Report by Outings Organiser Chris Perkins MVO
A warm, fine sunny April day greeted our group of twenty-three members and partners of the Probus Club of Basingstoke for a cruise on the Basingstoke Canal from Odiham to Church Crookham. A number of us met up beforehand and enjoyed a good lunch and chat in the Waterwitch Pub alongside the canal.
The first plans for the development of the Basingstoke Canal were drawn up in 1776, as a means of transporting agricultural produce from central Hampshire. Approved by an Act of Parliament the construction contract was awarded to John Pinkerton, and his local family of contractors: his memory lives on to this day with one of the barges bearing his name. The waterway was completed in 1794 and connected Basingstoke with the River Thames at Weybridge via the Wey Navigation.
It has had mixed fortunes ever since, not least tunnel collapses, bankruptcies, falling demand and constant limited water supply. It was never a commercial success and, starting in 1950, a lack of maintenance allowed the canal to become increasingly derelict.
In 1966 the Surrey and Hampshire Canal Society (now renamed the Basingstoke Canal Society) was formed by a group of local enthusiasts, with a view to reopening the derelict canal. Restoration commenced in 1977 and on 10 May 1991 the canal was reopened as a fully navigable waterway stretching for 32 miles.
Today, the Canal provides a superb facility for water activities, a haven for wildlife (it is an SSSI), an amenity for recreation and well-being, and a heritage asset. It is run by the Basingstoke Canal Authority (BCA), using public money from the Surrey and Hampshire County councils and from local councils along its restored length. Notwithstanding modern-day financial constraints, the Society works with the BCA to make the most of opportunities to promote the Canal with its owners, users and the General Public.
All told, it was a wonderful afternoon on the canal aboard the “John Pinkerton”. The crew of four volunteers, led by ‘Skipper’ Tony Welsh, were extremely friendly and well informed, pointing out points of interest and wildlife en-route. An on-board galley served hot and cold drinks including alcoholic along with snack items. They were well priced too. The weather was absolutely perfect and the boat was beautifully presented and comfortable too. It was indeed a very pleasant and relaxing afternoon and a most calming experience for all of us.
Probus Club of Basingstoke 