Richard’s Wey October 2017

Published on: 13 Oct, 2017
Updated on: 13 Oct, 2017

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

The sunny spells and showers of September meant that the vegetation had been growing vigorously, with the locksides needing mowing weekly rather than the usual fortnightly cut I tend to do throughout the summer.

Luckily my volunteers have been on hand to help me keep everywhere looking tidy, cutting grass, cleaning moss and vegetation from lock gates, clearing litter and removing low branches blocking the waterway.

These are fairly standard tasks for me to be carrying out but there was a bit more emphasis on getting everywhere looking just right this month as we had our annual Wey River Festival.

This event is held at Dapdune Wharf and saw around 40 boats involved and 1,900 members of the public come to see them, along with stalls, activities and an illuminated boat pageant in the evening.

As well as getting the river looking its best there was also lots to set up and take down, activities to run and car parking to be managed so once again a big thank you to all my volunteers who got involved in helping make it happen.

An early morning walk down the river is well worth the effort at this time of year as we start to see the atmospheric autumnal mists. Picture by Derek Croucher.

Those of you who use the navigation between Stoke and Bowers Lock may have noticed a lot of activity recently around Old Bucks weir.

This is because we have been undertaking a planned engineering survey on the weir structure to assess its condition, which enables us to check for any repair work that may be necessary or even to budget in for a full re-build in to the future.

To allow this survey to take place the weir has to be dewatered, which basically means installing a temporary dam of steel sheet piles before letting the water out through the sluices.

Thankfully the weir appears to be in excellent condition, especially as the current structure is 90 years which was verified by the date 1927 found etched in to the concrete.

Finally, I just thought I would mention my busmans holiday at the beginning of September – to the canals of Venice!

This was a birthday treat for my wife and I must admit we were both stunned by the beauty of the city and its intricate network of waterways and bridges.

So if you see me swapping my work punt for a Gondola or Vaporetto you’ll know where I got the idea!

Richard

07786 703 832

richard.cant@nationaltrust.org.uk

www.facebook.com/RiverWey