Tuesday, 8 October 2013

The Wey

7th October, Monday

We set off down the Wey navigation - National Trust owned river that runs to Guildford and Godalming. We purchased a 3 day licence for £36 at the NT office and learnt that the locks have a slightly different system in that they want you to leave gates open as you leave them, which is useful and makes it easier for boaters. You do have to secure the boat in the lock however as the water flow is fierce and some are quite deep.

The Wey is beautiful. Sleepy, green and well kept. It made such a lovely contrast to our last week in London - once again we were on our own completely, drifting through reedy water with open fields and trees either side. We locked through the final lock of this day with another boat 'Ella', which is based here. Consequently their owners were able to tip us off to a good mooring and in true fellow boaters fashion, without us asking, they gave us the info we all need to know; where the supermarket is, not to moor by the noisy pub, which way to point your TV aerial for the night's viewing (crucial!) They also told us they are on YouTube because they had a rocking and rolling time trying to get in (or out) at Limehouse and someone filmed them! Poor things, it confirms my fears about narrowboats attempting such stuff, but Pete still maintains it's a question of timing the tide right, then all will be well.

The mooring they suggested was dreamy - sheep and goats one side, open field the other. Warm sunny evening and a walk to a pub. Fire lit to come back to as it gets misty and damp.



A picture of an old relic, with Newark Priory in the background
















                                         Pete trod on his glasses!!

1 comment:

  1. Fabulous photos, what a lovely river. Would you say it is one of the most beautiful rivers you have seen so far? Going to get windy and colder by Thursday.....Keep that stove burning. xx

    ReplyDelete