So a group of girlfriends and I loaded up our picnic & wine
{ well, I actually brought my cleanse lunch }
and boarded the Josias Jessop to take us down the
Wey & Arun Canal in West Sussex
The canal was originally built in the 19th Century to connect
London to the south coast of England for commercial trade
Yet due to the railroad, the inland waterway was abandoned in 1871
Since 1970, volunteers have worked tirelessly to reopen the canal
by digging it out themselves and installing lochs to use recreationally
Amazing dedication
Isn't the scenery stunning?
This beauty, the Himalayan Balsam, is actually an invasive weed
Introduced to the UK in 1839 (those Victorians loved plants),
this baby can grow up to 6-10 feet and produce 800 seeds
You can hear their pods 'pop' when they explosively disperse their seeds
Right now, they are blooming everywhere
It may not look like it, but it is in the impatiens family :)
Two swans with their adolescent cygnets
So England :)
Due to the canal's narrowness
boats must register their usage,
for no more than one boat uses a section at any given time
Due to its shallowness
I didn't feel the need to wear the life jacket
and snorkeling bits I brought just in case
one of my friends 'accidentally' threw me overboard
:)
Inside one of the lochs
We had beautiful weather and a lovely time
And I stayed dry :)
For more information: WeyandArun.co.uk
- all photos by me -
My photos of the Wey in Springtime here
Sources: Wey & Arun Canal, Royal Horticultural Society
(I received no compensation for writing this post)
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