River Wey

River Wey
Elstead Bridge, originally built by the monks of Waverley Abbey
Map of the River Wey (dark blue), also showing part of the River Thames (light blue) and canal sections of the Wey and Godalming Navigations (green).
Location
Country	England
Counties	West Sussex Hampshire Surrey
Districts / Boroughs	Chichester (district), East Hampshire (district), Waverley, Guildford, Woking, Elmbridge, Runnymede
Towns	Alton, Haslemere, Farnham, Godalming, Guildford, Weybridge
Physical characteristics
Source	spring
• location	Alton, East Hampshire, Hampshire
• coordinates	51°08′42″N 0°59′42″W / 51.145°N 0.995°W / 51.145; -0.995
• elevation	109 metres (358 ft)
2nd source	pond
• location	Black Down, West Sussex, Chichester, West Sussex
• coordinates	51°03′32″N 0°42′00″W / 51.059°N 0.700°W / 51.059; -0.700
• elevation	199 metres (653 ft)
Source confluence
• location	Tilford, Waverley, Surrey
• coordinates	51°11′02″N 0°45′07″W / 51.184°N 0.752°W / 51.184; -0.752
• elevation	51 metres (167 ft)
Mouth	River Thames
• location	Weybridge, Elmbridge, Surrey
• coordinates	51°22′48″N 0°27′22″W / 51.380°N 0.456°W / 51.380; -0.456
• elevation	12 metres (39 ft)
Length	140 km (87 mi)
Basin size	904 km2 (349 sq mi)
Discharge
• location	Weybridge (mouths)
• average	6.76 m3/s (239 cu ft/s)
• minimum	1.30 m3/s (46 cu ft/s) 12 August 1990
• maximum	74.8 m3/s (2,640 cu ft/s) 29 December 1979
Discharge
• location	Farnham (north/western branch)
• average	0.73 m3/s (26 cu ft/s)
Discharge
• location	Tilford (confluence of both branches)
• average	3.25 m3/s (115 cu ft/s)
Discharge
• location	Guildford
• average	5.17 m3/s (183 cu ft/s)
Basin features
Progression	Wey (north branch), Wey, Thames Wey (south branch), Wey, Thames
River system	Thames Basin
Tributaries
• left	Nadder Stream, Bentworth Stream, Oakhanger Stream, Kingsley Stream, Oxney Stream, Hell Ditch, Hoe Stream, Hollywater, Deadwater, River Slea
• right	River Tillingbourne, Cranleigh Waters, River Ock, East Clandon Stream, Guileshill Brook, Royal Brook, Stratford Brook, Truxford Brook

The River Wey is a main tributary of the River Thames in south east England. Its two branches, one of which rises near Alton in Hampshire and the other in West Sussex to the south of Haslemere,^{[n 1]} join at Tilford in Surrey. Once combined, the flow is eastwards then northwards via Godalming and Guildford to meet the Thames at Weybridge. Downstream the river forms the backdrop to Newark Priory and Brooklands. The Wey and Godalming Navigations were built in the 17th and 18th centuries, to create a navigable route from Godalming to the Thames.

The Wey drains much of south west Surrey (as well as parts of east Hampshire and the north of West Sussex) and has a total catchment area of 904 square kilometres (350 sq mi).^[1] Although it is the longest tributary of the Thames (if the Medway is excluded), its total average discharge is lower than that of the Kennet and Cherwell. The river morphology and biodiversity of the Wey are well studied, with many places to take samples and record data. The main tributary is the Tillingbourne, which rises on the western slopes of Leith Hill and flows westwards to join the Wey to the south of Guildford, between Shalford and Peasmarsh.

The name Wey is of unknown origin and meaning.^[2]

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