Greywell. Discover this delightful walk in Hampshire.
Our walk begins in the quiet but pretty village of Greywell in Hampshire. A narrow footpath takes us from the road, over the Greywell Tunnel and across the Basingstoke Canal.
From here it’s easy to just follow the towpath, but don’t.
Just after crossing the bridge, a narrow path on the right heads steeply down to the water – go and take a look.
Here you will find the entrance to the 1,124 m long Greywell Tunnel, which is an important site for hibernating and swarming bats. In 1985, it was designated a SSSI for bats. A bat friendly grill prevents the public from entering and just beyond the grill is a small boat, which is used for hibernation surveys.
But this is also the best place to admire the beautiful Basingstoke Canal. The water is so clear here that you can see right down to the bottom. Spring water rises from underground feeding this section of the canal and it is full of wildlife. Aquatic plants carpet the canal floor while dragonflies and butterflies flit all around. Take a look at the picture below to see how clear the water is.