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RIVER WEY
NORTH BRANCH

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RIVER WEY
SOUTH BRANCH

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RIVER UNITED
TILFORD TO
GODALMING

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THE WEY
NAVIGATIONS
• Introduction

• History
• The Godalming
Navigation

• The Wey
Navigation

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RIVER
TRANSPORT
• Introduction

• Lock
• Barges
• Life on the
Barges

• The Horse-
drawn IONA

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WEY INDUSTRY
• Introduction

• Watermills
• Flour & Bread
• Fulling & Cloth
• Chilworth
Gunpowder
Mills

• Charcoal
Making

• Brewing
• Papermaking
• Ice Houses
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WEY WILDLIFE
• Introduction

• Habitats
• Trees & Plants
• Insects
• Birds
• Fish
• Countryside
Designations

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WEY PLACES
• Introduction

• More About
ALTON

• More About
FARNHAM

• More About
GODALMING

• More About
WEYBRIDGE

• More About
BROOKLANDS

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WEY PEOPLE
• Introduction

• Legends
• The Big Names
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WEY ART
• Introduction

• Boat Art
• Inn Art
• River Graffiti
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ADJOINING
WATERWAYS
• Basingstoke
Canal

• Wey & Arun
Canal

• The Thames
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WEY RIVER
FREELANCE
COMMUNITY

River Transport

The River Wey was only ever reliably open to commercial use by the construction of the two Navigations. The Wey Navigation opened in 1653, and almost immediately transformed trade in the Wey Valley by providing all-year-round transportation to and from London. Prior to that merchants had to rely on the roads which were poorly maintained and often impassable during the winter months. The Godalming Navigation, opening in 1764, opened up the heart of the valley's clothing industry.

The Navigations brought considerable prosperity to the region, this wealth being generated by the efforts of the barge crews, lock-keepers and Navigation employees.

Here you can find out about the barges and the life of those that worked them. We also explain how locks work, and introduce you to the living-history of the Iona: the last remaining horse-drawn narrowboat plying the river.

SEARCH
ELSEWHERE LINKS LOCKS BARGES IONA
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Britain's waterways?
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Wey
Snippets

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WEY FACTUAL
Brooklands near Byfleet in Surrey is the historical home of British motor racing. It was here in 1906 that the world's first banked motor racing circuit was built. This had been partly in response to the introduction of punitive fines imposed for the first time on early motorists, effectively preventing road testing of new automobiles. It was also a solution to the punishment being meted out by foreign racing clubs on the British drivers who had had nowhere to practice. The camber of the track on the turns measured 100 feet (30 m) across and 30 feet (9 m) high.

WEY BACCUS
Tesco announced that it had started to ship its wine imports within the UK by canal. The grocery chain's first bulk shipment of 600,000 litres of wine was pushed by tug up the River Mersey and on into the Manchester Ship Canal in October 2007 where the consignment was to be received at a bottling plant 32 miles away from the docks in Liverpool. The company claims that this step back to the days when canals ruled in Britain will take 50 lorries a week off the road and reduce carbon emissions by 80%. No announcement however has yet been made as to when shipments will be made along the Wey Navigations . . . Source: guardian.co.uk 19th October 2007

WEY GHOSTLY
The Ship Inn at Weybridge once had a chapel adjoining the building. An employee at the coaching inn who was responsible for tendering to the horses became severely depressed and hanged himself from the chapel's beams. Many years later the chapel fell into disuse and was deconsecrated. The innkeeper bought the building and incorporated it into the inn as a billiard room. The pub by default inherited the ostler's ghost who is said to sometimes while away the time in the room that was converted from the chapel.

PARISH BOUNDARY MARKER STONE

click image to enlarge

BEAT THE DROUGHT
Plant a water-efficient garden

WATERWAYS CLOSURE THREAT

DAPDUNE WHARF - THE CENTRE OF WEY BARGE BUILDING

LARRY HALLIDAY - LENGTHSMAN ON THE WEY

All About Locks

Locks not only keep the canal navigable by maintaining the depth of water, they also significantly contribute to the water management and flood control measures along the valley.

EXPLORE THE LOCKS

All About the Barges

The original barges plying their trade along the river were not the narrowboats you see today. The commercial barges were enormous vessels 14ft (4.27m) wide and 70ft (21.34m) long and able to transport 90 tons of cargo. Incredibly these were hauled by a single horse or even by bow-haulers, men who could physically move the barges along the river, no matter what the weather.

FIND OUT ABOUT THE BARGES

Steering the Butty Click to visit Sarah Chanin's website
click on image to go to artist's website

Life on Board the Barges

Life on board the barges was far from the romantic ideal that may at first come to mind. Often facing great danger, especially during the winter months when flooding and high winds would make navigation extremely hazardous, the men and their families worked long hours to ensure the loads got through.

LIFE ON BOARD THE BARGES

Iona & Ben

The Godalming Packet Boat Company operates the only remaining horse-drawn narrowboat on the river. A single horse pulls the Iona, converted from a cargo vessel into a touring boat, and enables members of the public to experience the idyll of the river, from the river itself.

