The Wey is steeped in history and as well as the river itself there’s the Wey Navigation, sections that was created to allow boats carrying passengers and initially cargo access, around which the town grew.

Guildford to Godalming (5 miles)

Five miles south of Guildford on the Wey is Godalming. Just outside Guildford the path opens out into a lovely rural area with open grass lands and the familiar sight of narrowboats moored along the edge. The path continues on past St. Catherine’s Lock and under the railway. When you read Broadford there’s an opportunity to leave the path and head up to the tower on Chinthurst Hill which offers great views on a clear day. Retracing your steps back to the towpath you continue on past Farncombe Boat House and Catteshall Lock until you reach Godalming. You can then either walk back after a nice cuppa or get the train back.

In the summer, normally between Easter and the end of September, horse-drawn narrow boat trips are available from Godalming. See http://www.horseboat.org.uk/ for more details.

Guildford to Pyrford (9 miles) and the Thames (15 miles)

The walk from Guildford to Pyrford is 9 miles and passes through picturesque countryside especially the Lockkeeper’s Cottages at Stoke Lock and Triggs Lock. There are a couple of bridges which you can’t pass under and therefore require crossing several lanes of traffic but the rewards are worth it. At Newark Bridge and Lock are some very old buildings and just beyond are the remains of Newark Priory which is inaccessible to the public. At Pyrford Lock is your reward. The Anchor is a very popular riverside pub serving food and drink from 11.30am until late evening with a very extensive menu suitable for those who want a light meal or something more substantial.

Pyrford Lock is close to West Byfleet should you decide to terminate your walk here.

If you decide to continue your walk to the Thames at Weybridge, it’s another six miles and unfortunately a portion of this is alongside the M25 which ruins the once peaceful setting but once you’re past this stretch it’s back to the quiet of the canal as you get towards the outskirts of Weybridge and it becomes more built up.

Getting back from the Thames Lock, should you chose to go that far means either retracing your steps and getting a bus (Mon – Sat only) from the town bridge to West Byfleet or head towards the town centre to get a train from Weybridge (it’s some distance from the town).

Whatever you decide to do, make sure you’ve got the proper attire for the weather and have detailed information about the walks which is available online or in local guide books.

Chris Kent

The post A Nice Wey to Walk appeared first on Guildford.

The upper reaches of the Wey is found within the Surrey Hills area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and has numerous Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Nature Reserves along the river. It passes through a variety of habitats that include heathland, woodland and watermeadow, resulting in a broad diversity of wildlife. There are also many angling clubs along the river as there are stocks of lots of species of fish including chub, pike, bream, barbel, roach, perch, carp and eel.

The River Wey is quite unusual in that it has two sources and two river courses many miles apart but which share the same name. The south branch rises south from Blackdown near Haslemere in West Sussex and flows west into Hampshire going through the town of Bordon before turning east and entering Surrey southwest of Frensham. The northern branch flows from Alton in Hampshire and goes north-east through Farnham.

The two rivers flow into Surrey where they join at the picturesque village of Tilford and remain in the county until reaching the Thames at Weybridge. From Tilford the river runs through the towns and parishes of Elstead, Eashing, Godalming, Peasmarsh/Shalford, Guildford, Send, Old Woking, Pyrford, Byfleet, New Haw and forms the traditional border between Addlestone and Weybridge.

The River Wey is also quite unique in that it has two man-made navigations; the longest having been constructed around the time of the English Civil War 350 years ago. The canals provide approximately 20 miles (32 kilometres) of navigable water which connects Surrey with London and has ensured that Surrey became one of the wealthiest and most influential areas in Britain. Later navigations to the Wey Navigations included the Basingstoke Canal and the Wey & Arun Junction Canal which extended the reach of barges to waterways stretching the length and breadth of England. These connections have helped put Guildford and Surrey on the map and even once provided a southerly route to the sea.

The Wey Navigations are used by a variety of pleasure boats including canoes, kayaks, skiffs, skulls, barges, rowing boats and narrowboats as there are a number of clubs along the Navigations promoting the use of the water for sport and pleasure. There are two commercial boathouses which provide a concoction of boats for hire short and long-term and thousands of other water craft visit from all around Britain using the 2,000 miles (3,200 kms) of interlinked navigable waterways.

The two navigations have 16 locks, 12 weirs, 50 weir structures, 24 bridges, 13 cottages and 24 other buildings, together with a fleet of 11 maintenance craft to operate. This is a considerable responsibility that represents a huge financial and legal liability when you take in the context of providing the manpower and finance to maintain all aspects of the waterways to ensure all-year-round navigation. The 40 miles (64 kilometres) of river boundary running through the properties of over 2,000 land owners and across four municipal boroughs requires much attention, especially in ensuring flood control measures are in place and pollution avoidance.

James Martin

The post The River Wey appeared first on Guildford.