This green oasis has been created by volunteers from the Wey & Arun Canal Trust, who are bringing the waterway spanning Surrey and Sussex back to life after it was closed in the 1870s and left disused, unloved and abandoned for decades. 

The charity’s aim is to build a corridor for nature and leisure use and now thanks to its volunteers miles of towpaths are open to walkers, horse riders and cyclists. The Wey & Arun Canal Trust was formed in 1973 with the ambition of restoring the 23-mile navigable link between the Rivers Wey and Arun, and so recreating the direct water link between London and the South Coast. It still has a way to go to reach that goal, but so far 24 bridges and two aqueducts have been reconstructed, eleven locks restored and a new one built, several culverts rebuilt and many miles of canal bed cleared. 

At the longest restored section at Loxwood (just 11 miles from Horsham), boat trips run by volunteers operate at weekends and holidays, with wizard-themed kids’ specials to popular cream tea cruises scheduled for this summer. The electric boat Wiggonholt has a wheelchair lift and accessible toilet and the information centre is open to welcome visitors, who can browse the maps, walking guides and tourist leaflets available. 

The growing interest in paddleboarding, canoeing and kayaking also make the Loxwood stretch a popular destination. Paddlers can bring their own craft (a license is available on the charity’s website) or hire from local firm Fluid Adventures. 

Bit by bit London’s lost route to the sea is being given a new life and new use. 

For more information and to book boat trips, go to www.weyarun.org.uk.