page_title: Canals of the United Kingdom
hierarchical_section_title: Canals of the United Kingdom
caption_attribution_description: English: Showing Canals of the United Kingdom and Ireland in orange and also rivers in blue and streams in grey.
context_page_description: The canals of the United Kingdom are a major part of the network of inland waterways in the United Kingdom. They have a colourful history, from use for irrigation and transport, through becoming the focus of the Industrial Revolution, to today's role of recreational boating. Despite a period of abandonment, today the canal system in the United Kingdom is again in increasing use, with abandoned and derelict canals being reopened, and the construction of some new routes. Most canals in England and Wales are maintained by the Canal & River Trust, previously British Waterways, but a minority of canals are privately owned.
  The majority of canals in the United Kingdom can accommodate boats with a length of between 55 and 72 feet and are now used primarily for leisure. There are a number of canals which are far larger than this, including New Junction Canal and the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal, which can accommodate boats with a length of up to 230 feet. One purpose-built ship canal in the United Kingdom, the Manchester Ship Canal, is incomparable to any other.
context_section_description: The canals of the United Kingdom are a major part of the network of inland waterways in the United Kingdom. They have a colourful history, from use for irrigation and transport, through becoming the focus of the Industrial Revolution, to today's role of  recreational boating. Despite a period of abandonment, today the canal system in the United Kingdom is again in increasing use, with abandoned and derelict canals being reopened, and the construction of some new routes. Most canals in England and Wales are maintained by the Canal & River Trust, previously British Waterways, but a minority of canals are privately owned.
  The majority of canals in the United Kingdom can accommodate boats with a length of between 55 and 72 feet (17 and 22 m) and are now used primarily for leisure. There are a number of canals which are far larger than this, including New Junction Canal and the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal, which can accommodate boats with a length of up to 230 feet (70 m). One purpose-built ship canal in the United Kingdom, the Manchester Ship Canal, is incomparable to any other. Upon opening in 1894, it was the largest ship canal in the world, permitting ships with a length of up to 600 feet (183 m) to navigate its 36-mile (58 km) route.
caption: Map showing canals of Great Britain and Ireland. Canals in orange, rivers in blue, streams in grey.
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