River Wey

The River Wey is a chalk stream in Dorset, south-west England. It begins at Upwey Wishing Well, a spring at the foot of the South Dorset Downs. The river flows for about twelve kilometres through former villages now part of Weymouth. It passes through Radipole Lake before reaching Weymouth Harbour. The total drop from source to mouth is roughly sixty metres. The river has mattered since Roman times, when Radipole Lake stored water. Weymouth grew from two harbour villages on either side of the river’s mouth. In the 18th and 19th centuries five water mills relied on its steady flow. Their millers had to work together to keep enough water moving. Today a pumping station at Friar Waddon draws water for the Isle of Portland. Radipole Lake is a national nature reserve managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. It became a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1979. Upwey fish farm uses the spring water and the river to grow watercress. All water from the farm is returned to the river. The clear chalk stream supports wildlife along its banks.