Look up and find a hidden beauty spot
YOU might have passed the Ash Aqueduct by driving along the A331 dozens of times and not even known it is there.
The Blackwater Valley relief road is not somewhere you immediately think of when looking for some outdoor beauty.
The A331 dual carriageway, which runs between Aldershot and the M3 is more commonly thought of as a commuter road and not somewhere you would look to linger.
However, there is one feature of the road that defies all expectations and there is a decent chance that you have never even noticed it before, no matter how many times you have made the journey.
And if you do so, what you will discover is the Ash Aqueduct, something that has every right to be called a hidden gem and is the perfect place for people to walk, jog or canoe, as long as they are following current Covid guidelines.
Located between the junctions of Aldershot and Farnborough, this waterway forms part of Basingstoke Canal and it marks the county boundary between Surrey and Hampshire.
Accessible by foot or boat from both sides, the incredible aqueduct was built to allow the construction of the bypass road underneath it and is cut into the original Ash Embankment. It is positioned near Gold Valley fishing lakes in Ash and from the top of the bridge you can see The
Lake House cafe, another one of Surrey’s hidden treasures.
The 134-metre aqueduct has a path running along both sides enabling walkers, including those with dogs, to cross the dual carriageway safely. With a depth of 1.3 metres, it is used by canoeists and paddleboarders including members of SUP With Us.
Angela, founder of the group, described paddleboarding along the aqueduct as a “strange sensation”.
She said: “It might not be the longest or the tallest, but there is still something surreal about paddling on the Ash Aqueduct, recognisable from the A331 by its powder blue railings.
“Stand up paddleboarding on the rural Basingstoke Canal is for the most part serene; you’ll be paddling along quite peacefully and then, all of a sudden, you’re actually quite some height above the A331.
“Travelling on the aqueduct for the first time is a strange sensation.
“The traffic rushes underneath, perpendicular to your direction of travel and the height of the aqueduct is emphasised by how small the cars and vans look.
“I always wonder if the drivers and passengers can see us, and what they make of us. If you ever see us, be sure to give us a wave.
“Or if you fancy learning to paddleboard, going for a paddle on the aqueduct or would simply like to try SUP fun (think blind man’s bluff, netball and stuck in the mud on paddleboards), we’d love to see you.”
From the Ash side of the dual carriageway, follow the Basingstoke Canal towpath from the railway bridge at Ash Embankment East or Ash Wharf canal bridge and footbridge in Ash Hill Road, Ash.
From the Aldershot side of the dual carriageway, follow the canal towpath from the railway bridge at Ash Embankment West, off Gold Lane, Ash.