The River Wey turns on its charm

Tuesday, 19 July 2011 18:39

Like any waterway, the River Wey changes its character depending on what is on the banks.

Papercourt Footbridge and Policeman's Helmets on the bank

There are many lovely bits and some not quite so nice bits as we began to discover .......

We were a couple of "geriatrics" today though! John's back has woken up to the fact that he has not worked locks for a while and the muscles are grumbling. I nearly fell off Epiphany yesterday - my strong arms and weak knees saved me as I slipped on the gunnels in a lock. However, it has shaken my confidence a bit and left me bruised.

That's the bad news, the good news is that the sun shone, eventually. But this stretch of factories after Papercourt Lock heralded the extreme outskirts of Guildford.

Red brick factory buildings

Evidence of the National Trust ownership of the River Wey Navigations is frequent, as at Cartbridge Wharf near Send. Worsfold Flood Gates are also a NT site with restored workshops beside the lock formed by the gates. It is a very pretty location, added to by the statue beside the weir footbridge.

Statue guarding the weir

The old-style vertical paddles are held in place by pegs

Looking back to the Flood Gates and workshops

We passed a few more boats on the move today, mostly hire boats. A few narrowboats had found some of the best moorings that the River had to offer on this stretch.

We met a boat too at Triggs Lock. The cottage here once had a blacksmith's attached and there was a small wharf. The Lock Keeper here in 1812 was William Stevens and one of his descendants gave the Navigation to the National Trust in 1964. The bottom gates of this lock have three paddles on each gate - maybe Mr Stevens needed to keep fit!

Ah ha - the sun came out as we curved around the Tudor Sutton Place. The house is not visible from the river, but if the parkland is anything to go by it must be lovely.

Sutton Place Parkland

The Navigation does an awkward right-angled bend to the right as it prepares to go under Broad Oak Bridge. Here we met another boat which hung back to let us realign and go through the right arch

Broad Oak Bridge

It is difficult to believe that the busy Guildford bound A3 runs almost parallel as the navigation wends its way ever nearer to the city. Bowers Lock, with its awkward approach and Stoke Lock's lovely approach came and went.

We called in at the NT's Dapdune Wharf for water and rubbish and later passed yet more evidence of the NT's ownership.

NT dumb barge and motor tug Silkie

Passing through Guildford (a blog for our return journey in a few days time!) we arrived at the beginning of the Godalming Navigation - Millmead Lock and the heavens opened their flood gates. We were soaked through but persevered with the lock as we wanted to moor on Shalford Meadows a little way above the lock.

We found a lovely mooring right at the end, walkable to Guildford if we wanted to, but far away from the busy city.

Phew, a very long day finished

We're beyond the overhanging trees too, so we have a TV signal. The satellite dish and about everything else on the roof will have to come off in the morning. Find out why tomorrow!

River Wey Navigations, Newark to Shalford Meadows, Guildford
5 hours 32 minutes, 8.57 miles, 6 Locks