🥾 Walk 11 - Basingstoke Canal

On Sunday 23rd September, our eleventh walk started off with nine people and ended with four! No, this isn't due to some disaster. This walk was a figure-of-eight walk that allowed people to do just a 6 mile walk or the full 10½ mile walk.

In this case the weather was the reason for most of those that cut their walk short. The rain started before we set off and got steadily heavier as we walked, with no let-up until the afternoon.

We started the walk at Odiham Wharf car park and followed the Basingstoke canal (going east) until we had looped around Dogmersfield. We then left the tow path and passed Tundry Pond on our way through Dogmersfield Park. Then we passed Dogmersfield Lake before rejoining the canal going west.

We sheltered from the rain under a bridge over the canal to have our picnic lunch. It was rather cosy but at least our sandwiches didn't get soaked. We then continued along the tow path, passing the start point of the walk, on to the pub.

After much appreciated refreshment, the group split. Some went back to the car park while the rest of us continued with the second half of the walk.

The rain stopped on the second half of the walk. We followed the canal as far as the Greywell Tunnel. Along the way we stopped off to look at Odiham Castle (built 1207-1214) and we had a look at the aqueduct that allows the River Whitewater to pass under the Basingstoke canal.

The water is very clear at the Greywell end of the canal and we were able to see quite a lot of its aquatic wildlife. We returned along the tow path with a diversion through Warnborough Green, allowing us to see the ford across the Whitewater. See our route on Google Maps.

The photos were kindly provided by Mel, a newcomer to the group.

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