27 Oct 19
We joined forces with SupwithUs on a paddle to Ash on the Basingstoke Canal. Five intrepid DPBer’s headed down to deepest Surrey and met up with Angela Luke and some of her group on the backs of the Canal. It was an area I hadn’t paddled before and with the promise of an Aqueduct it was going to be an interesting day.
The launch was a bit tricky as the banks were muddy and slippery. I went for the flying leap approach and managed to land on the board ok. Alex followed suit and survived a bit of a crash landing. Still he stayed on his board. We headed East and downstream towards Ash, passed a lock with some workers making repairs.
The Aqueduct was a modern structure built in 1994 and is a substantial structure. The A331 underneath can be glimpsed.
A little further on we arrived in Ash, a small town in Surrey. The row of shops back onto the canal so it was very easy to get a coffee from the cafe and a Co-op for other supplies.
This was are turning point and we headed back to Aldershot. At our launch site we said good bye to the paddlers from Supwithus and the DPBer’s carried on towards Farnborough. We were paddling into the sinking sun and the colours we beautiful and with no wind the water was totally still.
After passing under the A325 we stopped and turned for the launch point and home. It was a beautiful day with some good company.
If you want to join us, become a member.
