The Wey & Arun Canal Trust’s aim is to restore the historic waterway which runs for 23 miles from Shalford, just south of Guildford in Surrey to Pallingham in West Sussex. This is known as “London’s lost route to the Sea” and in 1970 the Wey & Arun Canal Society was formed, with the basic aim “To attempt the Restoration of the Wey & Arun Canal”, becoming a Charitable Trust in 1973. Current membership is over 2,800, and members receive the quarterly bulletin Wey-South.
Three locks are fully restored and equipped with back pumping, whilst another six have chambers, and lock bridges completed. In addition, 14 other bridges (including a highway bridge) have been built or restored, along with numerous culverts and spillweirs. A recent major project was the complete rebuilding of the Drungewick Aqueduct in 2002/3.
In May 2009 the Trust completed the very difficult engineering operation to take the canal under the B2133 at Loxwood High Street. Work commenced on a new lock (Loxwood Lock) in June 2005 and lowering the water level the other side of the road to allow enough headroom to tunnel under the B2133 road. A tunnel was then built under the road. Our next project is the rebuilding of Devil’s Hole Lock which is to be opened on the 17th April 2010.
The Wey & Arun Trust is most fortunate in having six regular working parties with their respective leaders, plus a seventh in the winter months concentrating on coppicing and hedge-laying. Well over half the canal has been worked on, and some 2 ¼ miles of the waterway from Loxwood High Street is enjoyed each year by over 5,000 passengers on the Trust’s trip boats.
If you would like to become a member or become one of our volunteers, please find more information on our website www.weyandarun.co.uk or email office@weyandarun.co.uk.