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UK Waterways
The United Kingdom is home to a vast network of waterways. These are navigable bodies of water in various forms such as canals, rivers and lakes.
Natural rivers and lakes were the first waterways to be used for the transportation of people and goods. These were then improved to make navigation more reliable, by the construction of artificial channels and flash locks. The introduction of the pound lock enabled more ambitious waterways to be built. The Industrial Revolution required the transport of large quantities of raw materials and finished goods, and this led to a period of ‘canal mania’ which saw the construction of a large network of canals in the United Kingdom.
Competition, first from railways and later from road transport, started the decline of many canal and river navigations, leading in some cases to their abandonment. The latter half of the twentieth century saw the development of recreational boating and the restoration of many disused waterways.
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The Trent and Mersey Canal is a canal in northern England linking the River Trent at Derwent Mouth to the River Mersey at Runcorn. The final link northwards to the Mersey was made via a section of the Bridgewater Canal (the locks that connected to the Mersey were filled in in the 1960s).
Main article: Trent and Mersey Canal
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Drayton Bridges on the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal, one mile from Fazeley Junction. An unusual arrangement of a vehicular swing bridge and a folly-like pedestrian bridge.
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- Aqueducts
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- Canal Locks
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- United Kingdom
- Transport
- UK Railways
- Nautical
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- UK Waterways
- UK geography
- Rivers
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- Join WikiProject UK Waterways
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- Add the portal link to the top of the See Also section of all relevant pages. This can be done by adding {{UKWP}} immediately under the section header.
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Did you know?
- …that the first restored section of the Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal, which joins the River Irwell at Salford was re-opened in September 2008?
- …that there is an Electricity Pylon which spans the Huddersfield Narrow Canal?
- …that the Royal Military Canal was built as a defence against Napoleon, and has since used to control smuggling and as a defence during World War II?
- …that anybody can add new entries to DYK?
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In the news
Sale of Thames lock-keepers’ homes scrapped
Plans by the Environment Agency to sell off 22 lock-keepers cottages on the River Thames have been scrapped. The agency now plans to sell off just five properties not located adjacent to locks, and to defer the sale until after the current tenants have departed.
Guardian, December 4, 2008
Slough Arm revitalization
Slough Council, in partnership with British Waterways, plans to attract more boats by developing land alongside the Slough Arm of the Grand Union Canal.
Slough Observer, 3rd December, 2008
BW canalside property in government fire sale?
The government’s pre budget report hints that it may sell the canalside property portfolio of British Waterways.
Boating Business, 01 Dec 2008
BCN Society and Coombeswood Canal Trust welcome new heritage working boats
Working boats Atlas and Malus, restored by the ‘Heritage Working Boats Project’, have been leased to BCN Society and Coombeswood Canal Trust.
Waterscape, December 1, 2008
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Topics
- Canals of the United Kingdom
- History of the British canal system
- Narrowboat
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Canal tunnels in the United Kingdom
Waterways organisations in the United Kingdom
River navigations in the United Kingdom
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Categories: WikiProject UK Waterways | Waterways | Transportation portals