Surrey - Wey Navigation & River Wey - Weybridge to Pyrford Green & return

How to get there - Weybridge is 2 miles east of junction 11 on the M25. Shortly after the second roundabout turn right into the Ham Moor Industrial Estate and park next to the canal in Addlestone Road near the Royal Caribbean Offices. (map)

Suggested Launch Site - Park near the Royal Caribbean Cruise offices on Addlestone Road in the industrial estate in New Ham. At weekends you may get permission to use the car park. Launch over the bank.

General Description - This is about 11 miles, with 6 short portages, taking in a canal and a river journey, in a circle, so no need for a car ferry. (Click here for an overview of the route) It is best done out of the fishing season.

After launching,travel south under the small bridge, named Black Boy Bridge, past the moored boats. Coxes lock is about 3/4 mile, then another mile to another lock at New Haw. You have to portage over a busy main road.

Now there is a long stretch through some stock broker belt countryside and you go under the M25. Lots of people cycle along the side of the canal, Which goes from the Thames to Godalming.

There is a long run to the lock at Pyrford, which states "Opened in 1653 end of the longest man-made section of navigation". There is a pub here, the Anchor, which is a convenient place to have lunch either in the pub, or if sunny, by the lock. It is quite a popular place.

Within a mile of leaving here, you go past a golf course on the left. About 100 yards past Pigeon House Footbridge, you need to get out on the left and look for a small footpath down to the river Wey where you re-launch. In the summer there are a lot of nettles, so beware! [There is an alternative portage suggested in the "Comments" below by Sprout]

There is a fairly swift current to start with and you seem to spend ages going past the golf course. At one point you go back under the M25 and near the old Brooklands Circuit.

Eventually you can see a fork in the river, the right hand branch goes to a weir, but you turn left and get out near a much smaller weir and portage round that.

After this, canal boats and pleasure cruisers appear tied up to the banks. you are nearing journeys end. At the big green and cream bridge, turn left up a small side stream to a bridge. Get out on the right and a short portage takes you around the lock and back to the canal. You are very near the centre of Weybridge. It is less than 1/2 mile up the canal back to the start.

Return by going back up the canal to the car park.

Comments:

20 Mar 2007		Sprout		The trip took about about 4 or 5 hrs. It was our family's first canoe trip. The Navigation section is a long haul and a little repetitive...............much more fun on the River section, a great selection of wildlife can be seen, the river has some good sections to practice various strokes and manoeuvres. The trip mentions getting into the river a lot earlier than I do.....You can continue on up to the weir at Walsham lock, pass the weir and then head for the bank on the left [with the weir behind you]. Portage back towards the weir, you'll find there is a track. Just to the right of the weir itself, there is a rickety wooden picket style gate through which is a 'desire-line' track disappearing into the field.....follow this and it leads back down onto the river with easy access. (see map of portage)
30 Jul 2007		Keith Day		When this trip was done in late July 2007 there was a tree blocking the route on the river Wey return section (See blogg). It was able to be portaged (over the tree) at this time but circumstances can be different depending on river levels. If you do this trip please update us with a comment on the current position.

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