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Waterway heritage

Think British Waterways, think canals, boats and moorings. But, perhaps surprisingly, British Waterways has recently been confirmed by English Heritage as the third largest owner of Listed Structures in the country.

With almost 3,000 designated examples of industrial heritage and engineering feats nationwide, British Waterways are keen to encourage even greater numbers of people to visit their local waterways and discover the historic significance of our canal architecture.

Read about the ancient structures you can find on or near the waterways, and learn about the importance of lime mortar, in our heritage guide.

Heritage Open Days are taking place all over the country on the weekend of 12-13 September. Visit our events diary to find Heritage Open Days by the water.

In this section ...

Bridges: timber and cast iron »
Wooden bridges were common during the hey day of the canals because they were cheap to build, especially compared with brick or masonry bridges. More »
Bridges: masonry and brick »
Bridges come in all shapes and sizes – usually dependent upon the wealth of the landowner whose fields the canal cut across. More »
Bridges: turnover »
Back in the days when narrowboats were towed by horses, the canal network supported essential architecture which is no longer in working use today. More »
Canal cottages »
In the hey day of the canals, when commercial cargo was a common sight up and down the waterway network, a considerable number of workers were required to keep our trunk routes operating efficiently. More »
Aqueducts »
The idea of a 'canal in the sky' was ridiculed initially both by engineering sceptics and the canal builders themselves. More »
Pubs »
It will come as no surprise to learn that the long distance boatmen of old relied heavily on waterside pubs for their relaxation and recreation. More »
Tunnels »
The construction of tunnels was one of the most difficult tasks facing canal engineers – hence many early canals followed Brindley’s contour method and wound their way around hills. More »
Lock flights »
Feared and revered in equal measure since the early days of canal boating, our most well known lock flights have now become leisure destinations in their own right – and a valued part of British canal heritage. More »
Mile posts »
Britain’s canals were the life blood of the industrial revolution and a largely commercial machine. More »
Lime mortar »
What is it? Lime mortar is created by mixing sand, quicklime and water. It has been used for centuries to bond together brick and stone in all types of buildings. More »
Industrial buildings »
The canals were created to meet the transportation needs of a newly industrialized country, and it follows that this industry continued to develop alongside the new canals. More »
Boat lifts »
Stately and imposing, our boat lifts are among our most impressive waterway architecture. More »