How to get there - Weybridge is 2 miles east of junction 11 on the M25. Shortly after the second roundabout turn right into the Ham Moor Industrial Estate and park next to the canal in Addlestone Road near the Royal Caribbean Offices.

For those with SatNav the postcode is KT15 2UE.

Get a map with driving directions to start (enter the postcode of your starting point at A)

Suggested Launch Site - Park near the Royal Caribbean Cruise offices on Addlestone Road in the industrial estate in New Ham. At weekends you may get permission to use the car park. Launch over the bank.

General Description - This is about 11 miles, with 6 short portages, taking in a canal and a river journey, in a circle, so no need for a car ferry. It is best done out of the fishing season.

After launching,travel south under the small bridge, named Black Boy Bridge, past the moored boats. Coxes lock is about 3/4 mile, then another mile to another lock at New Haw. You have to portage over a busy main road.

Now there is a long stretch through some stock broker belt countryside and you go under the M25. Lots of people cycle along the side of the canal, Which goes from the Thames to Godalming.

There is a long run to the lock at Pyrford, which states "Opened in 1653 end of the longest man-made section of navigation". There is a pub here, the Anchor, which is a convenient place to have lunch either in the pub, or if sunny, by the lock. It is quite a popular place.

Within a mile of leaving here, you go past a golf course on the left. About 100 yards past Pigeon House Footbridge, you need to get out on the left and look for a small footpath down to the river Wey where you re-launch. In the summer there are a lot of nettles, so beware! [There is an alternative portage suggested in the "Comments" below by Sprout]

There is a fairly swift current to start with and you seem to spend ages going past the golf course. At one point you go back under the M25 and near the old Brooklands Circuit.

Eventually you can see a fork in the river, the right hand branch goes to a weir, but you turn left and get out near a much smaller weir and portage round that.

After this, canal boats and pleasure cruisers appear tied up to the banks. you are nearing journeys end. At the big green and cream bridge, turn left up a small side stream to a bridge. Get out on the right and a short portage takes you around the lock and back to the canal. You are very near the centre of Weybridge. It is less than 1/2 mile up the canal back to the start.

Return by going back up the canal to the car park.

Comments on this trip
Alison Woolgar 15 Sep 2020	We had an issue with a fisherman at Bluegates Hole this weekend. I have reported it to BCA and am advised we are entitled to portage there. The land is owned by the Residents Association and there is access via a public footpath and the fisherman as are not permitted to intimidate or prevent put in. They also pointed me to an extract from a 1671 Navigation act confirming that this stretch of the River Wey is declared a navigable river! I hope this helps others have to endure a 1/4 mile walk and difficult put in that damaged my board!
Maria 03 Sep 2018	I have done this route twice now and thoroughly recommend it. However, both times I have had some issues at Bluegates Hole ("Eventually you can see a fork in the river, the right hand branch goes to a weir, but you turn left and get out near a much smaller weir and portage round that. "). There are some very angry fisherman that insist that the river is private and that Canoes/kayaks are not allowed. I was with my 15 year old nephew on Saturday and the fishermen were very aggressive towards him, shouting expletives and he was left rather shaken. Has anyone else had any trouble
Rob Zoe Ellen Glen 20 May 2018	We just did this trip today, our second trip out in inflatable kayaks (Sevylor Tahiti and Intex Explorer K2). It took us more than 7 hours it became clear to us on the navigation section that our inflatables were slower than rigid kayaks/canoes, and the 2 children were pretty much dead weights, mum and dad did practically all the paddling.Only one complete blockage in the river, just below Walsham weir, had to carry over, you'd probably would miss it if you followed the origin description, but we took the route mentioned in Sprouts comment. A few shallow sections, we gashed the bottom of one boat.Note the fork mentioned is after the M25 but well before Brooklands we weren't looking out for it and portaged round the main weir, which was awkward, on private land through a field of horses, felt like we could have been shouted at but luckily weren't.Pretty worn out by the end, but a lovely day, glad we did it.
Jim Wilson 05 May 2016	Just done this round trip (4/5/16) on a lovely spring day with my brother in our canadian canoe and its lovely! Would strongly recommend it as a circular day trip. Description very helpful and accurate. Note that the Fork at the weirs beyond Brooklands is not very obvious. Its more of a left turn by the large house and gardens just before the main weir. We put in and ended at the Byfleet Boat Club, just of the A245. Good free parking and noted that there is also Free parking by the lock at New Haw on the A318. Timing about right. We took 6 hours but included a detour up to the Thames and back from Weybridge Town Lock.
Phil Tauwhare 21 Sep 2013	Started the circuit at New Haw lock to break the navigation section in two. Took about 4.5 hours in inflatable Sevylor Hudson. Portage over to the river is quite overgrown and a bit of a muddy scramble down to the water. Quite a few trees down but a route has been cleared around them all. The river section is really wonderful, tranquil and we did not see another boat of any description! At the weir you need to walk about 100yds down the field to a little beach.
Graham Bernadette Julian 25 Aug 2008	Did this route today for the first time,took about 5 hours, absolutely fantastic, a big thank you to Colin for posting it. We started and finished at the Anchor in Pyrford, which meant we had the section on the navigation, from Weybridge, which is a bit of a slog, right at the end. Next time I'll follow Colin's instructions and start at New Haw. The river section is superb in comparison to the navigation.
Andrew and Kay 03 Aug 2008	We did this trip in our Open canoe 2 days ago ... excellent. By half way through the river return bit, it was getting hard work though (slow flow, and we were tiring ! ... getting old maybe!). We did this in 6 and half hours with a lunch stop at excellent Anchor. No obstructions en route, though scraped the bottom a few times in v shallow water on River after the Golf course. Instructions above very accurate.
Keith Day 30 Jul 2007	When this trip was done in late July 2007 there was a tree blocking the route on the river Wey return section (See blogg). It was able to be portaged (over the tree) at this time but circumstances can be different depending on river levels. If you do this trip please update us with a comment on the current position.
Sprout 20 Mar 2007	The trip took about about 4 or 5 hrs. It was our family's first canoe trip. The Navigation section is a long haul and a little repetitive...............much more fun on the River section, a great selection of wildlife can be seen, the river has some good sections to practice various strokes and manoeuvres. The trip mentions getting into the river a lot earlier than I do.....You can continue on up to the weir at Walsham lock, pass the weir and then head for the bank on the left [with the weir behind you]. Portage back towards the weir, you'll find there is a track. Just to the right of the weir itself, there is a rickety wooden picket style gate through which is a 'desire-line' track disappearing into the field.....follow this and it leads back down onto the river with easy access. (see map of portage)
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