Canal & Waterway Internet Resources- General

• Email Mailing Lists / Web Forums
• The canals mailing list. Begun 1995. About 25 messages per day, on average, but with considerable variation from day-to-day.
• Inland Waterways Association of Ireland Mailing Lists
• Canal World Discussion Forums
• Norfolk Broads Forum

  Note: many canal societies have their own mailing lists.

• Usenet Newsgroups
• uk.rec.waterways, spun off the the canals mailing list (see above) in November 1995. Carried the same messages as the mailing list until June 11, 1999. Now independent of list. Lots of activity here.
  • uk.rec.waterways is also available on the web
• fr.rec.bateaux, converses in French, and may sometimes include canals and waterways information.
• uk.rec.waterways.fens, created in January 1999, is for discussions related to the Fen waterways of the UK. Maybe only a few postings per month.
• uk.rec.waterways.fens is also available on the web
• Web sites: (I list below only those sites that I have not linked to elsewhere.)

General Information Sites

In addition to the site you are now visiting, the following general information sites are available:
• Canal Junction - "canal guide and canal business directory".
• canalmedia - "UK Inland Waterways Internet Guide".
• Canal.org.uk - "Canal Gazetteer"
• Canal Vacations - UK - "especially for overseas visitors" (but oddly uses the term "barge" ...)
• EuropeAfloat - index of boat hirers
• Just Canals
• narrowboatworld - news and comment
• Jim Shead's Waterways Information - for five years, Jim wrote the "clicking.on.canals" column in Waterways World magazine
• Tom Sommers' EuroCanals - "cruising the canals & rivers of Europe"
• Steev's Canal Pages
• Steve's Canals and Waterways Site
  • Steve's Beginners Guide
• Tim's Waterways Web Page Index
• UK Canals Network
• Waterscape - British Waterways' general info pages
• Waterways Directory.com
• Waterways Interactive - website "currently undergoing redesign" - companion site to Canal Planner for Windows software
• Water-Ways - "all european waterways" (site in German, English, and French)
• Willkommen auf der ersten deutschen Kanalseite
• Willkommen bei Kanalboot.de
• Worldwide Water Web

Shops

• Canal Cargo - Canal Maps and Cruising Guides, Books, Videos, Gifts, Chandlery
• Canal Shop Company - canal-related items; videos
• The Canal Shop - "everything related to narrowboats" (Daventry, Northants.)
• Laurence Hogg Productions - brass plaques; antique gifts/books.   Warning! Web pages are all large images, so will be slow to view over slow connections.
• For boat accessories, see the Boat Ownership, Construction, Maintenance, and Services page.
• See also listings on the Near the Water... page.

Education/Toys

• Aquaplay - canal playsets [web site also available in German, French, and Swedish]
• The Brecon & Abergavenny Canal -useful information for teachers about a canal-related school trip and project
• The Brecon & Abergavenny Canal - from the Powys Digital History Project
• Our Grand Canal Project - prepared by students of St. Ronan's National School
• River Lee - Our River - "The website has been designed especially for young people and their teachers."
• Wild over Waterways - educational site for students and teachers

Model Boats

• A. M. Models
• Bespoke Model Boats - scale models of your own boat
• Garth Allan - kits
• George Turner Models

Carrying/Cargo/Haulage

• Commercial Boat Operators Association
• Humber Barges
• Northern Barges
• South Midland Water Transport Limited - canal carrying

Specialized Topics

• Hand-Made VR, by Tony Pickford. QuickTime 360 degree VR panoramas, including some canal scenes
- needs Quicktime; after image is displayed, drag your left mouse button over the image to move around in the panorama
• I. A. Recordings - make video records of working industry as well as the remains of past industries, including inland waterways.
• Inland Waterways Terminology Working Group Waterways Thesaurus

Angling (Fishing)

• See What are the requirements for fishing on canals?, which is Question 15 of the Waterways FAQ
• Greengrass Fishing - angling on the Beverley Beck Canal. NOTE: this link plays music.

