We've just released the next maps in our Cruising Maps series.
As with all the others, they are available in two formats - both for download.
The Acrobat (pdf) format for viewing and printing as individual pages, and the Memory Map (qct) format for seamless mapping on your computer, Andorid, iPhone or PDA.
The new releases cover the River Thames, as two sections, or as the complete river
> Upper
> Lower
> All |  | No need to keep turning from one page to another in canal guide books to trace your way along the River Thames as the seamless Memory Map format is just what you have been waiting for.
The first map on the right shows the area covered by the Cruising Maps (click to enlarge) |  | The second map on the right shows an extract from the Cruising Map (click to enlarge)
If you are not how sure what these maps are like then take a look at our Free Droitwich Canals Map to see just how good these are. |  |
Posted on Wednesday, 28 March 2012 at 09:39 Comments (0)
Category(s): Maps , River Thames
 Our last release of maps was a set covering the Grand Union Canal, both as individual sections, or as a complete canal. These include all the branches and constituent canals, from the Hertford Union Canal to the Erewash Canal.
That's a total of 434 kilometers which is an awful lot of cycling to ensure the maps are completely up to date when published by covering the entire route. As with all the maps published so far the entire route has been visited, mostly by me but with occasional help from other family members. Several bloggers have been surprised by a knock on the side of the boat as I stopped to say hello on the way past. |  | A GPS trace is recorded and everything is logged and photographed before being added to the master map which shows the whole country. The individual canals are then published from this.
Out of interest I've just done a rough count of what I found along the Grand Union Canal which makes for some interesting statistics.
434 | Kilometers | 8 | Tunnels | 808 | Bridges and Aqueducts | 219 | Locks | 111 | Winding Holes, including several short ones marked on the maps | 5 | Navigation notes for special features | 7 | Lift bridges | 7 | Swing bridges | 187 | Mooring locations, all marked with the duration (24hr, 7 day etc.) | 43 | Boatyards / Marinas | 11 | Chandlers | 28 | Diesel Suppliers | 40 | Elsan emptying locations | 27 | Gas suppliers | 11 | Hire boat bases | 34 | Pump out locations | 33 | Refuse disposal locations | 12 | Showers | 21 | Toilets | 65 | Water Points |
|  | If you get a different answer then it's probably my rough count and it's unlikely to be the maps that are wrong. As the maps are for electronic download we can keep them up to date. Any updates we hear about are added to the master map and the appropriate downloadable maps updated within 7 days, often less. That way we ensure the maps you download are kept up to date.
If you are kind enough to tell us of a change to a map you have purchased then we'll update the map and let you have a new download. That way you get an up to date map, and the new download will also include any changes we have heard about from other boaters too.
Some printed guides from other suppliers have not been updated since 2009, with the 2012 updates merely being a new cover without updating the contents.
This week I'm cycling along the Kennet and Avon Canal so watch out for that map being released soon. |  |
Posted on Tuesday, 13 March 2012 at 12:10 Comments (0)
Category(s): Grand Union , Maps
We've just released the next maps in our Cruising Maps series.
As with all the others, they are available in two formats - both for download.
The Acrobat (pdf) format for viewing and printing as individual pages, and the Memory Map (qct) format for seamless mapping on your computer, Andorid, iPhone or PDA.
The new releases cover the Grand Union Canal, as individual sections, or as the complete canal
> Leicester
> North
> Central
> South
> All | | No need to keep turning from one page to another in canal guide books to trace your way along the Grand Union Canal as the seamless Memory Map format is just what you have been waiting for.
The first map on the right shows the area covered by the Cruising Maps (click to enlarge) | | The second map on the right shows an extract from the Cruising Map (click to enlarge)
If you are not how sure what these maps are like then take a look at our Free Droitwich Canals Map to see just how good these are. | |
Posted on Monday, 5 March 2012 at 19:49 Comments (0)
Category(s): Grand Union , Maps
We've just released the next map in our Cruising Maps series.
As with all the others, it is available in two formats - both for download.
The Acrobat (pdf) format for viewing and printing as individual pages, and the Memory Map (qct) format for seamless mapping on your computer, Andorid, iPhone or PDA.
