The River Wey and Dapdune Wharf

About The River Wey and Dapdune Wharf

By the ULTIMATE Brighton Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

The River Wey runs through the heart of Guildford. Opened to barge traffic in 1653, the Wey Navigation linked the town with the Thames and London; today the National Trust cares for it and tells its story at Dapdune Wharf.

Follow the river through Guildford and the town slips away within minutes: willows, narrowboats, locks and a towpath heading north towards the Thames.

Opening the river

The Wey was one of the first British rivers to be made navigable, opening to barges in 1653. The fifteen-mile navigation linked Guildford to Weybridge on the Thames and then to London; the Godalming Navigation, opened in 1764, let barges work a further four miles upstream. The two together run for nearly twenty miles through Surrey.

Check opening times and trains on the official sites before you travel.

Dapdune Wharf

Dapdune Wharf is a short walk north of the town centre. The National Trust’s visitor centre there tells the story of the navigations and the people who worked them.

The riverside in town

At Millbrook, the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre and its Riverbank Kitchen look over the water, The Weyside pub has a riverside terrace, and The Boathouse café sits right on the bank.

Practical notes

The towpath is flat and easy, good for walking and gentle cycling; check the National Trust’s site for Dapdune Wharf’s opening times.

Our advice: walk the towpath north from the town bridge to Dapdune Wharf, then come back for a drink by the water at Millbrook.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with The River Wey and Dapdune Wharf before you go.