Stumbling across a canal flowing over a road bridge is one of the biggest surprises I have had on a local walk! The Ash Aqueduct and three play areas all wait along Section 3 of the Blackwater Valley Path.
The Ash Embankment Aqueduct Blackwater Valley Path Section 3: Shawfields to Hollybush Pits Carrington Recreation Ground The River Blackwater The Blackwater Valley Path These sections follow the river, are not circular and do not finish where they start. The Paths Along Section 3 We now don’t take scooters beyond Lakeside Nature Reserve. Would We Go Back? Instead, we follow a different and circular route! A Circular Alternative! Where to Next? 
Built in 1994, the Ash Aqueduct carries the Basingstoke Canal over the A331 dual carriageway and the River Blackwater. 
Section 3 of the Blackwater Valley Path leads underneath the aqueduct and from down below it looks like a normal road bridge. 
This makes climbing the bridge and discovering a canal a stunning surprise, especially on a sunny day.
This is 2 miles long and starts at Shawfields or Rowan Field. 
Ivy Road Recreation Ground is a convenient place to park near Shawfields. 
Follow the path across the field to a small bridge and turn left onto the Blackwater Valley Path. 
The path will lead you over footbridges
up to the Basingstoke Canal
past Lakeside Nature Reserve Adventure Play Area 
over a couple of roads you need to cross with care 
through narrow paths lined with brambles and stinging nettles 
along the river 
finally ending at North Camp railway station 
and the Old Ford Pub. 
We continue on for a couple of minutes to play at Carrington Recreation Ground, which is also where we park.
Along Section 3 of the path, the River Blackwater starts to feel like a fully sized river complete with weeds waving in the currents. 
River access becomes very difficult because of the wild vegetation growing alongside. 
The Blackwater Valley Path is 23 miles long, marked by signposts and divided into 12 sections. 
The paths along Section 3 are generally flat with a few gentle inclines and easy to use. 
The paths after Lakeside Nature Reserve can be very narrow, overgrown and muddy with patches of stinging nettles and brambles. 
There is hard surfacing that is said to suitable for wheelchairs, pushchairs and bikes.
We have all used scooters along this section between Shawfields and Lakeside Nature Reserve without too much difficulty, although the surface can be uneven in places and there are often stones or branches to dodge. But the path around Hollybush Pits does not feel like it is surfaced. In some areas it has large chunks of rock and brick sticking out of the ground. This wasn’t a problem for a bike but I have taken a scooter this way before and couldn’t use it. 
We probably wouldn’t go back to the whole of Section 3 of the Blackwater Valley Path because of the paths around Hollybush Pits. 
We often cycle along the first half of Section 3, beginning at Ivy Road Recreation Ground and cycling for about ten minutes to the Ash Aqueduct.
From here we either follow the Basingstoke Canal tow path 
to Ash Vale for an ice cream, which takes another ten minutes.
From Ash we cycle back to the aqueduct and rejoin the Blackwater Valley Path North and cycle to Lakeside Nature Reserve Adventure Play Area, which is about a five minute cycle from the aqueduct. 
After Lakeside Play Area we cycle back to the aqueduct and then Ivy Road, which takes about 20 minutes.
Upstream – Section 2: Pea Bridge to Shawfields
Downstream – Section 4: Hollybush Pits to Coleford Bridge
Visit the Blackwater Valley Path website
Further Information
Nearest Town: Ash, Ash Vale, North Camp Opens: Daily Where to Eat: Bring a picnic. How Long We Spent There: 3 hours Parking: To park near Shawfields, we go to Ivy Road (GU12 4XG) – drive past the waste recycling centre and turn left next to the sign for Belle Vue Enterprise Centre. To park near Hollybush Pits, we go to Carrington Recreation Ground (GU12 5PG). Wildlife You Might See: Kingfishers, birds, badgers, lizards, ducks, moorhens, coots, Canada gees, butterflies and other insects. Information Written: May 2024
County: Hampshire
Nearest Postcode for Shawfields/Ivy Road: GU12 4XG
Nearest Postcode for Hollybush Pits/Carrington Recreation Ground: GU12 5PG
Cost: Free
Facilities: None
Buggies: Buggy friendly up to Lakeside Nature Reserve but can be harder going afterwards.
Cost of Parking: Free
Ratings
Our visit to Section 3 of the Blackwater Valley Path from Shawfields in Ash to Hollybush Pits in North Camp is summarised below and you can add your own rating under ‘User Rating’ or in the ‘Add Comment’ section below.
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