We pulled pins about 9.30am and headed downstream. We dumped the dumpables at Dapdune Wharf – I
opened the glass recycling bin and added Richard’s empty beer bottles to those
of Klara and FL!!! There were quite a
lot in there!
At Stoke Lock there was a boat sort of across the open lock
entrance. We managed to squeeze past him
and when I asked what he was doing he said he was filling with water and his
hose wasn’t long enough to reach his permanent mooring. I did comment that wouldn’t it be easier to
buy a longer hose!!
Down through Bowers Lock where Bowers Mill House stands. It’s not the original mill which had been
constructed specifically by the Duke of Sutherland as a laundry to serve Sutton
Place which he had then owned. The mill had made paper, flour then linseed but
had closed by 1910, with the mill building demolished in 1947.
We pulled over for lunch as Richard likes to stop for lunch but this is
the first time we have done it this trip.
Mind you we really did need to stop as I had made soup and it’s not that
easy to eat that under way! I should
have made soup before as it went down very nicely. I’ve been living on a piece of cheese and a
banana for lunch.
Richard managed to ground on the nasty bend at Sutton Place – I didn’t
say a thing!
As you approach Worsfold Gates there is a huge house on the left with
all sorts of things in the garden. I
look at it every time we pass and wonder what it is and I’ve done some research
but still can’t find anything! It
probably belongs to a Saudi prince!
The ‘lock’ at Worsfold is almost unique. As it is only closed at times
of flood the paddles on the two sets of gates still use the original ‘peg and
hole’ method whereas most of the others have been converted to the modern winch
system.
Also at Worsfold is this lovely cottage. It was originally the New Inn but is now a
house and the pub by Pyrford Bridge is the New Inn.
We stopped at Cartbridge Wharf for water. This was apparently mainly used for trade to
Old Woking, although of course goods could be taken by cart over the bridge
into the village.
The next lock is Papercourt Lock.
The lock cottage was rebuilt in 1922 on higher ground. Apparently the lock-keeper at the time was
made to make temporary accommodation for him and his family in a barge just
below the bridge for a few months. The site had been pegged out by the builders
and in the middle of the night, as the story goes, he tiptoed around the site
moving the pegs about to make sure that when the cottage was built he would
have a good view along the river in both directions to spot approaching vessels
without having to leave his cottage.
We moored up above Newark Lock almost in the same place as we did
before with FL and Klara. The chairs
were soon out along with the beers!
9.41 miles
5 locks
You were probably the first boat ever to want to lock through while he was filling his water tank unless there are a lot more boats that way now.
ReplyDeleteBrian
Brian - the River Wey is very popular now. There are quite a few boats around. In fact there was one waiting to come up the lock too.
ReplyDelete