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 this Mum & Nan bench?
#basingstoke_canal_society #basingstokecanal
For the last 60 years, a group of volunteers gather together every Tuesday to help maintain the Canal for all of us to enjoy.
#basingstoke_canal_society #basingstokecanal #bcs60 #volunteer #workparty
📢 Your opinion matters! Help us evolve our Chobham Talks 📢
The Basingstoke Canal Society puts on a series of monthly "Chobham Talks" in Chobham, and we want your help as we look to grow and improve them for the future!
Please take a moment to share your thoughts by filling out our quick survey. It takes less than 5 minutes to complete and will directly shape our upcoming events.
👉 tinyurl.com/Chobham-Talks-Survey
Thank you for your support, and we look forward to seeing you at a talk soon! 🌿🚣♂️
Here’s a look at our upcoming line-up:
*Basingstoke Canal Authority Update*
When: Wednesday 21st October at 8:00pm
Speaker: Jo East, Operations Manager for the Basingstoke Canal Authority (BCA)
Details: Jo will be talking about her role, her observations since joining the BCA, and the upcoming plans for the canal in the coming years, followed by an audience Q&A.
*The Yukon 1000*
When: Wednesday 18th November at 8:00pm
Speakers: Chris Davidson and Nick Hobley (Basingstoke Canal Canoe Club)
Details: Hear about their incredible challenge paddling 1,000 miles down the Yukon River—the world’s longest canoe race—following the 19th-century Klondike Gold Rush route.
🌿 Powering the Navigation: The Heart of the Basingstoke Canal
Did you know that the Basingstoke Canal Society is run entirely by passionate volunteers?
In 2025, our incredible community hit amazing milestones to keep 32 miles of historic waterway alive, accessible, and safe for everyone to enjoy.
The Numbers:
👥 300+ Volunteers giving their time, skills, and energy.
⏱️ Over 32,000 Hours dedicated to preserving the canal.
Where That Time Goes:
🛠️ Working Parties: Clearing towpaths, repairing banks, painting lock gates, and managing overgrown vegetation.
🚢 Trip Boat Operations: Running crewed boat trips in Woking and Odiham, giving thousands of visitors a unique view from the water.
👁️ Lengthsmen Scheme: 70+ volunteers monitoring distinct sections of the canal to catch leaks, litter, and obstructions early.
📱 Community Outreach: Managing our website and running this Facebook page to share updates, events, and news with the local community.
⚙️ Behind the Scenes: Event planning, fundraising, fleet maintenance, and administrative support.
Whether you’ve spent a weekend clearing brush, steered a passenger trip, or answered a message on our Facebook page, thank you!
Your dedication ensures the canal remains a thriving sanctuary for wildlife, paddlers, walkers, and boaters alike.
We’re always looking for new faces to join our working parties, crew our trip boats (Kitty & John Pinkerton II), or lend a hand behind the scenes.
📩 Sign up to volunteer: basingstoke-canal.org.uk/volunteer/
#bcs #basingstokecanalsociety #volunteers #volunteersmakeadifference #volunteersareawesome
Limited availability remaining for the upcoming 60th Anniversary cruise and talk, "WW2 and the Military by the Basingstoke Canal," taking place on September 19th.
Presented by Roger Cansdale aboard the John Pinkerton II, the cruise departs from Colt Hill Wharf, Odiham at 2:00 PM.
For full details and to reserve your tickets, please visit:
basingstoke-canal.org.uk/events/cruise-and-talk-ww2-and-the-military-by-the-basingstoke-canal-jp-...
#basingstoke_canal_society #basingstokecanal #bcs60
Cruise and talk – WW2 and the Military by the Basingstoke Canal Theme John Pinkerton_6J19P2
basingstoke-canal.org.uk
Celebrating 60 years of the Basingstoke Canal Society. A cruise and a talk by Roger Cansdale on WW2 and the Military by the Basingstoke Canal. Bookings close on 18th September at 10:00pm.
Have you ever spotted these on your walks along the canal? Garden spiders—most notably orb-weavers—are large, helpful arachnids that spin intricate, wheel-shaped circular webs to catch pest insects. Their full name is Araneus diadematus. Some people call them pumpkin spiders.
This one was spotted on its web just past the Kings Head Bridge at Frimley Green early one sunny morning.
Hopefully we will see more of these as the autumn 🍂 days arrive. #basingstoke_canal_society #basingstokecanal
What a fantastic afternoon we all had last Sunday at the Odiham Raft Race.
The weather was perfect, not too hot but dry & sunny.
Huge thanks to Arthur McCaffery from Galleon Marine Boatyard for hosting this now biennial event, the proceeds from which will go jointly to Accessible Boating & The Basingstoke Canal Society.
So many people made the event such a success, but none more so than the wonderful teams who took part both in the race and the Tug-of-War that rounded up the day.
Congratulations to the Tuesday Volunteer group who entered this year as the “Tuesday Tunnock Warriors” and were coached/incentivised by the wonderful Waterways Ranger Jayne with her fishing rod & Tunnock chocolate bar “lure” 😂.
The prizes at the end of the event were awarded by none other than the Basingstoke Canal Authority Operations Manager Jo East with the help of our own BCS Chairman John Turner.
The Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane, Cllr Jacky Tustain, also gave a short speech highlighting the great work of Accessible Boating & the Basingstoke Canal Society charities thanking volunteers from both for their continuing dedication.
This was the 7th Odiham Raft Race with
10 teams competing in both the main race and the Tug-O-War. If you would like to see the winners, places and times follow this link galleonmarine.co.uk/raftrace/
We hope you enjoy these photos of the event including those taken by our official photographer on the day, Kevin Ahronson
Thank you all for attending and enjoying the food, drinks and stalls, we hope to see you again in 2028
#basingstoke_canal_society
#basingstokecanal
#bcs60
#galleonmarineboatyard
🌟 Final Call for BCS Members & Volunteers! 🌟
Don't miss your chance to join us for a relaxing morning cruise on the John
Pinkerton this Sunday, September 13th! We still have plenty of spaces available for this community celebration.
Cruises are a fantastic way to meet fellow members, relax on the water, and enjoy the beautiful Basingstoke Canal. It's a key part of how we say 'thank you' for all your incredible support.
Booking closes tonight at 10:00 PM.
Book your space now at ➡️ basingstoke-canal.org.uk/events
We can't wait to see you there!
#BasingstokeCanal #JohnPinkerton #Volunteer #BCSMember #Community #Cruise #communitysupport
Trade the busy streets for a gentle glide along the canal. 🌿☀️
The weather in Woking today is absolutely glorious—ideal for sitting back, breathing in the fresh air, and enjoying a relaxing journey aboard Kitty II.
Today's Sailing Times:
11:00 AM
1:00 PM
2:45 PM
📍 Departure: Woking Wharf
🎟️ Walk-on spaces available on all trips: No pre-booking required! Simply stroll down to the wharf, step aboard, and let the scenery float by.
Treat yourself to a peaceful hour on the water today. Bring a friend, pack a thermos, or just pop down for a quiet afternoon out! ☕ classic relaxation awaits.
#relaxation #WokingWharf #NarrowboatTrip #Woking #DaysOut #VisitSurrey #NoBookingNeeded #KittyII #visitsurrey
This week's Friday Find It ...
Edit- Where did this colourful cow live? It has sadly moooved away to pastures new since I took the photo. (Thanks Stuart!)
#basingstoke_canal_society #basingstokecanal
