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Mytchett to Frimley

Recommended by

Our view

"Walk beside the restored Basingstoke Canal to the spacious park at Frimley Lodge."

Walk directions

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.

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Location

Nearest postcode:

Additional information

Terrain - Canal towpath and level tracks through woodland

Landscape - Canalside views and light woodland

Dog friendliness - Enjoyable walking for dogs

Parking - Basingstoke Canal Centre

Toilets en route - Basingstoke Canal Centre and Frimley Lodge Park

About the walk

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.

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About the area

Surrey is one of England’s most wooded counties, with over a quarter of the landscape designated as an official AONB and plenty of history evident in the countryside. You’ll find sandy tracks, cottage gardens and welcoming village inns, and on the fringe of Greater London you can picnic in Chaldon’s hay meadows, explore the downs at Epsom, or drift idly beside the River Thames.

Nearby places to stay

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Route details

Difficulty:

Easy

Gradient:

Flat

Distance:

2.1 miles (3.3kms)

Ascent:

66ft (20m)

If you like this walk, you can try more routes in the area.

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Mytchett to Frimley

Recommended by

Our view

"Walk beside the restored Basingstoke Canal to the spacious park at Frimley Lodge."

Walk details

Difficulty:

Easy

Gradient:

Flat

Distance:

2.1 miles (3.3kms)

Ascent:

66ft (20m)

Walk directions

1 of 3

2 of 3

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.

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Location

Starting point

Nearest postcode:

Additional information

Terrain - Canal towpath and level tracks through woodland

Landscape - Canalside views and light woodland

Dog friendliness - Enjoyable walking for dogs

Parking - Basingstoke Canal Centre

Toilets en route - Basingstoke Canal Centre and Frimley Lodge Park

Walks in Surrey Dog-friendly walks in Surrey Family friendly walks in Surrey

About the walk

Been on this walk?

Send us photos or a comment about this route. Or recommend a route of your own.

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Walking in Safety

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Get an AA guide

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Been on this walk?

Send us photos or a comment about this route. Or recommend a route of your own.

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Walking in Safety

Read our tips to look after yourself and the environment when following this walk.

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Get an AA guide

Explore our range of ‘50 Walks in’ guides - they’re the ideal companion for a ramble.

Learn more

About the area

Surrey

Nearby places to stay

View all (8)

Mytchett to Frimley

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Mytchett to Frimley

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