TheBasingstokeCanalSociety

Hello there. It is very unfortunate indeed that the Deepcut and Brookwood flights of the Basingstoke Canal have had to be closed because of a broken gate. To say that the Society, and the Canal Authority (BCA) who do an excellent job in keeping the Canal operational, are gutted is an understatement. In this case, a boater lost concentration and slammed into the gate, knocking off the beam and splitting the heel post in such a way that it could not be repaired temporarily and replacement is the only option. The timing could not have been worse..... I don't know where nipper got the idea that pine is used for lock gate construction. They would not last 5 minutes. Rest assured that the BCA will do their upmost to reopen the Canal as soon as possible. However, the problem is that the Counties that own the Canal do not have the economy of scale of the C&RT and have had to go to their suppliers for replacements, who have had to obtain materials and fit the build into their busy schedule, which accounts for the delay. Had there been some gates lying around (as was the case a couple of years ago, when gates destined for one lock were used to replace the gates in another) the BCA could probably have had the Canal open again in a week. See the Basingstoke Canal Authority FB page for navigation updates and more information. The Hampshire and Mytchett pounds will be open as usual, and during the stoppage the Canal will be navigable for 7 miles to Brookwood Country Park through 11 locks. Martin Leech Vice-chairman, The Basingstoke Canal Society.

I would like to reiterate why the Basingstoke Canal open hours are restricted. I have endeavoured to explain this in a previous post, which I encourage you to read if you haven't already. There are good reasons. The restrictions were relaxed somewhat during the 2014 season. I haven't heard yet whether any further changes are expected next year. Martin Leech The Basingstoke Canal Society

I think it appropriate to respond to comments made above about the Basingstoke Canal. Since Easter last year the canal has been navigable along its full length of 32 miles. There has been a well-publicised landslip at Dogmersfield which caused a temporary closure. However though this is still awaiting repair it has been passable to narrow boats nearly all of this year. The question is often asked: why are there restrictions in opening times on the Basingstoke and why is it necessary for rangers to be around. This is explained at length in a previous post, which I encourage you to read. There are good reasons. Despite what you might read on this forum, the response of boaters who have taken the time to cruise the Basingstoke seem to be resoundingly positive. Here is one example. The canal, and the management of it, still seem to be subject to criticism by a few boaters from afar, which is particularly disappointing if their experience of it is not recent. We encourage boaters to see for themselves what an attractive waterway it is. Martin Leech The Basingstoke Canal Society

Hello there. The Basingstoke Canal Society would like to assemble an archive of materials relating to the "Perseverance" steam dredger, which operated on the Canal between the mid 1970s and 1993. We have quite a number of photos and some videos and other records already, but are looking for the following produced while the dredger was in operation, either on the Basingstoke, or in earlier times: - Photo or video close-ups of the mechanics, the boiler, the crane etc - Any videos at all - Any design details, plans, drawings etc - Any records, journals etc of its restoration by the then Surrey and Hampshire Canal Society in the 1970s Any help you can give would be appreciated. The dredger has languished at the National Waterways Museum for the last 20 years, and there are those who would like to see it in steam again. Martin Leech Vice-chairman, BCS

Members of the Basingstoke Canal Society had been watching this blog with some dismay. It is very discouraging to all those associated with the canal to see it being bad-mouthed by some writers in this blog, particularly when a lot of effort has been made and money expended to return it to navigation after a long period of closure. Clearly the canal will thrive again if boaters visit it, but they won’t be encouraged to if there is a concerted campaign to denigrate it, and it is particularly unfortunate if criticism is made without recent first-hand experience. Since working on this response, thankfully there now have been more upbeat responses from boaters who have seen for themselves how attractive a waterway the canal is. There has never been a stronger commitment by the owners, Hampshire and Surrey County Councils, to the future of the Basingstoke Canal. £1.7m has been invested in infrastructure repairs over the last couple of years, and each has pledged a further £2m over the current and next 3 years. There also been a change of canal management which the Society believe is very positive and with whom a good working relationship has been established. In addition, the Canal Society has demonstrated its commitment by investing in a new passenger trip boat which has cost over £160K. The Society and other work parties have been very active over many years undertaking improvement and maintenance works. It is therefore just not true to say the canal is being neglected. However what perhaps has not been made clear is why the canal is being managed the way it is, that is, to restrict access to a limited number of days a week, and I will try to explain that here. The root of the problem is simply that of water supply. Since it does not have a summit reservoir or connected river, there has always been a water shortage on the Basingstoke, and a comparison with other local waterways bears this out: The combined Wey and Wey Navigation flow rate at Weybridge ranges from 300 to 1400 million litres/day; The flow rate for the Kennet, which supplies the K&A near Reading, ranges from 350 to over 2000 Ml/day However on the Basingstoke all the inflows along its entire length, including that from backpumping, average just 11 Ml/day. You may see lock gates leaking a lot of water on these other canals, but to a large extent it does not matter because they are fed by substantial supplies. However on the Basingstoke we cannot have that luxury: unless lock gates are caulked up immediately after use to minimise water loss, those short pounds for example at Deepcut and at the Woking end, may not only empty quickly but could in dry weather also take a while to refill, during which time the canal would have to be closed. So, caulking up the upper lock gates on the Basingstoke will therefore be a fact of life for the foreseeable future. Caulking gates and keeping the canal in operation is the responsibility of the Basingstoke Canal Authority rangers and lock-keepers. However there are not many of them and with their other duties they cannot be on hand to caulk up on every day of the week. The scheme to restrict locking on the Basingstoke Canal to 4 days a week (and let it be said, it is a trial scheme for the 2013 season) has been implemented for the following reasons: - To give the opportunity for rangers to get on with other tasks - To allow water levels to recover during the intervening days - To minimise or at least defer periods of closure over dry Summer months. No, it is not ideal. Yes, trips on the canal and use of locks will have to be planned. Yes, it is recognised that seasoned boaters prefer not to be accompanied up the lock flights, but the BCA is just doing its job. Everybody would prefer unfettered access 7 days a week, but that just cannot be achieved, unless a major new source of water is found (which is unlikely, though efforts are being made). The BCA are managing the situation as best they can with the resources and the water supply they have available. We ask that you understand this, and work with the BCA to organise your trips. If at all possible, lock in pairs. When the Deepcut flight was eventually reopened at Easter, a celebratory rally of 20 or more boats visited the canal, organised by the owner of Leo No. 2. Apart from the inevitable gripes resulting from locks having not been used in nearly 5 years, the general feeling of the boaters was resoundingly positive. A steady flow of boats has visited since, and we would like to encourage more boaters to come along and enjoy the canal, since the “use it or lose it” argument very much applies to the Basingstoke. As the visiting boat numbers increase then it may be possible to introduce more flexibility into the days the canal is opened, water supply permitting. If boat owners really care about the canal the best way that they can express their support is to work with the Canal Authority and with us to make it more accessible and usable by visiting boats, and to cease the carping. Martin Leech Vice-chairman, Basingstoke Canal Society