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London's Lost Route to the Sea

12-year-old Oscar paddleboards north along the canal (©AAH/Alan Wright)

Published on 1st Sept 2022

Years ago, when I was taller than my children, we occasionally enjoyed family walks by the Wey & Arun Canal.
We would park near the Canal Centre in Loxwood and follow the tow path, crossing the scenic Barnshill Bridge before trekking through bluebell woods and looping back west, rejoining the path at Brewhurst Lock. It has been so long since our last visit though that my youngest son, now 14, has only vague recollections.

During lockdown, the car park was often full with local people enjoying their daily allowance of fresh air. But today, it’s quiet, our only company the odd cyclist and a farmer in a tractor who jokes about joining us for a pint at the Onslow Arms on what is another scorching day.

The lack of rain has seen water levels in the canal drop to such an extent that the popular boat trips, run by the Wey & Arun Trust, have been cancelled for the first time since 2018. The canal normally pumps water from rivers to the north and south, but the Environment Agency has advised against it as the record-breaking summer has impacted the Wey and Arun.

With no boats running, the relative serenity of the canal and tow path means there’s an abundance of wildlife. First we see a green woodpecker, before catching a grey heron unawares in the shallow canal. At the bridge, a dazzling streak of resplendent blue skims above the surface of the water and disappears in a flash. A kingfisher. My son’s former enthusiasm for wildlife is further rekindled as he creeps closer to a roe deer, sipping at the water’s edge on the opposite side of the canal.

There’s plenty of fish too. A few days earlier, I had visited the Canal Centre wearing my AAH hat to interview members of the Wey & Arun Canal Trust. Gill Davies (Press & Publicity Assistant) told me that during work on a lock at Drungewick, a specialist company conducted electro-fishing, where an electric current passes through the water to stun the fish, allowing them to be safely relocated while the canal was drained. Some 7,500 fish were found in that one small section, including carp, bream, pike and eels.

So, what is the Wey & Arun Canal? As its name suggests, it’s a canal linking the River Wey in the north at Shalford (just north of Bramley) and the River Arun at Pallingham in the south. Along the 27-mile route, it fringes or passes through villages including Cranleigh, Dunsfold, Loxwood and Wisborough Green.

The canal was built with the purpose of transporting supplies from London to Portsmouth during the Napoleonic Wars, as travelling around the English Channel was perilous. The Wey is a tributary of the Thames, linking it to London, while the Arun winds its way south to the Sussex coast. Southerly sections of the canal were open as early as 1787, but it wasn’t completed until 1816. By then, the Napoleonic Wars were over and in the course of the next 50 years, our expanding rail network made the canal increasingly redundant. It was formally abandoned in 1871 and sections were handed back to the original landowners. For a century, nature took over many sections, while others were lost to agriculture, infrastructure or even housing developments. 

It wasn’t until 1970 that The Wey and Arun Canal Society (it later became a Trust) was formed, with the aim of restoring the original sections. Progress was initially slow, but the rate of restoration picked up in the 1990s and that momentum has been continued, increasing hopes that the “lost route to the sea” will one day be fully restored.
Sally Schupke, Chairman of the Wey & Arun Trust, said: “A lot of our success depends not only on finances, but gaining permissions from landowners. However, I hope that in about 20 years’ time we will have completed the canal.”

“According to our consultancy firm, it will cost in the region of £63m to complete, as each restored lock costs about £360,000. The biggest hurdles to overcome are the five points where the canal meets a road, including crossings at Newbridge and the A281. These problems may seem insurmountable, but if you look at what we’ve already achieved and factor in the enthusiasm of our team of volunteers, it’s hard to argue that it won't be done.”

PEACEFUL PLACE

With very little in the way of grants orheritage funding, the Trust raises money through membership fees and legacies. There are nearly 3000 members and although only a fraction are hands-on volunteers, those that are bring a wealth of skill and experience in fields including engineering, architecture, planning and construction – all useful when it comes to restoring canals. 

Some 30 members are trained to captain  boat tours, while another 50 volunteer as crew. In normal years, these boat trips are popular throughout the summer holidays, while themed cruises at Easter, Christmas, Halloween and even the occasional Punch and Picnic Sunset Cruise provide visitors with a unique experience at other times of the year. During AAH’s visit, Wednesday’s working party required only a tin of green paint and paintbrushes as they spent the day sprucing up the boats, with trips having been curtailed. 

There are three boats based at Loxwood. Wiggonholt is a large electric-powered boat, funded by the village of Wiggonholt, near Pulborough. Designed by  Trust volunteer Kevin Crawley, the boat can seat 50. The second is the Zachariah Keppel, named after the first canal contractor (he was bankrupted by the project), and the third is Josias Jessop, a small, 12-seater often used for children’s parties, as it can be transformed into a pirate ship complete with cannon. A new Wheelyboat for wheelchair passengers should also be operational later this year.

The boat trips raise awareness of the canal, attract new members and provide funding. A smaller income source is boat licences. Since the pandemic, there has been a surge in kayakers and paddleboards using the canal. Last year, this raised £3,623 for the Trust, a four-fold increase compared with 2019. The Trust has linked up with Fluid Adventures to offer canoe hire at Drungewick and has received funding to build four landing points near locks.

Bill Nicholson, a Trust Director, said: “One of the advantages of using the canal is that - unlike rivers - there’s no tide, so it's safer for families and people new to paddleboarding or kayaking. Because the canal is so narrow, you can always see the sides too. However, it can involve a lot of getting in and out of the water because of the locks and we want to make that easier.” 

The Trust also has help from an apprentice, Adam Rayner, who loves the variety of the role. “It's very hands-on!” he says. “I would struggle to find a more varied job. Sometimes I’m working on the flat-bed boats we use for maintenance and vegetation control, while other days there’s tree work or construction projects on bridges and locks. The Trust is even helping me take chainsaw qualifications, so I’ll soon be helping resolve the ash dieback problem. I love working here as the canal is beautiful. There’s a spot near Lording’s Flood Lock where you can look across fields towards the Tote Monument. That’s my favourite part as it’s so peaceful.”

LITTLE BY LITTLE

Already, the Trust has overcome major obstacles. One of the most challenging was the Loxwood Crossing. In order for boats to pass under the road, the canal had to be lowered by two metres - a huge task. The Trust has now restored more than a dozen locks and even more bridges, sometimes working on several concurrently. They include Harsfold Bridge near Wisborough Green and a bridge at Pallingham. The new Compasses Bridge on the Surrey/Sussex border cost £770,000 and earned the Trust a highly commended award in the Waverley Design Awards. Current projects include a road crossing at Tickner's Heath, near Alfold, where the canal will pass under the Dunsfold Road. Another section at Lordings Lock has a restored waterwheel, which will be operational once water levels return to normal. 

Gaps remain across the original route, so it is a long way off being entirely navigable, but every restored lock and bridge makes a difference, says Sally. “Every section we complete is vital, as it helps people see what we’re trying to achieve. It might be that a landowner is reluctant to grant the canal passage through their land, but if they see what we’ve done elsewhere and the positive impact it has, they may change their mind. There has already been instances where that has happened .” 

“There are challenges ahead. In some instances, we must find alternative routes as following the original canal and tow path is impossible. But by working with landowners, local authorities and organisations like the Environment Agency, we hope to overcome them all, little by little.”

Further information: The Canal Centre is behind the Onslow Arms, Loxwood, RH14 0RD

Visit: www.weyandarun.co.uk