Along The Wey & Arun Canal – September 2016

Published on: 2 Sep, 2016
Updated on: 2 Sep, 2016

A regular update from the Wey & Arun Canal Trust, a charity restoring the waterway which once ran 23 miles from Shalford to Pallingham in West Sussex. The Trust has established the Hunt Nature Park, where the canal route meets the River Wey, as part of its aim to create a green corridor for wildlife and recreation.

Mike Hobbs’s team of volunteers have been out on their work boat measuring the depth of water at eight points around Gun’s Mouth Island at Shalford, near where the Wey & Arun Canal meets the Wey Navigation.

They were carrying out a request for help from Richard Stephens, an engineer on WACT’s Bramley Link project. This is the scheme which is re-creating the canal from Shalford down to the Gosden Aqueduct on the outskirts of Bramley and beyond.

A decision has to be made on which side of the island the canal will be routed – on its original line or in the Cranleigh Waters stream – and accurate water measurements are required.

Mike is the lengthsman for the Shalford section of the canal and supervisor for Hunt Nature Park, which straddles the waterway route next to the A281 Horsham Road. His team used a measuring rod made by the volunteers at the Trust’s Tickner’s Heath maintenance depot. “Hats off to those gentlemen, as it worked a treat,” said Mike.

Another maintenance job was discovered when the measuring team stepped on the island’s landing stage. The top section was found to be a bit spongy and a request for re-decking was quickly made to WACT maintenance co-ordinator, Julian Cheek. And the measuring rod proved handy for recording the dimensions of the wood that needs replacing.

After taking all the required depth measurements, the team went back to a job which takes up much of their time – strimming the vegetation on the banks of Cranleigh Waters and along the riverside path created by WACT volunteers.

Undergrowth clearance has been needed so that Richard Stephens can mark out the possible site of the new Tanglewood Lock in Hunt Nature Park. Further strimming has enabled the pink tipped marker pegs to be clearly seen again.

Himalayan balsam bashing has also continued apace in the park, where the osier beds planted by WACT have been almost stifled by this invasive weed. The working party has also been giving the new hedge by the A281 some light by pulling up nettles, balsam and bracken along the boundary.

The Gosden Aqueduct will be one of the sights on the guided walk on Sunday, September 11.

The public has a chance to explore the Shalford to Bramley route of the canal on Sunday, September 11, during a guided walk as part of the 2016 Heritage Open Days weekend.

Walkers will meet at 2.30pm at the Gunpowder Store, Stonebridge Wharf, on the Wey Navigation at Shalford. Trust publicity officer Rob Searle will take them down to the former Bramley Wharf, off Station Road in Bramley.

This one and a half mile stroll, taking approximately two hours, will take in the Hunt Nature Park viewing platform, the Tannery Lane roving bridge and the sites of the Tannery Lane Lock and the unique Gosden Aqueduct.

Parking for walkers is available at Broadford Business Park, Shalford GU4 8EP, behind the Parrot Inn on the A248.

The previous day, another WACT heritage walk visits four sites containing relics of the canal and the former Horsham to Guildford railway. The Trust’s technical liaison officer, Alan Johnson, will follow a four-mile circular route taking in three iron-framed bridges.

Meet him at 2.30pm in the car park of Shamley Green Church, Church Hill, Shamley Green, Surrey GU4 0UD.

The events are free, but donations to the Trust will be welcome. Booking is essential, by e-mail to events@weyandarun.co.uk or by calling 01483 505566, by September 8.