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Walking London's route to the sea

12th Jul 2006

The Wey & Arun Canal Trust congratulates Bridget Glynne-Jones on successfully walking the 36-mile length of the Wey-South Path in one day. Bridget, an office manager for the Wey & Arun Canal Trust, undertook the walk on 17th June to raise money for the Canal Trust and Macmillan Cancer Relief.

Bridget had trained hard for the walk and had previously covered various sections to make sure she would not waste time by getting lost or breaking her rhythm for map-reading. It all paid off on the day when she covered the whole route in a remarkably fast time. The weather was fine and pleasantly warm when Bridget set off from Millmead Lock on the River Wey in Guildford, next to the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, at 6.30am. The ground was dry, unlike on practice walks where Bridget had to wade through knee-deep floods.

Just after 7am, Bridget joined the route of the Wey & Arun Canal at Shalford and made quick progress past Cranleigh and Dunsfold into the quiet depths of Sidney Wood, then across the county border to Loxwood in Sussex for an early lunch stop at the Onslow Arms. Loxwood is the centre of the Canal Trust’s activities, with boat trips every weekend in the Summer. Trust Chairman, Peter Foulger, was on hand to encourage Bridget for the afternoon’s exertions.

Several Trust members acted as escorts as Bridget’s route took her along the restored canal towpath into the beautiful Arun valley, just north of Billingshurst, past Rowner Lock and Northlands lift-bridge, installed by the Trust, then across the A272 road to the showpiece Lordings site. From here it is not far to the Haybarn swingbridge installed by the Trust in 2005, then a diversion is necessary before the path once again crosses the canal route near the canal’s junction with the River Arun at Pallingham.

Trust Secretary, Julian Morgan, went to meet Bridget near the White Hart at Stopham, outside Pulborough, and was amazed to find her running along the path, having already covered over 30 miles, some of it in fierce afternoon heat. From Stopham the route follows the River Arun to Amberley, the end of the Wey-South Path, and by 4.45pm Bridget was enjoying a glass of lemonade in the garden of the Black Horse. She had covered the route in about 9 hours and 15 minutes of walking, plus about 1 hour of stops.

Bridget’s choice of route was appropriate for the Canal Trust, which is restoring 'London’s Lost Route to the Sea'. The Wey-South Path follows the canal route as closely as possible, using public footpaths, and a detailed guide is available from the Canal Trust

Last updated: 22/10/2008