Clophill Village

The picturesque village of Clophill sits on the Greensand Ridge. Its walks, views and rich history are just some of the reasons to visit the area.

Clophill is steeped in history, with several buildings of interest, including the watermill, Old St Mary’s Church and a number of listed buildings dating to the 17th and 18th centuries. It is thought that the village of Clophill originally grew up around the old Church, which sits on the hill above the village, gradually moving down the hill to its current location. It was indeed mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Clopelle, meaning “tree-stump hill” in Old English.

Clophill can be found along the Greensand Ridge Walk and the Greensand Cycle Way. There are also a number of local walks around the village, including a heritage trail, a children’s trail with i-spy quiz and five Clophill Discovery Walks. Walk #5 takes you from Clophill, past Clophill Lakes, to Cainhoe Castle. The ‘Lakes’ is a 53.1 hectare site that was created by Fullers Earth Quarry. It is now rich in biodiversity thanks to a variety of habitats including grassland, woodland, swamp, hedgerows, ponds and lakes.

With three pubs and a shop, Clophill makes a great stop off for lunch or dinner whilst spending the day walking in the area. Why not take a walk up the track to the Old Church to experience some stunning, panoramic views of the surrounding countryside? The Eco Lodges across the track from the Old Church also offer a relaxing base for those wanting to explore the area, along with the opportunity to purchase locally produced products.