Wey and Godalming Navigations
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This canal was one of the first rivers in England to be made navigable.[1] The canal is navigable for around 32km from Godalming to the Thames at Weybridge to the south-west of London. It runs through Guildford, Pyrford and joins the Basingstoke Canal at West Byfleet. The River Wey intertwines with the canal.
The canal was build by Sir Richard Weston, beginning in 1635. The 25km to Guildford were made navigable by an Act of 1651, with work completed in 1653, to allow barges to transport goods to London. Further improvements were made under another Act of 1671.
Originally the Wey Navigations were used for transporting barge loads of heavy goods via the Thames to London. Timber, corn, flour, wood and gunpowder from the Chilworth Mills were moved up the canal to London whilst coal was brought back.
In 1760, another Act authorised the Godalming Navigation, taking navigation a further 7km upstream to Godalming.
The Basingstoke Canal and Wey and Arun Junction Canal were later dug to connect with the Wey and Godalming navigation.
From 1900 to 1963, the Wey Navigation was owned by the Stevens family, who were commercial carriers on the canal. It was then donated to the National Trust in 1964 which operates a visitor centre at Dapdune Wharf, a former boatyard in Guildford. The Godalming Navigation was donated to the Trust in 1968. Commercial traffic ceased in 1983.
