Weybridge to Send

Thu 8^th July  Weybridge to Byfleet – West Hall Farm

After a peaceful night, we found our roof covered in Sycamore seeds.

Sycamore seeds

James went to set Town Lock, so that we could go straight in, instead of mooring on the lock bollards before making the sharp turn. Having got the bottom gates open, he returned to the boat, and we set off. Turning into the lock, he found the gates had been shut, and someone was filling the lock.

In fairness, the guy had looked over the bridge parapet and hadn’t seen us. However, he stopped filling and opened the lock for us. We returned the favour by helping him through as he was on his own.

The Old Wey Bridge

Town Lock closed

We moored above the lock, and soon we saw Paper Moon coming up, having returned from the Thames. It was good to see Mike and Jeanette, albeit briefly.

Paper Moon

We went into Weybridge for some items we needed, in particular, Hazel’s prescription.

It was fairly late when we left again, and we went up through Coxes Lock, followed by New Haw Lock.

Coxes Mill

Canada Geese at Coxes Lock

The M25 bridge followed, with its usual selection of graffiti, and then the Basingstoke Canal junction. Byfleet Boat Club looked a bit deserted as we passed, but Stuart and Julia were busy at TLC, where they have a new crane. We’ll see them when we return.

Under the M25

Basingstoke Canal

Byfleet Boat Club

We had planned to go to Pyrford, but when we spotted an empty mooring opposite West Hall Farm, we took the opportunity. It is a place we stopped at for lunch years ago with our first boat, but we have never spent a night here, partly because it is popular and has space for just one boat.

Moored at West Hall Farm

3 locks, 4 miles. Dep 1000, arr 1030 above Town Lock. Dep 1600, arr 1800 West Hall Farm

Fri 9^th July  West Hall Farm to Send

We had a very peaceful night, but when we decided to move on, we discovered that both mooring pins had come out, and our ropes were dangling in the water. A boat had come downstream fast yesterday evening, and we wondered whether he was going to get round the bend in the canal successfully. He just made it, but he was probably the one responsible for our mooring spike removal.

Two day boats went past, the first with Julia on board, and the second with Stuart. Those two work really hard, and they deserve the successful business they have built up over the years.

We moved on upstream to Pyrford, where we found fishermen on the bollards for the rubbish disposal point. We couldn’t help stirring up the water for them as Hazel got off to dump our rubbish, while James took the boat up to the lock.

The lock was against us (due to the day boats, probably) so we reset it. Hazel had a good conversation with someone while James was operating paddles.

Waiting and conversing by the Anchor.

We emptied two cassettes above the lock, where the water pump no longer works, so we used our watering can.

We noticed that John Donne was having work done on his house, covered with scaffolding. At Walsham Gates there was some major work happening on the weir. Our guess was a flood relief scheme. Perhaps the works we saw in Weybridge were all part of the same plan.

Walsham Gates

Works on Walsham Weir

Kingfisher artwork

The floating Pennywort was very much in evidence around the Newark area. Newark Lock was also against us, as was Papercourt.

Floating Pennywort

Water meadows

Newark Priory

Papercourt weir

We moored in Send as planned, near the New Inn. We tied to trees as they are less likely to become uprooted than our mooring pins.  Hazel had a good conversation with a lady who was very interested in Canal Ministries.

We had heavy rain later.

3 locks, 4 miles. Dep 1110, arr 1420.

Sat 10^th July  Send

Moored by the New Inn in Send

We took a bus to Woking, but we found ourselves standing at a bus stop that was no longer a bus stop. It had been clearly marked on Google Maps, so James sent an amendment off to Google Maps. It will be interesting to discover how long it takes for the correction to be applied.

Bus stops in Send according to Google Maps. Circled ones don’t exist.

The bus stopped for us anyway, and we had a potter round the Woking shops, plus a coffee in the church café in the square.

We took a bus back to the boat, and met up with Greg, Jessy and Claudia for a meal in the New Inn. It was good to see them. We hadn’t seen Claudia for about two years.

Jessy, Claudia, Greg

No boating today

Sun 11^th July  Send to Send Meadows

We wanted to avoid the football celebrations or commiserations this evening, so we left the mooring by the pub, and went for a mile upstream, passing through Worsfold Gates, which have unusual paddle gear, consisting of putting a peg in a hole. There must be a technical term for this. The National Trust Bantam tug Silkie was moored up by the NT workshops.

Worsfold Gates paddle gear

Bantam Tug Silkie

We spotted a mink, running around on the off-side bank, with mixed feelings. They shouldn’t be here, but it is still exciting to see them.

Mink

We moored on a riverbank by some meadows, before Triggs Lock. When we arrived, the two best places were taken, but we found an alternative place with plenty of water depth.

Moored on the meadows below Triggs Lock

We spotted a whitethroat and a reed bunting, with the aid of BirdNet, the app that identifies bird song. There was also a Green Woodpecker and a chiff chaff, both heard but not seen. A red kite and a sparrowhawk were doing battle in the sky.

Again, there was rain later.

0 locks, 1 mile. Dep 0925, arr 0955

Next: Continuing upstream to the head of navigation at Godalming