 Hello, thank you for joining me today. I'm in the Hampshire village of Greywell unless it's called depth of bridge not to be confused The depth of bridge in London. This is the River whitewater. What we're going to do today. We're going to go for a walk We're going to see more of this river later We're going to go for walk along the old basing stoke canal to find an abandoned tunnel and a ruined castle So I just come down across the fields. We're almost at the basing stoke canal So on this walk as I said we're going to go and walk along the canal That's where we should find King. Well, it's locally known as King John's castle I think officially it's called Odeon castle and then we'll continue to Greywell tunnel because I've always wanted to Well, I've always wanted to see the tunnel. I have been here before when I was quite a young child Came here with some friends of ours who lived in the area and we walked on the canal We looked at the castle. I remember this was where we left the canal at this Also, it's like a drawbridge. It would tilt back this way if a boat needs to come by so this in itself is quite an exciting feature That's that's what we've mainly come to see castle. So that's looking down the canal Towards basing stoke. We're going to head this way as if we were heading back towards London Whatever the canal can actually go to isn't it the joint other waterways So the castle is just along here So this castle known as King John's castle was built by King John in the early 1200s and It was from it was built to be here because it's about halfway between Windsor and Winchester It was from this castle. He would have ridden to running me to sign the Magna Carta When he died he gave the castle to his son King Henry deferred Henry deferred gave his car gave the castle to his sister Eleanor Eleanor married Simon Demontfort but he rebelled against the King and he died at the Battle of Ephem so the castle eventually Went back to the crown because Eleanor went into exile in the 1300s. It did house Parliament at least once and then After that, you know, it kind of continued to exist it held King David II of Scotland He was in prison there for 11 years and then eventually by the 15th century it just became simple hunting lodge and then by the 1600s it was described as a ruin. So it's basically it's a ruin. We're going to see I Remember it. So they've been some point in the 90s. We last came here. I'm here today on a summer's day It's quite pleasant. I remember it being incredibly muddy. We had I remember we had two push jeers. It was like my parents and my Our friends they had so we were we're all young children We were walking along here with two push jeers and you could barely push them I think they were basically carrying these push jeers along here. It was the muddiest walk I think I ever remember doing but what happened was we started at the other end at Greywell And we came down over the tunnel To the castle and as I said, we went that way and my kind of last memory of that was the bridge back there I'm doing it the opposite way round. So I'm just going to continue along here now And I think soon we'll come to King John's castle And just come a little way up the canal in search of this castle where the young King would have ridden from to sign To make the castle. Ah, there we go. I can just see some masonry just there I'm sure we can get a closer look. So I think what we see there is the keep. There have been more buildings out this way But I understand it is really only to keep that survives for us to look at today We'll go in there and have a look around so the canal continues that way. Oh, I'm thinking about it When we were back at the swing bridge, I said that I said it the wrong way round That way is looking towards Basingstoke. When I was there that way is looking towards London So correction. I said that the wrong way round. Anyway, here we go Look, there it is, Odium Castle in front of us. Historic ruin. It says we're welcome So let's go and explore the ruins. It would have been an octagonal castle an eight-sided tower as we can clearly see I've got Looking at it sort of flat on you can see the sides So I don't know if the whole tower survives at this stage In fact, I know it doesn't because I remember when I was little there was one section missing So this is probably the most complete side of the castle. Let's go around here now. It looks like it's all fenced off So we may not be able to Go inside, which is a bit of a shame But we'll see might just be the fence this bit off. Maybe they're worried about falling masonry. I can see Through through there. It might be going out and come and see interpretation So possibly we can go in around the other side. We'll find out shortly So yeah, see what I mean about how there's a some size of the keeper missing. Oh, this is exciting Look see this thing here this view It's basically a picture of the castle. I can line it up I don't know how well that work But the idea is it shows you with the sun shining on it might be hard But it's to show you what it would have looked like to help you build your imagination So from looking at it, I can see there have been floors where it's quite obvious That's where some floorboards would have gone into the walls. I suspect somewhere. There'd have been a spiral staircase in the Structure, I don't know if that remains today. I somehow think it possibly doesn't that's what rounds here I'm hoping there's gonna be a door rounds here. I mean this fencing I don't think makes it look great and There's a random little hut here. What's in here? It's probably locked Okay. Yeah, it's padlocked up. There's a random little hut. Anyway, let's go back to the castle We think that's what we came here to see So here we go we get to here If we don't go in we'll just simply circumnavigate it and then we'll go and find the tunnel on the canal because that's Quite exciting as well. Ah, this is looking promising. Well, it says danger keep out But then we can walk straight in I think when it says danger keep out means don't go in in there where my hand is I don't think I'm on my hand. Let's have a look. Yeah, so I think it's possibly the Concern of Falling Masonry hence why they've put this little deck here in that's not very medieval To just in case any stones were to fall so we can go into the castle, which I'm quite pleased about This brings back the memories when I came here as a young boy with that friend of mine I was a bit older and I remember we went out there and we walked around the side and he got a bit worried And I think we're lost but I was like, no, no, it's fine. It's a hexagon. We'll come back before we start and we did so I think The spiral staircase would have been there somewhere and it's it's gone So you've got this section of masonry surviving have a look around Not sure what that is. I'd suggest that's a fireplace, but there's no clue that certainly is a fireplace above us Nothing see so I've been on the ground floor. The ceiling would have been just here off my head going by those holes So they've been the main floor here where you know the biggest of the windows are and And then I there might have been too far place There might be one then and a small one up on the next floor above that one So