Riverside Reflections | The Wey Navigations by Boat

Join producer and barge dweller Marnie as she leaves London’s canals behind to explore the Wey Navigations. 

Along the way, she meets the people who care for it, discovers its wildlife, and finds out why this waterway matters so much to so many.

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Watch a video of this podcast on the National Trust’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@nationaltrustcharity/podcasts 

Production

Presenter: Marnie Woodmeade
Producer and sound designer: Nikki Ruck

Contributors 

Derek Croucher
Emily Curtis
Emma Goodwin
Stephen
Perdita

Discover more

Explore the Wey Navigations by electric boat from Dapdune Wharf     
River Wey Navigations boat trips


Wey River Festival takes place on Saturday 27th September 25 at Dapdune Wharf.  Expect food and craft stalls, live music, children’s activities, and a colourful illuminated pageant.  
 River Festival

Learn more about nature prescriptions and the mental health benefits of connecting with the natural world.
 Dose of Nature  

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If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected with the National Trust, you can contact us at [e-mail]

Episode Transcript

PERDITA (00:34):
You just look at water, this sort of perpetual movement
and reflection and the journeyit's on.

DEREK (00:43):
You can hear the water lapping and you just feel very
close to it.

EMMA (00:49):
You want to look after it because you love it, but equally
you want to look after it forthe wildlife and the visitors
and the people for whom it's animportant part of their family
history.

ROSIE HOLDSWORTH (01:08):
Hello, I'm Ranger Rosie Holdsworth. This
episode we're doing things alittle differently and handing
over to our producer Marnie, whoswapped her edit suite for the
calm of the Wey Navigations inGuildford. Marnie lives on a
boat on a canal, so who betterto take us down one of Britain's
oldest and most beautifulwaterways. Welcome to Wild

(01:30):
Tales, Riverside Reflections.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (01:38):
Hi, I'm Marnie. I'm an audio producer by
trade, but at home I'm a boater.I live on a wide beam called the
Alice Rose, and for the pastfive years the London waterways
have been my home. Today though,I've left my usual stretch of
urban canal behind to explorethe Wey Navigations, a 20-mile
blue-green corridor winding itsway from Godalming to Thames

(02:00):
lock.
Along the way, I'm hoping todiscover the wildlife that
thrives here. And understand whythis river matters so much to so
many. And I'm beginning thisjourney the best way I know how,
by boat.
We're starting today at DapduneWharf. We're heading towards a

(02:22):
covered boat shed and I think Ican just about see my ride.
As I make my way over, somethingelse catches my eye.
Oh my god, a dragonfly! Look atthat dragonfly!
Even a seasoned river dwellerlike me jumps with excitement
when I see that flash of blue.Anyway, that's got to be Derek,
standing beside an elegantopen-topped boat.

(02:44):
Hi Derek, how's it going?

DEREK (02:46):
Hi, hi, nice to meet you.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (02:47):
This boat is absolutely beautiful and it's
also got such a stunning name,the Dapdune Bell.

DEREK (02:53):
Dapdune Bell, named after the wharf here. So it's an
all-electric boat, it's veryquiet and smooth.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (02:58):
That's so different from mine, mine's a
real like... chugger, so you geta sound. But I imagine this is
way better for hearing thesounds of nature as you go up
the river.

DEREK (03:06):
Yeah, it's completely quiet, so yes, it's really
ideal.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (03:10):
I'm hoping we get lucky today, because I hear
the river is teeming withwildlife.

DEREK (03:15):
The grey wagtail nested right above the boat here one
year. We get cormorants, theswans nest, sometimes right in
the creek here as well. They goright past the boat.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (03:25):
All right, well I can't wait, let's go.
We jump aboard and Derek takesthe tiller.
Derek is doing a stellar job ofreversing out of quite a narrow
entryway. I'm really impressed.

DEREK (03:38):
I've done that a few times.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (03:40):
Where are we going to go today? Where are you
taking us?

DEREK (03:42):
I think we'll be able to get up to Stoke Lock, downstream
towards the Thames, but we'renot going that far.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (03:49):
At the moment we're on... A managed river?

DEREK (03:53):
It's a natural river, but made navigable, so it's not
quite a canal. There are canalsections where there's a big
meander. They've built a sectionto cut the corner, so we call it
a Navigation.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (04:03):
It looks peaceful now, but this stretch
was once a working waterway,with horse-drawn barges carrying
coal and grain to London.

