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
  • Boats and Canals Forum
  • Norfolk Broads Forum
  • Lost and historic waterways mailing list/forum - specific to lost canals and waterways in Great Britain and Ireland; infrequent messages
  • Historic Inland Working Boats mailing list/forum - specific to the British Isles; very infrequent messages

    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.
  • fr.rec.bateaux is also available on the web
  • 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 (listed alphabetically):
  • canalcuttings.co.uk - online canal magazine
  • Canal Junction - "canal guide and canal business directory".
  • Canal Vacations - UK - "especially for overseas visitors" (but oddly uses the term "barge" ...)
  • Tom Sommers' EuroCanals - "cruising the canals & rivers of Europe"
  • Just Canals - now just a forum site
  • narrowboatworld - news and comment
  • Jim Shead's Waterways Information - for five years, Jim wrote the "clicking.on.canals" column in Waterways World magazine
  • Steev's Canal Pages
  • Tim's Waterways Web Page Index
  • UK Canals Network
  • Waterscape - British Waterways' general info pages
  • Waterways Directory.com
  • Water-Ways - "all european waterways" (site in German, English, and French)
  • Willkommen bei Kanalboot.de
  • The French Waterways, Rivers and Canals

  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.

  Music

  • Songs of the Inland Waterways - non-commercial site "aiming to gather together and provide links to songs, old and new"

  Education/Toys

  • Aquaplay - canal playsets [web site also available in German, French, and Swedish]
  • The Brecon & Abergavenny Canal - from the Powys Digital History Project
  • Our Grand Canal Project - prepared by students of St. Ronan's National School
  • Quarrymans Walk, Canal Towpath Trail for Schools - (along Coventry Canal hear Nuneaton)
  • 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
  • Paper cut out model narrowboatfrom Bildrums Klippark; scroll to bottom of that page for template and instructions

  Carrying/Cargo/Haulage

  • Commercial Boat Operators Association
  • Freight Afloat - advises firms on freight by water
  • Freight by Water - promotes freight transportation by water
  • Humber 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

  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 has been retired.
  • Steve Wood's info on historic Fellows, Morton, and Clayton Fish Class boats
  • Historic Inland Working 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
  • Canal Maps Archive - "Historic Maps and Plans of Inland Navigation"; emphasizing the British Isles
  • Mike Stevens' Waterways of England and Wales : Their History in Maps --- Gone for now
  • 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
  • The General History of Inland Navigation - by John Phillips, Sr.; published 1803; full text from google books
    
  • Ice Boats of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal
  • Historic Staffordshire canal photos and documents
  • National Historic Ships - (for narrowboats: under "Quick-Links", choose "Search the registers"; then enter narrow in the Type/sub-function box and click "Search")
  • Brian Goggin's Irish waterways history

  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

  Museums

  • Official Black Country Living Museum
  • 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 Ellesmere Port
  • 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).
  • Black Prince Owners Site - history, boat list, production styles
  • Black Country Narrowboats Tugs
  • 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
  • Historic Inland Working Boats
  • Mick Fowler's site for Nauticus (GRP) boat owners - Note: requires Java for site navigation
  • Norman Boats Appreciation Society
  • Northwich Traders
  • Replica Dutch Barging
  • The Slipper Launch Collection - "dedicated to the Slipper Stern launches that grace the ... Thames"
  • See also Canal- and Waterway-Related Organisations - Specific Types of Boats

  Situations Vacant

  • Anywork Anywhere Jobs On Boats, Barges & Yachts
  • Marine Jobs available with members of the British Marine Federation
  • British Waterways Job Opportunities

  Boat Handling Courses

  • Alvechurch Boat Centres - (4 locations)
  • Bisham Abbey Sailing & Navigation School (nr. Marlow, Bucks., or on your own boat)
  • Inland Waterways Cruising School (Kidderminster, Worcs.)
  • Mainline Solutions
  • National Community Boats Association - training for operators of community boats.
  • Top Lock Marine (Marple, Cheshire)
  • Trent Boat Handling
  • Tony Ward, Boatmaster - on your own narrowboat (Midlands & N. Home Counties)
  • Wildcat Enterprises
  • Willow Wren Cruising Holidays (Rugby)

  Boat Maintenance Courses

  • TB Training - Courses available in Boat and Engine Maintenance and Electrics for Boaters.
    - Note: lots of useful info in the on-line course notes.

  Boat Safety Equipment

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

  Towpath Walks

  • Walking the British Waterways - photos taken along the waterways (location captions in English and French)
  • Walk this Wey - walks on the River Wey towpath
  • Long Distance Walkers Association - many walks; type canal into search box in upper right-hand corner of page, and click the search button there
  • BritishWalks.org - many walks; site does not have its own search so use this search for canal walks
  • Ramblers - many walks; type canal into search box in upper right-hand corner of page, and click the search button there

  Towpath Cycling

  You may find the following sites helpful:
  • SUSTRANS
  • 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 & Inland Waterway Gallery
  • Kite Aerial Photography - canal panoramas taken from a kite; requires Java to view
  • See also Photo Blogs

  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
  • Eric Gaskell's Canal Linocuts
  • Corinne Locker - Canal Art & Decorative Painting
  • English Crafts - cabin crochet nets and porthole covers
  • Garth Allan - watercolours
  • Gower Giftware - traditional canalware
  • Guild of Waterway Artists
  • Jam Butty Crafts - signwriting, painting, canalware
  • 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"
  • Narrowboat Ceramics - online shop due in Aug 2010
  • 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
  • Trina's Canalware - traditional canalware
  • Waterways Craft Guild - traditional canal crafts
    - Also offers courses in various crafts
  • 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

  • Waterview - waterside property specialists (Thames Ditton)
  • Waterside Park - by George Wimpey; apartments and houses

  South and southwest

  • [aware of none at the moment]

  Midlands

  • Joules Court - sold out; retirement apartments for sale (Stone, on T&M)
  • The Waterside at Royal Worcester - townhouses and refurbished apartments
  • Diglis Water - apartments (Worcester)
  • Water's Edge - 20 homes on Rochdale Canal (Manchester)
  • Waters Edge - apartments (Stoke on Trent, Staffs., on Caldon Canal)
  • St. Georges Park - all sold; apartments, semi-detached, mews, townhouses, and detached houses (Mossley, Gtr. Manchester, along Huddersfield Narrow Canal)
  • Waterside - (Northwich, Cheshire, on T&M Canal)
  • Williams Wharf - apartments (Warrington, on Manchester Ship Canal)
  • Titanic Mill - apartments (Linthwaite, on Huddersfield Narrow Canal)
  • Royal Mills - apartments (Manchester, on Rochdale Canal)

  East Anglia

  • Millside Marina - mobile home park (St Neots, Cambs., on R. Ouse)
  • Waters Edge - (Wansford, on R. Nene)

  North

  • The Moorings - townhouses and apartments (Garstang, on Lancaster Canal)
  • Primrose Village - houses and apartments (Clitheroe, on R. Calder)

  Various UK locations

  • ISIS Waterside Regeneration - includes Islington Wharf with apartments and homes (Manchester), and other developments at various locations in England and Scotland

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

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