The new release is
> Lee & Stort Navigations – Cruising Map
|  | No need to keep turning from one page to another in canal guide books to trace your way along the Lee & Stort Navigations as the seamless Memory Map format is just what you have been waiting for.
The first map on the right shows the area covered by the Cruising Maps (click to enlarge) |  | The second map on the right shows an extract from the Cruising Map (click to enlarge)
If you are not how sure what these maps are like then take a look at our Free Droitwich Canals Map to see just how good these are.
I'm working on the Grand Union Canal Main Lines next. |  |
We've just released the next map in our Cruising Maps series.
As with all the others, it is available in two formats - both for download.
The Acrobat (pdf) format for viewing and printing as individual pages, and the Memory Map (qct) format for seamless mapping on your computer, Andorid, iPhone or PDA.
The new release is
> Oxford Canal – Cruising Map
|  | No need to keep turning from one page to another in canal guide books to trace your way along the Oxford Canal as the seamless Memory Map format is just what you have been waiting for.
The first map on the right shows the area covered by the Cruising Maps (click to enlarge) |  | The second map on the right shows an extract from the Cruising Map (click to enlarge)
If you are not how sure what these maps are like then take a look at our Free Droitwich Canals Map to see just how good these are.
I'm working on the Grand Union Canal Main Lines next. |  |
Heth, on Takey Tezey says she is having trouble finding her bearings. Perhaps our new series of Cruising Maps will, help - and there's more new maps being added each month as I cycle the canals to make sure everything is up to date.
Our maps are up to date and, being for electronic download, we can keep them up to date. I have personally verified almost all the information, with a few sections being kindly covered by other members of the family for me.
All the maps are up to date when published, and all within the last 9 months, and we keep track of changes that boaters are kind enough to email us with and which are published in the leading magazines or websites. If we hear of a change then the master map is usually updated within 7 days to ensure your downloads are up to date.
Neil, from The Canal Shop says, in his latest newsletter, "New Nicholson guides due out in March are numbers 2 (Severn & Avon) and 6 (North East), the remaining guides and map are just being reprinted, but with a new picture on the front cover." The existing Nicolson Guides were released in March 2009, and presumable were researched and printed well before that so they are at least 3-4 years out of date and simply putting a new cover on won't help much!
So here you are Heth, an extract showing where you are to get you started. And if you do spot a local change we don't know about we'll be very grateful to hear from you so we can keep the maps up to date. |  |
Posted on Friday, 10 February 2012 at 15:52 Comments (2)
Category(s): Trent & Mersey
Posted on Thursday, 9 February 2012 at 07:13 Comments (0)
Category(s): Grand Union
The next section for data collection for our Cruising Maps was the Grand Union Canal Main Line between Brentford Junction (with the River Thames) and Bull's Bridge Junction (with the Paddington Arm). |  | A short section of the Thames Path from Kew Bridge station brought me to Brentford Junction. The tide was about half-way so there's some water visible in the photos for the tidal section below Thames Locks.
Then, noting the warning signs about variable headroom on the semi-tidal section from Thames Locks to Brentford Gauging Locks, it was time to head up the canal. |  | There were lots of people along the canal on this sunny afternoon, especially around Hanwell Locks, but not so many they caused problems. I was asked a few questions when people saw me stop to make notes and measure the lock depths, and I was please I could answer them all.
It wasn't long before I reached Bull's Bridge Junction with the Paddington Arm I've already covered. |  | For more information see
Grand Union Canal Photo Gallery for a virtual cruise along the canal
Grand Union Canal Route Information |  |
Posted on Tuesday, 7 February 2012 at 15:13 Comments (0)
Category(s): Grand Union
Cycling the short Hertford Union Canal completed the data collection for the London sections of the Grand Union Canal cruising maps.
The Hertford Union Canal is part of the Grand Union Canal and runs from Hertford Union Junction with the Regents Canal to the junction with the River Lee Navigation.
It is 1.9 kilometers (1.2 miles) long with 3 broad locks. |  | Virtually straight from one end to the other the canal was constructed to provide a direct link between the Regents Canal and the River Lee Navigation which not only saved time but avoided the difficulties of a short trip along the tidal River Thames before the Limehouse Cut was dug.
