If history is your thing then there is a place for you beside the Basingstoke Canal. This waterway is steeped in history from even before the completion of its construction in 1794. There are many sights to see as you make your way along the canal including Odiham Castle, the Deepcut flight of locks, aqueducts, scenic villages and historic buildings.
Particular scheduled monuments to look out for as you travel along the canal are:
- Odiham Castle (National Grid Reference SU 72577 51807, SU72604 51866)
- Goldsworth / Langman’s Bridge (National Grid Reference SU 98662 58231)
- The Bell Barrow & Disc Barrow on Horsell Common (National Grid Reference TQ 01438 59805)
Odiham Castle is a 13th century royal castle built under the reign of King John. An interesting fact about the castle is that south western corners of the old moat and moated enclosure were damaged during the construction of the Basingstoke Canal in the 18th century. By the 16th century the castle had fallen into disrepair and now remains a ruined fortress.
Goldsworth/Langman’s Bridge is a moderately rare unaltered brick-built accommodation bridge and has been given scheduled monument status by Historic England for this reason. The bridge is a good example of its type and is representative of its era in a particularly notable section of the canal.
Disc barrows and Bell barrows were burial mounds that existed in the Early Bronze Age. It is unlikely that individuals laid to rest here were wealthy but they were often accompanied by various pottery, tools and personal trinkets. Bell barrows burials appear to have been for richer individuals. Both these types of memorials are rare and are considered nationally important because of the detail they can provide of historic life in England.
In addition to these monuments there are also a few recognisable Second World War concrete bunkers known as pillboxes still present along the canal. These defensive structures were part of the GHQ Line which was built to defend against a potential German invasion.
You can purchase a booklet about Wartime Defences on the Basingstoke Canal from our online shop by clicking here.
There is a lot more history to be discovered about monuments surrounding the Basingstoke Canal and of the canals history itself. To find out more about the history behind the Basingstoke Canal click here.