I undertook this project partly as a response to the initiative of a Mr J P Dashwood who, way back in 1867, took his 16' open sailing boat from Weybridge on the Thames to the Solent, using the now derelict Wey and Arun Canal. He wrote an amusing account of their adventures,(1) hoping to encourage others into following his lead. Unfortunately in the following year the canal was abandoned, has become derelict and been built over in places.

However, in 1967 the well-known radio and TV personality, Jack de Manio, celebrated the centenary of Dashwood's voyage by taking a traditional type of sailing dinghy over much of Dashwood's route. This led to the formation of the Wey and Arun Canal Trust, dedicated to the daunting task of restoring the canal. Such an ambitious project will take many years, but I decided to assess to what extent the Weybridge - Littlehampton route is practicable and worthwhile at the present time.

It appeared that de Manio had taken his boat up the Wey to the blocked entrance of the Wey and Arun Canal, some 2 miles above Guildford, and then transported it by lorry to Pulborough,(2) which is well down the Arun, although he had taken an illicit sail along a short stretch of the old canal in between.

I felt that the gap left by de Manio could be significantly closed without upsetting any landowners. Reconnaissance and enquiries had shown that further navigation of the “Lost Route” was possible at the Wey end by using the Bramley Stream, which runs close to the remains of the old canal, and by launching again into the Arun at Newbridge, where the old canal follows the infant river very closely. The Trust thought that a right-of-navigation probably existed below Newbridge, but that there were 'obstructions', although they could give no details.

The only way to prove the feasibility of the scheme was to try it out, so I invited members of the DCA to join me in the venture. Eventually a team was assembled comprising my Grandson Mark with an 8' dinghy, Peter Glover in his 5O's with a 14' rowing dory, Talbot Kirk aged 84 with a home-made 8' cruising canoe (with sails and wheels), and myself in my 60s, plus our support man Peter Baxter. We were either too young or too old, and our boats were far from ideal for the project. On the other hand we were all (except Mark) very experienced boatmen, and very fit for our ages. Old Talbot had only the previous year canoed all the way from Bath to Reading via the Kennet and Avon Canal.

(1) “The Thames to the Solent” by J B Dashwood, 1868. Reprinted by Shepperton Swan. Available from Wey & Arun Canal Trust or DCA Library.

(2) “De Manio in Search of Dashwood”, AA "Drive" magazine (AA Archives)

We met up with our various boats at Weybridge, Talbot having already canoed the 44 miles there from Reading. After celebrating with a bottle of bubbly, we rowed or canoed to the commencement of the Wey Navigation at Thames Lock. Although the navigation is now owned by the National Trust, Thames Lock was still being operated by the previous owner, Harry Stevens, now in his 80s. We paid £1 each for our week's passes, but did not hire lock keys because we planned to save time by hauling our boats over each lock. This proved hard-going, however, because our boats had to be partly unloaded and reloaded each time.

Up as far as Weybridge Lock the scenery was similar to the Thames, with the gardens of riverside bungalows sweeping down to the water's edge. After the lock, however, the scenery became rural and remained so for most of our journey to Littlehampton. Although we passed through a number of sprawling suburbs and industrial areas, this was rarely apparent. We often went an hour or more without seeing anyone else.

At Cox's Lock we portaged again. Here there is a huge mill-pond which provided a reservoir of power for the water-wheels in the old days. The mill continued to receive its grain by barge until the 1970s. Above Cox's Lock there were fine views of open farm and parkland. New Haw Lock was manned, fortunately for us, because a width restriction on the towpath would have made portaging difficult. A long navigation cut followed with the river meandering way out to the East, and the Basingstoke Canal branching off to the West. This stretch was somewhat spoiled by motorway noise. However, we were soon in idyllic countryside again. At Pyrford we passed the Marina, and somewhat regretfully, the popular "Anchor" pub because we felt that we should push on while the weather held. For those with time to spare, the magnificent Royal Horticultural Society Gardens at Wisley are only a mile or so up the lane.

As evening drew on we passed through the flood-gates at Walsham (which are left open in normal conditions), and then moored for the night in a serenely beautiful spot a few 100 yds. past the Warden's cottage. Peter's dory had a snug camping cover fitted over hoops, but I bivouacked under a large fisherman's umbrella, with my legs shielded from the rain by a large, plastic bag. This arrangement enabled me to sit up in my sleeping bag at dawn watching the view whilst making tea!

