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Ways of
using this book
We hope that
this book will help to answer some of the queries that occur when you
are first inclined to take to the water. The best way the book can help
depends on ‘where you are coming from’.
How long
have you got?
The first five chapters of the book are related to the time you have
available for your holiday, ranging from an afternoon to any time in
excess of two weeks.
Do you
want to start close to home?
Maps in the book cover most of the country. Hirebases are shown
alongside the waterways. Seek out somewhere close to your home town.
Where do
you want to visit?
Each suggested route includes visitor attractions to be found along the
way. Most of them are within a half hour walk of the water, with a few
beyond that distance indicated as ‘longer walks’.
This is clearly a personal selection and is only scratching the surface
of places that could be visited within a short walk of a waterway.
Do you
seek the ‘Seven Wonders’?
Roberts Aickman of the Inland Waterways Association (IWA) described what
he considered the ‘Seven Wonders’ of the waterways. These are located on
the KEY MAP.
What is
the name of your chosen waterway?
Individual canal companies had fiercely individual characters; they were
never really team players. The names as given to waterways by their
original owners are often still in use today and there is an index of
the waterways featured in this book on page 80.
Are you
meeting friends for your holiday?
A railway station that serves a large number of towns will be the most
convenient target for a group of friend converging from around the
country. Some might be sufficiently close to a hirebase to influence you
choice of starting point.
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