Wey to go .... the southernmost point on the system

Wednesday, 20 July 2011 19:58

The River Wey Navigations seem to lend themselves to punning boat names, we have never seen so many!

The sky at night at Shalford Meadows

Of course, technically we are now on the Godalming Navigation and it was just a short cruise to ......

...our first lock, St Catherine's where we waited whilst a community boat went up ahead of us and two narrowboats came down.

Then we came to one of the lowest bridges on the waterways system:

Broadford Bridge

You will notice that Epiphany is looking rather naked, on the roof that is. The headroom on this bridge in normal conditions is 6'4". To be safe we took off most of our attic trappings. We got up close and personal, but were through with about four inches to spare.

Under Broadford Bridge

We just had to do this -

On the Wey and Arun Canal (unnavigable) at Guns Mouth Junction

Yet another waterway under restoration and we have had a taster. I wonder how old the oak tree will be before we are able to do it for real! Reversing back we continued upstream, with two more locks to go.

Trowers Footbridge and our empty attic

The final lock, Catteshall is home to a lot of moored boats at Farncombe Boat House. It can be very busy here, but was quite calm today. So we came to the end of the short but lovely Godalming Navigation. The Wharf proclaims "The Most Southerly Navigable Point". But we pushed on a little further.

Godalming Wharf and horse drawn boat, Iona

Sign at the Wharf

We went almost to Town Bridge, the absolute limit of navigation, but we did not go right up as the bushes are a little overgrown.

Town Bridge, we had arrived!

Reversing back we moored on the wooden staithes below the wharf, a quieter location than the wharf itself and a very short walk into the town centre and Sainsburys by the wharf. Both of which we were to explore later.

click image to enlarge

Epiphany Progress Map to date - wow but a lot more to do!

River Wey Navigations, Godalming Navigation, Shalford Meadows to Godalming Wharf
2 hours 55 minutes, 3.68 miles, 3 locks