Travelling by water

A relaxing way to see the countryside is by water. Britain has a large number of canals, which were used for transporting goods in the nineteenth century. About 2,000 miles (3,000 km) of canals are still in use.

Most canals are now used by holiday-makers who hire barges. Rivers, too, are popular. The River Thames, in particular, is full of private boats and pleasure boats. Imagine gently drifting along the river on a sunny summer day, past green fields; much better than being stuck in a traffic jam behind a huge lorry!

Michael Vaughan-Rees, Geraldine Sweeney, Picot Cassidy: In Britain; Cornelsen Verlag, 2000, page 73