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Making the most of the last of the good weather, I drove down to Winchfield in Hampshire to paddle the section of the Basingstoke Canal between Barley Mow and Crookham Wharf.
About the Basingstoke Canal:
The Basingstoke Canal runs westward from its junction with the Wey Navigation, only 3 miles from the Thames, to Basingstoke. It was conceived in 1769 as an economical means of transport to develop agriculture in Central Hampshire, and transport goods to market. The canal was never profitable, and by the 1960s was neglected and no longer navigable.
In the 1970s, Surrey and Hampshire County Councils took the canal into public ownership and funded a programme of restoration supported by volunteer work parties. In 1990, the work was completed, and the 31-mile canal formally reopened in 1991.
An attractive waterway, the Basingstoke Canal is also a notable wildlife habitat. It has one of the largest varieties of aquatic plants and invertebrates in the U.K. 25 of Britain’s 39 species of Dragonflies and Damselflies inhabit the canal.
The entire length, except for a part through Woking, is a SSSI (Sites of Special Scientific Interest). Greywell Tunnel, which marks the end of the navigable section, is an internationally important haven for bats.
Useful Information:
The waterways in this trail are managed by Basingstoke Canal Authority and require paddlers to hold a licence. If you are an existing British Canoeing member the good news is that your membership includes an annual licence for the waterways covered within this trail.