TRAVEL ALONG THE WEY WITH BEN AND IONA

Larry Halliday - Lengthsman on The Wey

The following piece appeared in the National Trust's South East News published in Spring 2008:

A day in the life of Larry Halliday. Discover what it is like to be a National Trust lengthsman on the River Wey.

Q: How long have you worked for the Trust?
A: Five years.

Q: What does your job involve?
A: I maintain approximately five miles of river navigation and towpath between Burpham and Ripley taking in Send village, so that they can be enjoyed by boaters, fishermen and walkers. During the summer and spring most of my work involves mowing, strimming, tree clearing, painting and a number of guided wildlife walks. During the autumn and winter my time is taken up by water level control or management, using weirs and sluices, and pollarding or coppicing trees.

Q: What do you enjoy most about your job?
A: The variety - from tree work to engineering, it is always different. Plus, I am passionate about the countryside and conservation - the Wey Navigation is a green corridor through Surrey with a high concentration of flora and fauna. I also enjoy liaising with the visiting public.

Q: What is the most challenging part of your job?
A: Any work involving water becomes more difficult. For instance, windblown trees can be awkward enough but add river flow and working from boats and you have quite a challenge. Also 50% of problems occur below the water surface; these jobs involve some ingenuity.

Q: Finally, we hear you are rather popular with the local wildlife. Can you explain why?
A: living on the Wey means living with all the local wildlife. At present we have a resident shrew in a bathroom and a number of grass snakes hibernating in the electricity box! There have also been a few incidents where I have been fortunate enough to be able to save a life, including a swan had been reported to be caught up in lines and hooks. He wasn't difficult to catch and untangle, and a rather large hook was embedded in his foot and needed professional attention. He was taken to the Swan Sanctuary at Shepperton and when he came back (none the worse for his ordeal apart from a hole in his foot and a rather lovely pink leg ring) we put him into the river which he promptly swam across, jumped out of and then ran like mad over a meadow. After unsuccessfully searching we decided that, sadly, under the circumstances he probably wouldn't survive. You can imagine my relief and surprise when two months later he turned up (still sporting his pink anklet and hole), looking fat and healthy.

Source:
National Trust - South East News: Spring 2008

Waterways Closure Threat

Luckily the two Wey Navigations are owned and managed by The National Trust and as long as the public continue to support them in the valuable work they do in protecting the nation's historic structures and landscapes the Wey has a safer future than waterways elsewhere in Britain.

British Waterways, who manage 2,200 miles of waterways have announced (October 2006) swathing cuts including the loss of 180 members of staff. The aim to save £7m over five years will mean that maintenance and new developments are scaled back or put on hold, and it is likely higher fees will be imposed on users of their waterways.

There will be a direct effect on those boat users along the Wey Navigations who link to the British Waterways system, and could result in reduced income for the National Trust of boat enthusiasts who would have considered heading to the Wey.

There are 29,000 recreational users of canals in Britain who will be affected by the decision of the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to cut grants to British Waterways. Critics say that these cuts are a direct consequence for alleged Government incompetence over its chaotic rural payments scheme. This had resulted in £200m penalties from the EU for late payments to farmers.

"This has been inflicted on the waterways because of a Government cock-up," said a representative of the Boating Alliance(1). "We are being penalised because of the Government's own incompetence. It's totally unfair."

Source
The Independent 11th October 2006

(1) The Boating Alliance is an umbrella group for canal users

All Change with IWAAC

In 1968 the Transport Act created the Inland Waterways Amenity Advisory Council (IWAAC) to advise the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Scottish Executive and British Waterways on strategic policy for the use and development of over 2,000 miles of inland waterways managed by British Waterways (1).

The government introduced the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act (2) which was passed in 2006. The Act provided for the IWAAC's constitution to be changed to distance it from British Waterways (and hence become an independent body) and for the Council's remit to be expanded to provide strategic advice about the country's waterways. Renamed as the Inland Waterways Advisory Council (IWAC) the body published its first strategic report in April 2007. This report highlighted the success of the adjoining Wey & Arun Canal. MORE HERE

Although neither the Godalming nor Wey Navigation is directly under the Council's day-to-day responsibility, being owned and managed by the National Trust, the new agency will have an impact on adjacent waterways that are linked to the Wey's navigations. The advisory role provided by the Council on strategic advice to the government encompassing all of the country's inland waterways will include the Wey.

(1) British Waterways is a public corporation responsible for maintaining 2,200 miles (3,540km) of Britain's inland waterway network and is sponsored by the government through Defra and the Scottish Executive. The National Assembly for Wales is also in close liaison. British Waterways is the legal owner of the waterways it manages.

(2) As well as forming the new IWAC, the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act which received Royal Assent in March 2006, created a new integrated agency - Natural England replacing English Nature, the Countryside Agency and the Rural Development service - and established a Commission for Rural Communities to provide independent support to rural people .

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