This weekend Laurie and I went to my hometown in North Hampshire. I took him to the once all-powerful Waverley Abbey nearby, which was Britain’s first Cistercian Abbey, built in 1128.
The Abbey is set near a beautiful river and in a peaceful valley by the river Wey, very close to Farnham in Surrey. The beautiful setting is in slight contrast to the grey, desolate remains of the Abbey (which had been destroyed during King Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries in 1536). A lot has been disappeared now, but however haunting and stark they may look, the ruins still possess this strange and thought-provoking quality, and I could feel my imagination wander into overdrive as I tried to piece together what transpired nearly 900 years ago.
I came across this article recently, that explores the role of the Abbey during the Second World War. Apparently this area played an important part in Britain's defences, particularly in protecting London and the 'industrial heart of England' from an invasion. Somehow I missed the 'Dragon's Teeth' which were set close to the river and ruins, with the intent to prevent the German tanks crossing the river. I did, however, notice there was a low brick building, which I pointed out to Laurie suggesting it was an old bunker from the war, to which he replied: "Why would they need a bunker out here in this peaceful wooded area?" It turns out this was actually an anti-tank gun emplacement, where guns would have been located to fire across the river floodplain.
All photos © me. More photos and info can be found here
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