Historic

See also Museums
Also many local Canal- and Waterway-Related Organizations have historical information on their particular canal.
Historical information for canals in North America can be found on the North American Canals page.
See also Canal- and Waterway-Related Organisations - Specific Types of Boats, which includes organisations interested in the restoration or study of historic boats.
• Mike Clarke's articles on the history of canals
• Peter Hardcastle's Canals: Roots & Routes
• Steve Wood's info on historic Fellows, Morton, and Clayton Fish Class boats
• Richard Thomas on The History of the Narrow Boat Steamer
• The The Archive Collection of the Waterways Trust
• Virtual Waterways Archive Catalogue - on-line searchable archive
• Mike Stevens' Waterways of England and Wales : Their History in Maps
• The International Canal Monuments List
• Jim Shead provides online access to the full text of the classic 1831 book Historical Account of the Rivers, Canals, and Railways of Great Britain, by Joseph Priestley
• Ice Boats of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal
• Historic Staffordshire canal photos and documents
• National Historic Ships - (for narrowboats, search for "narrow")

Genealogy

Some entries under "Historic" and "Museums" may also be helpful.
• The Bargemen - family histories of boat and barge workers along the river Thames
• The Boatpeople of the Wolverhampton Canal System - Baptism and Marriages
• Cyndi's List of Canals, Rivers & Waterways Genealogy Sites
• CANAL-PEOPLE Mailing List
• UK Waterways - a guide for genealogists

Museums

• Official Black Country Living Museum
• Official Boat Museum - Ellesmere Port
• Claverton Pumping Station - on the K&A
• Etruria Industrial Museum - off Trent & Mersey Canal
• Foxton Canal Museum - (Foxton, Leics.)
• Houseboat Museum Amsterdam (English, Nederlands, Deutsch, Français)
• Inland Waterways Heritage Network - information on the various waterway-related museums in the UK.
• London Canal Museum
• Museum of the Broads
• National Waterways Museum at Gloucester
• National Waterways Museum Stoke Bruerne
• River & Rowing Museum - Henley-on-Thames
• Shardlow Heritage Centre
• (Yorkshire) Waterways Museum - (Goole)

Specific Types of Boats

Narrowboats appear frequently on this web site. Here's links to other type of boats you'll find on the waterways. For actual organisations related to specific types of boats, see Societies - UK - Specific Types of Boats and Specific Historic Boats.
• David Chapman's Amphicar page
• Jurjen Heeck's Amsterdam Houseboats (English; Nederlands).
• Braidbar Owners YahooGroup
• Dawncraft Info, from Wallace Venable
• The Dutch Barge Pages - site does not work correctly with Firefox browser; OK with Internet Explorer
• Steve Wood's info on historic Fellows, Morton, and Clayton Fish Class boats
• Mick Fowler's site for Nauticus (GRP) boat owners - Note: requires Java for site navigation
• Norman Boats Appreciation Society
• Replica Dutch Barging
• Springer Narrow Boat Owners
• Thames Barge Sailing Club
• Wilderness Boat Owners Club
• See also Canal- and Waterway-Related Organisations - Specific Types of Boats

Situations Vacant

• Reed Boats - hotel boat crew needed
• Anywork Anywhere Jobs On Boats, Barges & Yachts
• Marine Jobs available with members of the British Marine Federation - click "Careers & Jobs"
• British Waterways Job Opportunities
• Employment opportunities with Continental Waterways Ltd

Boat Handling Courses

• Alvechurch Boat Centres - (4 locations)
• Bisham Abbey Sailing & Navigation School (nr. Marlow, Bucks., or on your own boat)
• Boat Master (Canal & Rivercraft Services) (London)
• Clifton Cruisers (nr. Rugby)
• Inland Waterways Cruising School (Kidderminster, Worcs.)
• Mainline Solutions
• National Community Boats Association - training for operators of community boats.
• NCBA Flow - "Family Learning on Water" - course for family boaters
• Top Lock Marine (Marple, Cheshire)
• Trent Boat Handling
• Wildcat Enterprises
• Willow Wren Cruising Holidays (Rugby)

Boat Maintenance Courses

• TB Training provides courses through Reading College (now Thames Valley University), and other independent courses as well. Courses available in Boat and Engine Maintenance, Electrics for Boaters, and Welding for Boaters.
  - Note: lots of useful info in the on-line course notes.

