Verified filming site · Farnham, Surrey

Waverley Abbey

Waverley Abbey lies beside the River Wey near Farnham, where open lawns and substantial stone ruins create a peaceful place to walk. Founded in 1128 by William Gifford, Bishop of Winchester, it was the first Cistercian house established in Britain. The surviving remains include long stretches of masonry and traces of the abbey’s former buildings, so visitors can see how a large religious community once occupied this riverside site. Midsomer uses the atmospheric ruins to evoke fictional religious houses. The best-known role is Causton Abbey in The Ghost of Causton Abbey, while earlier stories use the ruins for Monks Barton Abbey and St Frideswide.

The combination of water, open ground and broken stone gives the location a quiet, historic atmosphere that reads clearly on screen without needing elaborate dressing. It is also a rewarding heritage stop in its own right, with the ruins set into the Surrey countryside. English Heritage’s visitor information below covers access and opening times before you travel.