Keen to keep on schedule we were under way by 7 am and were soon portaging over Newark Lock. The ruins of Newark Abbey, “knocked about a bit” by Oliver Cromwell's artillery, lay on our right. Local people say these ruins are now sometimes used for Black Magic rituals. Later that morning we passed the old Church at Send with its bells pealing across the meadows, and then skirted the grounds of Sutton Place. This early Tudor mansion was the home of the Weston family, Sir Richard Weston who had the Wey Navigation constructed. An earlier Weston had been beheaded by Henry VIII. It had been found out that he had had an affair with Anne Boleyn, although this was BEFORE, not after, the monarch had met this ill-fated lady!

Nowadays Sutton Place is better known as the home of the late Paul Getty, the World's richest man. Certainly the quality of the open countryside hereabouts is what one would expect of a fabulously rich man's chosen neighbourhood - and we were getting it for a £1 permit!

One of the high spots of this part of our journey was passing what is known as, “John Donne's Pidgeon House”, a 17th Century summerhouse by the look of it, with a peacock strutting on the stone balustrade. Another incident that I recall was seeing a grass snake sunning itself on a ledge just above the water.

Eventually we reached Stoke Lock. There is a well-stocked yacht chandlery at Stoke Mill, and the lawns by the nearby “Row Barge” provided a pleasant enough venue for our picnic lunch. Beyond here until the centre of Guildford is reached the navigation is industrialised, but not devoid of interest.

Guildford High Sreet is steep and cobbled, with an overhanging clock as its main feature. There is a Tudor 'hospital', and a Grammar School of the same period, and Guildford House, a fine 17th Century building often open to the public. Other items of interest include the "Angel", an old coaching inn with an inner courtyard. Quarry St is the best preserved of Guildford's old streets and includes St Mary's, a Church dating back to the Saxon period, and an interesting little museum. The Castle Grounds are also worth a visit. Guildford is an excellent shopping centre with an "Army & Navy", Debenhams, Heals, Habitat, Black's and three more good outdoor activity shops. Some of the many bookshops are of international class. In other words, there is plenty to see and do on a wet day! One can moor by the treadmill which was used to unload barges not so long ago, or further up by the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre.

Above Millmead Lock the Inland Waterways Festival was still in progress. We landed to look at the many stalls and exhibits and refresh ourselves at the Tea Tent. An authentic working narrow boat, the "Tristram", was moored alongside. A lady recognised the DCA burgee on Talbot's canoe as her father had been a member. She explained the symbolism of the design of which I had not been aware before.

Carrying on upriver we passed a narrow boat tug with the boomp-boomp-boomp characteristic of an early oil engine, and then landed at St Catherine's Hill. Here the "Pilgrim's Way", in fact a Bronze Age trade route, crosses the river on its way from Winchester to Canterbury Cathedral. The "Holy" spring was still flowing from the hillside to "refresh thy soul",** and we climbed the spectacular sandstone outcrop to the ruins of St Catherine's Chapel on its summit. This afforded us extensive views over the Weald of Surrey and Sussex and our route for the morrow. We slid down the great sand slope and resumed our journey upriver.

The next bend is extremely sharp and a post with a roller is provided. In the old days this would have enabled the tow horse to carry-on round the corner without pulling the barge into the bank. Sometimes the barges were towed by gangs of men instead of horses, and sometimes the barge skipper's wife towed while he steered. Otherwise the barges were rowed, poled or often sailed on the Wey Navigation.

We felt that sailing would now be impractical on the Wey, even for modern light craft with large sail areas. Trees now line the banks, blanketing the wind and obstructing tall masts. (However, I have seen that pretty little gaff cutter, "Shoal Waters", up from the sea carrying her topsail on St Catherine's Reach above Guildford.) We tried towing from the towpath, but even this was difficult because weeds 6' high obstructed the tow-line in places. On the other hand, operating the locks is now easier than it would have been in Dashwood's day; he had to sit astride the lock gates and lever-up up the paddles with a crowbar!

On the next bend the builders of the navigation had again given up trying to follow the meanderings of the river and made a straight cut to St Catherine's Lock. We, however, turned off into the quiet and lovely meander, and not long afterwards turned off again into the Tillingbourne Stream. After 100 yds. or so our way was barred by a low footbridge, but we all managed to scrape under by lying down in our boats and pushing against the roof (Peter had to weight down first one end and then the other of his high-ended dory to manage it!). This brought us to my riverside garden in Shalford. We trooped into my house where we were joined by our support man, Peter Baxter and his wife for a meal which my wife Valerie had prepared. (To be continued - 115/21)

There was once an inscription (addressed to pilgrims) by the spring: “My task is to refresh thy soul, your’s to discover mine.”