Basingstoke Canal

CHRISTMAS CLOSURES - #BasingstokeCanal Office, Visitor Centre, Cafe, Car Park and Swingbridge. The Canal OFFICE will be closed from 1.30 pm on Sun 23rd Dec, reopening at 9 am on Weds 2nd Jan. The VISITOR CENTRE will be closed from 1.30 pm on Sun 23rd Dec, reopening at 10.30 am on Tues 8th Jan. If there is an emergency on the canal during this time please ring the office on 01252 370073 and listen to the message for how to reach the duty ranger. The CANAL CAFE will be closed... from 2 pm on 23rd Dec, reopening at 9 am on Sat 12th Jan. Should you want to go for a walk the CAR PARK at the canal centre will be OPEN daily throughout the holiday period from 8.30 am to 5 pm but the SWINGBRIDGE will be CLOSED to pedestrians so access to the towpath will be via the steps at Mytchett Place Bridge only. The swingbridge will reopen on 12th Jan. Over the festive period we will be taking a break from our Facebook page so until next year can we wish you all a very Happy Christmas and we'll be back in touch in 2019!
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As our Santa Cruises near the end for 2018 we've put together a few photos as a reminder of the event and would like to say a few thank-you's. Thank you to everyone who came - all of the money raised helps care for the canal - so we hope you enjoyed your trips and meeting Father Christmas as much as we have enjoyed taking you to find him. Thank you to the #Farnborough #Sainsburys store for supplying us with the lovely mince pies again this year. Thank you too to all those who have helped us prepare and put on this event - both staff and volunteers. We couldn't do it without you. And last, but definitely not least, thank you Father Christmas for finding time to visit us here again in Mytchett!

Santa Cruises 2018. 'Rosebud' returning on an evening trip - along with the local swans.

Planning to be out and about on the #BasingstokeCanal over the Christmas break? Please follow our Towpath #CodeofConduct. 1) Share the Space - consider other people and the local environment whenever you’re on the towpath. 2) Drop your pace - jogging and cycling are welcome, but drop your pace in good time and let people know you are approaching by ringing a bell or politely calling out before waiting to pass slowly. 3) Pedestrians have priority on the towpat...h, or other shared use areas of Canal land. 4) Be courteous to others - a smile can go a long way. 5) Follow signs - they are there for the safety of everyone. Cyclists should dismount where required and use common sense in busy or restricted areas, recognising that pedestrians have priority. 6) Give way to oncoming people beneath bridges - whether they are on foot or bike and be extra careful at bends and entrances where visibility is limited. 7) When travelling in large groups - especially if you are running or cycling, please use common sense and give way to others. 8) Try to avoid wearing headphones - as this makes you less aware of your surroundings, and others sharing the same space. 9) Keep dogs on a short lead - and clean up after them. 10) At all times, keep children close to you – and encourage them to learn and follow the Code for Towpaths.
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Winter Maintenance #BasingstokeCanal New gates for Lock 7 on the St John's flight being installed. Works now complete and the lock flight reopened this week (17 Dec.)

With the Christmas Holidays nearly upon us we hope that you will take the opportunity to explore the Canal but we would ask that you check out our Towpath Code of Conduct and Cycle Policy https://bit.ly/2E4lZl9 The policy is aimed at all users of the towpath and encourages everyone to be considerate of each other when using what can be a busy narrow space with everyone wishing to enjoy this wonderful green corridor. This issue is not unique to the Basingstoke Canal, and similar problems are seen on many canals throughout Great Britain so many thanks to Canal and Rivers Trust https://bit.ly/2I4uhrB and Inland Waterways Association (IWA) https://bit.ly/2L6vAtj whose work this policy is based on.

All our Santa Trips are sold out here at #Mytchett but our friends at Accessible Boating at #Odiham may still have spaces if you are looking for a Santa experience with a difference and which helps a worthy cause. Do give their 'elf line' a call for further information. 🎄🎅 🎁

Santa Cruises 2018 are underway . . .

Our Christmas tree is up so that must mean that 'Santa Cruises 2018' are nearly here! Our first boat sets off tomorrow evening to find Father Christmas in his grotto and trips continue until Sun 23rd Dec. All our weekend and evening trips are sold out but if you have preschoolers we do have a few spaces available next week: Tues 4th - two spaces at 2.30 pm (£12 each); Thurs 6th - three spaces at 2.30 pm (£12 each) & two spaces at 3 pm (£12 each); ... Fri 7th - two spaces at 3.30 pm (£15 each). Do give us a call in the office on 01252 370073 if you are interested. (Office open tomorrow from 9 am . . . until the last boat is back . . so about 8 pm!)
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Ever wished you could identify trees in the winter? The Woodland Trust Nature Detectives have put together this very useful Winter twig identification sheet #NationalTreeWeek

How stunning are these photos of the #BasingstokeCanal this autumn? Many thanks Mark for sharing them with us. 🍂🍂🍂

Our wonderful #volunteers have been out on the Surrey work boat over the last few days working their way down through the #Woodham flight. They have been busy clearing vegetation from lock walls and gates, painting on new cill markers and removing yet more invasive floating pennywort and rubbish from the canal. #outinallweathers If you are interested in becoming a volunteer do drop us an e-mail in the office on info@basingstoke-canal.co.uk for more information.

