History of the River Wey

Opening for barge traffic in 1653, the River Wey was one of the first British rivers to be made navigable and linked Guildford with Weybridge on the River Thames, a distance of 15 miles. It also formed part of the link that formerly connected the Thames with the English Channel via the Wey and Arun Canal. Entry to the Wey is below Shepperton Lock. The Godalming Navigation, the term navigation in this context simply referring to a river that has been made navigable, was opened in 1764 and enabled barges to work a further four miles upriver. Commercial traffic included corn, flour, timber, sugar and gunpowder plus materials for the tanning industry.

Trade continued until the final barge owned by the Stevens family, who for many years also owned the navigation to Guildford, ceased operations in 1969. The Wey & Godalming Navigations are now in the hands of the National Trust with offices at Dapdune Wharf in Guildford. The wharf is home to Reliance, a restored Wey Barge and offers interactive exhibitions describing the history of the waterway.