Basingstoke Canal

The Basingstoke Canal in North Hampshire was built between 1788 and 1794 and is 32 miles long with 29 locks. After many years of restoration, it is now fully navigable and a boater’s paradise. The canal flows between the village of Greywell in Hampshire to Woodham in Surrey before connecting to the River Wey Navigation, which in turn joins the River Thames.

The canal's unique composition of alkaline water from the chalky springs of Hampshire to the more acidic waters in Surrey, makes it a perfect home for aquatic plants which in turn provide a home for over 25 species of dragonfly. It is for this reason that most of the canal (with the exception of the stretch through Woking Town Centre) has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) by Natural England.

Public boat trips are offered from the Basingstoke Canal Visitor Centre in Mytchett at weekends from Easter – end Sept. Row boats, canoes, kayaks and pedalo are also available for hire at the Canal Centre at weekends during this time and also daily during the Easter, Spring Half term and Summer school holidays. Also during the summer months you can even camp next to the canal at the Basingstoke Canal Centre Campsite. 

The Basingstoke Towpath Trail offers lovely views of the canal and its wildlife. Stretching the full length of the canal from Penny Bridge to its junction with the River Wey at Woodham. There are many sights along the way, including Odiham Castle, the Deepcut flight of locks, aqueducts, scenic villages and historic buildings.