Our resident elves - Quentin and Bernice - would love to meet you this Christmas - so if you haven't booked a space on our Santa Cruises we do have a few spaces available. Tues 4th Dec 2.30 pm - 2 spaces Thurs 6th Dec 2.30 pm - 3 spaces; 3.00 pm - 2 spaces Fri 7th Dec 3.30 pm - 2 spaces Where there are two spaces available if only one is for a child please contact us (01252 370073) as we may be able to offer some additional adult walker spaces if there is more than one adult in your group.

More lovely Autumnal photos of the #BasingstokeCanal 🍁🍂🍁🍂

Just a quick reminder that the Canal Visitor Centre is now closed until 30th Nov as we prepare for Santa Cruises 2018 . . . 🎄🎅 And the first area that gets a Christmas makeover is our Lock model . . . which now looks like this . . . #SantaCruises2018 #ChristmasPreparations

#BasingstokeCanal in Autumn. Taken yesterday in St John's.

Queen's Award for Voluntary Service to the Basingstoke Canal Society. Congratulations to the Basingstoke Canal Society who were presented with their Queen's Award for Voluntary Service by HRH The Duke of Kent here at the Canal Centre in Mytchett on the 13th Nov. On a beautiful sunny day the Duke was greeted by the Lord Lieutenant of Surrey before meeting many members of the Canal Society and formally presenting the award and unveiling a plaque to mark the occasion. The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service is a national honour that was created by Her Majesty to mark her Golden Jubilee in 2002 to recognise outstanding contributions made to local communities by groups of volunteers.

we love this place so beautiful, we are caravanners and kayakers and come here regularly with the family and even renewed our wedding vows here after 25 years in the nature reserve it was an amazing day, we then hired the yurt for friends and family to stay, felt very blessed xx

for a family day out, enjoy the scenery and a spot of tea!

Well worth a visit and a ride on the Rosebud for a relaxed hour on the canal.

Facilities are excellent with plenty of outdoor seating and the food was good and a plenty.



Recommended.

We went on Rosebud today with Lee and Val..it was fabulous.. Thank you �

We visited this evening and done the 5:30pm Santa cruise!

It was absolutely fantastic, I cannot recommend it highly enough!

It was so well run, the guides were fab and the Santa was just amazing. So magical for the children, and great value for money!

Thank you so much, and I can't wait to come again next year! ��

We stumbled upon this on our way home from a weekend in Aldershot/Farnborough. It's a great place for walks. They do lovely sandwiches made to order. Boat trips & pedallos available. Camping on site too. Helped that the weather was beautiful but you would enjoy it whatever the weather.

We did the santa cruise yesterday which was excellent and well run. The children loved it and Santa was really good. Will definitely be doing it again next year

Was a lovely visit children loved it and it was nice to be out in the fresh air and nature

Really lovely place to sit and watch the world go by. The day trips are great fun and the crew is so friendly. And as for the cream tea trips on Thursdays ... mmmmmm

Great place for a day out, have a paddle in a canoe or take a lovely Rosebud boat trip. Lunch in the cafe, what more could you ask for �

Great friendly place. We booked for one night but we decided to stay an extra night. Glad they had the space

A beautiful place you must take a trip on the rosebud we loved it the people were so friendly and it was so lovely to just sit and take in the sights we loved it the kids wanted to go again we will most definitely be back the wild life was amazing x

We had a lovely cruise to the end (plus walking over the tunnel to see the other end!) at the end of July/early August. Fantatsic waterway and we'll come again, although maybe not when it is as busy with a big festival! Still we enjoyed seeing and sharing locks with the historic boats. A couple of things that would make it even better - the weed in the Woodham Flight and Hermitage Pound was difficult, stopping us dead several times. Some of the moorings were in need of attention, e.g. Ash and Brookwood Country Park, and some lock landings were very shallow (even for our boat which draws less than 2'). Overall, though, a positive experience.

Lovely place for a relaxing walk been there a couple of times now and will certainly go back

Lovely place for a picnic, my 4 year old loved the playground. 1-2 hours of fun for the family and the dog - all for free. Cafe on site, toilets etc.

Good place to go to chill out and relax with good facilities.

Beautiful place, perfect for dog walking, disappointed in the sandwich we ordered, bread very dry, didn't enjoy it, but overall a lovely place for a nice stroll along the canal

Beautiful place... lovely walk along the canal... I would have given 5 stars but I didn't because the cafe closed at 4 pm which I think is early for peak season as there was a lot of people wanting to get something from there.

Yesterday afternoon between Pirbright and Brookwood I was called a CUNT by a member of their staff out of the passenger side window of their company van. Unacceptable!