The canal is surprisingly quiet, being bounded along its northern edge by Victoria Park. Many of the features date from the opening in 1830 and are now listed structures.
I'll be turning my attention to the main line next, heading northwards from Brentford Junction with the River Thames. |  | For more information see
Hertford Union Canal Photo Gallery for a virtual cruise along the canal
Hertford Union Canal Route Information |  |
Continuing with the data collection for the Grand Union Cruising Maps I cycled the towpaths of the Regents Canal across the northern edge of central London. The Regents Canal runs from the junction with the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal at Little Venice to the junction with the tidal River Thames at Limehouse Basin.
That's a total of 14.2km (8.8 miles) long with 13 broad locks, including Limehouse Lock onto the River Thames. |  | Neither of the two tunnels - Maida Vale Tunnel at 249m (272 yards) and Islington Tunnel at 878m (960 yards) - have towpaths requiring walkers to take the marked route over the top of the hills.
The locks come one at a time as they are well spaced out lowering the canal from around 28.5m (94 feet) to reach sea level at the tidal River Thames. |  | The canal passes through London Zoo, with some of the animals visible briefly, next to the market at Camden, and close to the main line stations at Kings Cross and St. Pancras.
Hertford Union Junction, towards the eastern end of the canal, provides a link through the Hertford Union Canal to the River Lee Navigation, avoiding the route via Limehouse Basin which once required a short passage along the River Thames. |  | For more information see
Regents Canal Photo Gallery for a virtual cruise along the canal
Regents Canal Route Information |  |
Posted on Thursday, 2 February 2012 at 09:59 Comments (0)
Category(s): Regents Canal
We've just released the next map in our Cruising Maps series.
As with all the others, it is available in two formats - both for download.
The Acrobat (pdf) format for viewing and printing as individual pages, and the Memory Map (qct) format for seamless mapping on your computer, Andorid, iPhone or PDA.
The new release is
> Grand Union Canal (Birmingham Section) – Cruising Map |  | No need to keep turning from one page to another in canal guide books to trace your way aalong the Grand Union Canal as the seamless Memory Map format is just what you have been waiting for.
The first map on the right shows the area covered by the Cruising Maps (click to enlarge) |  | The second map on the right shows an extract from the Cruising Map (click to enlarge)
If you are not how sure what these maps are like then take a look at our Free Droitwich Canals Map to see just how good these are.
Next I'll be issuing the remaining parts of the Warwickshire Ring. |  |
Last month I cycled along the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal to collect data for the future releases of our Cruising Maps.
I was surprised at how muddy parts of the western end of the arm were, but it improved to a hard surface for the eastern half of the arm. |  | I headed east from Bull's Bridge Junction along the arm. Soon I discovered I wasn't cycling along the Paddington Arm, but along the Paddington Branch. So what is the difference?
It soon became apparent that all the older bridge number plates and canal side signs referred to it as the Paddington Arm, while all the newer signs referred to it as the Paddington Branch. I don't remember any formal renaming ceremony so which is right? And which name should I show on the maps? |  | There was nothing unexpected during the rest of the data collection ride. I now have all the water points, winding points, moorings etc. shown on the master map and ready for publication shortly.
For more information see
Paddington Arm Photo Gallery for a virtual cruise along the canal
Paddington Arm Route Information |  |
Posted on Monday, 30 January 2012 at 16:16 Comments (0)
Category(s): Paddington Arm
We've just released the next map in our Cruising Maps series.
As with all the others, it is available in two formats - both for download.
The Acrobat (pdf) format for viewing and printing as individual pages, and the Memory Map (qct) format for seamless mapping on your computer, Andorid, iPhone or PDA.
The new release is
> Ashton Canal – Cruising Map
This includes the Rochdale Canal to Castlefield Junction. |  | No need to keep turning from one page to another in canal guide books to trace your way along the Ashton Canal as the seamless Memory Map format is just what you have been waiting for.
The first map on the right shows the area covered by the Cruising Maps (click to enlarge) |  | The second map on the right shows an extract from the Cruising Map (click to enlarge)
If you are not how sure what these maps are like then take a look at our Free Droitwich Canals Map to see just how good these are.
