101 Wonders of the Waterways

Description A charming and characterful guidebook to the best of Britain’s diverse and fascinating canal network for all waterway enthusiasts. Beautifully illustrated, this compendium uncovers the many extraordinary, notable and surprising places to be found on Britain’s waterways. Our canals and rivers link into a diverse 3,000-mile-long network, and 101 Wonders of the Waterways shows you that wherever you find yourself in the country, there will be something nearby to give you a taste of this beautiful and nostalgia-infused world. Canal cruising experts Steve Haywood and Moira Haynes bring our waterways to life with their witty and lyrical prose, including many lesser-known and often ignored places – the best-kept secrets of Britain’s canals and rivers. Some examples of wonders include: · Historic Hungerford in Berkshire, where William of Orange was staying when he was offered the crown after the Glorious Revolution · The world famous Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, soaring spectacularly on slender tapered columns 126 feet over the River Dee below · Hest Bank, with its stunning views and the only place where a canal runs so close to the seashore that you can smell the seaweed from the back of your boat As well as lively personal anecdotes, and insightful commentary on Britain’s heritage and history, this guide includes handy recommendations to help you make the most of your visit to each wonder. This is the book you will want to have in the back of your car, or stuffed into your backpack, so you can find an idyllic place for a picnic, or the perfect day trip for a long weekend. Table of Contents Introduction and Dedication Some Basics The Inland Waterways Association Locks Distance and Mile Posts 1. The Midlands Bancroft Basin, Stratford-upon-Avon Barrel-roofed Lock Cottages, South Stratford Canal The Birmingham Canal Navigations BCN Challenge Braunston Charity Dock The Chesterfield Canal Cosgrove to Grafton Regis, Grand Union Canal Cromford Mills and the Cromford Canal Fotheringhay Foxton Locks and Inclined Plane The Great Northern Basin The Harecastle Tunnels Hatton Locks Lichfield Canal Aqueduct Napton and the Oxford Summit Royal Ordnance Depot, Weedon Shardlow Stoke Bruerne and Blisworth Tunnel Stourport-on-Severn South Stratford Split Bridges Tixall Wide Toll Islands, Birmingham Arts and Crafts Roses and Castles Towpath Art 2. The North The Anderton Boat Lift and The River Weaver The Barton Swing Aqueduct Bingley Five Rise Locks Bugsworth Basin Burnley Embankment Chester Ellesmere Port Gargrave Glasson Dock and Basin Hebden Bridge and the Rochdale Summit Hest Bank The Liverpool Link Naburn Lock The Ribble Link The Rochdale 9 Saltaire The Springs Branch Standedge Tunnel Wardle Canal Wigan Pier Worsley Delph Canal Curiosities Roving Bridges Tow Rope Grooves Hobbit Houses 3. The South Blow-up Bridge (Macclesfield Bridge), Regent’s Canal Camden Lock Little Venice The Thames Tunnel Maritime Greenwich The Thames Barrier Three Mills Island The Royal Gunpowder Mills The River Thames between Goring and Windsor Swan-upping The Wey Navigation Port Meadow and Oxford Cropredy Festival Southern Oxford and Llangollen Lift Bridges Tooley’s Boatyard Travelling Players Mikron Theatre Tim and Pru 4. The East The Broads The Cambridge Backs Denver Sluice Ely The Glory Hole, Lincoln Reed Cutters Wicken Fen Tributaries of the Great Ouse The Wash Waterways Wildlife Water Voles Water Birds 5. Wales and the West Bridge-keepers’ Cottages, Gloucester & Sharpness Canal Bristol Floating Harbour Caen Hill Lock Flight The Ellesmere Lake District Gloucester Docks Pontcysyllte Aqueduct Pulteney Bridge, Bath Horseshoe Falls Ironbridge The Rennie Aqueducts Sapperton Tunnel and the Cotswold Canals The Severn Bore Whixall Moss Woodseaves Cutting A Water Way of Life Waterways Pubs Traditional Boatman’s Cabin 6. Scotland Caledonian Canal Crinan Canal The Falkirk Wheel The Kelpies Neptune’s Staircase Index Acknowledgements