Wildlife along the Grand Union Canal

Grand Union Canal

The Grand Union Canal boasts an extraordinary variety of wildlife, from feeding herons and hunting owls to rare water voles. The hedgerows and canal banks have proved an ideal location for a number of diverse species to thrive in this tranquil and often unique environment.

The original canal companies planted trees to mark the boundary of their land. You can spot trees such as willows, horse chestnuts, oaks, elders, alders, guelder rose and wayfarer's tree. On the towpath, you will find clover, willowherbs, buttercups, cow parsley and cuckoo-pint.

Butterflies abound, in the form of meadow brown, cabbage white, tortoiseshell and peacocks. Waterfowl include the common coots, moorhens, and mallards, but also swans, herons and kingfishers. You might even spot a water vole furtively scurrying along the banks.

The geology of the terrain crossed by this 137-mile canal is particularly varied, from the chalk hills of the Chilterns to the Birmingham uplands. The western end of Shrewley Tunnel, for example, has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its rock formation.

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  1. Ashridge Estate »

    Address: Ashridge Estate, Hertfordshire HP4 1LT

    Tel: 01442 851 227

    Services: Historic structure | Country park

  2. Black Horse (Greenford) »

    Address: 425 Oldfield Lane North, Greenford, London UB6 0AS

    Tel: 020 8578 1384

    Services: Garden | Pubs + bars | Moorings

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