DEREK (04:11):
So it was one of the earliest navigations in the
country. It dates back to 1653,so it was Sir Richard Weston who
built it, and he saw what theDutch did with all their canal
systems and thought this is whatSurrey needs.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (04:27):
It took just two years to dig out the 15 mile
stretch from Guildford toWeybridge by hand. The barges
may be long gone but here on theDapdune Bell the river feels
more alive than ever.
We've just got four littlemoorhen chicks riding a little
bit in the wave of the boat,clearly just learning how to

(04:47):
swim.
As we cruise along I'm struck byhow lush the riverbanks are,
thick with reeds and flowersright up to the water's edge.
It's not just pretty, there's areason it's left this way.

DEREK (05:00):
Through the summer plenty of dragonflies and damselflies
lay their eggs on the soft bankso that's why we try and keep a
soft bank for the underwaternymphs and there'll be mayflies
around, plenty of flowers,nectar for them to feed on.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (05:14):
But not everything growing on the river
bank is as harmless as it looks.

DEREK (05:18):
One of the plants is Hemlock Water Dropwort, probably
the most poisonous plant inBritain.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (05:22):
And that's just sitting here amongst this
like idyllic bank?

DEREK (05:25):
Yeah there's lots of it It's a very common plant.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (05:28):
We round a bend. On one side, houses,
moored boats and willow trees.And over on the other side sits
the floodplain.

DEREK (05:37):
Ahead is the original river, and to the left where
we're going to go is one of thecanal sections which has been
built to cut the corner.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (05:45):
Looming up ahead, things are starting to
look a little tight.
Literally, we're squeezing underthis ridged bridge, and it looks
like there's a whisper. Awhisper of space above us.

DEREK (05:59):
If the level was high, we wouldn't fit under this one when
we've got heavy rain.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (06:03):
How often does that happen?

DEREK (06:04):
Through the summer, not too much. But in the winter,
yeah, a lot, definitely.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (06:09):
And as we're coming out of the bridge, it
feels like it's changed.

DEREK (06:13):
It's a little narrower. So this is the canal section. So
they don't need to build it anywider than they need.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (06:19):
Oh my god, we're causing waves and they're
so beautiful.

DEREK (06:22):
Again, because it's a bit narrower, you'll get a little
bit more of the waves.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (06:26):
As the waves peter out I spy a beautiful red
cottage on the bank ahead.

DEREK (06:31):
Yeah, so this is Stoke Lock and this is the cottage
where one of the lengthsmenwould live.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (06:35):
What is a lengthsman?

DEREK (06:37):
So a lengthsman, is called that because they each
look after a length of river. Sowe've got six along the 20 miles
and they manage the vegetationas one of their main jobs and
also controlling the level ofthe river using the weirs.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (06:52):
From here Derek turns the boat around and
we start heading back upstreamtowards Daptune Wharf. I've got
plans to meet some of thelengthsmen later to find out
more about the role they play inkeeping the river flowing.
And something I really loveabout canals and rivers
generally is since they'vebecome you know less industrial
they have created all of thisbeautiful space for nature.

DEREK (07:16):
So one small area I look after is what we call the island
on the wharf. So there's a niceflower meadow there and there
are areas which... used to beovergrown with bramble. There's
nothing wrong with bramble. It'sa good source of nectar and
berries and everything. But wecleared a lot of that. And over
the years, the cowslips andbluebells, primroses, they've

(07:38):
all spread. Small things thatcan make a big difference.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (07:42):
We are just coming back to Dapdune Wharf. So
we've got another small personinterested in waving at the
boat. We've got a wide beam onour left.

DEREK (07:51):
The building straight ahead is where they used to
store the gunpowder. Theoriginal stall was in the centre
of town but as you can imaginethe locals didn't like too much
being next to a gunpowder storeso they then moved out here.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (08:06):
And that's so interesting because we're now
literally just drifting backinto the wharf and it's so
picturesque, it is completelygorgeous. And it's so peaceful
as we come back in.

DEREK (08:19):
Yeah just silence yeah.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (08:23):
Oh well Derek, thank you so much. This has been
such a beautiful...

DEREK (08:26):
Okay yeah, I hope you've enjoyed it. The weather's been
perfect.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (08:29):
But I think now probably we need to go find
out a bit more about theselengthsmen and hear about how to
control all of this water.
I've just arrived at UnsteadLock. It's what you imagine when
you think of a kind of fairytale lock. It's manual, it's
wooden, it's got these huge bigblack and white arms and if

(08:52):
we're lucky we might just get tosee one of the narrowboats pass
through them. We're here to meettwo of the lengthsmen on the
River Wey.
Whoa, and I think I can seethem.
There's a little flat puntcoming towards us, mowing their
way through the seed speckledriver. Oh, it looks beautiful.

