River Wey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about the river in Surrey, for the river in Dorset see River Wey, Dorset.
The River Wey in Surrey is a tributary of the River Thames. The source of the north branch is at Alton, Hampshire and of the south branch at Liphook. The branches join at Tilford. Its tributaries are the River Tillingbourne, River Slea, Cranleigh Waters and the Stanford Brook/Hoe Stream. The Wey has a total catchment area of 904 km2, draining parts of Surrey, Hampshire and West Sussex.[1] It joins the River Thames below Shepperton Lock near Weybridge which is named after the river.
During the seventeenth century the river was made navigable to Guildford and extended in the eighteenth century to Godalming. The Basingstoke Canal and Wey and Arun Junction Canal were later connected to the river. The navigable sections are now owned by the National Trust. See Wey and Godalming Navigations for more about these navigations.
The river has long been used as a source of power for mills, and many are recorded in the Domesday Book. At one point there were 22 mills on the river, and more on its tributaries. At various times they have been used for grinding grains, fulling wool, rolling oats, crushing cattle cake, leather dressing, paper production and gunpowder manufacture. Willey Mill was still in use in 1953.[2]
There has been a mill on the site of Guildford Town Mill since at least 1649.[3] From 1770, an additional water wheel was being used to pump water to the town reservoir on Pewley Down.[3] This was replaced by two water turbines in 1896, then a single turbine in 1930, in use until 1952 when itself replaced by electric pumps nearby. In 2003, Guildford Borough Council arranged for the refurbishment and installation of an identical turbine as an example of renewable energy. Rather than pumping water, this turbine drives a generator to supply up to 260,000 kWH of electricity into the National Grid, annually.[3] The turbine came on-line in 2006.[4] (The 1930 turbine has since been preserved, and may be viewed at Dapdune Wharf).[3]
Much of the upper reaches of the river is within the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The river passes through a variety of habitats including heathland, woodland and watermeadow, resulting in a broad diversity of wildlife. There are numerous Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Nature Reserves along the river.
The Wey South Path follows the banks of the southern branch of the River Wey, and the entire 19½ mile towpath of the navigable section is open to walkers. There are many angling clubs along the river, and healthy stocks of many species of fish including Chub, Barbel, Roach, Pike, Bream, Carp, Perch and Eels.
[edit] References
- ^ About the Wey Catchment Abstraction Management Strategy. The Environment Agency website. Retrieved on 2007-10-23.
- ^ All About Watermills & Their Millers. The River Wey & Navigations website. Retrieved on 2007-10-23.
- ^ a b c d Hydro Tour Information Sheet (PDF). Guildford Borough Council. Retrieved on 2008-04-04.
- ^ Guildford Borough Council wins "green" award for commitment to renewable energy for the hydro project. Government Office for the South East (13 November 2006). Retrieved on 2008-04-04.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Dapdune Wharf and River Wey Navigations
- River Wey Catchment Flood Warnings
- Guildford Rowing Club
- Wey Kayak Club
- The River Wey and Wey Navigations Community Site
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