This is a valuable illustrated guide for anyone using a boat on the 2,000 miles of navigable inland waterways that crisscross England and Wales.  Expert John Gagg gives practical advice on boats and their operation, living aboard, locks, bridges, tunnels, aqueducts, wildlife, waterside pubs and landmarks and much, much more...

The post Canal & Inland Cruising appeared first on The Inland Waterways Association.

This is a nostalgic look at how life on our rivers and canals has changed during the last century, through the memories of those men and women whose work both on and by the waterways was of vital importance to the country.

Our rivers and canals hold an undisputed attraction for the many people who choose to spend their leisure time on or by the water.  But few realise what an important role our inland waterway system once played in the economy of the country, and how many different people have spent their working lives either on the water or maintaining the waterways themselves.

The post Tales from the old Inland Waterways appeared first on The Inland Waterways Association.

This lavishly illustrated celebration of canals and rivers is designed to whet the appetite of every aspiring inland navigator. Describing the huge variety of networks in Belgium, England and Wales, France, Germany, Poland, Ireland, Scotland and Sweden, it is an ideal planning aid for the private boat owner, cruiser hirer, passenger craft traveller or motorist seeking watery excursions.

The post The Guinness Guide to Waterways of Western Europe appeared first on The Inland Waterways Association.

The final volume in the Anatomy of Canals series brings the story right up to date.  Canal Mania hit Britain in the 1790s; when it subsided canal construction still carried on, but under the shadow of a new threat, as the first locomotives puffed their way onto the transport scene.  Engineers rose to the challenge by building ever more direct routes, with deep cuttings and high embankments.  This was also an age of experiment, with devices such as boat lifts, culminating in the famous Anderton Boat Lift, now restored to working order.

The post The Anatomy of Canals – Decline and Renewal appeared first on The Inland Waterways Association.

This second volume in the Anatomy of Canals series charts the history of the British canal system at the height of its popularity.  Canal building that had stuttered almost to a standstill in the 1780s was revitalised in the 1790s when new schemes were suddenly being promoted with astonishing rapidity.  No fewer than 21 canal acts were passed in 1793 alone, and this early part of the decade became known as the time of Canal Mania.

The post The Anatomy of Canals – The Mania Years appeared first on The Inland Waterways Association.

Waterways Past and Present is a unique photographic record of Britain's magnificent and varied waterways heritage.  Through the superb photography of Derek Pratt, this book looks at 40 transitional years when Britain's inland waterways changed from being a thriving commercial transport system to the varied and beautiful pleasure cruising network it is today.  On many pages, superb atmospheric black and white photos from 30 and 40 years ago, are juxtaposed with vibrant colour photos showing the waterways today.

The post Waterways Past and Present appeared first on The Inland Waterways Association.

This book contains over 200 archive photographs of historic narrowboats at work during the first half of the 20th century and a little later.  Each photograph is accompanied by a detailed caption explaining the location and what is going on in an engaging and authoritative way. The book is unashamedly about narrow boats on the canals of England. The author fully realises that there were many other types of craft trading on the inland waterways of Britain, but he has chosen only to illustrate the narrow beamed craft, which are now collectively known as narrow boats.  Practically all types of inland waterway craft have been illustrated and described in Edward Paget-Tomlinson's book Britain's Canal and River Craft.

The post Narrow Boats at Work appeared first on The Inland Waterways Association.

The story of Surrey's local waterways from the days of their commercial importance, through the period of total abandonment into the present age of slow revival is told authoritatively by Paul vine, author of the classic London's lost route to the Sea. The reader also benefits from over 120 of his unrivalled collection of photographs, prints and maps relating to this unique chapter in our local history.

The post Surrey Waterways appeared first on The Inland Waterways Association.

The story of Kent and East Sussex's waterways, from the days of their commercial importance through the period of total abandonment, to the present age of slow revival, is told authoritatively by Paul Vine, author of the classic London's lost route to the Sea. The reader also benefits from his unrivalled collection of photographs prints and maps, of which 121 are included in the book.

The post Kent and East Sussex Waterways appeared first on The Inland Waterways Association.

Paul Vine, author of the classic London's lost route to the Sea, describes how, with the aid of 120 archive photos and maps, the waterways of Hampshire have fared from the days of their commercial importance to the present day, when the revival of pleasure boating in Hampshire became a reality with the reopening of the Basingstoke Canal.

The post Hampshire Waterways appeared first on The Inland Waterways Association.