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Walsham Lock and Weir – Riverside Path along the River Wey loop from Ripley

Routes

Hiking trails & Routes

Walsham Lock and Weir – Riverside Path along the River Wey loop from Ripley

Moderate

4.7

(33)

hikers

Walsham Lock and Weir – Riverside Path along the River Wey loop from Ripley

02:07

8.33km

20m

Hiking

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.

Last updated: April 22, 2026

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

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1.21 km

River Wey Weirs and Fish Pass Scheme

Highlight • Structure

1.27 km

Walsham Lock and Weir

Highlight • River

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.

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1.46 km

Riverside Path along the River Wey

Highlight (Segment) • River

A nice path which runs alongside the River Wey

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2.23 km

View of Newark Priory from the Wey Navigation Path

Highlight • Historical Site

The ruins of Newark Priory sit tantalisingly out of reach on a private island next to the River Wey. The only public access is at an Easter Sunday Service at dawn each year. Rumour has it that after the dissolution of the monasteries a cannon was installed on Church Hill to wreck the building.

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2.39 km

View of Newark Priory

Highlight • Historical Site

The priory ruins are on private land so can only be seen from a distance—the Wey Navigation path gives a pretty good view.

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2.41 km

River Wey Navigation Path Gravel Section

Highlight • Trail

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

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