BASINGSTOKE CANAL PHOTO GUIDE

ST. JOHNS - HERMITAGE

What might initially seem to be quite an elaborate turnover bridge, Goldsworth, or Longmans bridge, has simply been improved with a much better access from the towpath to the bottom lock of the St Johns flight. In the trees are the houses that make up Goldsworth Park, a popular residential area built in the 60's and 70's. Although they are now gone, there once existed the hulls of several narrowboats and barges along this stretch.

Goldsworth, or Longmans bridge

The bottom lock of the St Johns flight of 5 locks, is numbered no.7. The flight is quite an attractive one - a large number of people use the canal as a short cut in this part of Goldsworth Park. The lock in the distance is no.8.

  
Lock no.7

Woodend bridge, with a barge for carrying dredgings from the canal.

   
Locks are numbered - except Ten & Twenty which are worded instead

Lock no.11

Below: Kiln (or St Johns) bridge. The plaque on the bridge tells us it was restored in 1991, the same year the canal officially reopened.

   
Kiln Bridge, St. Johns

There are useful moorings by Kiln Bridge, for the shops in St. Johns, the local pub, and also because the St Johns and Woodham flights must be navigated the same day, it is also an overnight stop over point for boats going down to the River Wey.

A piece of history - in June 1981 I took pictures of restoration work at St. Johns. This is a view of the top lock with Kiln bridge. It did look like they were building a new road here!

Another view of Kiln Bridge, with the top of the St John flight visible

After the canal leaves St Johns, it becomes more rural and this is an attractive section to walk. The footbridge is known as Hermitage Woods and (below) a view of the stretch by Hermitage Woods.

Hermitage Woods Footbridge

Just before Hermitage bridge, the main Waterloo - Alton/Basingstoke and points westwards is situated on a lofty embankment that is so close to the canal it has to be strengthened by this large brick butress. As railways go they are often responsible for the demise of the canals, but where would we be without the LSWR, the Southern and the Atlantic Coast Express? Just like the Basingstoke has lost its far end, so too has the railway as trains no longer call at points westwards beyond Exeter to destinations such as Padstow.

The Hermitage is the first of a number of locations where the canal is very wide. (besides the much smaller wide below the top of the Woodham flight) These are known as flashes, and are large pools that have been incorprated into the canal. But they are not just found on the Basingstoke - the Trent and Mersey also has some though theirs are due to mining subsidence.

The Hermitage

BASINGSTOKE CANAL PHOTO GUIDE:

R. Wey - Scotland Bridge    Scotland Br - Woodham Top    Woodham - Chertsey Rd    Woking    St. Johns - Hermitage    Brookwood - Pirbright    Deepcut Locks   Deepcut - Frimley Aqueduct    Frimley - The Canal Centre    Through Ash Vale    Ash Aqueduct - Eelmoor    Eelmoor - Norris Hill    Norris Hill - Reading Road    Fleet - Chequers Bridge     Chequers - Double Bridge    Double Bridge - Dogsmerfield    Barley Mow - Broad Oak Bridge    Colt Hill - North Warnborough    N. Warnborough - Greywell    Main Page