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The Tuesday Night Club on Tour
Tours 2000, BCN, Severn Estuary, K&A and River Wey
35 - Thursday 3rd August - Weybridge to Newark Priory Lock. River Wey.
Weather, a bit grot, though still warmish. Rainstorms on and off all day
We had trouble getting to sleep last night. Yobs in van arrived late and decided to party round Town Lock. Much debris left in morning. They banged
on sides of other 2 narrowboats present, but not ours?! Just as well I used chains! I don't think they were that malicious, just totally pi**ed. About
2.00am they skidded off in van, Neil kept my fingers crossed that there would
be a skid and they would end up in the cut, but it did not happen. Linda wanted to do
yet more washing, so started engine at about 10.30. We did not really want to leave it running in Coxes Lock as we would inevitably end up
sharing. Wey rules are vague, on one page they say engines must be off in locks, on the next, engines off in locks if sharing! We did not want to get
arrested by NT bod, like last time! Not long after, Guildford "Lady"?
came out of the lock at full blast, leaving us bobbing up and down and clanking on our chains for about 2mins! The bloke moored in front gave chase shouting
abuse, I could not be bothered at least we had our big tyre / rope fenders down. Above Town Lock it is a (shallow) cut, this is the worst case of
speeding past moored boats I have seen for a long time and from a standing start!
At 11.10 we eventually left, Linda now doing electro drying! We arrive at Coxes Lock to find Why, a tidy little 40ft cruiser narrowboat entering the
lock. Neil asks them if it alright to leave engine on if we share, he says it is not a BMC! They said they moored on the river for many years and for
safety reasons never turn their engine off in a lock. We stopped in pouring rain, for lunch on the deep and piled Anchor pub
moorings, just below Pyrford Lock. Linda and Neil knew this pub well, as Linda used to lodge in Pyrford.
It has been enlarged two time since! On the way back we will check it out again,
with mother-in-law, she is now getting into pubs! During our long lunch break (13.20 - 14.15) the sun
came out. The rain starts up again as we start off and share Pyrford lock with Chimera from
Stanstead Abbots. Linda is doing yet more drying, so we keep engine on again. We were going to moor
above Newark Lock, as we did in 1995. But as we round the corner, Chimera nearly goes up the back of Guildford "Lady", who were attempting to
enter the lock. We left them to it and stopped were we now laid (15.10). Amazingly we were afloat with the bow on the bank, the stern only had to
stick out a bit.
We tried to go for a walk to Newark Priory, but it looked private with no path going to it. At least our mooring has a good view over to it. Neil did
check out the mooring above the lock, it was all grot, except (too!) close to the lock waiting area. That night we had yet another cook in sauce curry,
I think we have now done the full range! After this we were visited by a pair of swans with a cygnet. The Cob was huge! we have never seen one so
big. It was fearless and very persistent. I recon it got it's neck over a foot INSIDE the boat, through the side hatch!
That evening we had a mega thunderstorm, which went on for about an hour, after
it cooled down a lot.
 The M25 blots out Woodham Junction. Surprisingly it is not obtrusive on the noise front. River Wey Navigation. |
 Woodham Junction. Basingstoke Canal off to right. This time we go straight on. River Wey Navigation. |
 Leaving Woodham Junction and railway bridge. River Wey Navigation. |
 Des Res in West Byfleet. River Wey Navigation. |
 Des Res in West Byfleet. River Wey Navigation. |
 Byfleet. Parvis and New Bridges. River Wey Navigation. |
 looking back at Parvis Bridge. River Wey Navigation. |
 The washing machine has been working overtime! River Wey Navigation. |
 Murray's Footbridge. River Wey Navigation. |
 This Folly Tower was in the grounds of Pryford Place. It is now in the garden of a new house! At least it has been saved from falling down. River Wey Navigation. |
 Walsham Flood Gates. River Wey Navigation. |
 Walsham Flood Gates cottage. River Wey Navigation. |
 Walsham Flood Gates. River Wey Navigation. |
 Walsham Flood Gates. A perfect little turf side lock, with real gate paddles (you just lift them up an hold in place with pegs!) River Wey Navigation. |
 Leaving Walsham Flood Gates. River Wey Navigation. |
 Chimera nearly went up the backwater. Just below Newark Lock. River Wey Navigation. |
 Below Newark Lock. River Wey Navigation. |
 The still after the storm. Our mooring below Newark Lock. The back water beyond leads right up to Newark Priory. River Wey Navigation. |
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