DONATE
BECOME A MEMBER
BOOK A BOAT TRIP
The Basingstoke Canal Society is a registered charity and your valued donations will help us fund vital works to maintain this beautiful and valued space for us all to continue to enjoy.
Your membership will make a difference. Become a member for as little as £15 per year. Your annual donation helps us continue our work and projects to maintain the Canal.
Enjoy the Canal from a different angle. Find out more and book your tickets online to experience the Basingstoke Canal at a peaceful pace from Woking or Odiham.
DONATE
The Basingstoke Canal Society is a registered charity and your valued donations will help us fund vital works to maintain this beautiful and valued space for us all to continue to enjoy.
BECOME A MEMBER
Your membership will make a difference. Become a member for as little as £15 per year. Your annual donation helps us continue our work and projects to maintain the Canal.
BOOK A BOAT TRIP
Enjoy the Canal from a different angle. Find out more and book your tickets online to experience the Basingstoke Canal at a peaceful pace from Woking or Odiham.
Discover the Basingstoke Canal
Volunteer with us
Join over 300 other volunteers, meet new people, make friends and support this beautiful green space.
Whether you'd like to be out in the fresh air or help more behind the scenes, check out our latest openings or get in touch to find out how you could help.
Visit our online shop
If you're looking for a gift for a loved one or even yourself, take a look in our online shop for useful publications, books, tea towels, jigsaws and more!
Even better, all sales provide vital funds for us to continue our work.
Latest news
This week's Friday Find It ...
Where can you find the newest footbridge over the Basingstoke Canal?
#basingstoke_canal_society #basingstokecanal
Important update regarding unpowered boating on the Mytchett pond due to continued low water levels.
#basingstokecanal
#basingstoke_canal_society
#bcs60Unpowered Boating Update - Mytchett Pound
Due to the exceptionally dry weather and prolonged lack of rainfall over recent months, water levels on the Mytchett Pound of the canal have fallen significantly. To help protect both visitors and the canal environment, a temporary suspension of all unpowered boating activities is now in place between Lock 28 (Deepcut) and Lock 29 (Ash Lock, Aldershot). This includes:
• Rowing boats
• Pedalos
• Kayaks
• Canoes – sit in and sit on top
• Stand up paddle boards
• All types of inflatable craft
As part of this suspension, all forms of boat hire from the Canal Centre (pedalos, rowing boats, kayaks, canoes) and trips on Rosebud are currently temporarily unavailable.
While we understand this may be disappointing for regular paddlers and boaters, this precautionary measure has been taken to ensure the safety of canal users and to safeguard the wildlife that depends on this stretch of water during these challenging conditions.
Low water levels can create a number of hazards, including:
• Reduced oxygen levels in the water when mud and sediment are disturbed, which can impact fish and other aquatic wildlife.
• Objects normally hidden beneath the surface becoming much closer to, or breaking through, the water.
• Water appearing deeper than it actually is, increasing the risk of injury.
• Warmer conditions encouraging the growth of algae, which can be harmful to both people and dogs.
Alternative Places to Paddle
The good news is that there are still opportunities to enjoy unpowered boating elsewhere on the canal. Water levels remain suitable for paddling on:
• The Hampshire Pound (Greywell to Ash Lock, Aldershot – approx. 15 miles)
• The Hermitage Pound (Locks 11 – 12 - approx. 3 miles)
• The Woking Pound (Locks 6 – 7 - approx. 5 miles)
How You Can Help
We kindly ask all visitors to:
• Stay on the towpath and avoid newly formed beaches and canal margins, which can be unexpectedly muddy and provide important habitat for wildlife.
• Keep dogs under close control, or on a lead where appropriate, to minimise disturbance to wildfowl and reduce the risk of dogs becoming trapped in mud.
• Keep both yourself and your dogs out of the water while these conditions persist.
We are continuing to monitor conditions closely and will review the situation as water levels recover.
Thank you for your understanding, patience and support during these unusual circumstances.
Did You Know, Kitty II is fully wheelchair accessible!
We believe everyone should be able to enjoy a relaxing trip along the Basingstoke Canal. Thanks to our hydraulic wheelchair lift and ramp, getting on board and enjoying the journey is seamless and comfortable for all our passengers.
Check out the video below to see our wheelchair lift in action! 🎥👇
Key Details for Kitty II:
📍 Departure Point: Town Wharf, Brewery Road, Woking, GU21 4LJ (located next to the WWF Living Planet Centre)
👥 Total Capacity: Up to 12 passengers per trip (including wheelchairs)
Wheelchair Capacity: Accommodates up to 2 wheelchair users per trip
⚖️ Lift & Chair Limits: Maximum combined weight of 400 kg; maximum chair dimensions 119 cm (L) × 73 cm (W)
🚻 Onboard Facilities: Accessible toilet, comfortable bench seating, and optional central tables
Whether you're planning a family day out, a special group trip, or a peaceful canal cruise, we can’t wait to welcome you aboard!
