<Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Map of the River Wey </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Wikimedia Commons: River Wey, Surrey </Td> </Tr> <P> The River Wey is a tributary of the River Thames in south east England and one of two major tributaries in Surrey . It begins as two branches rising outside the county which join at Tilford between Guildford and Farnham . Once combined the flow is eastwards then northwards via Godalming and Guildford to meet the Thames while in Surrey . The main sub-tributary is the Tilling Bourne flowing from the western slopes of Leith Hill in Surrey westwards to a point just south of Guildford between the main village of Shalford and its Peasmarsh locality . Downstream the river forms the backdrop to Newark Priory and Brooklands . </P> <P> The name may be derived from the Old English word Éa meaning "river". The source of the north branch is at Alton, Hampshire and the south branch is at both Black Down historically Blackdown south of Haslemere and beside Gibbet Hill and the Devil's Punch Bowl, next to Hindhead village centre . The Wey has a total catchment area of 904 square kilometres (350 sq mi), draining parts of Surrey, Hampshire and West Sussex . It joins the River Thames between Hamm Court and Whittets Ait facing a weirstream of Shepperton Lock . It is navigable from Godalming to its confluence as part of the Wey and Godalming Navigations, a trade - minded 17th century canal . The river morphology, biodiversity and flow are well studied, with many places to take samples and record data . </P>

Where does the river wey start and end