Britain's Canals : Exploring Their Architectural and Engineering Wonders

A charming and insightful exploration of the amazing architecture and engineering wonders that surround Britain's inland waterways.

In Britain's Canals, two inland waterways experts and much-loved authors come together to produce the definitive word on the man-made wonders that make Britain's canals so special, so loved and enjoyed by so many. They explore features from the awe-inspiring 30-lock flight on the Worcester and Birmingham Canal, to the downright delightful chocolate-box lock-keeper's cottages that line the cut of every canal, to masterpieces such as the 18-arch Pontcysyllte aqueduct, the highest aqueduct in the world, to beautiful bridges, grand company buildings, the social hubs that were, and still are, canal-side pubs, plus so much more.

In contrast to many inland waterways books which are organised geographically by canal, Britain's Canals is structured thematically, with chapters on The Line (the shape of the canal itself), Locks, Lock-keeper's Cottages, Bridges, Aqueducts, Lifts and Planes, Company Buildings, Wharves, Basins and Quays and finally (and perhaps most importantly) the Canal-side Pub. Each chapter explores how these features were created and have changed through history, right through to the present, with plenty of ideas for places to visit--plus full information on how to get to them. An abundance of full-color photography throughout, both historical and modern-day, will delight readers and inspire them to explore Britain's wondrous inland waterways, whether on boat, by foot or by bike.