BW7

Woking, Aldershot and Basingstoke Canal and Navigation Company Limited

Records of the Woking, Aldershot and Basingstoke Canal and Navigation Company Limited: debenture certificates 1896, sale particulars 1904, plan of canal late 19th-early 20th century.

1896-1904

BW7

These records are available immediately for research

In 1895 the Basingstoke Canal was bought by Sir Frederick Hunt who re-floated it as the Woking, Aldershot and Basingstoke Canal and Navigation Company Limited. Barges were built and hired and traffic increased. In 1900 the company went into liquidation and commercial traffic to Basingstoke virtually came to an end. In 1905 the company was bought by William Carter who resold it to Horatio Bottomley's Joint Stock Trust and Finance Corporation. The company was eventually renamed the London and South Western Canal Company and wound up in 1909. Trade to Basingstoke ceased in 1910, and to Aldershot in 1921. In 1914 it was taken over by Basingstoke Canal Syndicate Limited. Some repairs were undertaken, however it was back in the hands of the receiver in 1921 until October 1923. The company was dissolved in 1926. In 1923 the canal, back with William Carter, was sold to A J Harmsworth. From this date there was no commercial traffic above Woking. Parts of the canal above Greywall Tunnel were sold after the tunnel fell in 1932, including the wharf at Basingstoke. In 1937 A J Harmsworth formed the Weybridge, Woking and Aldershot Canal Company. This company did not last very long as the canal's trade decreased once coal was no longer carried to the gasworks in Woking. The Woking timber traffic continued to 1949. The company went into voluntary liquidation in 1950. The canal was sold to the New Basingstoke Canal Company Limited in 1949, since when it has been used for supplying water. Short stretches remain navigable. For further information see Edward Paget-Tomlinson's 'The Illustrated History of Canals & River Navigations' and Charles Hadfield's 'The Canals of South and South East England'.

It has not been possible to ascertain any original structure of record-keeping from the small number of records held for this company. The fonds has therefore been arranged in chronological order.

[See also: BW6, BW8-10 for records of the Basingstoke Canal during other periods of ownership]