Boat Safety Equipment

• crew-safe - lifejackets and marine safety equipment
• Life Jackets UK - Life Jackets, Life Vests and Buoyancy Aids for Sale by Mail Order - UK and overseas
• Marine Warehouse - "shop for lifejackets online"
• Safewater Alarms - sounds alarm if child or pet is in the water

Towpath Cycling

You may find the following sites helpful:
• SUSTRANS
• Towpath Action Group
• Waterscape - British Waterways' general info pages; permit required to cycle BW towpaths

Waterway Photographers

• Waterway Photography by Kevin Maslin
• Derek Pratt - Waterways Photo Library
• Jim Shead - Freelance Services
• Robin Smithett - Waterways Photography
• PanoramaShots - Photography by John Widdall

Waterway Photographs

Of course, most sites linked to from canals.com include photographs related to their topic area. The sites below are those devoted specifically to waterway photographs and not by professional photographers.
• Canal Photos Waterways Pictures - photo sharing site - upload your own pictures (free)
• Canal Scenes by Mr David
• Canal & Inland Waterway Gallery
• Kite Aerial Photography - canal panoramas taken from a kite; requires Java to view

Waterway Art and Craft

• Artist on the Waterways - paintings and prints
• Bewdley Pipes & Pottery - model canal craft, mini-plaques, miniature pottery
• Canalia - hand-painted canalware
• English Crafts - cabin crochet nets and porthole covers
• Garth Allan - watercolours
• Gower Giftware - traditional canalware
• Guild of Waterway Artists
• Lockside Antiques - antique ribbon and lace plates and original Measham pottery as well as brass items and old lace (crochet) edging - "popular ... to kit out the traditional back cabins"
• Jane Selkirk - Traditional Hand Painted Canalware
• Mary Shepley and Bill Harvey - canalware
• Thames Bridges - Doug Myers Painting and Prints
• Thames Cards - photographic postcards and greeting cards, of River Thames scenes
• Traditional Canalware by Martin Toennigs
• Trina's Canalware - traditional canalware
• Waterways Craft Guild
• Wychcraft - traditional canal painting, signwriting, interior boat design
For traditional signwriting and boat lettering, see the "Boat Ownership ..." page.

Canalside and Waterside New Home Developments

London area

• Rivière - apartments (Hertford, on River Lea)
• Grand Union Village - houses and apartments (Northolt West London, on Grand Union Canal)
• Waterside Park (W. Drayton, London)
  • George Wimpey - apartments and houses
  • Bryant Homes - "coming soon"

South and southwest

• Redrow @ Rolle Quay - apartments (Barnstaple, Devon, on R. Yeo)
• The Boardwalk - apartments (Eastbourne, East Sussex, on Sovereign Harbour)

Midlands

• The Waterside at Royal Worcester - townhouses and refurbished apartments
• Diglis Water - 12 townhouses (Worcester)
• Boughton Wharf (Rugby, on Oxford Canal)
• Redrow @ The Wharf - apartments (Leighton Buzzard, Beds., on Grand Union Canal)
• Wharton Lock - apartments (Chester)
• Waterside - detached 4-5 bedroom houses (nr. Leicester, on Grand Union Canal)
• Riverside, Stroud - The Wharf - (Stroud, Gloucs., between R. Frome and Stroudwater Canal)
• Canalside - apartments (Radcliffe, nr. Bury, alongside the closed Manchester, Bolton, and Bury Canal)
• Vie - apartments (Castlefield, Manchester)
• St. Georges Park - apartments, semi-detached, mews, townhouses, and detached houses (Mossley, Gtr. Manchester, along Huddersfield Narrow Canal)
• The Locks - homes and apartments (Mossley, Gtr. Manchester, along Huddersfield Narrow Canal)
• Waters Edge - apartments, semi-detached, mews, townhouses, and detached houses (Mossley, Gtr. Manchester, along Huddersfield Narrow Canal and R. Tame)
• Gladstone Mills - apartments (Stalybridge, on Huddersfield Narrow Canal)
• Titanic Mill - apartments (Linthwaite, on Huddersfield Narrow Canal)
• Royal Mills - apartments (Manchester, on Rochdale Canal)

North

• Britannia Wharf - apartments (Bingley, W. Yorks.)

Various UK locations

• ISIS Waterside Regeneration - includes Islington Wharf with apartments and homes (Manchester), and 11 other "Developments Coming Soon" (at various locations in England and Scotland)
• Urban Splash - select "In the pipeline" - projects in:
  • Manchester, New Islington
  • Salford, Springfield Lane
  • Stalybridge, Longlands
  • Watchet, East Wharf
  • Walsall, Waterfront

Thanks to Steve Parish, Martin Clark, Baz Juniper, "Liz", and Neil Arlidge for contributions to the "home developments" section.

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Bill Davies and Jerry Coleman, with the help of members of this mailing list, have also generated UK Waterways Information for First-Timers.

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Link to main canals page.
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Text, graphics, and photos Copyright © 1995-2007 by George Pearson.
Last Modified: Saturday, 23-Jun-07 11:00 am EDT