River Wey and Godalming Navigations

The River Wey was one of the first British rivers made navigable, opening to barge traffic in 1653 to link Guildford with the Thames at Weybridge and so with London, and the Godalming Navigation of 1764 extended it upstream to make 20 miles of towpath through the heart of Surrey, now cared for by the National Trust. The base for a visit is Dapdune Wharf in Guildford, where the huge Wey barges were built, with Reliance, one of three survivors, to climb aboard, a riverside tea room, the second-hand Bookshed and an island for children to run around; electric boat trips leave from the wharf in season. Dogs on leads are welcome at the wharf and in its buildings, and under control along the towpath with leads on at the locks, but not in the play area or on the boats. Three Trust towpath walks run from an easy 5-mile loop at Weybridge to the 11-mile Dapdune to Cartbridge walk. Reviewers describe a quiet, wildlife-rich walk with swans and geese for company and locks worth lingering at to watch a narrowboat through. One tip: the towpath is a shared cycle route, narrow and rough in places.