It was back in 1776 that the first proposal was made to link the River Thames to Basingstoke, writes Robert Rutherford for The Gazette. In 1778, the first company responsible for the canal was formed.

The grand sum of £86,000 was raised by the Corporation of Basingstoke. There was a mixture of local gentry and nobility who decided this would be a great benefit to the town.

Investment came from all over and a Surveyor and Chief engineer was appointed. He was an engineer of repute being responsible for numerous canal projects around the UK and his greatest piece of work was the West India Docks in London.

Like all projects, there were budget short falls due to underestimations and it was down to Parliament to ensure funds were made available for completion. The canal was opened on the September 4, 1794. The cost to transit goods from London to Basingstoke was 12 shillings per ton, in today's money around 60pence.

Barges with the name Defiance, Rapid, Independent and Britannia plied their trade between London and Basingstoke. Carry an assortment of cargo ranging from coal and Iron products to food products. Basingstoke was the terminus for Laverstock, Whitchurch Andover and Salisbury.

The canal made an important contribution to the commercial life of the town. The terminus known as The Wharf provided warehousing for canal bound traffic. Basingstoke was one of the Inn capitals of the country due to excellent links which included the Basingstoke Canal. All Inns needed beer and the Brewery needed malt. Mays became the biggest brewery in Basingstoke and the surrounding district. By 1857, it was brewing some 10,600 barrels a year, of which upwards of 4,200 barrels was strong ale. The brewery was fitted up with a 28-quarter plant, which meant that it could brew around 2,000 gallons at a time. It owned or leased 63 pubs, 23 of which were in Basingstoke. The remainder were in an area that stretched from Thatcham in the north to Winchester in the south, and from Sutton Scotney in the west to Blackwater in the east. It also supplied a further 29 free houses, the trade of which was secured by leases or agreements. It owned a small steam vessel which was used to transport beer along the Basingstoke Canal to the new military camp at Aldershot.