THE BASINGSTOKE CANAL - BEYOND GREYWELL

FROG LANE - M3 MOTORWAY

The canal at the rear of Eastside Coach House

The only trace of the canal near Mapledurwell is at the rear of property along a short lane that leads eastwards off Frog Lane (from where the former swing bridge once stood) as seen above. It is possible to walk back to Little Tunnel along this path, but it is overgrown in places especially nearer the tunnel. The former canal route soon becomes rear gardens for these buildings whose frontage is on Frog Lane (below.) and part of the Eastside Coach House. The Eastside Coach House literature explains that it is "a spacious house on the original route of Basingstoke Canal with Little Tunnel a short walk from the rear of the garden." Frog Lane is the road that leads from Greywell Road southwards to Mapledurwell.

Just about where the dog is, the canal passed right to left going to Basingstoke, and at this point once existed Frog Lane swing bridge! Difficult to imagine such a canal scene now.

Site of Frog Lane swing bridge

Past Frog Lane the canal passed through a small copse before emerging onto this field, which of course was bisected by the canal when it existed. The upper section of field that has been turned over actually marks where the canal was as it ran along the boundary between the two different sections of the field, across the centre of the photograph, the canal passing from left to right to Basingstoke. Greywell Road is out of sight beyond the clump of trees on the far right, but is seen in the next picture.

Course of the canal across fields parallel to Frog Lane

This is a view from Greywell Road, looking across the field towards the copse that straddles the section of Frog Lane where the swing bridge once stood. The canal crossed the field towards the photographer, and curved to the right towards Lukes Bridge. This section of Greywell Road is not the original, but a new section that was built as part of the diversions around the M3 motorway. A little bit to the right of this picture, however, the former canal route is now the new Greywell Road!

As seen below, the old Greywell Road, leading towards The Hatch - now severed and replaced by the new road that crosses the M3 - was on the right - where the parked cars are. Greywell Road was widened to this point, and then diverted away from this point to the left, thus joining the former Basingstoke route as it came across the fields from Frog Lane. Previously both canal and road ran parallel for a short distance towards Lukes Bridge.

The new Greywell Road

Below: Basingstoke Canal circa 2002. The car is at the point where Lukes Bridge once stood. There is nothing left of the canal on this section, save for the hedges on the left hand side, further up, which are obvioulsy part of the canal's southern boundary, as seen in the picture at the bottom of this series.

Greywell Road/Basingstoke Canal route at Lukes Bridge

Above and below: Lukes Bridge stood here. Several properties on the former route of the canal have been named after the bridges that once stood over it.

Greywell Road again, as it turns to cross the M3. Where it climbs up here to the height of the M3 overbridge, it leaves the southern boundary of the Basingstoke Canal quite visible as both routes now take different alignments. The modern fencing and electric cable masts clearly mark the canal's southern boundary.

THE LOST ROUTE FROM GREYWELL TO BASINGSTOKE:
Lost Section - Introduction    Over Greywell Hill    Greywell - Brickworks Arm    Brickworks Arm - Penny Br    Penny Bridge - Little Tunnel    Frog Lane - M3    M3 Motorway Section    M3 - Church Lane (Basing)    Church Lane - Crown Lane    Basing House    Redbridge La - Swing Br Cottages    The Loop - Ringway East    Eastrop Way - Basingstoke