General Books On The History Of British Waterways

by Andy Wood.

Many thousands of route miles of canal and navigation once used to crisscross England, serving collieries, iron mines, steelworks, towns and villages. From the start of the twentieth century onwards, many of these canals closed down as a result of lack of trade.

Many of the lost canals are in the Midlands, the heart of Britain's canal network, but they include the exotically named Tamar Manure Canal and the Royal Arsenal Canal.

Andy Wood gives us a brief history of each of England's lost canals, from the Adelphi Canal to the Woodeaves Canal.

Soft back. 224 pages. 15.6cms x 23.4cms (6¼" x 9¼" approx). Some black & white photos.

by Allan Scott-Davies.

This book delves into the darkest criminal cases to occur or be associated with the canals and inland waterways of Britain, including many high-profile murders and assaults.

Among the cases featured are the notorious Victorian baby farmers who used the waterways to dispose of unfortunate infants, the horrific murder of Christina Collins in 1839, the inspiration for Inspector Morse's The Wench Is Dead, and the nefarious deeds of Burke and Hare who both worked on the Union Canal.

Soft back. 159 pages. 15.6cms x 23.3cms approx. Illustrated with black & white photos and drawings.

by Keith Langston.

A book looking at various aspects of the waterways, from steam powered narrowboats and the BW heritage fleet, through waterways such as the Broads, Irish waterways, Weaver etc, to information about the various bodies whicjh oversee the waterways etc AINA, IWA, AWCC.

Too much to describe in a few words here!

Soft back. 130 pages, 21cms x 29.7cms approx, Illustrated with mainly colour photos.

by Anthony Burton.

Explores over 200 years of British waterways history, and tells the stories of the great engineers, from James Brindley through to William Jessop and Thomas Telford. Includes archive illustrations and detailed architectural drawings.

Canal Mania reached a peak in 1793 when no fewer than 21 new canals were authorized by Act of Parliament, and the story of these '1793 canals' forms the core of this book.

Hard back. 240 pages. 23.8cms x 27.2cms approx. Colour and black & white photos.

Original price £18.99p

by Anthony Burton & Derek Pratt.

The second volume in the 'Anatomy of Canals' series charts the history of the British canal system at the height of its popularity. No fewer than 21 Canal Acts were passed in 1793 alone, and this early part of the decade became known as the time of Canal Mania.

From the 1790s to the 1820s most of the canal network in the United Kingdom was constructed.. Inclined planes, aqueducts, flights of locks and tunnels all marked the construction of the canal network.

Softback, 160 pages. 17.2cms x 24.8cms approx.

by Anthony Burton & Derek Pratt.

The final volume in the series brings the story right up to date.

Competition from rail and later road forced many canals into closure, and a large section of the old system seemed doomed to crumble away into terminal decay. Then came a new industry: the canal leisure industry, and with it the birth of the restoration movement.

This volume looks at what has been achieved and how the new compares with the old. Cities such as Birmingham, which formerly seemed to regard canals as supermarket trolley parks, have now been won over and have made the old canals part of a lively rejuvenation programme.

Softback, 159 pages. 12.2cms x 24.8cms approx. Colour and black & white photographs.

by Stanley Holland.

Others have touched briefly on this subject, but Stanley is the first to tackle it in such depth. His extensively illustrated book covers the whole range of British waterway numismatics (tokens, ferry tickets, medallions etc) and includes a sample of overseas coins and medals with waterway interest. He even looks at the related subject, never before explored, of Britain's official canal badges and buttons.

Soft back, 72 pages, 14.9cms x 21cms approx, 135 photos.