I now have the data to complete the Cheshire Ring, thanks to some help from our son, Andrew, so that will be coming soon. |  |
Posted on Friday, 20 January 2012 at 10:20 Comments (0)
Category(s): Ashton , Maps , Rochdale
We've just released the next map in our Cruising Maps series.
As with all the others, it is available in two formats - both for download.
The Acrobat (pdf) format for viewing and printing as individual pages, and the Memory Map (qct) format for seamless mapping on your computer, Andorid, iPhone or PDA.
The new release is
> Bridgewater Canal – Cruising Map |  | No need to keep turning from one page to another in canal guide books to trace your way along the Bridgewater Canal as the seamless Memory Map format is just what you have been waiting for.
The first map on the right shows the area covered by the Cruising Maps (click to enlarge) |  | The second map on the right shows an extract from the Cruising Map (click to enlarge)
If you are not how sure what these maps are like then take a look at our Free Droitwich Canals Map to see just how good these are.
I now have the data to complete the Cheshire Ring, thanks to some help from our son, Andrew, so that will be coming soon. |  |
Posted on Thursday, 19 January 2012 at 14:40 Comments (0)
Category(s): Bridgewater , Maps
We've just released the next map in our Cruising Maps series.
As with all the others, it is available in two formats - both for download.
The Acrobat (pdf) format for viewing and printing as individual pages, and the Memory Map (qct) format for seamless mapping on your computer, Andorid, iPhone or PDA.
The new release is
> Macclesfield Canal – Cruising Map |  | No need to keep turning from one page to another in canal guide books to trace your way along the Macclesfield Canal as the seamless Memory Map format is just what you have been waiting for.
The first map on the right shows the area covered by the Cruising Maps (click to enlarge) |  | The second map on the right shows an extract from the Cruising Map (click to enlarge)
If you are not how sure what these maps are like then take a look at our Free Droitwich Canals Map to see just how good these are.
I now have the data to complete the Cheshire Ring, thanks to some help from our son, Andrew, so that will be coming soon. |  |
Posted on Monday, 16 January 2012 at 12:26 Comments (0)
Category(s): Macclesfield
We've just released the next map in our Cruising Maps series.
As with all the others, it is available in two formats - both for download.
The Acrobat (pdf) format for viewing and printing as individual pages, and the Memory Map (qct) format for seamless mapping on your computer, Andorid, iPhone or PDA.
The new release is
> Peak Forest Canal – Cruising Map |  | No need to keep turning from one page to another in canal guide books to trace your way along the Peak Forest Canal as the seamless Memory Map format is just what you have been waiting for.
The first map on the right shows the area covered by the Cruising Maps (click to enlarge) |  | The second map on the right shows an extract from the Cruising Map (click to enlarge)
If you are not how sure what these maps are like then take a look at our Free Droitwich Canals Map to see just how good these are.
I now have the data to complete the Cheshire Ring, thanks to some help from our son, Andrew, so that will be coming soon. |  |
Posted on Sunday, 15 January 2012 at 21:20 Comments (0)
Category(s): Peak Forest
Compared to the Aylesbury Arm which I recently tried to cycle along but ended up pushing my bike through the mud, the Slough Arm was a great improvement. |  | There was lots of mud and a few puddles but most of the arm had a hard surface just under the mud making it possible to cycle without much problem.
The lack of locks made for a level journey all the way. |  | Collecting the data for our cruising maps was easy - first along the arm was Bridge 0.
I can't recall any other bridges numbered 0, presumably this was added after the rest of the bridges had been numbered from 1 upwards. |  | The arm is almost straight, with very few features along its length, and can hardly be described as exiting or interesting. Even the end of the arm is an anti-climax - it just peters out in Slough, with a dead end, a pylon and a winding hole.
Not even a place to moor, so most boaters just turn around and cruise straight back along the arm, having ticked it off on their list of waterways visited. |  | For more information see
Slough Arm Photo Gallery for a virtual cruise along the canal
Slough Arm Route Information
|  |
Posted on Saturday, 14 January 2012 at 23:02 Comments (0)
Category(s): Slough Arm
We've just released the next map in our Cruising Maps series.
As with all the others, it is available in two formats - both for download.
