Basingstoke landslip cleared

THE landslip that blocked the Basingstoke Canal at  Dogmersfield (Basingstoke short lived) has now been cleared and the waterway reopened.

The landslip was made worse by the number of trees that came down, but the ranger team has removed the worst of them, allowing navigation, with the rest being removed by the Basingstoke Canal Society members, Ted Sedman tells us.

No movement

At was in April this year when the landslip occurred, and since then there has been monitoring of the ground, and it is felt that there is no significant movement of the slip.

The width of the canal is still narrowed, so only a single boat can pass through at a time, with boaters been asked to go through at tick-over to prevent any disturbance and not to moor in its vicinity.

The more the better

Of the reopening, Ted relates:

"The more boats that visit us the better, so the ability to get right to the head of navigation once again will help. And it is also good news for Galleon Marine, whose hire boats are no longer limited to a very short length (about four miles)."

Good news for all who venture to the Basingstoke, and credit to those who strive to keep the council financed waterway open in these troubled times.