River Wey Navigations - The Wey and Arun Canal

The Wey & Arun Canal - from the Wey to Pallingham

Wey and Arun Junction Canal Title Banner
High Bridge to Gennets Wood

The canal drops down towards the Lox Valley (or the Arun Valley depending on which source one reads or which map one uses.) It uses a series of locks fairly well spaced out but nevertheless continuing the steady descent from Sidney Wood. The lock chambers still have no walls and are just earthen slopes, but they are easier to identify because each chamber has a brick weir at the head. The canal passes a series of large fishing ponds which are on the east side. One important aspect of the canal on this length is that it passes into Sussex

The private canal at High Bridge Lodge
The length of canal at High Bridge that is now a private garden for the adjacent Lodge

The towpath & canal at High Bridge Lodge
The towpath as it heads south east from High Bridge. The Wey & Arun sign is visible as is the canal bed

The dried canal bed near High Bridge
The dried up bed of the Wey & Arun Junction canal near High Bridge

APill Box near High Bridge
An old Pill Box stands guard to the canal near High Bridge

The canal at Westland Copse No 12
The canal at the tail of Lock 12 (Westland Copse XII) is in water

The canal between the Westland Copse locks
Between Lock 12 and Lock 11

The canal at Westland Copse No 11
The site of Lock 11 (Westland Copse XI), with its brick dam just visible to the left. These were installed by the canal trust in 2001/2002

Footbridge above Bonfire Hanger that gives access to fishing ponds
One of two wooden bridges across the canal that give access for local footpaths and to the adjacent fishing pools. These were built by the canal trust in 2001/2002

The canal below the footbridge

The canal at the site of Bonfire Hanger No 10 lock
Site of Lock 10 (Bonfire Hanger). Its modern blue brick weir is visible at the far end

The canal as it turns to cross from Surrey into Sussex
The canal as it turns to meet the Sussex Border

Gennets Wood 9 lock and the footbridge approximately on the Surrey/Sussex border
The site of Lock 9 (Gennets Wood IX) and the next wooden footbridge. This structure is approximately at the point where the Wey & Arun Canal crosses from Surrey into Sussex. A short distance beyond the canal enters Gennets Wood proper

Restored overflow weir and culvert just inside Sussex
Just inside Sussex is this overflow weir, it has clearly been restored by the WACT

. Milestone showing 11 & half miles to both the Wey at Shalford and the Arun at Pallingham. The 'halfway' point. If one considers the Wey & Arun Junction separate from the Arun Navigation, then (as old maps show) it should be just 7 miles to the junction with the Arun Navigation at Newbridge
Another milestone from the WACT showing 11 and half miles to both the Wey at Shalford and the Arun at Pallingham. This is the 'halfway' point. Actually its not the halfway point if one considers the Wey & Arun Junction Canal separate from the Arun Navigation's canal section. Old maps show a milepost at this location and the distance from here southwards was just 7 miles to the junction with the Arun Navigation at Newbridge

The site of Lock 8, known as Gennets Bridge VIII. Gennets Bridge stood here also but no traces remain either. The great change in level between top and bottom pouunds seems to indicate that this lock was possibly the deepest of the Wey and Arun locks. In fact it does look like there was a staircase at this location, although the only one was on the Arun Navigation at Pallingham

The canal used to descend 2 further locks to reach Loxwood. The introduction of the new lock just above Loxwood now means there's three to descend on this stretch!

Next is the section down through Southland to Devils Hole

Bramley Linersh Run Common Elmbridge Fast Bridge Tickners Heath Fir Tree Copse Sidney Wood
Gennets Wood Devils Hole Loxwood Drungewick Newbridge Lordings Pallingham The Feeder Map