Public Trip from Odiham in the peaceful surroundings of the Basingstoke Canal
- Departs from Colt Hill wharf, Odiham, RG29 1DH
- Fully licensed bar and galley selling hot and cold drinks, light snacks and souvenirs
- Toilet on board
- Pre-booking for this trip will close at 10pm on the day prior to travel
- If seats are still available on the day, you can buy tickets from the boat captain at the wharf
- Cruise times may be extended in low water conditions
- Public Trips terms and conditions are here
The direction the boat goes on the canal is decided by the boat captain on the day based on current conditions.
Going west from Odiham, you will see a mud barge, (used in dredging the canal during restoration in the 1970s and 80s), several canal bridges and will watch the lift bridge being raised on your way to King John’s Castle, which was captured by the French after a 2 week siege in 1216.
Going east you will pass Wilks Water and the former home of the Redgrave family and glide past the Four Season’s boat mooring. Look out for the beautiful Old Thatch Garden and bronze horse on the right hand side. There are several typical narrow, arched bridges before we turn around at the winding hole just beyond Barley Mow wharf.
Natural England has designated this stretch of the canal as a site of special scientific interest (SSSI). It serves as a local recreational amenity but is also a notable wildlife habitat.
The alkaline water from the chalk springs at the western end of the canal mixing with the acidic water as the canal passes through the Surrey heathlands, has given rise to one of the largest varieties of aquatic plants and invertebrates in the United Kingdom.
As many as 25 of Britain’s 39 species of dragonflies and damselflies inhabit the canal.
Look out for kingfishers, herons, swans, ducks, geese, moorhens (often with young) and various local floras.
