From young in the 60s, I have spent many wonderful days out along the River Wey. I remember the old wooden bridge at the base of St Catherine's Hill. Sadly, the sand has much slid and the last time I went, the reaosanbly wide path in the sand was no more. It was only a slope and too uncomfortable to put an old towel on to sit there. That sand stains cloth because of its iron content, so you need something to sit on, and not white trainer. There was the remains of a cave or niche near the top, but it wore away in the wind and rain. The base of the footpath, Ferry Lane, used to have an iron sign explaining that the Pilgrim Fathers stopped there to rest on their way to America. They built the stone high backed seat and the small stone bridge over the then more deep pond which formed from the natural spring, the water coming from a few feet away through the hillside. It was sweet and clean tasting. Far superior to tap water. In fact, the old boy who used to live in the last house at the very bottom, a fee feet opposite the spring, bridge etc., used to fill his kettle there and said it was the only water he used for drinking and cooking. If you read the Guildford Dragon inline, you will see that some years ago further niches were found on the steep slope of the railway embankment that you can see from the bridge at the top of Ferry Lane (no longer allowed to park there though). They found signs of artifacts of faith, which would tie in with the ruins of the nunnery on the green at the top. Before a bridge was raised over the Wey, it was crossed by ferry. Thus the name of the lane. Also of course the river went into the Arun and out to sea. It's quite imaginable that in and before the Pilgrim Father's, people would actually live there for some time when travelling, hunting and fishing. The niches would have been longer and would have afforded enough space to lay down comfortably in. It would have been an idyllic and useful area. Wild animals to hunt, fish to catch, sweet clean water to drink, and shelters from the weather. No wonder that a few houses were elected to live in. I would love to have owned and lived in the quaint old house at the bottom opposite the spring, but it would have been a trial lugging anything heavy such as furniture and shopping up and down the lane, and difficult for a GP or ambulance crew to reach, as the lane is a steep gradient and too narrow for a vehicle to turn around. So no vehicles are allowed there. That said, my father did used to take his car to the bottom to unload then reload his 6ft runner dinghy and small outboard engine, but it was a job to reverse up the lane and he wasn't supposed to do it. An ambulance or big van would have been far too wide. Anyway, I have written more than I intended and hope it wasn't too much. Best wishes.
I must say I'm sorry to see what they have done to this place. I first saw it in the late war years and last saw it about forty or more years ago. There were no fences or well-trodden paths or even signs where it was. but if you want to see the white lady, you need to get up very early after a warm night and you will see her rising up from the water spinning and round and round in a mist.
I agree with you John. I last visited in the 80s and i certainly wont be returning after hearing of what they have done. The place has been sanitised because they have allowed a cafe/shop/distillery to open overlooking the pool. It was always known as Silent Pool without the The. It was a little secret as very few people visited as there was nothing there except the magical pool. Nowhere to stuff your face. The silver mist which you would often see above the pool was magical and there were far more overhanging trees and the water was clearer. It was actually quite scary. There is a ghost of a young lady who drowned after a man tried to save her. John, we were lucky to see it as it was. All the best to you.👍🇬🇧
Lovely place. Paganism has much good in it. I have known most excellent pagans some of whom lead lives very much guided by natural energetic principals & including great deal of respect & care for our planet.
Looks nice. Also worth a walk, not far from there, is the Church of St Martha-on-the-hill. Which is a church. On a hill. The walk up from Guildford is quite strenuous, but there are roads that go closer.
I’ve driven past there so many times but have never stopped - another place to have a look. It’s managed by Surrey Wildlife Trust rather than the county council. I’ve yet to try some Silent Pool gin but it’s £40 a bottle so it maybe some time before I do! Much of Silent Pool is natural but the southern end and Sherborne Pond are manmade...
