Lock 16

Deepcut Flight

The Deepcut Flight contains 14 locks in only two miles (3.2 kms) raising the Basingstoke Canal from Pirbright 100 feet (30.5 metres) onto the summit of the Surrey heathland.

To help preserve water in the canal these locks, plus the three in Brookwood, are only open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

The cottage beside Lock 28 was built in 1925 to replace an earlier one and is now a private residence.

Next to the cottage is a dry dock which was filled in during the 1930’s but was reinstated in 1983 and is available for hire from the Basingstoke Canal Authority.

The restoration of this lock flight was a major challenge in the 1970s and 80s and in October 1977 the ‘Deepcut Dig’ weekend saw some 600 volunteers from all over the country turn up to help clear chambers, remove old lock gates, repair brickwork and construct bypass weirs and channels.

Upstream of the lock flight is the Deep Cut – a cutting in places up to 70 feet (20 metres) deep and 1000 yards (914 metres) long - which has given its name to the village immediately to the north.

Along the cutting are mature stands of beech and sweet chestnut whose shade contributes to the overall darkness and brings a sense of remoteness to this length of the canal.