Water Flowing Again At Tumbling Bay Weir: Then And Now Views

Published on: 15 Jun, 2020
Updated on: 18 Jun, 2020

Work to reinstate the Tumbling Bay weir at Millmead that collapsed on November 2, 2019, has reached the stage that water is again flowing along the made-made part of the navigation.

Water nowhere to be seen. Looking downstream towards Millmead Lock on Wednesday, June 10, 2020.

David Rose photographed the dry watercourse on Wednesday last week (June 10, 2020), along with the weir work.

The dry backwater than runs behind the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre (June 10, 2020).

Work on the weir continues (June 10, 2020).

Ray Slack took a number of photos on Monday, June 15, 2020, and posted them on the Facebook page Guildford Past & Present and added comments about the current stage of the repairs after talking to workmen.

The temporary dam by Guildford Rowing Club. This and the following photos taken by Ray Slack on June 15, 2020. Many thanks, Ray.

On the Facebook page he wrote: “This morning the River Wey was partially and slowly released through the dam barrier near Guildford Rowing Club.

Looking upstream towards the Weyside pub.

“The authorities are only at this stage trying to maintain a levelling out of both sides of the temporary weir and let the water settle in the dry river bed.

And looking downstream from the bridge that links Shalford Road to the towpath.

“The river was already trickling around to Millmead Lock and the backwater to the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre.

“Over the course of this week the river will be raised for boats to navigate possibly by this Saturday.”

The repairs to the weir as of June 15, 2020.

As The Guildford Dragon NEWS reported in a previous pictorial report, on May 7, 2020, the Tumbling Bay Weir repair is proving more difficult than many envisaged. Even if the technical issues were not complicated enough there are still unresolved issues of ownership and financial responsibility.

In the meantime, businesses and organisations that rely on river access are suffering and worried about the longer-term effects.

The current phase of the £500,000-plus repair project is underway but the full repair could take two years.

And one of a number of our previous stories on the weir reported on the temporary dam to assist in the repairs.