Stoke Lock is a uniquely historic, well maintained and picturesque lock on the River Wey Navigation. It is situated 2 km northeast of central Guildford in Surrey.
Stoke Lock has the distinction of being the oldest lock in Surrey and the oldest pound lock in England! A pound lock is where two sets of gates enclose a small section of water.
The original Stoke Lock was dug in 1618-1619 by Sir Richard Weston, a wealthy landowner who lived nearby at Sutton Place. Weston created this lock not for river navigation but to make a man-made river through the grounds of Sutton Place so that he could flood meadows to improve local agriculture.
Later Weston had the idea of extending his ‘new river’ all the way to the River Thames. This led to him leading and part-funding the construction of the Wey Navigation that opened in 1653. This canal provided a ‘highway’ to London for Guildford and Surrey merchants. Since 1964 the Wey Navigation has been managed by the National Trust as a leisure waterway for narrowboats and small cruisers.
Despite its proximity to the Slyfield Industrial Estate, Stoke Lock has a beautiful setting. It is pleasant and relaxing to stroll past the lock and to see the brightly-coloured narrow boats passing through it. The adjacent lock-keeper’s cottage that was built in 1882 to replace an earlier one, adds to the historic and picturesque scene.