Top 10 Scenic UK Waterways
Few experiences can match up to boating on one of the UK’s waterways so we’ve put together a top ten list of our favourite canals and rivers so you can enjoy some of the best of the UK from your craft of choice.
The Avon Ring
Route: Southwest of Birmingham, connecting Stratford-upon-Avon, Evesham, Tewkesbury, Worcester and the southern outskirts of Birmingham
Length: Four waterways covering 109 miles/174km with 129 locks
Fun fact: Stratford-upon-Avon was the hometown of poet, playwright and actor William Shakespeare
The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal
Location: South Wales
Length: 33 miles/53km
Fun fact: Much of the canal runs right through the Brecon Beacons National Park
The Llangollen Canal
Location: Border of England and Wales
Length: 41 miles/65km
Fun fact: The part of the canal stretching between Chirk and Llangollen was awarded World Heritage Site status by UNESCO in 2009
The South Pennine Ring
Route: Between Manchester and Huddersfield
Length: 70 miles/112km with 197 locks
Fun fact: The Standedge canal tunnel is the longest canal tunnel in the UK at 5,500 yards or 3.125 miles
The Lancaster Canal
Route: From Lancaster to Westhoughton
Length: 41 miles/66km
Fun fact: The Lancaster Canal has the longest lock-free stretch of manmade waterway in the country
The Caldon Canal
Route: From Etruria in Stoke-on-Trent to Froghall, Staffordshire
Length: 18 miles/28km
Fun fact: Famous British potter Josiah Wedgwood was a major driving force between the Caldon Canal - initially constructed as part of the Trent and Mersey Canal to transport porcelain
The Four Counties Ring
Route: Links the counties of Cheshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire and the West Midlands
Length: 110 miles/180km
Fun fact: Stoke-on-Trent, which the Ring passes through, is home to the Bone Mill in Etruria where ‘bone china’ gets its name from
The Grand Union Canal
Route: Connects London and Birmingham via Northamptonshire and Warwickshire
Length: 137 miles/220km
Fun fact: The Grand Union Canal is the longest of all the canals and waterways in the UK and is often to referred to as the ‘trunk route’ of the system by canal enthusiasts
Lough Neagh
Location: Northern Ireland
Length: 18 miles
Fun fact: This is the largest freshwater lake in the British Isles - the third largest in Europe
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal
Location: Wales
Length: 11 miles/18km
Fun fact:Built during the Industrial Revolution, the aqueduct is constructed entirely of cast and wrought iron and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site
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We hope that this list of scenic locations across the UK inspire you to explore some of our great canals and waterways. If you own a narrowboat, make sure you're all set with comprehensive narrowboat insurance.