Canals first saw use during the Roman occupation of the south of Great Britain and were used mainly for irrigation. … See more

Early use of the canals for leisure travel was fairly limited. One of the earliest records of pleasure cruising was published in 1891. Two Girls on a Barge by Miss V. Cecil Cotes describes an unconventional adventure … See more

There are now about 4,700 miles (7,600 km) of navigable canals and rivers throughout the United Kingdom; 2,700 miles (4,345 km) of these are part of the connected system. Most of them are linked into a singl… See more