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The River Wey Navigation and Godalming Navigation, geographically (but not historically) the Wey Navigation, form a continuous waterway which provides a navigable route from the River Thames between Weybridge and Hamm Court, Addlestone via Guildford to Godalming. The waterway is in Surrey and is owned by the National Trust. The Wey Navigation connects to the Basingstoke Canal at West Byfleet, and the Godalming Navigation part to the Wey and Arun Canal in the Broadford part of Shalford. The Navigations consist of man-made canal and adapted (dredged and straightened) parts of the River Wey. Its adjoining path is part of European long-distance path E2. The Wey was the second river in England to be turned from wholly unnavigable to navigable for its main town, as it was behind the River Lea; the River Wey Navigation opened in 1653 with 12 locks between Weybridge and Guildford. Construction of the Godalming Navigation, a further four locks, was completed in 1764 connecting a second market town. Commercial traffic (save for exceptional loads for canalside buildings) ceased in 1983 and the Wey Navigation and the Godalming Navigations were donated to the National Trust in 1964 and 1968 respectively. ==History== The Wey was the second river in England to be turned from wholly unnavigable to navigable for its main town.〔(History of the Canal )〕 The canal was built by Sir Richard Weston, beginning in 1635. The 25 km from Weybridge to Guildford was made navigable under an Act of 1651 when work completed in 1653, allowing barges to transport goods to and from London. Further improvements were made under another Act of 1671. Originally the Wey Navigations were used for transporting barge loads of heavy goods to London. Timber, corn, flour, wood and gunpowder from the Chilworth mills moved north along the canal then Thames to London while coal was brought back principally for gunpowder making and smithery. In 1760, another Act authorised the Godalming Navigation to be dug out for 7 km upstream to Godalming. Work was completed in 1764.〔(Friends of Surrey )〕 The Basingstoke Canal and the Wey and Arun Junction Canal opened in 1794 and 1816 respectively. From 1900 to 1963, the Wey Navigation was owned by the Stevens family, who were commercial carriers on the canal. For various reasons, in 1964 Harry Stevens〔"River Wey Navigation for National Trust", ''Daily Telegraph'', 1964〕 donated it to the National Trust, which operates a visitor centre at Dapdune Wharf, the main wharf of the canal in Guildford, which formerly had many boat repair yards. The Godalming Navigation was donated to the Trust in 1968. Commercial traffic ceased (save for exceptional deliveries) in 1983. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Wey and Godalming Navigations」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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