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Wait for dry weather, as this section is a swamp in the winter

Wait until it is dry, otherwise the path can turn into a swamp

Nice section of gravel along this section of the scenic River Wey Navigation Path The path is 20-mile (32 km) long altogether and is a continuous navigable route from the River Thames near Weybridge to Godalming

A wharf on the Wey Navigation in 1653.

The pretty Walsham Lock and Weir have a scenic setting 1 km north of the village of Ripley in Surrey. The lock has several notable features and is surrounded by tranquil and picturesque flood meadows and by Pyrford Golf Club. These attributes make it well worth a visit. Walsham is the last surviving turf-sided lock on the Wey Navigation. This means that it operates as a flood lock and has its lock gates always open unless the River Wey is in flood. If there is a flood the lock gates are closed to force water over the nearby Walsham Weir and down along the River Wey. Two further unusual features of Walsham Lock are first that it’s situated on a slight bend such that its top and bottom lock gates do not quite align with each other. Second, its adjacent pleasant lock-keeper cottage is the last remaining fully-manned lock cottage on the Wey Navigation. The original lock-keeper cottage was built in 1653 and the current one dates from 1896. The Walsham Weir and its roaring water marks where the River Wey Navigation separates from the River Wey. The two waterways do not rejoin again downstream until Weybridge. The Walsham Weir is the main Weir on the Wey Navigation downstream of Guildford. When crossing the former horse bridge over the River Wey by the Weir you should look out for the entrance to a naturalised fish and eel pass channel route. This 170 m long channel has a reduced water flow compared to the Wier so that fish and eels can make their way upstream on the River Wey.

Crossing the metal 'Bowers Footbridge' below Bowers Lock is a highlight of walking the River Wey Navigation between Guildford and Weybridge. This footbridge allows walkers and cyclists to cross the River Wey where the Wey Navigation rejoins the River Wey beyond Bowers Lock. The footbridge has a tranquil rural setting and an interesting history. When the Wey Navigation at Bowers Lock opened in 1653 there was no bridge. Barge horses had to cross the River Wey either by wading or by swimming. Following complaints by barge-owners a ‘horsebridge’ was erected on the site of the current metal footbridge so that towpath horses could cross the river more easily. Records show that a horsebridge was still present here in the 1920s. In addition to its peaceful and scenic environment, the Bowers Footbridge provides a good vantage point for seeing narrowboats entering and leaving Bowers Lock and, if the light is correct, for seeing fish swimming in the clear River Wey waters.

Situated just over a kilometer downstream from Bowers Lock, Broadoak Bridge and Pippers Point are two notable features on the River Wey Navigation. Being located next to each other these features combine sensibly into one highlight. Broadoak Bridge carries the east entrance drive of Sutton Place over the River Wey Navigation from the nearby busy A3 road. Sutton Place is a large Grade 1 listed Tudor mansion built in 1530 by Sir Richard Weston who was a courtier of King Henry VIII. Anne Boleyn was an occasional guest at Sutton Place and it is said that Henry first met his future queen here. It was the Weston family who created the River Wey Navigation in the 17th century – a transformation that inspired other canal builders across Britain. In recent times Sutton Place has had a series of wealthy owners including John Paul Getty, then the world’s richest private citizen, who spent the last 17 years of his life living there. Although Sutton Place is not visible from Broadoak Bridge its impressive tree-lined drive hints at the estate’s standing and wealth. Next to Broadoak Bridge is Pippers Point – a right-angle bend in the Wey Navigation where the Navigation separates from the natural course of the River Wey. The latter cascades over a weir marked by a ‘Danger Weir’ warning sign. The sharp bend at Pippers Point together with the strong pull from the water falling over the weir meant that special measures were needed to help barges safely negotiate the 90-degree bend in the Navigation. The remains of these measures are evident today and comprise a cast-iron pulley (for the tow rope) anchored in a concrete block, a vertical roller at the bend apex and the remains of brackets for additional rollers located underneath the Bridge. When hiking past Broadoak Bridge and Pippers Point it is worth pausing for a moment to view their interesting features, and to contemplate all the notable historic events that have occurred here thanks to the Weston family and to Sutton Place!

About 70 m southwest of Bowers Lock next to the River Wey Navigation footpath there is an ancient hollow oak tree bound by a large iron hoop. This tree is thought to be 250-350 years old which would mean that it may have started growing around the time that the River Wey Navigation was created in the mid 17th century. The tree is referred to as the ‘Bowers oak’ on a nearby National Trust information board. The oak tree certainly looks very old and it is a wonder that it has survived with towpath horses (until the 20th century) and pedestrians passing so close, and with children playing hide and seek inside the tree!