You can boat 5000 miles – IWA research reveals 500 more

NEW research from the Inland Waterways Association has revealed that out of 7000 miles of waterways in Great Britain, 5000 are navigable today, with the other 2000 miles either derelict or under restoration.

The IWA’s Waterways Directory, which details all the inland waterways ever brought into navigation, has been updated with detailed research by IWA experts and local volunteers.

Further research in Scotland, improved coverage of former routes of river navigations and including more significant branches of the Grand Union Canal in the London area are the main sources of an additional 500 miles uncovered since the last count (see also story in Scottish Waters feature, page 77) .

John Pomfret, the IWA navigation expert who compiled the directory, explained: “The directory has been updated to give an authoritative record of the country’s waterways assets, the only place the information is available in one place in such an accessible form.

“It highlights the complexity of protecting and restoring the waterways, with over 200 navigation bodies in Great Britain, and the scale of the invaluable heritage and habitats of our canals and rivers.”

The research sprung out of the need to know who was responsible for what waterway. This new version also lists every local authority responsible for the areas through which each waterway passes.

Local IWA volunteers use the directory to contact navigation authorities and work towards better local waterways.

You can sign up to receive the latest version of the Waterways Directory at www.waterways.org.uk/directory