Richard’s Wey April 2018

Published on: 24 Apr, 2018
Updated on: 24 Apr, 2018

The latest report from Richard Cant, the Stoke lengthman on the River Wey Navigations

I always find March to be a very confusing month, with some definite signs of spring like blackthorn blossom and daffodils but also some decidedly wintery weather.

This year has been no different with heavy rain and cold weather being the norm but with the odd day of glorious sunshine to trick you in to thinking that we have escaped the icy clutches of winter.

Spring has finally sprung on the river! Photo looking upstream from Bowers Lock / Clay Lane bridge near Burpham. Picture courtesy of Derek Croucher.

This weather must be just as confusing for wildlife, for instance on March 1 I was looking at daffodils blanketed in white snow and by mid-March I had one evening warm enough to be able to watch the bats feeding on insects around the lock at dusk!

Of course for me working outdoors I have to work flexibly and try to work with the weather rather than against it. A good example is that the cold weather has stunted leaf growth and therefore bird nesting, giving me the chance to finish off the last of my winter tree work including removing low branches from Bowers lockside, coppicing hazel along the creek at Dapdune Wharf and removing ivy from below Stoke Lock to open up the sightlines for boaters trying to moor up.

Other wet weather work has included installing a new gateway in to the boatyard at Stoke to help welcome boat owners and direct walkers along the public footpath, and doing a ‘deep clean’ litter pick around the NT boundaries before the vegetation excludes it from view.

The flip side of this is that on the warmer/drier days I’ve been able to start mowing the locksides and even getting a coat of paint on the lock beams!

This was all in a bid to get the river looking as good as possible for Easter, which is traditionally the start of the boating season.

Unfortunately, the early Easter weekend this year didn’t bode well and the heavy rain which had been plaguing us all month continued making the weekend a washout for boating.

The intense rainfall meant that the river quickly became too fast for boats to safely navigate and those who had braved the elements found themselves unable to proceed, with one boat having to wait for a week before they could continue!

Of course we try and help where possible, offering advice on safe places to moor up, updating boaters on river conditions and informing them of what is available locally for them to do while they wait. If only we could be just as helpful in arranging good weather for everyone.

Richard

Stoke Lengthsman

07786 703 832

richard.cant@nationaltrust.org.uk

www.facebook.com/RiverWey