Canals

41 attractions, shown in their original order — never re-sorted by score. Each keeps its tier, group rank and weighted score out of 10.

• Grand Union Canal — London to Birmingham Corridor

  9.6/10

  UK

  1Group rank 1

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Kennet & Avon Canal — Bristol to Reading via Bath

  9.4/10

  UK

  1Group rank 2

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Regent's Canal & Little Venice — Central London

  9.2/10

  UK

  1Group rank 3

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Llangollen Canal — North Wales and Shropshire Borders

  9.0/10

  UK

  1Group rank 4

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Leeds & Liverpool Canal — Yorkshire and Lancashire Cross-Pennine Links

  8.8/10

  UK

  1Group rank 5

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Caen Hill Locks Flight — The massive 29-lock engineering centerpiece of the Kennet & Avon Canal

  8.6/10

  UK

  1Group rank 6

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Bingley Five Rise Locks — The steepest staircase lock flight in the UK, anchoring the Leeds & Liverpool Canal

  8.4/10

  UK

  1Group rank 7

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Oxford Canal — Oxford to Coventry

  7.8/10

  UK

  2Group rank 1

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Shropshire Union Canal — Cheshire to Staffordshire

  7.7/10

  UK

  2Group rank 2

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Trent & Mersey Canal — Derbyshire to Cheshire

  7.6/10

  UK

  2Group rank 3

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Caledonian Canal — Scottish Highlands (Great Glen Corridor)

  7.5/10

  UK

  2Group rank 4

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal — South Wales (Brecon Beacons)

  7.4/10

  UK

  2Group rank 5

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Worcester & Birmingham Canal — West Midlands

  7.3/10

  UK

  2Group rank 6

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Forth and Clyde / Union Canals — Central Scotland (Glasgow to Edinburgh Link)

  7.2/10

  UK

  2Group rank 7

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Anderton Boat Lift — The "Cathedral of the Canals" connecting the River Weaver and Trent & Mersey Canal

  7.2/10

  UK

  2Group rank 8

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Falkirk Wheel — The world's only rotating boat lift, connecting the Forth and Clyde with the Union Canal

  7.1/10

  UK

  2Group rank 9

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Foxton Locks Staircase — Leicestershire's high-traffic historic inclined plane and staircase flight

  7.0/10

  UK

  2Group rank 10

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Hatton Locks Staircase — The "Stairway to Heaven" 21-lock flight on the Grand Union Canal

  6.9/10

  UK

  2Group rank 11

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Aire and Calder Navigation — High-volume commercial and recreational shipping channel

  6.8/10

  UK

  2Group rank 12

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Ashby Canal — Highly popular, completely lock-free rural waterway

  6.7/10

  UK

  2Group rank 13

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Blisworth Tunnel — The massive, historic 3,000-yard subterranean stretch on the Grand Union Canal

  6.6/10

  UK

  2Group rank 14

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Coventry Canal — Warwickshire to Staffordshire

  6.2/10

  UK

  3Group rank 1

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal — Midlands Industrial Crossings

  6.1/10

  UK

  3Group rank 2

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Basingstoke Canal — Surrey and Hampshire

  6.0/10

  UK

  3Group rank 3

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Rochdale Canal — Manchester Cross-Pennine Track

  5.9/10

  UK

  3Group rank 4

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Caldon Canal — Staffordshire Moorlands

  5.8/10

  UK

  3Group rank 5

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Stratford-upon-Avon Canal — West Midlands to South Warwickshire

  5.7/10

  UK

  3Group rank 6

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Ashton Canal — Greater Manchester

  5.6/10

  UK

  3Group rank 7

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Bridgwater and Taunton Canal — Somerset leisure channel

  5.5/10

  UK

  3Group rank 8

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Calder and Hebble Navigation — Historic West Yorkshire link

  5.4/10

  UK

  3Group rank 9

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Dudley Canal and Caverns — Subterranean limestone tunnels and mining heritage

  5.3/10

  UK

  3Group rank 10

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Huddersfield Broad & Narrow Canals — Home to Standedge Tunnel

  5.2/10

  UK

  3Group rank 11

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Standedge Tunnel — The longest, highest, and deepest canal tunnel in Britain

  5.1/10

  UK

  3Group rank 12

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Lancaster Canal (Northern Reaches) — Isolated coastal and rural waterway

  5.0/10

  UK

  3Group rank 13

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Bude Canal Navigation

  3.9/10

  UK

  Unranked

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Chichester Ship Canal

  3.9/10

  UK

  Unranked

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Crinan Canal

  3.9/10

  UK

  Unranked

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Droitwich Barge Canal

  3.9/10

  UK

  Unranked

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Sleaford Navigation

  3.9/10

  UK

  Unranked

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Stroudwater Navigation

  3.9/10

  UK

  Unranked

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save

• Swansea Canal Restoration

  3.9/10

  UK

  Unranked

  Boat / Water

  Usually free (est.)

  Full guide →Save