then you've proven how to get out onto the roof. So it's quite interesting to see what's left of it What I'm gonna do now though. We're gonna go out of here. So I think all those years ago This is where a young king was living and he went or staying at least and he got on his horse and he rode To Sino Magna Carta the base and stoke canal of course wouldn't have been there in King John days or anyone else's days who I've mentioned and That arrived in 1792 Obviously, there were no railways when they built the canal So basically start being a fairly large town wanted to get on the canal network I did a video a few videos at base and stoke at the milestones museum Which will do I can't think of any direct connection with King John's castle The milestones museum is a fascinating place and if you want to have a look at the videos I made there then do have a look at the link on screen now. So what we're gonna do now We're gonna rejoin the canal. We're going to continue walking towards basing stuff. We're actually gonna go to basing stoke interestingly this section of the canal Does have a boat on it, but boats can't go that much further this way because the thing I'm really excited about seeing again or as excited about seeing King John's castle again It's great. Well tunnel which is blocked and home to bats and I believe possibly a section of it collapsed. So Things to do now is I'm just gonna continue a little way up the canal. We're gonna go find grave or tunnel I'm a little way up the canal now What are so clear when I last came down here? The water was very stagnant and really not moving Although obviously boats don't really come up this section, but we saw a boat back there. Now. This is interesting Look here. This to me looks like an old lock. You can see Narrows right in obviously there's something with the water height has remained the same so I Suppose when we get through to the other side of the lock, it's going to be a lot further down to the water level Maybe or there'll be a bit of a waterfall. I'm not sure but anyway, this is Quite clearly an old lock Just imagine them opening and closing the lock gates all those years ago. We can't be too far now We are you know, we're definitely now a bit higher above. This is more how I remember it. There's a lot We'd if you look through the weed see how it's the water quality looks better, but it's very Overgrown it was like this all the way along and it was really you know, not that nice So there's there's been improvements It'd be quite exciting to think that the canal tunnel could be reopened one day But I think the two problems are one is there's a collapse and two It's a huge population of bats live in there and bats are protected species So that's probably another reason why yeah, we're definitely you can see now We're not quite at the low level. We were when we were back down at the castle So I think the tunnel is going to be quite soon as I'm gonna keep walking till we find it Well now come bit further up the canal you can see the water It's getting more how I remember it to be sort quite stagnant overgrown further down the tunnel. Oh, here. We are here Here it is. It's just pretty much. I remember it Just over there the tunnel. I remember you could look in I think because all of this wasn't here from About down there. I remember looking Down to the tunnel and seeing it was blocked I remember being told it was blocked by my parents and the friends we had and I think what doesn't look blocked But it's when you got further down you can see it was he can't get a boat through Unfortunately the tunnel collapsed in the 1930s. It's quite a long tunnel. It's um, I think it's about 1,200 yards or some information here 1,230 yards is it was built between 1788 and 1792 there were no towpaths. So you had to leg through as that picture shows I Want to leg the boat for a tunnel of a black country living museum great fun So just see what it says. So yeah, it basically says that that was the end of the canal in 1932 or this section When it was closed used to be able to get through on a canoe into the late 1950s But now it's basically impossible to get through so we're not going into the tunnel But the path goes that way, but then as there is a path down to the tunnel We've moved not to go and have a look at it. I think the path then continues in fact It does I remember on top of tunnel. So we'll do that and we'll have a look down at the canal I'm Was tempted to go and look for the other side, but I think that's gonna be a video for another day if um You know, I'm interested to know what's at the other end of the tunnel But obviously have to go over land to find it and that have an OS map of the area So I'm kind of you know exploring with the best I can anywhere here is the mouth of Gravel tunnel Go a bit closer. I wonder if we can see the blockade and I don't want to drop my camera in. Oh, yeah, look see that So that's what I remember. I could see from about 50 yards on so here we are this is Gravel tunnel See how it's a bit. It's not the water looks better in there a bit stagnant Stagnatize that if that's a word, but look at it that way. It's a very kind of Well, lots of weeds and everything so what we're gonna do now, let's go up there Let's go up above the tunnel get one last look along the canal. There we are. That is Gravel tunnel Always find tunnels fascinating railway tunnels road tunnels canal tunnels Just exciting make our way back up these steps So other parts of the greatest oak canal further towards London are still in use Well, it seems this part was back there. So one of the I'd like to explore it all and There's one section where it goes. There's an aqueduct over the southwest and main line Okay, so the footpath that goes off down there, but that's not what we're doing today. We're gonna go down here and Doesn't look too much like your canal, but that Is the basin start canal ever shame really seeing it like this It's our first room since it as a child although I've been more down here So I think probably all these stinginess was right there Go about as it was really really muddy. It must have been in the spring. Maybe that we did this walk I think what we'll do now will go and we'll go to the visual gray. Well, well finish the video So the footpath turns into more like an alleyway between two houses. But here we are. This is now the village of gray Well, so come out here. So where I started Was just down that road down there where we saw the river Depth of bridge. I think it's called depth of bridge because this is depth of lane So the village of Odium itself is one and a half miles. This is now the village center of gray Well, so the tunnel basically runs under there somewhere Like I say, it's tempting to go and look for it. I think that's a video for another day So here we are. This is the very pleasant looking village of gray. Well, I hope you enjoyed this video Thank you very much for watching and If you want to come and see the tunnel for yourself, then it's a really pleasant walk But you kind of there might be the odd bus service to the village But I think it's really sort of patiently to come to by car. So from visual gray. Well, thank you very much for watching Please do feel free to like subscribe and comment. Goodbye