John Pinkerton Page

9

The Last Five Miles

The Basingstoke Canal was restored between 1977 and 1991, except for the last five miles leading into Basingstoke town centre. We have a long-held ambition to restore these remaining five miles – but there are significant challenges to overcome! The Greywell Tunnel partially collapsed in 1932 and it is now a winter habitat for bats which are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Some of the bed of the canal has been filled in, and the M3 motorway crossing at Hatch eliminated what remained of the canal, while other parts have been built on.

Fishing on the Canal

Did you know that the Canal has its own angling association? The Basingstoke Canal Angling Association (BCAA) has administered the fishing licence for the Canal since 1991. Angling permits can be purchased from the Canal Centre and also from bailiffs on the bank who sell daily and monthly passes. The Canal can be fished for 9 months from 16th June to 14th March and contains most species of UK coarse fish. The association President, Andre Grandjean is pictured here with bream caught close to Chequer's Bridge but in recent times, the Canal has become noted for the 40lb carp that live around Claycart, Eelmore and Great Bottom Flashes.

Lisa Taylor

Trips aboard the John Pinkerton II and Kitty

Boat Trips

Kitty will start public boat trips this year on Saturday 9th April with trips at 11am, 1pm and 2.45pm. John Pinkerton 11 will start public boat trips at 2pm on the 1st May. There are several theme trips also planned. Charter trips on both boats so far booked are shown in the list of Scheduled Trips & Events. If you would like to charter on a day without a trip shown, please contact us at https://basingstoke-canal.org.uk or phone the Booking Team on 01256 765889 (10am - 8pm). Cruising in the peaceful surroundings of the Basingstoke Canal is a great way to relax. You can charter the whole boat for exclusive use by family, friends or work colleagues