The canals of the United Kingdom are a major part of the network of inland waterways in the United Kingdom. They have a varied history, from use for irrigation and transport, through becoming the focus of the 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 … See more

Aqueducts
Canal aqueducts are structures that carry a canal across a valley, road, railway, or another canal. Dundas Aqueduct is built of stone in a classical style. Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is an iron trough on tall stone piers. See more

• National Waterways Museum, Ellesmere Port, Merseyside
• Foxton Canal Museum, Harborough, Leicestershire
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Canals first saw use during the Roman occupation of the south of Great Britain and were used mainly for irrigation. The Romans also created … 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 single English and Welsh network from See more

• Bastard boats or Statters (12' / 3.65 m beam; wide boats on Manchester, Bolton & Bury)
• Broad-beam boats (called "wide boats" on the Grand Union canal, 2.2 m to 4.3 m beam)
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