Basingstoke Canal Society Page

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Basingstoke Canal Society

National Award Winning Basingstoke Canal Watch

As a society, we know how important it is for the canal to be a safe place for all to enjoy. We were delighted, therefore, when Surrey Police were awarded the prestigious Tilley Award by the Home Office for their work in preventing crime on the Basingstoke Canal towpath. This local award was wonderfully received but more recently the project has also been awarded the National Prize at the National Problem Solving Conference after being up against countrywide local award winners. As a result, CanalWatch now moves forward to the International Awards which will take place in the coming months. The award was for the Business Support and Volunteers category, and was in recognition of a project that involved, amongst other things, the establishment of a Canal Watch. This sees local officers and volunteers patrolling the canal towpath on the lookout for suspicious behaviour. Sergeant Ed Lyons, who leads the Canal Watch, described the work undertaken as “a multiagency problem-solving approach”, going on to say that “the work has led to a lasting change.” Indeed, the initiative was a strong collaborative effort, with work done across Woking Borough Council, Neighbourhood Watch, Basingstoke Canal Authority and the Basingstoke Canal Society. In a statement online, Surrey Police said that “these projects were launched as a direct consequence of community engagement and allowed officers to build relationships and reassurance within local communities.” A clear example of why it is crucial that we take care of our beautiful natural surroundings! When we all take an interest in maintaining and improving the canal, it becomes a nicer place for everyone. Other new safety measures have involved the installation of extra CCTV cameras and signage, as well as the removal of overgrown shrubbery and graffiti. Additionally, officers and members of the canal watch now have access to electronic bikes. These allow them to patrol the area more quickly and efficiently.

Basingstoke Canal Bridges

Whether you turn to the canal for your daily exercise, or occasionally enjoy the calming water as a place for relaxation, you most likely will have taken for granted the structures you pass over and under on your journey.

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While perhaps not as immediately enchanting as autumnal leaves, there is some unique and fascinating history contained within Basingstoke Canal’s array of bridges. Read on to discover more about the canal’s rich story, and see for yourself why there is so much worth protecting.

Inglis Pipe Bridge

This bridge was designed by, and named after, Sir Charles Inglis OBE and is the only one of its kind still remaining. Sir Charles served in the Royal Engineers during WWI and designed this bridge with optimum efficiency in mind. Its unique, lightweight pyramid structure meant it could be transported by manpower alone and assembled quickly to enable troops to cross canals and dry gaps. “The only one of its kind still remaining” - This reusable steel system became the precursor to the better-known Bailey Bridge used extensively during WWII.

Iron Bridge

The Iron Bridge in Aldershot (Queen’s Avenue), was first built in 1898 by the Army for the purpose of transporting men and equipment across the canal. “Original Victorian decorative features”’ Just over a century after its initial construction, it was faithfully refurbished, meaning all its original Victorian decorative features can still be admired today.

Red Brick Accommodation Bridges

It is a unique design –elliptical in plan and circular in elevation – that gives these gorgeous brick arches their smooth structure.

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Aqueducts

“134 metre span ” Unlike most aqueducts, Frimley Aqueduct (1839 and 1902), maintains a full width. The Ash Embankment Aqueduct (1995), is an exceptional prestressed, reinforced concrete structure with a 134 metre span across the A331 bypass.

Claycart and Eelmoor Bridges

These steel through-truss bridges were used in WWI as they enabled military equipment to cross canals. They were designed by Captain Hopkins, who worked as a railway bridge engineer before the war. As if these bridges weren’t impressive enough, it is a little-known fact that Basingstoke Canal’s initial survey and feasibility study involved John Smeaton, the “father” of Civil Engineering. However, due to a delay in starting construction, the eventual design of the canal was left to Smeaton’s pupil, William Jessop. While the canal’s vibrant and diverse flora and fauna is widely celebrated, less attention is paid to the historical importance of its infrastructure. In this article, we are placing a spotlight on some of these unique structures, as well as the ground-breaking engineers involved in their design.

Drought and the effects on the Basingstoke Canal

As widely publicised by the Met Office this summer there has been a prolonged period of low rainfall dating back to last November, with most of England and Wales officially classified as being in drought.

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Met Office data widely published stated that we (in the south and east of England) experienced the driest 8-month period since 1976, the driest July since 1911 and broke the high temperature record for England in July. Other waterways such as the Thames were also beginning to suffer from low water levels and starting to put in place similar water saving methods to us, requiring boats to double up in locks and closing locks to navigation at night-time. Canal and Rivers Trust closed the Peak Forest Canal in May and placed an increasing number of lock use restrictions on parts of their network throughout the summer. That some parts of the Basingstoke Canal were and are still short of water now in October is therefore not surprising – there was simply not enough water coming in to keep all the Canal supplied at normal operating levels. This year has clearly been an exceptional year as we have not had to close Mytchett pound (section between Deepcut and Ash Lock) to navigation since 1990 due to water shortages. Water levels initially held well in the Hampshire pound (section between Ash Lock and Greywell) of the Canal and whilst water was still coming into the Canal from the aquifer-fed springs at Greywell and Broad Oak, we were able to still pass water down into the Mytchett section of the Canal for a time. Near the end of June, the Deepcut and Brookwood lock flights were the first to close without enough water to sustain them and Ash Lock followed not long afterwards. By mid-July the daily amount of water we were able to pass from the Hampshire pound into the Mytchett pound was being exceeded by the daily amount being lost – mainly due to evaporation and transpiration and this section of canal began to drop off rapidly meaning that soon we had to stop powered boats from using it and then even unpowered boats such as canoes and kayaks. Towpath users would have noticed the large shelves and beaches that appeared where there used to be water and our freshwater mussels getting an unwelcome exposure to the air. Emergency planning was put in place in consultation with the Environment Agency and Natural England to allow us to manage for these unprecedented conditions, considering for example how we would manage struggling fish with not much water or oxygen. Thankfully the fish took care of themselves and found deeper water areas and we finally had some rainfall. At the time of writing, the water levels have come up enough in

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the Mytchett pound to reinstate unpowered boat use but are still some way off the levels needed to allow powered boat use that needs deeper water to prevent propellors becoming fouled and damaged. The Hampshire pound has remained at good navigable levels all summer and of course Woking has remained at normal levels supported by the back pumping of water. We are however not at the end of the drought yet; aquifer and reservoir levels have continued to decline generally across Britain, so unless we have a prolonged period of rainfall over winter to replenish aquifer levels, we expect that we could have another difficult season next year.

While it has been a trying summer for all waterway managers, the herons and kingfishers took full advantage of the clear shallow waters, with food literally on a plate!

Fiona Shipp Basingstoke Canal Authority

Recent Events on the Basingstoke Canal

Odiham Raft Race

The event began with a splendid display of canoe and kayak types and skills from the Basingstoke and District Canoe Club. This was followed soon after by the race itself with eleven handmade rafts and their intrepid crews racing against the clock. As if that wasn't enough, the teams then returned for the Tug of War competition before the final prize giving.

Mikron Theatre at the Mill House

A crowd of about 150 enthusiasts gathered near the Canal at The Mill House in North Wanborough for the Mikron Theatre team's splendid performance of Raising Agents; a humorous musical celebrating the centenary of the Women's Institute.