List of canals of the United Kingdom

Map showing canals of the British Isles. Canals in orange, rivers in blue, streams in grey.

Canals of the United Kingdom; see also Canals of the United Kingdom.

The following list includes some systems that are navigable rivers with sections of canal (e.g. Aire and Calder Navigation) as well as "completely" artificial canals (e.g. Rochdale Canal).

Canals in England

This includes only canals that are currently open or being restored and are at least partly in England. See also Abandoned Canals. Click on the diamond to sort by any column.

Canal	Length	Locks	Max boat length (ft)	Width (ft)	Where[1]	Year opened	Year abandoned	Year restored
Aire and Calder Navigation	34 mi (55 km)	12	200	20	NE	1704
Andover Canal	22 mi (35 km)	24	65	8.5	S	1794	1859
Ashby-de-la-Zouch Canal	22 mi (35 km)	0	72	7	M	1804	1918, 1966
Ashton Canal	6 mi (10 km)	18	70	7	NW	1796	1961	1974
Barnsley Canal	14.5 mi (23 km)	15	84	14	NW	1799	1893, 1946	in process
Basingstoke Canal	32 mi (51 km)	29	68	13	S	1794	1910	1991
Beverley Beck	0.5 mi (1 km)	1	65	17.5	NE	1744
Birmingham and Warwick Junction Canal[2]	2.5 mi (4 km)	6	70	7	M	1844
Birmingham Canal Navigations[3]	29.8 mi (48 km)	34	70	7	M	1772-1794
Birmingham and Fazeley Canal[4]	20.5 mi (33 km)	44	70	7	M	1789
Blyth Navigation	7 mi (11 km)	6	50	14	EA	1761	1911
Bridgewater Canal	40 mi (64 km)	0	72	14.75	NW	1761
Bridgwater and Taunton Canal, Somerset	14.5 mi (23 km)	6	50	9.83	SW	1827	1907	1994
Bude Canal	35 mi (56 km)	2[5]	20	5.5	SW	1823	1891
Calder and Hebble Navigation	21.5 mi (35 km)	38	55	14	NE	1794
Caldon Canal	18 mi (29 km)	17	72	7	NM	1779
Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation	13.8 mi (22 km)	13	60	16	EA	1797
Chesterfield Canal	45.5 mi (73 km), now 31.5 mi (51 km)	62	72	7	NE	1777	1907 part
Chichester Canal	4.5 mi (7 km)	3	85	18	S	1822	1906
Coventry Canal	32.7 mi (53 km)	13	72	7	M	1769, 1788
Dearne and Dove Canal[6]	9.8 mi (16 km)	19	58	14.83	NE	1804	1961
Derby Canal	14 mi (23 km)	17	72	14	NE	1796
Derby and Sandiacre Canal	14.5 mi (23 km)	9	72	14	NE	1793	1964
Digbeth Branch Canal[4]	1.25 mi (2.0 km)	6	72	7	M	1799
Driffield Navigation, East Yorkshire	11 mi (18 km)	6	61	14.5	NE	1767	1955 (part)
Droitwich Canal	7.3 mi (12 km)	15	71.5	7.08	M	1771,1854	1939	2011
Dudley Canal[4]	10.3 mi (17 km)				M	1770,1792	1948	1973 (part)
Erewash Canal[2]	11.8 mi (19 km)	14	78	12.5	NE	1779	1962 (part)
Exeter Canal	5.2 mi (8 km)	2	122	26.25	SW	1563
Fairbottom Branch Canal	1 mi (2 km)	0			NW	1792	1932
Foss Dyke	11.3 mi (18 km)	1	74.5	15.17	E	1121
Gloucester and Sharpness Canal	16.5 mi (27 km)	2	240	30	SW	1826
Grand Junction Canal[2]	129.4 mi (208 km)	90	72	14.7	M	1800,1805
Grand Union Canal[7]	286.3 mi (461 km)	236	72	14	M	1927
Grand Union Canal (old)[2]	24.3 mi (39 km)	17	72	7	EM	1814
Grand Western Canal	10.5 mi (17 km)	0			SW	1838
Grantham Canal	33 mi (53 km)	18	75	14	EM	1797	1936
Hatherton Canal[4]	4 mi (6 km)	8	70	7	NM	1860	1955
Herefordshire and Gloucestershire Canal	34 mi (55 km)	22	70	7	W	1798,1845	1881
Hertford Union Canal[2]	1.3 mi (2 km)	3	78	14.5	SE	1830
Hollinwood Branch Canal	4.5 mi (7 km)	4	70	7	NW	1792	1932
Huddersfield Broad Canal	3.8 mi (6 km)	9	57.5	14.17	NE	1780
Huddersfield Narrow Canal	19.9 mi (32 km)	74	70	7	NE	1811
Ipswich and Stowmarket Navigation	15.9 mi (26 km)	15	55	14	EA	1793	1934
Islington Branch Canal	0.6 mi (1 km)	0			NW	1801	1952
Kennet and Avon Canal	86.5 mi (139 km)	105	70	12.5	SW	1727,1810	(1950)[8]	1990
Lancaster Canal	60.9 mi (98 km)	14	72	14.5	NW	1797, 1825	1955	2002 (part)
