The Wey

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The Wey Navigation - Byfleet Junction to Papercourt

Parvis Wharf
To the south of Byfleet is Parvis' Wharf. There's a chandlery, and diesel, gas and coal can be obtained

Dodds bridge of 1768
Quite a few of the delightful canal bridges have names and dates of construction. This is Dodds

General view of Dodds Bridge - most bridges on the canal sections are similarly styled

Entrance to the Pyrford Marina

Pyrford lock with the popular Anchor Inn behind
The Anchor Inn and Pyrford Lock. The Inn was reopened in May 2007 after a major refit and its popularity has soared

Pyrford is where the Martians were said to have made a landing. This little bit of 'fact' is a ficton pened in HG Wells' War of the Worlds.

Pyrford Place, where John Donne lived for a while in the early 1600's
John Donne lived here 1600-1604 at Pyrford Place, working as secretary to Sir Francis Wolley. Donne was the son-in-law of Sir George Moore, the 51st Jamestown investor.

Walsham Flood gates
Walsham Gates. On the return a couple of weeeks later, the scaffolding had gone, as evidenced in the next picture!

Walsham gates and weir
Scene at Walsham Gates. The boat has just come off the longest canal section on the Wey Navigation and is entering the River Wey itself

A side trip up the Eel Trap Stream just before Newark Lock shows a different aspect to Newark Abbey. There were a couple of fairly low trees, and a need to reverse back as a sand bar prevented turning by the road bridge, otherwise the depth was fine

Wey Navigation by site of Newark Mill
The navigation by the site of the old Newark Mill. It had five floors, three waterwheels and eight pairs of stones. The mill burnt down December 1966

The Wey above Newark
Above Newark lock the navigation enters the river again. Over on the left out of sight is the Ockham Mill Stream, which recieves its main flow of water at this point

Looking back along the Wey to Newark bridge
A view looking back at Newark bridge. The navigation enters on the right under the bridge, whilst the river goes off to the left where the moored boats are

Papercourt Lock and its tumbling bay
Papercourt lock and its splendid weir (or tumbling bay as they are called in this part of the world) The by wash can be very strong

Papercourt lockhouse from Old Woking Palace
View of Papercourt Lock House from Old Woking palace using a powerful zoom lens

The Wey at Old Woking Palace

Before we leave Papercourt, just across the fields is Old Woking Palace. Henrys the seventh and the eighth stayed here, and the man of six wives enlarged the palace in the 1530's. His second wife, Anne Boleyn, stayed here. The Wey here is fairly narrow but deep, but it is possible for small cruisers to navigate along here. Only one Wey barge, Kate, has ever been recorded using this part of the river, and that was to make a delivery of telegraph poles from Erith to Old Woking itself in either 1919 or 1920. Mooring up anywhere is a problem however, and Old Woking Place is only open on three days of the year (May June September) A couple of small cruisers moored at the bottom of gardens in Old Woking itself.