritage – Waverley Abbey (button link). English Heritage

Farnham Castle

Raised in 1138 by Henry of Blois, the powerful Bishop of Winchester, this motte-and-bailey fortress evolved into a great episcopal palace. From medieval keep to Tudor and Georgian ranges, the complex oversaw a key route between London and Winchester and hosted monarchs and churchmen for centuries. It remained the residence of the Bishops of Winchester for over 800 years, which is why layers of architecture sit so closely together on the hill. Wikipedia+1

Filmed here: Great British Railway Journeys, assorted factual and lifestyle TV. Farnham Castle

Official info: Farnham Castle – Film location page (button link). Farnham Castle

A small brown dog walking down a dirt trail in a forest at sunrise or sunset, with tall pine trees and sunlight filtering through the branches.

The local villages

At the heart of the area sits Farnham, a handsome market town of castle walls, Georgian fronts and cobbled cut-throughs, with cafés, galleries and the river slipping quietly past. South of town, Tilford spreads its green beside the twin bridges of the Wey, a classic village scene with cricket on summer evenings. Elstead follows the water too, with commons and lanes that meet by the old mill and the church. To the west, Frensham is shaped by heath and water, with Great and Little Ponds ringed by pines and broad skies that change with the weather.

North of the ridge, Puttenham sits between fields and Puttenham Common, its cottages gathered below the Hogs Back and easy paths running out to ponds and birch. Shackleford is smaller and quieter, a cluster of houses, a green and country lanes that find their way toward the Downs and the A3.

Across the county line, Crondall rests on a chalk spur with a fine village centre and long views over Hampshire farmland. Taken together, these places make a simple circuit of greens, commons, ponds and churches, all within a short drive and each with a distinct character worth an hour on foot.

A lakeside view during sunset with trees and bushes in the foreground, and a house partially visible on the left. The sky features colorful clouds reflecting on the water.
Sun shining over a misty landscape with trees and shrubs.
Open landscape with trees and shrubs, partly cloudy sky with contrails, and patches of sunlight and shadow on the ground.
Sunlight shining through a forest of tall pine trees, casting shadows on the forest floor.
Sunrise over a foggy landscape with bushes and trees, with a clear blue sky and some clouds.
A serene lakeside at sunset with leafless trees in the foreground and a house with a deck on the left. The sky is colorful with hues of orange, purple, and blue, and the free-flowing water reflects the sky's colors.
A dense forest with tall, thin trees and a trail of broken branches and moss-covered ground.
Tall trees in a forest with sunlight filtering through the canopy, viewed from the ground during dusk.
A misty forest clearing with trees and shrubs, some with budding leaves, and a forested hillside in the background.
A landscape of a natural area with bushes, trees, a winding dirt trail, a small lake, and a partly cloudy sky.
Scenic view of rolling hills covered in trees with fresh green leaves, under a cloudy sky.
A peaceful river scene with clear blue skies, lush green trees overhanging the water, and reflections on the water's surface.
A peaceful river surrounded by lush green trees and foliage with reflections in the water under a partly cloudy sky.
A peaceful forest path runs alongside a calm, reflective river surrounded by lush green trees and foliage.
Sun shining through a dense forest of tall pine trees, casting long shadows on the forest floor.
A forest clearing with tall trees, green foliage, and a partly cloudy sky.
Gentle stream flowing through lush green trees and large leafy plants in a wooded area.
Scenic landscape of a calm river with lily pads, green trees on both sides, under a blue sky with scattered clouds.
Scenic view of a river with lily pads, surrounded by green trees and shrubs, under a partly cloudy blue sky.
A peaceful river surrounded by lush green trees and vegetation, with clear reflections of the sky and trees in the water.
A peaceful river flowing through a lush, green woodland area with overhanging tree branches.
A scenic view of a small river flowing through lush green trees and bushes under a bright blue sky.
A dog walking on a dirt path in a forest of tall pine trees during sunrise or sunset with mist in the air.
Scenic landscape with a partly cloudy blue sky, distant hills, and a mix of trees and shrubs in the foreground.
A serene lake surrounded by tall reeds and trees with autumn foliage, under a partly cloudy sky.
A field with tall dry grass under a blue sky with wispy clouds and jet contrails, with a line of trees in the background.
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