The Wharf at Colt Hill, Odiham is the furthest west car park (see map) adjacent to the Basingstoke Canal and the closest to Basingstoke. The Club has met there every summer since 1987 for an evening paddle once each week.
Currently the Club paddles from the Wharf on Wednesday evenings from April through to early September. There is also a children's paddle each Friday evening over the same period.
There is a winding hole at the Wharf. When the Canal was used for commercial traffic this would have allowed barges delivering or collecting loads to turn. Now it provides open water to warm up or for skills practice before journeying either further west towards Odiham Castle and the limit of navigation at Greywell or east towards Fleet. The brick arch bridge carrying London Street over the Canal provides an excellent view of the Wharf for spectators.
Between the car park and the Canal is a former smallholding. This is owned by the Club and the site where we hope to build a Clubhouse. The photo on the right shows the view from London Road Bridge looking east across the wharf before the Clubhouse was built. The Club's land can be seen in the background at the far end of the wharf, beyond the open space.
For those needing refreshment after paddling or comfort after watching, the Waterwitch public house is just two minutes walk away.
If you would like to find out more about the Basingstoke Canal please take a look at the Basingstoke Canal Authority web site or the Surrey and Hampshire Canal Society web site.
Please click on the map below to see the Wharf in more detail!
Map to be added
