Mother Ludlam's Cave

A Saxon cave carved into soft sandstone beside the River Wey, Mother Ludlam's Cave sits just outside Farnham and makes for a quick but genuinely interesting detour on a Surrey park holiday. The opening is modest - you're not talking vast cavern here - but it's the folklore that pulls you in. Legend has it a white lady once lived here, helping locals with their spinning in exchange for food. Whether you believe that or not, standing inside and running your hand over the smooth stone walls does something odd to your sense of time.

It's free and takes maybe fifteen minutes to explore properly, though walkers will want to stretch it into a longer loop along the river path. The cave itself is low-ceilinged and damp, so wear decent shoes and don't expect dramatic stalactites or underground lakes. What you get instead is atmosphere and a genuine sense of something old - this place has been known about since medieval times at least.

Historically minded adults will find it worthwhile. Young children might find it a bit underwhelming on its own, but it works well as part of a riverside walk. The Wey valley here is lovely, with Tilford Woods Lodge Retreat just 2.2 miles away, so you could easily slot this into a morning's exploring before heading back for lunch. Go when the river's not in spate - accessing it in heavy rain is bit of a mission through muddy banks. Winter's actually decent for it, when the woods are bare and the whole setting feels more mysterious than it does in summer.