This volume is a detailed guide and meditation on the geography, history, and literature of Surrey, traced from the western borders of Farnham to the eastern edge at Titsey. The author focuses primarily on walking routes that follow the chalk ridge of the North Downs, commonly known as the Pilgrims' Way, and the surrounding network of rivers, valleys, and heaths.
The narrative begins by examining the ancient trackways used by prehistoric traders, Roman legions, and medieval pilgrims travelling to the shrine of Thomas Becket at Canterbury. Rather than treating this path as a single rigid line, the author demonstrates how travellers diverged to visit local churches, fairs, and abbeys, following the inclinations of weather and personal devotion.
Moving westward, the text details the architectural and historical significance of Farnham Castle, once a palace of the bishops of Winchester, and explores the wild heathlands and ponds of Frensham and Hindhead. The narrative then shifts to the valleys of the Wey and the Tillingbourne, visiting the ruins of Waverley Abbey, the literary associations of Moor Park with Jonathan Swift and Dorothy Osborne, and the quiet villages of Shere and Albury.
Throughout the journey, the author interweaves local antiquities with observations on rural life, agriculture, and the changing landscape. He describes the old hop-gardens, the vanishing cloth industry, and the natural flora of the heaths and downland. The narrative concludes with a gradual progression towards the London border, touching upon towns and rural hamlets that retain their historic character amidst the encroaching modern network.
