The best family-friendly hikes and walks around Ripley

Nice pint

Wait for dry weather, as this section is a swamp in the winter

Wait until it is dry, otherwise the path can turn into a swamp

Nice section of gravel along this section of the scenic River Wey Navigation Path The path is 20-mile (32 km) long altogether and is a continuous navigable route from the River Thames near Weybridge to Godalming

Excellent pub with a well known reputation, stopped here for a quiet drink. A really good rest point if your doing long distance along the canals and riverways into London from the south.

Papercourt Lock is a delightful lock situated in a tranquil and picturesque rural setting on the River Wey Navigation between the villages of Send and Ripley in Surrey. The Lock is accessible only by foot. With its water tumbling bay, pleasant lock-keeper cottage and surrounding fields and meadows, the Lock is a scenic place to visit and to photograph. Papercourt Lock was opened in 1653 and had a rise of 8 feet (2.44 m). It was originally located closer to the lock-keeper cottage but was rebuilt in its current position when the tumbling bay was added to help with water management. The present lock cottage dates from 1922. When visiting Papercourt Lock please be aware that the water meadows immediately downstream of Papercourt Lock may flood after excessive rain. When this happens this stretch of the Wey Navigation and its footpath will be inaccessible.

The pretty Walsham Lock and Weir have a scenic setting 1 km north of the village of Ripley in Surrey. The lock has several notable features and is surrounded by tranquil and picturesque flood meadows and by Pyrford Golf Club. These attributes make it well worth a visit. Walsham is the last surviving turf-sided lock on the Wey Navigation. This means that it operates as a flood lock and has its lock gates always open unless the River Wey is in flood. If there is a flood the lock gates are closed to force water over the nearby Walsham Weir and down along the River Wey. Two further unusual features of Walsham Lock are first that it’s situated on a slight bend such that its top and bottom lock gates do not quite align with each other. Second, its adjacent pleasant lock-keeper cottage is the last remaining fully-manned lock cottage on the Wey Navigation. The original lock-keeper cottage was built in 1653 and the current one dates from 1896. The Walsham Weir and its roaring water marks where the River Wey Navigation separates from the River Wey. The two waterways do not rejoin again downstream until Weybridge. The Walsham Weir is the main Weir on the Wey Navigation downstream of Guildford. When crossing the former horse bridge over the River Wey by the Weir you should look out for the entrance to a naturalised fish and eel pass channel route. This 170 m long channel has a reduced water flow compared to the Wier so that fish and eels can make their way upstream on the River Wey.

Small, but full of rich history. Worth stopping and reading the information sheet available.