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RIVER WEY
NORTH BRANCH
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RIVER WEY
SOUTH BRANCH
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RIVER UNITED
TILFORD TO
GODALMING
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THE WEY
NAVIGATIONS
• Introduction
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Navigation
• The Wey
Navigation
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RIVER
TRANSPORT
• Introduction
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Barges
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drawn IONA
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WEY INDUSTRY
• Introduction
• Watermills
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Gunpowder
Mills
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Making
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• Ice Houses
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WEY WILDLIFE
• Introduction
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Designations
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WEY PLACES
• Introduction
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ALTON
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FARNHAM
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GODALMING
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WEYBRIDGE
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BROOKLANDS
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WEY PEOPLE
• Introduction
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WEY ART
• Introduction
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WEY RIVER
FREELANCE
COMMUNITY

An Introduction to
The Industry
of The Wey Valley

Undoubtedly spoilt by a combination of having extremely fertile land with a dependable water supply, and nestling in between London and the major Channel ports, the Wey Valley was an early developer when it came to industrial development.

Richard Weston's canal scheme brought enormous benefits to the people living all along the valley, and the early development of the railways in Victorian times cemented a very industrious future.

On this page we start you on your way, giving you links to choose which industry you would like to find out about. Scroll down for your first links.

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Wey
Snippets

WEY FACTUAL
The Wey Valley provided employment for many hundreds of years to workers in a vast range of different industries. Today we are left with ample evidence of past industry. These range from the 'rope walks' in Farnham, where rope-makers would walk along backwards as they twisted the rope strands, to the carcasses of old mills and factories. The motor industry is well represented with two examples in particular. The Rodboro Buildings in Guildford was where the first vehicle production line was ever implemented, and in Farnham the building where Henry Knight built one of the country's first motor vehicles in 1868 is still standing, albeit now as an office conversion. The Reliance Motor Works is pictured at left.

WATERMILL TURBINE
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RELIANT MOTOR WORKS

The Valley's Industries

CLICKING ON THESE LINKS WILL TAKE YOU TO THE PAGE

GUNPOWDER MANUFACTURE

PAPERMAKING

CLOTHMAKING AND FULLING

BREWING

WATERMILLS & MILLING

CHARCOAL MAKING

BEE KEEPING

ICE HOUSES

© Wey River 2005 - 2012
Supported and created by volunteers from Wey River Freelance Community Visit our nice sponsors Getting to know the river Introducing the two Navigations Transport along the Wey Navigations Industry along the Wey Valley Wildlife in the Wey Valley Places of interest in the Wey Valley The people of the valley who made names of themselves The art of the valley Climb out of the river