The Acrobat (pdf) format for viewing and printing as individual pages, and the Memory Map (qct) format for seamless mapping on your computer, Andorid, iPhone or PDA.
The new release is
> Ashby Canal – Cruising Map |  | No need to keep turning from one page to another in canal guide books to trace your way along the Ashby Canal as the seamless Memory Map format is just what you have been waiting for.
The first map on the right shows the area covered by the Cruising Maps (click to enlarge) |  | The second map on the right shows an extract from the Cruising Map (click to enlarge)
If you are not how sure what these maps are like then take a look at our Free Droitwich Canals Map to see just how good these are.
I now have the data to complete the Cheshire Ring, thanks to some help from our son, Andrew, so that will be coming soon. |  |
Posted on Saturday, 14 January 2012 at 08:32 Comments (0)
Category(s): Ashby , Maps
We've just released the next map in our Cruising Maps series.
As with all the others, it is available in two formats - both for download.
The Acrobat (pdf) format for viewing and printing as individual pages, and the Memory Map (qct) format for seamless mapping on your computer, Andorid, iPhone or PDA.
The new release is
> Coventry Canal – Cruising Map |  | If you are fed up of turning from one page to another in canal guide books to trace your way along the Coventry Canal then the seamless Memory Map format is just what you have been waiting for.
The first map on the right shows the area covered by the Cruising Maps (click to enlarge) |  | The second map on the right shows an extract from the Cruising Map (click to enlarge)
If you are not how sure what these maps are like then take a look at our Free Droitwich Canals Map to see just how good these are.
The Ashby Canal Cruising Maps will be available soon. |  |
Posted on Friday, 13 January 2012 at 16:32 Comments (0)
Category(s): Coventry
In the last blog, about the Wendover Arm, I mentioned the Aylesbury Arm was next.
The trips along these arms were both done in one day, collection the data for the next cruising maps. Out along the Wendover Arm and back along the Aylesbury Arm.
The Wendover Arm was reasonably easy to cycle along but the Aylesbury Arm was different. |  | I've cycled along hundreds of kilometres during the last few months and found towpaths in various states of repair. The Aylesbury Arm is amongst the worst I have found and it's really quite wrong to say I cycled along the Arm - I pushed the bike most of the way as the mud was too much to cycle through. It wasn't just a few bad patches as on other canals - it was almost the whole arm. |  | Considering how many books and websites recommend routes along the arm I was surprised by what I found. Perhaps it's too many people walking which churns up the mud. I met several people clutching maps and walking books, and several of these had stopped to study the maps to see where else they could walk as they abandoned their attempts to walk along the Aylesbury Arm. |  | The arm starts with a two lock staircase and the flow of water along the arm as the locks are used is important, as the water is drawn from the precious resources on the summit level of the main line and goes to waste, as far as the canal is concerned, as it flows into the River Thame at the bottom, and on into the River Thames.
The locks vary in depth with Lock 14, for example, being 2.31m deep with the water to fill it coming from lock 13 which is just 1.76m deep. This requires a continual flow of extra water over the weir at lock 13 to help fill lock 14 below. |  | I measured the depth of all the locks, as I do along all the routes when I collect the map data, and the depths can be seen in the table of key features on the route information page.
For more information see
Aylesbury Arm Photo Gallery for a virtual cruise along the canal
Aylesbury Arm Route Information
and
Aylesbury Canal Society |  |
Posted on Saturday, 7 January 2012 at 21:33 Comments (0)
Category(s): Aylesbury Arm
Making the most of the reasonably warm weather recently I've been continuing to cycle the towpaths to collect the data for our growing range of Cruising Maps.
I recently tackled the Wendover and Aylesbury Arms of the Grand Union Canal, and I'll say more about the Aylesbury Arm in a later blog. |  | The Wendover Arm runs from Bulbourne Junction on the summit level of the Grand Union Canal main line into Wendover.
It was constructed as a navigable feeder to bring water from the supplies at Wendover but suffered from so many leaks that water often flowed backwards as it took water from the summit level it was intended to supply. Closing the feeder brought improvements to the water supplies of the summit level! |  | With considerable support from the Wendover Arm Trust, British Waterways, and many others, including volunteers, the remaining short navigable section of the arm was extended in 2003 to the current limit of navigation.