Leeds and Liverpool Canal	142.6 mi (229 km)	105	62[9]	14	NE,NW	1816
Leicestershire and Northamptonshire Union Canal[2]	48 mi (77 km)	22	72	13	EM	1807
Lichfield Canal[4]	7 mi (11 km)	30	70	7	M	1797	1955
Limehouse Cut	2 mi (3 km)	0	88	19	SE	1766[10]
Llangollen Canal	46.3 mi (75 km)	21	70’	6.83	W	1808
Louth Navigation	11.8 mi (19 km)	8	72	15	NE	1770	1924
Lydney Canal	1 mi (2 km)	1	100	24	SW	1821	1977	2005 (part)
Macclesfield Canal	26.3 mi (42 km)	13	70	7	NW	1831
Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal	12.9 mi (21 km)	17	68	14.17	NW	1797,1808	1941,1961
Manchester Ship Canal	37.4 mi (60 km)	5	600	65	NW	1894
Market Weighton Canal	9.5 mi (15 km)	1	70	14.83	NE	1782	1971[11]
Melton Mowbray Navigation	11 mi (18 km)	12			EM	1797	1877
Middle Level Navigations	90 mi (145 km)	7	80	11	E	1608-1832
Montgomery Canal	33 mi (53 km)	24	70	6.83	W	1821	1944	1996 (part)
New Junction Canal	5.5 mi (9 km)	1	215	22.5	NE	1905
North Walsham & Dilham Canal	7.3 mi (12 km)	4	50	12.33	EA	1826	1927 (part)
Nottingham Canal	14.7 mi (24 km)[12]	18	81	14.5	NE	1796	1937 (part)
Oxford Canal	78 mi (126 km)	43	70	6.83	M	1774, 1790
Peak Forest Canal	14.8 mi (24 km)	16	70	7	NW	1805	1960	1974
Pocklington Canal	9.5 mi (15 km)	9	57	14.25	NE	1818	1932
Regent's Canal[2]	8.6 mi (14 km)	13	72	14.5	SE	1820
Ribble Link	3 mi (5 km)	9	62	10.5	NW	2002
Ripon Canal	2.5 mi (4 km)	3	57	14.25	NE	1773	1906	1996
River Soar Navigation[2]	21.9 mi (35 km)	18	72	13	EM	1794
River Lee Navigation[13]	29.1 mi (47 km)	22	85	16	SE	1577, 1769
Rochdale Canal	32 mi (51 km)	91	74	14.17	NW	1800
Royal Military Canal	19 mi (31 km)	0			SE	1804
Sankey Canal	15.2 mi (24 km)	11	72	13.83	NW	1757	1963
Selby Canal	6 mi (10 km)	2	78.5	16.5	NE	1776
Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation[14]	28 mi (45 km)	24	61.5	15.25	NE	1802
Shrewsbury Canal	25 mi (40 km)	34	81	7	W	1797	1944
Shropshire Union Canal	76.5 mi (123 km)	51	72[15]	7[16]	NM	1835
Sleaford Navigation	12.5 mi (20 km)	7	70	15	NE	1794	1940
Somerset Coal Canal	18 mi (29 km)				SW	1802	1898[17]	1986 (part)[18]
Southwick Ship Canal	1.75 mi (2.8 km)	1	240	40	SE	1855
Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal	46.1 mi (74 km)	43	70	7	NM	1772
Stainforth and Keadby Canal	14.9 mi (24 km)	3	61.67	17	NE	1802
Stockport Branch Canal	4.9 mi (8 km)	0			NW	1797	1962
Stort Navigation	13.8 mi (22 km)	15	86	13.25	SE	1769
Stourbridge Canal	7.8 mi (13 km)	21	70	7	M	1779
Stratford-upon-Avon Canal	25.5 mi (41 km)	56	70	7	M	1802, 1816
Stroudwater Navigation	8 mi (13 km)	13	70	15.5	SW	1779
Tame Valley Canal[4]	8.5 mi (14 km)	13	72	7	M	1844
Thames and Medway Canal[19]	6.5 mi (10 km)	1	24.5	6.5	SE	1824	1935
Thames and Severn Canal	28.8 mi (46 km)	44	74	12.75	SW	1789	1933
Trent and Mersey Canal	93.4 mi (150 km)	76	72	7[20]	NE	1777
Uttoxeter Canal	13 mi (21 km)	19			NM	1811	1849	2005 (part)
Walsall Canal[4]	9.6 mi (15 km)	16	72	7	M	1785-1841
Wardle Canal	0.1 mi (0.2 km)	1			NM	1829
Warwick and Napton Canal[2]	14.2 mi (23 km)	25	72	7[21]	M	1794
Warwick and Birmingham Canal[2]	24.3 mi (39 km)	28	70	7[21]	M	1794
Wednesbury Old Canal[4]	4.4 mi (7 km)	3	70	7	M	1769	1955 (part)
Wey and Arun Junction Canal[22]	23 mi (37 km)	26	68	11.5	S	1816	1871
Wey and Godalming Navigations	19.5 mi (31 km)	16	72	13.83	S	1651, 1760
Wilts and Berks Canal	52.5 mi (84 km)	42	72	7	SW	1810	1914	1995 (part)
Worcester and Birmingham Canal	30 mi (48 km)	58	71.5	7	M	1815
Wyrley and Essington Canal[4]	23.5 mi (38 km)	39	70	7	M	1797	1900 (part)

