Basingstoke Canal Society

The Basingstoke Canal Society fund new Weed Cutter

The Basingstoke Canal Society has agreed to fund the purchase of a new Conver C420 mower to help manage the growth of floating Pennywort from Lock 7 down the Junction with the River Wey.

This new piece of equipment is urgently needed to help manage this invasive plant to help ensure that this doesn’t hinder navigation along the Basingstoke Canal. In addition, by funding this weed cutter, pressure on Basingstoke Canal Society volunteers will be lifted. These are volunt eers who have spent many hundreds of hours helping clear the Pennywort using workboats and working from the towpath in lieu of a piece of equipment.

Following purchase of the Conver C420 mower, there will be two weed cutters on the Basingstoke Canal with existing Basingstoke Canal Authority weed cutter (Millie) working further west along the canal. This image illustrates one of the Environment Agency Conver C485 mowers tackling floating Pennywort on the River Wey.

Basingstoke Canal Society further supp orts the Basingstoke Canal Authority

In addition to the funding of the new Conver C420 Weed Cutter to help with ensuring navigation of the Basingstoke Canal, funds have been allocated to contribute to the Canal Authority spot dredging programme planned for the Hampshire Pound this quarter.

This will be helpful to boats visiting the Basingstoke Canal and also with the successful Basingstoke Canal Society trip boat, John Pinkerton II. It will also help accessible boating activities and the Galleon Marine’s hire boat operation.

Basingstoke Canal Society New Electric Trip Boat Update

The Basingstoke Canal Society is making progress with the grand and exciting project of updating the Woking based trip boat. The very latest is that substantial progress has been made in getting electric power to the Bridge Barn Wharf where the electric trip boat will be berthed when not in service. A huge thanks goes to all those involved including UK Power Networks, SSC, the Basingstoke Canal Authority and Whitbread for ge tting us to this point. There is still plenty of work to be done and “wrinkles to iron out” but all are achievable.

An electric Kitty trip boat should become a reality in 2023 with a full service date planned for 2024.

This project has brought to the forefront the wider challenge of environmentally friendly electric facilities for boats along the Basingstoke Canal and the Basingstoke Canal Society is working closely with the Canal’s Council Owners to address this future need over the coming years.

The most recent fundraising campaign in December 2022 was the Art Auction of Nancy Larcombe artwork which raised over £1,200 from the sales of multiple pieces of artwork of the Basingstoke Canal and the local area. The late well known artist, Nancy Larcombe, spent some years living in a 40ft narrow boat that she named the Nancy Bell and moored near the Basingstoke Canal Centre in Mytchett, Surrey.

Finding and retaining great volunteers

Sue Lea from Voluntary Support

North Surrey recently interviewed some of our wonderful volunteers to find out how the Basingstoke Canal Society manages to maintain such a welcoming community. She discovered that, across the society, there is a focus on en joyment, support and flexibility, which appeals to people of all ages and backgrounds.

If you are interested in engaging with the local community and helping to protect our precious natural surroundings, please have a look at our Volunteering Page here where you can find out more.

Charlotte Rodgers, Press Officer BCS

Trips aboard the John Pinkerton II and Kitty

Boat Trips: The John Pinkerton II trip boat operates from Odiham in Hampshire, running public, themed and chartered cruises. Trips last about 3. 25 hours and run through farms, woodlands and the occasional small settlement.

Information for times and prices for trips and how to charter the boat for a special occasion or social outing is available on our website: https://basingstokecanal.org.uk/book -your-trip/

All bookings are done online but for help email: jpbookings@basingstokecanal.org.uk, or call: 07506 864411 (10am – 6pm).

Kitty public boat trips are at 11am, 1pm and 2.45pm from the town wharf in Woking.

Trips from Mytchett: Boat trips on board our friendly 12 -seater boat Rosebud usually run at weekends and on public holidays from Easter to September . Please contact us for up to date informatio n. Tel 01252 370073, email info@basingstokecanal.co.uk or check on Facebook or Twitter.

