Basingstoke Canal

Basingstoke Canal
The Basingstoke Canal passing through Woking
Map
Specifications
Length31 miles (50 km)
Maximum boat length72 ft 6 in (22.10 m)
Maximum boat beam13 ft 6 in (4.11 m)
Locks29
StatusPartially open
Navigation authorityThe Basingstoke Canal Authority
History
Principal engineerJohn Smeaton
Other engineer(s)Benjamin Henry Latrobe
Date of act1778
Date completed1794
Date closed1932
Date restored10 May 1991
Geography
Start pointByfleet
End pointGreywell
(originally Basingstoke)
Connects toWey Navigation
Basingstoke canal map
1
Woodham Bottom Lock
2
Scotland lock
3-4
Woodham Locks
5
Sheerwater Lock
 A245  Sheerwater Bridge (03)
6
Sheerwater Bridge or Top Lock
Monument Bridge (04)
 A320  Chertsey Road Bridge (05)
 A3046  Chobham Road Bridge (06)
Woking town centre
 A324  Skew Bridge (07)
Step Bridge (08)
Arthur's Bridge (09)
Parley Drive Bridge (10)
Langman's Bridge (11)
7-9
St Johns Locks
Woodend Bridge (12)
10-11
St Johns Locks
Kiln Bridge (13)
Hermitage Woods Footbridge (14)
 A324  Hermitage Bridge (15)
Brookwood Lye
 A322  Brookwood Bridge (16)
12-14
Brookwood Locks
Sheet's Heath Bridge (17)
Pirbright Bridge (18)
15-16
Deepcut Locks
Cowshot Bridge (19)
17-25
Deepcut Locks
Curzon Bridge (20)
26-28
Deepcut Locks
 B3015  Deepcut Bridge (21)
Wharfenden Lake
South West Main Line
 B3012  Guildford Road Bridge (22)
Canal Centre Swing Bridge (23)
Mytchett Place Canal Bridge (24)
Mytchett Lake Canal Bridge (25)
Mytchett Lake
Mytchett Lake Railway Bridge (26)
(Left arrow Ash Vale – Frimley Right arrow)
Deedmans Footbridge (private) (27)
Ash Vale Railway Bridge (28)
Greatbottom Flash
Heath Vale Bridge (29)
 B3411  Ash Vale Bridge (30)
Ash Railway Bridge (31)
(Left arrow Ash – North Camp Right arrow)
Surrey
 A331  Ash Aqueduct
River Blackwater County Boundary
Hampshire
Aldershot Railway Bridge (32)
Government Road Bridge (Gasworks Bridge) (33)
29
Ash (or Aldershot)Lock
Queen's Avenue Bridge (Iron Bridge) (34)
Farnborough Road Bridges (Wharf Bridge) (35)
Aldershot Wharf
Rushmoor Flash
Claycart Bridge
Claycart Flash
Eelmoor Bridge
Eelmoor Flash
 A323  Norris Bridges
Gelvert Stream
Gelvert Stream
 A323  Pondtail Bridge
Brookly Stream
 B3013  Reading Road Bridge
Coxheath Bridge
Malthouse Bridge
Crookham Swing Bridge
Poulter's Bridge
Chequer's Bridge
Double Bridge
Blacksmith's Bridge
Barley Mow Bridge
Stacey's Bridge
Baseley's Bridge
Sprat's Hatch Bridge
Sandy Hill Bridge
Broad Oak Bridge
 A287  Odiham bypass
Odiham Wharf
Colt Hill Bridge
Lodge Copse Bridge
Swan Bridge
North Warnborough Lift Bridge
Odiham Castle
River Whitewater Aqueduct
Whitewater winding hole
Limit of navigation
30
Greywell Stop Lock (disused)
Greywell Tunnel
Eastrop Bridge - Heather Row Lane
Slade Bridge - Heather Lane
Up Nately brickworks
Brick Kiln Bridge - Blackstocks Lane
Up Nately nature reserve
Penny Bridge (demolished) - Greywell Road
Little Tunnel Bridge - Andwell Drove
River Lyde - Mapledurwell branch
Frog Lane Swing Bridge (demolished)
Luke's Bridge (demolished)
River Lyde - Huish branch
Bridge (now  M3  alignment, demolished)
 A30  Hatch Bridge (demolished)
Hatch Lane Bridge (demolished)
Cuckoo Bridge (demolished)
Church Lane Bridge (buried)
Crown Lane Bridge (demolished)
Red Bridge (buried)
Basingstoke

The Basingstoke Canal is an English canal, completed in 1794, built to connect Basingstoke with the River Thames at Weybridge via the Wey Navigation.

From Basingstoke, the canal passes through or near Greywell, North Warnborough, Odiham, Dogmersfield, Fleet, Farnborough Airfield, Aldershot, Mytchett, Brookwood, Knaphill and Woking. Its eastern end is at Byfleet, where it connects to the Wey Navigation. This, in turn, leads to the River Thames at Weybridge. Its intended purpose was to allow boats to travel from the docks in East London to Basingstoke.

It was never a commercial success and, starting in 1950, a lack of maintenance allowed the canal to become increasingly derelict. After many years of neglect, restoration commenced in 1977 and on 10 May 1991 the canal was reopened as a fully navigable waterway from the River Wey to almost as far as the Greywell Tunnel. However its usage is currently still limited by low water supply and conservation issues.


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