Mytchett to Frimley

The Basingstoke Canal today is a thriving stretch of waterway, with canal boat trips and traditional narrow boats to be found chugging along much of its length. It was not always so. Back in 1966 a group of enthusiasts got together to try to reopen the derelict canal. Eleven years later work started to restore a flight of locks at Deepcut, just north of this walk. There followed a further 14 years of work before the canal was formally reopened in 1991, and restoration work continues. The use of the canal has greatly increased, and the Canal Centre at the start of this walk shows what has been achieved.

The canal originally ran from Basingstoke to Weybridge, where it joined the River Thames. The connection with the Thames has been restored and the canal is now open again as far as Greywell, 5 miles (8km) from its original destination. The Greywell Tunnel is blocked and has been taken over by bats – indeed, it is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and has more roosting bats, of several different species, than anywhere else in Britain. Nowadays the only way to complete the route to Basingstoke is along the Canal Heritage Footpath.

The canal story

The canal was constructed between 1789 and 1794, and the original business plan had been to stimulate the development of agriculture in Hampshire. One of the main commodities carried in the early days was timber from Basingstoke. Fir trees were planted along stretches of the canal to exploit this trade. Other items carried on the barges included chalk, milk and flour. Coal and groceries came down the canal from London. By 1822, however, the cost of transporting goods by road was much the same as it was by barge, and it was quicker. The building of the railway from London to Southampton also took business away, but there was a temporary reprieve when the army camp was built at Aldershot. Nevertheless, by 1866 the company was in liquidation.

Various initiatives tried to keep the canal going. It was used during World War I to move munitions, and during World War II as a line of defence (a number of concrete pill boxes can be found along its length). However, it was effectively derelict by the mid-1960s, when the local enthusiasts took up the challenge to restore it. Before starting the walk, pop into the Canal Centre. There is a small museum on the history of the Basingstoke Canal, a shop, a children’s play area and a café. There are also boats to hire.

Follow the sign to the swing bridge and cross over to the opposite side of the canal. Turn right and follow the canal towpath towards Frimley Lodge Park. After 390yds (356m), you will see Potter’s Pool on the right. This is rich in wildlife, particularly dragonflies. Beyond Potter’s Pool it is another 0.5 miles (880m) to reach Frimley Lodge Park.

This is a large area devoted to a variety of activities, and the small café is a good pit stop. Continuing past Frimley Lodge Park, it is only 120yds (110m) to the Guildford Road bridge. Just before the bridge the path turns left and then right to reach the road. Cross over the road and turn right to walk over the bridge. Once over the bridge, cross back over the road to the pavement on the right-hand side. After 90yds (82m), turn right, just before a postbox, down Windmill Lane, a public bridleway.

The gravel bridleway narrows, and, at the end, go through a metal gate into woodland. Continue straight ahead, over a crossroads of tracks and under telephone lines. After 960yds (877m), reach a T-junction and turn right. Continue straight on to reach the boundary of an MOD area with its warning signs. Go straight on here, with a wire fence on your right and a field behind it. Follow the fence, passing a small housing development on the right and follow the track right. On reaching a junction with a track coming from the left, turn right and pass to the side of a metal barrier. Continue to Mytchett Place Road, with Potters (restaurant/bar) in front. Turn right to meet the entrance road to the Basingstoke Canal Centre and return to the car park.