Cruising downstream on the Wey Navigations

Thursday, 21 July 2011 20:16

We turned around at the wharf at Godalming, after leaving our mooring backwards

Moorings upstream of Godalming Wharf

A couple of tips about arriving/leaving Godalming on the Wey Navigations ......

First - the mooring. We were able to moor upstream of the wharf as, at the moment, there are spaces beyond the boats in the above photo that are not taken as permanent moorings. It is quieter than beside the wharf, where there is really only room for two narrowboats.

Second - turning around. We found that putting the stern into the wharf by the white painted dotted lines (avoiding Iona, the Packet Boat) meant that the stream took the bows around making for an easy turn.

A day boat from Farncombe Boat House pulled out ahead of us as we descended Catteshall Lock, so maybe we would have company going down the locks?

Farncombe Boat House sign

We did; we caught up with them at Unstead Lock. They said they were "virgins", but with a crew of ten we left them to learn how to work a lock and only made suggestions if they made a mistake!

In Unstead Lock

We went under Broadford Bridge without any problems again as we still had an empty attic. St Catherine's Lock was next, only a 2'9" fall. I was looking out for something I had spotted on the way up.

St Catherine's Sands and Old Ferry Bridge

Some say that the "golden" sands here gave Guildford her name - Guilden Ford (Old English). For centuries this was a ford for travellers and Pilgrims on their way to Canterbury, according to the Victorians. As the bridge is called "Old Ferry Bridge", I assume there once was a ferry too.  St Catherine's Chapel is high on the ancient hill above.

Just downstream from the bridge, hidden to the casual observer is this - what I was looking for:

Stone ornamental bridge, built in the 1930s

It is over St Catherine's Spring, which enters the Wey at this point. It is hardly a stream today, but it flowed from a cave into an artificial pool at the bridge. The water in the grotto was very pure and was thought to have medicinal properties.

Our mooring at Shalford Meadow was free, so in we slipped, avoiding the cow pats!  - wonderful - and this is what the area looks like as we wandered into Guildford later.

St Catherine's Hill over Shalford Meadow, an ancient water meadow

If you look carefully you might just spot Epiphany.

River Wey Navigations, Godalming Navigation, Godalming to Shalford Meadow
2 hours 9 minutes, 3.67 miles, 3 locks