WALKING THE RIVER WEY & GODALMING NAVIGATIONS - END TO END - 23 1/2 MILES

ABOUT THE WALK - My story -

I first became aware of the River Wey & Godalming Navigation's a a few years ago when I walked the Thames Path for the first time.. Nearing Weybridge Lock, I was unaware, as I was map less, that to continue beside the Thames I needed to take the ferry across. I just kept walking but along the start of the River Wey. I soon realised my mistake and walked back and took the ferry and pressed on towards Windsor. Two years later, I did a pilgrimage walk to Wintershall
from Guildford which included three miles of the Godalming Navigation. The following week I started walking along the Kennet and Avon Canal from Reading; another canal off the Thames. Two days later in the early morning a voice said to me walk the River Wey & Godalming Navigation's this weekend!

I purchased the maps on the Friday afternoon and decided to start from  Shepperton Station, take the Thames ferry and walk all the navigation's to Godalming and onto the station - 23 1/2 miles.

The weather was not promising but I felt such a strong urge to do it. I was up at 5.30 am and on the train an hour later into central London and onto the end of the line at Shepperton. For some strange reason I always find money everyday; I don’t purposefully look for a coin, they just appear. In Waterloo Station I found a Ip and then a 2p coin. In Shepperton as | walked past the shops a 5p glinted at me. Then in the Old Shepperton walking to the church, 20p lay on the ground. | just put the money ina charity box when I get home.
I thought I was on a roll, expecting larger value coins to cross my path, but I saw nothing the rest of the day!

Down at the Thames the ferryman wasn't ready but soon had the outboard motors working and took me across. Then I started a steady rhythmic pace beside the navigation's for the rest of the day. It stayed dry until 1pm., then it began to drizzle, then constant rain. By 5 pm I was in Godalming Station andstepped immediately onto a London bound train, hanging my wet cagoule and hat to dry; thankfully my shorts were dry!

Each canal or navigation is different, each has its own characteristic. The River Wey & Godalming are no exception, being National Trust property each lock has a name plaque and the date the lock was opened. Whilst on some of the canals I have seen rope pulleys for the horse drawn boats, but the River Wey has several roll bars - some wood, some metal; great to see these remainders of earlier times still preserved.

Despite turning out to be a wet day, the early yellow spring flowers were in profusion - lesser celandine, coltsfoot, daffodils and a clump of marsh marigolds near the end. Birds were numerous with green parakeets around the Thames at the start, then the usual mallards, swans, coots, moorhens and shags on the water.

A delightful walk and never dull for it follows a twisty course to Godalming with an array of deep and shallow locks, many weirs and former mills. But like all walks you come home with new one’s to do.  passed the start of the Basingstoke Canal and the Wey & Arun Canal - the lost canal route to the Sea......So as one walk ends another comes into view. I always enjoy walking in the rain, usually everyone has disappeared, and they had. But typically, the following day was bright, warm and sunny, but I wouldn’t change my day on the River Wey, it was perfect!

Have a wonderful walk.
Happy walking!

“Every journey starts when you close the door behind you”.

A5. Placed in a plastic wap around cover and signed by John Merrill.

Embroidered lock cloyth bdge and signed certificate from John Merrill for successful walkers.

All names added to my Walkers Roll of Honour page.