Themed Trips

Fri 21st April, 7pm to 9.30pm Price £30 . An evening cruise with songs from the 70's and 80's with Emma and Jenny. Fish & Chips supper included , fully licensed bar. Recommended for adults.

Wed 17th May, 3pm – 5.30pm Cream Tea Cruise £20. Served with our special cream tea, complemented by china tea -sets and table-cloths Background of piano accompaniment.

Fri 26th May, 7pm – 9.30pm “Four in a Bar” ..Music from the swing era of the 40’s to pop songs of the 00’s . Fish & Chips supper included, fully licensed bar. Recommended for adults. Price tba

Sun 11th Jun, 1pm – 5.30pm Old Thatch Winchfield Price £30 . Take the boat to visit the gardens at Old Thatch Cottage (part of the National Garden Scheme). The entrance fee of £5 per adult is not included in the boat ticket price. After approximately 2 hours, the boat will bring you back to Odiham.

Wed 14th Jun, 3pm – 5.30pm Cream Tea Cruise. Price £20. Served with our special cream tea, complemented by china tea-sets and table-cloths Background of piano accompaniment.

Fri 16th Jun, 7pm -10pm: Thai Dinner Cruise. Price £32. A summer evening cruise. Further details to be announced.

Wed 21st Jun, 4am – 6.30am: Summer Morn Cruise. Price £16. An early start at 4am to experience the Sunrise on Mid -Summer-day, cruising eastwards to Barley Mow, Winchfield. Hot and cold drinks available for the duration of the trip and a continental breakfast will be served on the return trip.

Fri 23rd Jun, 3pm – 5.30pm, Grand Café Cruise. Price £30 Sandwiches, cakes, scone and jam with a glass of Prosecco complemented by china tea -sets and table-cloths. Background of piano accompaniment.

Wed 19th Jul, 3pm – 5.30pm Cream Tea Cruise . Price £20. Served with our special cream tea, complemented by china tea -sets and table-cloths Background of piano accompaniment.

Fri 28th Jul, 7pm – 9pm: Sea Shanty Cruise, Price tba A summer evening cruise to enjoy and sing sea shanties with Gale Force 8. Fish & Chip Supper, and Licensed bar.

Wed 9th Aug, 3pm – 5.30pm Cream Tea Cruise . Price £20. Served with our special cream tea, complemented by china tea -sets and table-cloths. Background of piano accompaniment.

Thurs 17th Aug, 2pm – 4.30pm: Children’s Pirate Cruise. £10 A Thursday afternoon family cruise for children aged 5 - 10 with a pirate theme. Prizes for those dressed as pirates. Fun and entertainment for all!

Fri 18th Aug, 3pm – 5.30pm , Grand Café Cruise. Price £30 Sandwiches, cakes, scone and jam with a glass of Prosecco complemented by china tea -sets and table-cloths. Background of piano accompaniment.

Sun 10th Sep, 10.30am – 3pm. Ramble and Cruise Price £16 - £22. A Sunday cruise to Barley Mow, Winchfield with the option to Cruise on either the Outward or Return leg, and ramble the other leg back to your start point. Served with a Ploughman's lunch in two sittings. Option to cruise both legs available.

Focus on Accessible Boating Association

The Accessible Boating Association, ( Accessible Boating or ABA), is a registered charity initiated in 1985 by Mildred Stocks, then Chairman of Hart District Council, who wanted to enable people who couldn’t use existing canal boats to enjoy cruises on the Basingstoke Canal.

Two boats are available: Madam Butterfly is a comfortable 7-berth cruising boat and Dawn is a 12-person day boat

Both boats are based in Odiham at Galleon Marine’s boatyard with trips operating from Colt Hill Wharf from April to October.

For more details see the website www.accessibleboating.org.uk . New volunteers are always welcome; speak to one of our volunteers or contact our Chairman, John Ranson at chairman@accessibleboating.org.uk