Great Waterways Journeys: 20 Glorious Routes Circling England, by Canal and River

by Derek Pratt

Overview

This is a guide to circling England using its inland waterways, by boat or on foot. Along the way we learn about our industrial heritage, how cities grew and thrived, as well as passing through spectacular landscapes and idyllic countryside.

Beginning in leafy Surrey and ending at Bristol Docks via north Yorkshire, this 780-mile journey passes through the industrial landscape of the West Midlands and the stunning Pennine hills, as well as famous cities such as Oxford and Bath, taking you via the first canal in Britain, Hampton Court Palace, Cadbury World, idyllic Shropshire villages and iconic pieces of Victorian engineering.

The route is split up into different sections, so readers can either take on the whole circumnavigation or one part of it. Celebrating the restoration of the canals that make this journey possible, the book features (and uses, if you're travelling by boat) iconic pieces of waterways history such as the Anderton Lift, the Barton Swing Aqueduct, and the 29 locks at Devizes. Each section of the route is illustrated by a map, and features practical information on locks, tunnels and aqueducts, nearby places of interest, good pubs, useful transport links etc.

Giving readers a unique way to discover the beauty and variety of England's waterways, and laying down a new challenge to inland waterways enthusiasts, this is a practical and fascinating guide.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781472905840
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	06/04/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
File size:	24 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Derek Pratt is a professional photographer and specialist writer on inland waterways. He regularly writes and photographs for Britain's leading waterways magazine Waterways World and is the author of Waterways Past and Present, London's Waterways, Urban Waterways and The Thames, all published by Adlard Coles Nautical.
Derek Pratt is a professional photographer and specialist writer on inland waterways. His photo library contains a large collection of stunning photos taken over a period of 45 years, and he is the author of several books and articles on the subject.

Table of Contents

Introduction 8

1 River Wey & Godalming Navigations 10

Godalming to Guildford 13

Guildford to Weybridge 16

2 River Thames Weybridge to Brentford 18

Weybridge to Kingston upon Thames 20

Kingston upon Thames to Richmond upon Thames 24

Richmond upon Thames to Brentford 26

3 Grand Union Canal South Section 28

Brentford to Hanwell Locks 31

Bulls Bridge to Rickmansworth 33

Rickmansworth to Berkhamsted 34

Cowroast Lock to Milton Keynes 36

Cosgrove Locks to Blisworth 41

Gayton Junction to Braunston 43

4 Grand Union Canal North Section 44

Braunston to Napton Junction 47

Napton Junction to Warwick 49

Warwick to Kingswood Junction 52

5 Stratford-on-Avon Canal and Worcester & Birmingham Canal 54

Kingswood Junction to Kings Norton 57

Kings Norton to Birmingham 60

6 Birmingham Canal 62

Gas Street Basin to Smethwick 65

Smethwick to Tipton Green 70

Tipton Green to Aldersley Junction 72

7 Shropshire Union Canal 74

Autherley Junction to Gnosall 77

Gnosall to Market Drayton 79

Market Drayton to Middlewich 82

8 Trent & Mersey Canal North Section 86

Middlewich to Anderton 89

Anderton to Preston Brook Tunnel 94

9 Bridgewater Canal 96

Preston Brook to Sale 99

Sale to Worsley 103

Worsley to Leigh 106

Leigh to Wigan 108

10 Leeds & Liverpool Canal Wigan Locks to Skipton 110

Wigan to Chorley 113

Chorley to Blackburn 116

Blackburn to Burnley 118

Burnley to Foulridge 121

Foulridge to Skipton 124

11 Leeds & Liverpool Canal Skipton to Leeds 128

Skipton to Bingley 130

Bingley to Leeds 134

12 Aire & Canal Navigation and Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigation 138

Leeds to Castleford 141

Castleford to Knottingley 145

Knottingley to Bramwith 147

Bramwith to Keadby 150

13 River Trent 154

Keadby to Gainsborough 156

Gainsborough to Cromwell Lock 159

Cromwell Lock to Nottingham 161

14 Trent & Mersey Canal 170

Shardlow to Burton upon Trent 172

Burton upon Trent to Fradley Junction 177

15 Coventry Canal 180

Fradley Junction to Fazeley 183

Fazeley to Hawkesbury junction 185

16 Oxford Canal 192

Hawkesbury Junction to Rugby 195

Rugby to Napton 198

Napton to Fenny Compton 199

Fenny Compton to Banbury 202

Banbury to Oxford 204

17 River Thames 208

Oxford to Iffley 210

Iffley to Abingdon-on-Thames 213

Abingdon-on-Thames to Wallingford 214

Wallingford to Pangbourne-on-Thames 218

Pangbourne-on-Thames to Reading 221

18 Kennet & Avon Canal Eastern Section 224

Reading to Newbury 227

Newbury to Hungerford 233

Hungerford to Devizes 236

19 Kennet & Avon Canal Western Section 240

Devizes to Bradford-on-Avon 242

Bradford-on-Avon to Bath 246

Bath to Bristol 250

Index 254

Editorial Reviews

"If you have waterways wanderlust, Great Waterways Journeys: 20 Glorious Routes Circling England by Derek Pratt is a unique canal and river guide to England.” —Boating Times Long Island

From the Publisher