The decrepit remnants of Waverley Abbey, once the richest monastic house in all England. Its main church, dedicated to the Virgin, was one of the largest in the country at almost 91 metres long. The associated structures - dormitories, cloister, the all-important brewhouse - covered 24 hectares, sheltered in the valley of the river Wey.
Of all that, only a few heaps of stone survive, plus the vaulted refectory you can see in the picture. Sic transit gloria, etc. When Henry VIII disolved the monastic houses of England, the fabric of the Abbey was recycled into the new houses of local worthies. Some of those are still with us and are pleasant enough.
These days, the site is embellished by an array of WWII era static fortification - part of the inland lines devised against the expected German invasion. There's also a rather sombre 18th century mansion looming over the river. In short, a nice place to sit and draw, or just to poke around.
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