John Cale Canal Cruises

The canal took 7 years to construct, with construction starting in 1787 and being completed in 1794, which entailed a bridge where any public highway crossed the canal. 29 locks to raise the canal from the river Wey up to the plateau in Hampshire which was 245 ft above sea level, a tunnel at Greywell which was 1200 yard long and took the Canal through the hill under Butterwood.

During the 1914-18 war, the canal was taken over and run as part of the inland water transportsystem under the overall control of the Royal Engineers and carried very large amounts of materials and military stores to Aldershot, Crookham and Deepcut Camps along the canal.

After the wars the canal fell into disuse but on 10th May 1991 the canal was officially re-opened by his Royal Highness the Duke of Kent. As the canal was now open for visiting boats, the county councils concerned realised it would not be possible to run it in two halves, so both councils decided that the canal would be managed and maintained by the Basingstoke Canal Authority under a joint management commitee and this is how the situation stands to the present day.

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