River Blackwater (River Loddon)
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| Blackwater | |
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| Origin | Rowhill |
| Basin countries | England |
| Length | 27 km (17 mi) |
| Source elevation | 135 m (443 ft) |
The River Blackwater is a tributary of the River Loddon and, indirectly, of the River Thames. It rises at Rowhill on the outskirts of Aldershot between Aldershot and Farnham in the English county of Hampshire and runs in a northerly direction to join the Loddon near the village of Swallowfield in Berkshire. Along part of its length, the river forms the boundary between Hampshire and Surrey, and then between Hampshire and Berkshire.
Rowhill is an isolated remnant of the extensive heathland that once surrounded Farnborough and Aldershot. What is left of the heathland is used by the British Army for training exercises.
The Blackwater Valley forms a green corridor. The peace and quiet of this green corridor has been destroyed in recent years by the construction of the Blackwater Valley Relief Road, a motorway in all but name. A cycle route runs alongside the River Blackwater for most of its length.
The Basingstoke Canal runs east west from the Greywell Tunnel at Greywell to the River Wey. It crosses the Blackwater Valley on an embankment. The River Blackwater used to flow under the embankment in a culvert. Following the construction of the relief road, the Basingstoke Canal now crosses the River Blackwater via the spectacular Ash Aqueduct. Bats that used to roost in the culvert now live in a purpose-built bat house on a nearby island.
The new aqueduct affords views of the surrounding countryside. In the distance to the south is the Hog's Back. This is where the North Downs narrows. It runs between Farnham and Guildford. Guildford lies in a gap in the North Downs, cut by the River Wey. The Hogs Back Brewery, a small local brewery, lies just off the Hog's Back.
This River Blackwater should not be confused with the River Blackwater in south-west Hampshire, which is a tributary of the River Test.