Canals in Northern Ireland

Lagan Navigational Canal (disused) at Broadwater, near Aghalee)

Canal	Length (miles)	Locks	Year opened	Year abandoned	Year restored
Broharris Canal	2		1820
Coalisland Canal[23]	7.2	7	1787	1954
Dukart's Canal		3[5]	1777	1787
Lagan Canal	27	27	1802	1958
Newry Canal	21	12	1742	1938
Shannon–Erne Waterway[24]	39	16	1780	1948	1994
Strabane Canal	4	2	1792	1962
Ulster Canal	46	26	1842	1931

Canals in Scotland

Canal	Length (miles)	Locks	Max boat length (ft)	Width (ft)	Year opened	Year abandoned	Year restored
Aberdeenshire Canal	18	18			1805	1854
Buchan Canal
Caledonian Canal	62	29	150	35	1822
Crinan Canal	9	15	86.75	19.65	1817
Dingwall Canal	1.1	0			1816	1840
Forth and Clyde Canal	35	38	68.58	19.75	1790	1963	2002
Glasgow, Paisley and Johnstone Canal	11	0			1811	1881
Monkland Canal	12.25	18[25]	71	14	1794	1942
Stevenston Canal	2.25	0		13	1772	1830
Union Canal[26]	31.5	3[27]	63	12.5	1822	1930	2000

