Life on the cut

The canals in pictures

Some places have to be seen to be believed. The British waterways are one of them.

Golden morning mist rising from a still English canal at dawn

Dawn on the cut

A narrowboat passing through lock gates on the Aire and Calder Navigation

Working the locks

A narrowboat moored on a canal at golden hour, warm reflections in the water

Golden hour mooring

The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct on the Llangollen Canal in Wales

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct

Cozy narrowboat cabin interior with wood stove and warm lighting

Home on the water

A stone arch bridge over an English canal in Warwickshire

Stone bridge

Traditional painted narrowboat roses and castles folk art decoration

Roses and castles

The Caledonian Canal in the Scottish Highlands with mountains in the background

Caledonian Canal

Purple wildflowers and reeds along a tranquil English canal in summer

Canal wildflowers

A canal lined with tall trees forming a green tunnel over the water

Green tunnel

Standing at the stern of a narrowboat on a sunny day on the canal

Steering the cut

People walking along a scenic canal towpath in summer

Towpath walkers

A frosty winter morning on the English canal with ice on the water

Winter on the cut

Autumn leaves on the towpath of the Oxford Canal in Oxfordshire

Autumn towpath

A narrowboat moored in a picturesque English canal village

Village mooring

Four friends relaxing on the deck of a narrowboat on a summer evening

The crew

Pulling a narrowboat to the bank with a mooring rope on the towpath

Mooring up

Walking the towpath at dusk with a narrowboat moored alongside

Evening towpath

View from the bow of a narrowboat cruising through a tree-lined canal

Underway

The Falkirk Wheel boat lift on the Forth and Clyde Canal, Scotland

Falkirk Wheel, Scotland

Traditionally painted narrowboat stern with folk art decoration

Traditional paintwork

Close-up view of a canal lock on the English waterways

Lock detail

Narrowboats moored along a quiet canal in the evening light

Evening moorings

Life on the canal towpath — people and narrowboats on a summer day

Towpath life

Sarah, Zack and Robin on the canal

Sarah, Zack and Robin

“Every bend in the canal is a small surprise. That's the thing about going slowly — you actually see where you are.”

— From my notebook, somewhere near Braunston

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