It was a two day slog at between 2 and 3mph from Teddington to Shepperton past Kingston, Hampton Court and Sunbury. The river was lively but manageable and at this speed we had plenty of time to talk to residents, walkers and even some gaudy houseboat owners along the way.

Taking the lock keeper’s advice we left the Thames early in the morning and clutching our yellow licence disc and Wey spanner in exchange for £27 we set off south to our first lock.

How lovely, we said, to be back up to speed again and then we struck the sand bar at Town lock. No one around to see us, we laughed it off and made good progress to Coxes Lock where a 20 toed newt dropped onto the boat.

Checking to see whether we had a newt handling licence in the Wey Travel pack I was dismayed to find no mention of this rare and beautiful creature. Afraid of contravening an obscure Eco, Rare Breeds or Habitat Act I gently lowered what could be the last specimen of this species to a grassy bank next to the water’s edge. Proud of my achievement at returning him to the wild I opened the throttle and accidentally plastered the little fella with hot diesel exhaust as the boat pulled away.
I do hope he made it back to the lock without getting chopped by some thoughtless boater’s propeller.

When newts are hard to spot there’s always an old mill by the stream – hic, to keep the eyes occupied.

Bridge graffiti hasn’t been the same since we left the Midlands and it was nice to see the M25 had recently been “done” again. Still can’t read it but I guess it’s meaningful to those to whom it applies.

Perhaps the authors are frustrated Basingstoke Canal boaters who can’t get onto their favourite stretch of water. I can’t say I blame them, the restriction of constantly locked gates, never ending water shortages and lack of dredging is enough to frustrate anyone.

For those who have never seen it this is the entrance to the BCN, no, nothing to do with Birmingham.

An Elizabethan summer house with a pagoda roof popped up complete with a plaque saying John Donne had lived here. How quaint, I thought, the newsreader on Radio 2 had slept here but V corrected me by telling me this was the original JD, who she had studied at school.

For those of us interested in water antiquities there’s the last remaining turf lock of the Wey complete with dinky wooden paddle handles that are held in place by an iron peg.

It’s easy to miss these little gems because the signage along the way isn’t comprehensive and it is worth reading the booklet that comes with the licence. I tend to switch off and steer and so I’m indebted to V who reads the pages out aloud as we pass each attraction. She only reads a page at a time otherwise I drift off to sleep and fall over, something I was taught to do when mummy tucked me up in bed and read a story. Going to sleep that is, not falling over. Falling over came later when I discovered what to do with my apprenticeship wages.

Newark Priory stands in the fields all alone and surrounded by mist. I have to confess this was the closest we got to attending church this week.

Bower’s Lock was a pain to get through, not just because it is hidden round a tight corner but also because it was in the process of being cleaned. We entered the lock while an EA fella scraped lichen off the gates. He didn’t pay much attention as we entered and he paid even less attention when we wanted to fill the thing with water.

Over ten minutes passed before he looked up and declared he was ready. I was tempted to let go the bow rope as the water gushed in but something stopped me, however, I wasn’t to blame for our boat swinging across his path as it became time to leave. We went first – yes, pay-back time, eat my prop wash.

Guildford is a really nice place. The newspapers say it’s the least crime ridden in England but the book says don’t leave your boat at the town moorings.

But it is a sweet place really, clean, renovated towpaths and easy to get through. One has to watch out for canoes, skiffs and dinghies using both sides of the river and calls of “Have you got a toilet on your boat, Miss” from girls who haven’t a clue what to do with their boat paddles. We came round one corner to see five boats in disarray as the occupants tried to drown each other by splashing their oars in the water. Boys shouted, girls screamed and all this at winter temperatures near zero degrees.

This narrow-paddle-boat has seen better days but I’d loved to have seen it going.

We stopped overnight at EA’s Dapdune depot, arriving after staff had left and leaving before staff arrived the next morning. We found it very welcoming and apart from the main line trains from London, peaceful enough.

The stretch from Guildford to Godalming is really beautiful. The river passes through raw countryside with hardly a building or a road in sight. Swans and geese were doing their best to build pyramids and deer wandered at will.

The junction with the Wey and Arun canal was interesting because we’d walked part of the old canal many years ago. Work still goes on to restore this ancient waterway and one day, maybe, we’ll be able to get down to the south coast from this junction.

And finally we reached the end at Godalming. Sainsbury’s kindly built a store next to the services moorings so V shopped and passed the bags through a gap in the hedge. Bit of a funny turning point here, especially when the river’s running fast but it can be done and it’s well worth the effort.
Only wish we had longer so we could explore but the moorings are missing that would have made that feasible.

In conclusion, the Wey and Godalming navigation above Pyrford is well worth the effort, particularly above Guildford. If timed right there is more than enough time to reach the end and get back onto the Thames in 3 days. One gets the first day free and if starting early enough there is time to go shopping. If delayed for any reason then extra days cost £10 a time.

It is also worth borrowing or hiring (depending on which lock keeper you see) the longer handled windlass, although a little naughty it can be done with a long handled BW spanner. Most of the journey is through open fields, often scrub land and out of sight of houses and roads. The welcome pack is worth having, no useful vouchers for Sainsbury’s or B&Q but detailed enough to fill in the gaps of an old Nicholson’s.

There is so much to see if walking, gardens and museums are your scene - Wisley Gardens, Brooklands racetrack museum and 13th century buildings plus places to moor and disembark with the chairs and barbeque. We counted the moving boats on one hand so it isn’t busy. There are a couple of hire companies but not that many boats between them so it shouldn’t be the pain that it can be on popular rivers like the Thames. It’s a pity we couldn’t take in the Basingstoke Canal at the same time. If only the owners/administrators would get their act together I’m sure boats would flock to explore their waterway.

As if to punish us for enjoying ourselves we emerged onto the Thames in deep winter. Snow engulfed us but couldn’t dampen our enthusiasm for the Wey and Godalming Navigation.

It has been an eventful week, apart from the cruising. We’ve met Anthony and Hilary (Anthony also tapped morse code for Redifon back in the 1970s), Tezzer, Roger and Babs and would have seen another Roger with Richard and Liz if it hadn’t snowed. Not only that I’d been to a funeral in Portsmouth. So it was a week to remember.