Canals in Wales

Canal	Length (miles)	Locks	Max boat length (ft)	Width (ft)	Year opened	Year abandoned	Year restored
Aberdare Canal	6.75	2			1812	1900
Cyfarthfa Canal	2				1770's	1830's
Glamorganshire Canal	25	52			1798	1898, 1942
Glan-y-wern Canal	c. 1.5				by 1790	c. 1810
Kidwelly and Llanelly Canal	18	8[28]			1768, 1837	1865
Llangollen Canal	46.3	21	70	6.83	1808
Monmouthshire, Brecon and Abergavenny Canal	35	48	63	9.17	1796	1962	1970
Montgomery Canal	33	24	70	6.83	1821	1944	1996 (part)
Neath and Tennant Canal	21.5	21	60	9	1795, 1824	1934	1990 (part)
Swansea Canal	16.5	36	65	7.5	1798	1931

Abandoned or unnavigable canals in England

Canal	County	Length (miles)	Locks	Opened	Closed
Andover Canal	Hampshire	22	24	1794	1859
Arbury Canals	Warwickshire	6	13	1786	1819, 1973
Baybridge Canal	Sussex	3.5	2	1826	1875
Beaumont Cut	Essex	0.6	0	1832	1932
Bentley Canal	Warwickshire	3.4	10	1845	1953
Bradford Canal	West Yorkshire	3.5	10	1774	1922
Black Bear Canal	Cheshire	8		1804	1965
Caistor Canal	Lincolnshire	4	5	1800	1936
Cann Quarry Canal	Devon	2		1825	1839
Car Dyke	Lincolnshire	85	0	120 (appr)	1200 (appr)
Chard Canal	Somerset	13.5	4[5]	1842	1868
Cinderford Canal	Gloucestershire	1.25	0	1797	1810 ?
City Canal	London	1	2	1805	1829
Coombe Hill Canal	Gloucestershire	2.75	1	1796	1876
Charnwood Forest Canal	Leicestershire	6		1794	1808
Cromford Canal	Derbyshire	14.5	14	1794	1900
Croydon Canal	London	9.25	28	1809	1836
Donnington Wood Canal	Shropshire	5.5		1767	1904
Eardington Forge Canal	Shropshire	0.5	1	1782	1889
Fletcher's Canal	Gtr Manchester	1.5	2	1800	1952
Galton's Canal	Somerset	1.4	1	1822	1897
Glastonbury Canal	Somerset	14	2	1834	1854
Grand Surrey Canal	London	4	1	1810	1940
Grosvenor Canal	London	0.8	1	1825	1858, 1925
Hackney Canal	Devon	0.6	1	1843	1928
Hollingwood Common Canal	Derbyshire	2	0	?	?
Horncastle Canal	Lincolnshire	11	12	1802	1889
Itchen Navigation	Hampshire	10	17	1710	1869
Kensington Canal	London	1.75	1	1828	1859, 1967
Ketley Canal	East Shropshire	1.5	1[5]	1788	1880
Leominster Canal	Herefordshire	18	16	1794	1858
Leven Canal	Yorkshire	3.25	1	1805	1935
Liskeard and Looe Union Canal	Cornwall	6	25	1828	1910
Newcastle-under-Lyme Canal	Staffordshire	3.75	0	1800	1935
Newport Pagnell Canal	Buckinghamshire	1.25	7	1817	1864
Nutbrook Canal	Derbyshire	4.5	13	1796	1895
Oakham Canal	Leicestershire	15.5	18	1802	1847
Ouse Navigation	Sussex	22	19	1812	1950
Par Canal	Cornwall	2.25	3	1847	1873
Parnall's Canal	Cornwall	0.5	0	1720	1732
Petworth Canal	Sussex	1.25	2	1795	1826
Pidcock's Canal	Gloucestershire	1.5	3	1789	1845
Portsmouth and Arundel Canal	Hampshire, Sussex	28	6	1823	1926
Rolle Canal[29]	Devon	6	2[30]	1827	1871
Salisbury and Southampton Canal	Hampshire	13[31]	16	1802	1808
Shropshire Canal	Shropshire	10.5	3[5]	1791	1912
Sir John Glynne's Canal	Flintshire	1		1768	1779
Sir Nigel Gresley's Canal	Staffordshire	3	0	1776	1857
Stamford Canal	Lincolnshire	6.5	10	1670	1863
Stover Canal	Devon	1.7	5	1792	1943
Tavistock Canal	Devon	4	2[5]	1803	1873
Titchfield Canal	Hampshire
Tremadoc Canal	Merionethshire	1.5	0	1815	1840
Ulverston Canal	Cumbria	1.5	1	1796	1944
Westport Canal	Somerset	3.3	1	1840	1875
Wombridge Canal	East Shropshire	1.75	1[5]	1788	1921