Beyond there, and under restoration, is a dry section, then the remaining section which is still in water, albeit needing a lot of work to make it navigable, including dredging, clearing some trees growing in the canal and raising the height of at least one bridge. |  | The dry section has seen more lorries than boats recently as the canal bed is used to transport concrete and other materials and equipment to the worksites.
Two footbridges cross the dry section, each bearing plaques which identify the many individuals and organisations which have provided support for the restoration. No doubt other plaques will be added as more contributions are made - you can have your name there too, for a suitable contribution to the work. |  | The remaining section is still in water, albeit only 30cm (12 inches) deep in most places, but this doesn't require much effort to imagine boats cruising along the arm into Wendover.
For more information see
Wendover Arm Photo Gallery for a virtual cruise along the canal
Wendover Arm Route Information
and
Wendover Arm Trust |  |
Posted on Tuesday, 3 January 2012 at 10:26 Comments (0)
Category(s): Wendover Arm
We've just released the next map in our Cruising Maps series.
As with all the others, it is available in two formats - both for download. The Acrobat (pdf) format for viewing and printing as individual pages, and the Memory Map (qct) format for seamless mapping on your computer, Andorid, iPhone or PDA.
The new release is
>Birmingham & Fazeley Canal Map
If you are fed up of turning from one page to another in canal guide books to trace your way along the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal then the seamless Memory Map format is just what you have been waiting for. |  | These go well with our Birmingham Canal Navigations (BCN) DVDs which show part of the canal.
If you are not how sure what these maps are like then take a look at our Free Droitwich Canals Map to see just how good these are.
The Birmingham Mini Ring and Black Country Rings will be available soon. |  |
We've just released the next map in our Cruising Maps series.
As with all the others, it is available in two formats - both for download. The Acrobat (pdf) format for viewing and printing as individual pages, and the Memory Map (qct) format for seamless mapping on your computer, Andorid, iPhone or PDA.
The new release is
>Trent & Mersey Canal Map
If you are fed up of turning from one page to another in canal guide books to trace your way along the Trent & Mersey Canal then the seamless Memory Map format is just what you have been waiting for. |  | These go well with our Four Counties Ring DVDs which show part of the canal.
If you are not how sure what these maps are like then take a look at our Free Droitwich Canals Map to see just how good these are.
The Birminmgham & Fazeley Canal, Birmingham Mini Ring and Black Country Rings will be available soon. |  |
Posted on Wednesday, 7 December 2011 at 17:30 Comments (0)
Category(s): Maps , Trent & Mersey
We've just released the next map in our Cruising Maps series.
As with all the others, it is available in two formats - both for download. The Acrobat (pdf) format for viewing and printing as individual pages, and the Memory Map (qct) format for seamless mapping on your computer, Andorid, iPhone or PDA.
The new release is
>Caldon Canal Map
If you are fed up of turning from one page to another in canal guide books to trace your way along the Caldon Canal then the seamless Memory Map format is just what you have been waiting for. |  | These go well with our Caldon Canal DVDs which show a tour along the canal.
If you are not how sure what these maps are like then take a look at our Free Droitwich Canals Map to see just how good these are.
The Birmingham Mini Ring and Black Country Rings will be available soon. |  |
Posted on Thursday, 24 November 2011 at 07:34 Comments (0)
Category(s): Caldon , Maps
We've just released the next map in our Cruising Maps series.
As with all the others, it is available in two formats - both for download. The Acrobat (pdf) format for viewing and printing as individual pages, and the Memory Map (qct) format for seamless mapping on your computer, Andorid, iPhone or PDA.
The new release is
>Four Counties Ring Map
If you are fed up of turning from one page to another in canal guide books to trace your way around the Four Counties Ring then the seamless Memory Map format is just what you have been waiting for. |  | These go well with our Four Counties RIng DVDs which show a tour aound the ring.
If you are not how sure what these maps are like then take a look at our Free Droitwich Canals Map to see just how good these are.
The Caldon Canal Cruising Map will be available soon, with the Birmingham Mini Ring and the Black Country Ring not far behind. |  |
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