🔗 Book your trip today or charter the whole boat for your own party: basingstoke-canal.org.uk
Video used with permission from Robert Parsells.
#BasingstokeCanal #Woking #KittyII #CanalBoatTrip #WheelchairAccessible #InclusiveTravel
Treasurer Needed!
We're looking for a Treasurer to take on the accounts for our two trading subsidiaries, John Pinkerton Canal Cruises Ltd (JPCC) and Surrey and Hampshire Canal Cruises Ltd (SHCC).
JPCC runs passenger trips and charters aboard our two trip boats, John Pinkerton II and Kitty II, while SHCC looks after the onboard galley for John Pinkerton II. The boats are busy from March through to the end of October, so there's a seasonal rhythm to the role.
The current Treasurer, who is stepping down after a fantastic run in the role, spends on average 15–20 hours a month on it — so it's a manageable commitment that fits around other things.
If you've got a head for figures, some bookkeeping or accounting experience, and want to support our canal trip boats from behind the scenes, we'd love to hear from you! For more information and to contact us, please visit basingstoke-canal.org.uk/volunteer/volunteering-roles/.
Thank you!
#basingstoke_canal_society #basingstokecanal #volunteer #treasurer
☀️🚤 Crew's Eye View
There's something special about seeing the Basingstoke Canal from the helm of a boat.
The gentle sound of the water, kingfishers darting past, friendly waves from walkers and boaters, and passengers enjoying a relaxing trip along the canal. These are the moments that make volunteering aboard Kitty 2 and the John Pinkerton so rewarding.
Every trip is powered by volunteers who give their time to help others experience the beauty, history, and tranquillity of this unique waterway.
Have you ever considered volunteering for the Basingstoke Canal Society? There are many different ways you could get involved.
Find out more here:
basingstoke-canal.org.uk/volunteer/volunteering-roles/
#Johnpinkerton #Kitty2 #BasingstokeCanal #VolunteerPowered #CanalCruise #CommunitySpirit #VolunteerCrew #WaterwayLife
Next week on Bank Holiday Monday 31st August 2026 sees the return of the popular Mytchett Community Family Fun Day.
Come along and meet our BCS Events Team volunteers to find out what we do and what the Basingstoke Canal can offer.
Free entry to all & just £1 for car parking.
#basingstokecanal
#basingstoke_canal_society
#bcs60
🛠️ Preserving History, One Lock at a Time! 🪵
Maintaining historic waterways like the Basingstoke Canal takes serious work behind the scenes. From replacing massive oak balance beams to repairing century-old brickwork, keeping these engineering marvels operational requires ongoing dedication—and significant investment.
💡 What Does It Take?
Specialist Labour: Crafting gates and repairing historic masonry requires skilled heritage joiners and engineers.
Heavy Equipment: Draining lock chambers, clearing underwater silt, and craning multi-ton gates into place drive up complexity and cost.
💰 The Financial Picture
High Heritage Costs: Crafting and installing a single set of oak lock gates costs tens of thousands of pounds, requiring specialized heritage trades.
Complex Logistics: Damming, draining, and craning multi-ton gates into place quickly drives up operational budgets.
Essential Funding: Financed through council budgets and donations, every pound spent keeps navigation open, protects local wildlife, and maintains the towpaths.
A huge shoutout to the Basingstoke Canal team and and The Basingstoke Canal Society volunteers who dedicate countless hours to keeping our heritage afloat! 👏
Have you spotted any lock restoration work while out on the canal recently? Drop a photo below! 📸
#basingstokecanal #canalrestoration #HeritageEngineering #WaterwayMaintenance #volunteers #surrey #hampshire
🍃🚤 Slow down and reconnect with nature aboard Kitty II 🚤🍃
There's something truly special about gliding through tranquil, tree-lined waterways in the peaceful silence of an electric boat. With no engine noise to disturb the surroundings, you can fully immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of nature.
Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife, admire the beautiful scenery, and enjoy a relaxing journey along the Basingstoke Canal
Head down to Woking Wharf today or book your future trip and discover the magic of the waterways for yourself!
basingstoke-canal.org.uk/book-a-boat-trip/kitty/
#basingstokecanal #basingstoke_canal_society #woking #kitty #kitty2 #boattrip #wildlife #wildlife #beautiful #scenery #relaxing #electric #explorenature
This week's Friday Find It ...
Where can you find these signs?
#basingstoke_canal_society #basingstokecanal
Just a heads-up that our boat trips are still running—they're just taking a little longer than normal right now!
Think of it as extra time to relax, take in the views, and enjoy a cruise along the canal.
You can check our canal status page for the latest daily updates before heading down:
basingstoke-canal.org.uk/book-a-boat-trip/trip-status/