EMMA (09:14):
Hello, hello!

MARNIE WOODMEADE (09:16):
Hi, I'm Marnie. Nice to meet you.

EMILY (09:18):
Hiya, I'm Emily, the Catteshall Lengthsman.

EMMA (09:21):
I'm Emma, I'm the Lengthsman for the Walsham
stretch.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (09:24):
I've noticed you've pulled up in this, what I
would describe as a magnificentboat. What is this and what is
it used for?

EMMA (09:30):
My noble steed. It's our work boat, it's a punt. So we
use these for all sorts ofdifferent jobs on the river.
Today I've loaded it with toolsor stakes, bits of wood for
doing the work for the day. Soit just means we can access
different areas that youobviously couldn't do from the
towpath side.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (09:45):
I'm a boater and I go up and down canals and
rivers quite often, but I'venever heard of a lengthsman
before. What's your job?

EMILY (09:53):
You might have heard of a ranger type role in the
countryside. So it's sort of ariver version of that really
where we're making sure it's allgood for the boaters as well as
the towpath users.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (10:03):
We were talking earlier actually about
the lengthsman versuslengthsperson. Do you have a
preference?

EMILY (10:09):
Traditionally it would have been lengthsmen and I think
times have changed. It wouldhave been a more male orientated
role. We're not quite 50% malefemale are we but we're not far
off. So some people might saylengthsperson but I don't think
anybody minds too much.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (10:23):
So Emily you've turned up in this punt
with all of these tools. Whathave you just come from doing?

EMILY (10:29):
So I've been out with a group of lovely volunteers
today. They come out with meevery Wednesday and we have been
repairing a dog hole. It'sbasically bank erosion from
visiting dogs that go in and outof the river at the same point.
So they do then tend to find thenext spot to start working on.
So it's a never-ending task.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (10:47):
And there's not just dog holes to repair.
There's Floating Pennywortclogging the water, Himalayan
Balsam weakening the banks andRagwort, which is toxic to
livestock. So the lengthsmen andvolunteers are out here clearing
weeds, cutting back branches andkeeping the towpath open for
everyone.
You mentioned that it's aboutkeeping this waterway usable for

(11:09):
boats, but is it also aboutkeeping it usable for nature?

EMILY (11:12):
We did actually just come across some nesting
pheasants, we believe, so weswiftly moved away from that
area just now. But yeah, it'sone of those things we'll do a
bit more cutback in thewintertime. I've got a family of
ducklings at the moment,Mallards. They've been hanging
around the same spot so it'squite nice seeing them most days
at the moment as they get biggerand hopefully survive.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (11:33):
Always that thing when you see birds on the
river of like you're like pleaselet there be five ducklings
tomorrow.

EMILY (11:39):
Yeah you count and you keep hoping that there's the
same count every day yeah. Soanother really important part of
our role is our water levelmanagement here of the
navigation and Emma's been doingit a fair bit longer than I
have.

EMMA (11:54):
I feel like we've actually had a luxurious April because
most of us have more or lessslept whereas quite often I have
days and days on end where I'mpotentially checking water
levels day and night every hourand a half, two hours. It's like
having a baby that never growsup. You're still tied into the
schedule of the river and eventhough it's been dry your brain
is still thinking, oh I need tocheck that.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (12:15):
How do you manage that water level if it is
over, what do you do?

EMMA (12:17):
It's like pulling a plug out of the bath. So I've got a
set of four everyday weirs andanother three big floodgates. So
if my level is too high, I willopen one of my weir gates
slightly and I will send some ofthat water down through the
backwater to settle the level inthe navigation and equally going
in the other direction I mightbe closing in to raise the level
up.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (12:36):
With only six lengthsmen managing the river,
communication is everything.

EMMA (12:41):
Emily will usually be the first to start opening up and I
know that, give or take, I'mabout seven hours behind being
further down the river so I'vequite often phoned Emily in the
middle of the night where we'retrying to work out if we're
going to get any sleep or not.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (12:54):
Technology has made things a little easier as
cameras now watch key pointsalong the Navigation.

EMMA (12:59):
So it has made a big difference in how we're able to
keep an eye on things, but I'mafraid you do still just look
out the window.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (13:07):
It's exhausting work, but as Emma
says, unpredictability is partof the appeal.

