Frimley Lodge Park to Mytchett Lake and Great Bottom Flash

Follow the Basingstoke Canal south from Frimley Lodge Park for a quiet waterside walk past Mytchett Lake to Great Bottom Flash. The 7 km route returns along the same towpath. Allow about 2 hours 15 minutes, including pauses by the lakes. The walking is mostly level, with firm sections mixed with earth and gravel.

Start at the eastern car park beside the miniature railway in Frimley Lodge Park. Take the short park approach to the canal and turn right, keeping the canal on your left. Stay on this bank: the Canal Centre is across the water and is not part of this walk. Continue beneath Mytchett Place Bridge and Mytchett Lake Road Bridge, past the lake and through the railway-bridge passage towards Great Bottom Flash. Turn around just before Ash Vale Junction Bridge, at the southern end of the mapped route, and retrace your steps to the park.

Some towpath sections are narrow, muddy or uneven, with steep cambers and an unfenced drop into the water. Keep children close, dogs under control and out of the canal, and take care around cyclists and beneath low bridges. There are no road crossings on this route. Walk in daylight and check current towpath notices before setting out; canal water levels and boat restrictions can change independently of access for walkers.

Frimley Lodge Park has free parking, toilets and a cafe, subject to opening hours. The car-park gates close seasonally, as early as 4pm in winter, so check the entrance signs and leave time to return. Bring water and suitable shoes for wet ground. Route and access information draw on Hampshire and Surrey County Councils' Basingstoke Canal guidance and Surrey Heath Borough Council's Frimley Lodge Park map and visitor information.