Unstead Lock lies on the Godalming Navigation at Peasmarsh, between Guildford and Godalming^[1]. In 1760 an Act of Parliament was passed so that the Wey navigation could be extended from Guildford to Godalming and this stretch of waterway was opened in 1764. It is now managed by the National Trust.

The view is looking downstream towards Guildford, with water meadows on the right and the towpath on the left. The site of the former corn mill - Unstead Mill - is also to the left, though behind the camera. The punt, where a woman wearing a wide brimmed hat is reclining, is the same design as those hired from Leroy's Boat House, Catteshall Road. Equally, it could have been hired from the Cingalee Gardens which were very close by.

There have been at least two fatalities at the lock over the years. The first, in 1878, occured when a local man who had moved away visited Guildford and hired a boat for a family outing. The party rowed upstream and when they reached the lock everyone got out of the boat whilst the lock gates were opened. Unfortunately, the winch that was used slipped out of the young man's hands, and he toppled into the water. The nearest help was at the mill; the miller's wife had seen the incident and alerted the men. Although the foreman (George Girdler) did everything he could, sending for a surgeon and taking men and a rope to the scene, it was too late^[2]. The second fatality, in 1917, involved two young soldiers based at the Witley Camp who had hired a canoe and got into difficulties. Only one of the pair survived^[3].

^[1] Ordnance Survey Grid Reference SU9946

^[2] "West Surrey Times", 3 August 1878. Although the article doesn't say so, George Girdler (1830-95) lived at Unstead Mill but was born at Bosham, Sussex.

^[3] "West Surrey Times", 9 June, 1917.