EMMA (13:13):
It's junk food on the go, it's bad cereal, it's occasional
naps and it's relentless. Asterrifying as it is, that's also
part of the joy. There are notwo days the same here. And
after 15 plus years, you stilldon't know when you get up in
the morning what's going tohappen during the day. And I
think that's why people love it.

EMILY (13:30):
Yes, it's hard. But then I've been doing water level
management, walking across oneof the meadows and I've seen a
barn owl, you know, sort of fiveo'clock in the morning. So
there's all these little thingsthat I just wouldn't be anywhere
else other than out here.

EMMA (13:44):
Best office in the world by far.

EMILY (13:46):
Oh, definitely.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (13:49):
I've left Emily and Emma to their rounds
and I am now back at DapduneWharf but beyond the trees I can
hear the faint sounds oflaughter and yoga.

PERDITA (14:00):
On the out-breath we're bringing our knees in, on the
in-breath we're bringing ourfeet back down.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (14:05):
In the distance I can see a few people
stretching, lying down on mats.What we're on here is the
island. It feels a little bitmagical. You've got buttercups
littered throughout the floor.You can just see some
forget-me-nots on the side, likewith these little blue pops.

PERDITA (14:23):
On the in-breath, put your feet to the floor. On the
out-breath, bring your arms backdown.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (14:30):
Every week here at Dapdune Wharf, there's
an outdoor yoga session run byDose Of Nature. It's an
NHS-backed project that helpspeople living with anxiety,
depression, or other challengesto their well-being. The idea is
simple. Use green spaces to slowdown, breathe and reconnect.

(14:51):
Among those taking part today isStephen.

STEPHEN (14:54):
Relaxation. Peace of mind. It puts you in a good
place for the day or the week. Isuffer with social anxiety and I
find nature and the yoga helpswith my anxiety. It puts me in a
better mood.
But sometimes it's just nice tolay down with my eyes shut on

(15:18):
the grass or against a tree.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (15:23):
For Stephen and many others, these sessions
are more than just movement andbreathing. They are a chance to
step away from everydaypressures, lie beneath trees and
feel part of something biggerthan yourself. Leading the
session today is Perdita, notjust a yoga instructor, but also
one of Dose Of Nature's trainednature guides.

PERDITA (15:43):
It's wonderful. I mean, the daisies, the buttercups, the
wind, the birds, thechiff-chaff, the children on the
River Wey, and people who seemto... want to share and enjoy it
with me so that's pretty goodfor me.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (16:00):
Throughout the class people were laughing and
seemed really relaxed so how didyou create this space?

PERDITA (16:08):
I think nature has got a lot to answer for in that when
we're on an island and thisplace holds you and what's very
heartening and moving is thatsome of these people have been
doing yoga right the way throughthe year and it's pretty cold in
the winter.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (16:24):
Dose Of Nature isn't just about yoga. It's part
of a wider eight-week programmewhere patients are referred by
their doctor and paired with atrained nature guide.

PERDITA (16:34):
Dose Of Nature is a wonderfully simple concept but
the impact is huge and it's aframe of mind which is that
nature can heal.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (16:44):
And it isn't just a feeling, there's science
behind it too. Why time innature changes how we think and
how we feel.

PERDITA (16:51):
It's not just you know woo woo, it's about fractals and
the soil chemicals and the treechemicals and the awe and the
sound. But it's just giving thatexposure and sitting with them
and opening their senses to itagain.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (17:08):
And the results speak for themselves.

PERDITA (17:11):
I understand that the impact is always almost 99% very
positive. There is change andthat's really gratifying.
Because all we're doing isreintroducing them to something
which is all around us.

MARNIE WOODMEADE (17:31):
As I leave the island behind, the sounds of
laughter and yoga drift awaythrough the trees. And I'm
struck by how many ways thisriver connects us. From spotting
dragonflies and baby ducklingsfrom the electric boat, to
hearing how the lengthsmengently manage and care for the
water day and night. To findingunexpected stillness here, under

(17:53):
the shade of the trees.
The River Wey has been servingits communities for almost 400
years and it's still doing justthat, a blue-green ecosystem
alive with nature, history andthe people who care for it.

ROSIE HOLDSWORTH (18:23):
Thanks for listening to this episode of
Wild Tales. If you liked it, whynot give us a like or follow?
We'll be back soon with anotherepisode in a couple of weeks.
But if you can't wait that long,why not check out our other
nature podcast, Nature Fix. Orif you like your history too,
there's Back When. See you nexttime.