Proposed canal routes

Active proposals

• Bedford and Milton Keynes Waterway: Connection from Grand Union Canal at Milton Keynes to the River Great Ouse near Bedford. This link will finally enable broad-beam boats to travel from the north to the south of the inland waterway network.^[32]
• Fens Waterways Link: The Fens Waterways Link comprises several new waterways and improvements to current routes. It will create new circular routes and in conjunction with the Milton Keynes and Bedford Waterway, it will be connected to the rest of the country's waterways via the Great Ouse.^[33]
• Grand Union Canal (Slough Branch): Extending Slough Arm of the Grand Union Canal south to join the River Thames.^[34]
• Maidenhead Waterways: Making the York Stream and other parts of the Maidenhead Waterways fully navigable for boats and linking to other nearby canals and navigable rivers.^[35]
• Rother Link: Planned canal which would connect the Chesterfield Canal at Killamarsh, via the River Rother through to the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation, thus creating a new cruising ring and encouraging boats to visit the Chesterfield Canal.
• Upper Avon Extension (Warwick): This proposed connection from River Avon to Grand Union Canal via Warwick is subject to some landowner opposition.^[36]

Former proposals

• Grand Contour Canal: First proposed in 1943, was intended to connect the major industrial centres of London, Bristol, Southampton, Coventry, Birmingham, Nottingham, Derby, Chester, Manchester, Blackburn, Bradford, Hartlepool and Newcastle.
• London to Portsmouth canal: Proposed on several occasions, this route would utilise existing canals and rivers, with new links constructed, to provide an overland route between the cities of London and Portsmouth, removing the need to enter the English Channel.

See also

• List of canal tunnels in the United Kingdom
• List of rivers in the United Kingdom

References

1. M=midlands, EA=East Anglia, NE=North-East etc.
2. now part of the Grand Union Canal
3. Main line, incl old main line and branches
4. part of Birmingham Canal Navigations
5. inclined planes
6. South Yorkshire
7. Total holdings 1929
8. never officially closed but unusable till reopened
9. 72 from Liverpool to Wigan incl Leigh branch
10. connection to Limehouse Basin 1968
11. but passage still possible
12. only 1.1m remains open making 3.7m total including the Beeston cut
13. includes Bow Back rivers
14. the river section from Bramwith to Rotherham takes boats 229’8” long and 20’ wide
15. The Middlewich branch is 70’
16. The old Chester canal from Nantwich to Ellesmere Port is 9’
17. The Radstock arm closed in 1898
18. About 0.5m only, for moorings on the Kennet and Avon canal
19. also known as the Gravesend and Rochester Canal
20. Preston brook to Croxton Aqueduct is 9’ wide
21. Increased to 13' in 1933
22. includes Arun Navigation
23. also known as Tyrone Navigation
24. Originally the Ballyconnell andl Ballinamore Canals
25. an inclined plane was later used
26. originally known as “Edinburgh and Glasgow Union Canal”
27. includes the Falkirk Wheel
28. includes 3 inclined planes
29. Also known as the 'Torrington Canal
30. included an inclined plane
31. only part of this was built
32. "Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway". Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway Trust. Retrieved 2007-09-23.
33. "The Fens Waterways Link". Environment Agency Waterways Team. Retrieved 2007-09-23.
34. "IWAAC Inland Waterway review 2006" (PDF). Inland Waterways Amenity Advisory Council. Archived from the original (pdf) on July 22, 2007. Retrieved 2007-09-23.
35. "The Maidenhead River Project". Maidenhead Waterways Restoration Group. Retrieved 2007-09-23.
36. "Upper Avon Extension (Proposed)". Inland Waterways Association. Archived from the original on May 2, 2007. Retrieved 2007-09-23.