Castles on the Waterways


England and Wales are famous for castles, signs of our more turbulent past. Many are visible or within convenient distance from a canal or navigable river.

Castles would be built on or overlooking important trading routes. Those routes frequently followed rivers, and when canals were built they often ran along established trading routes.

Castles were a popular image used in traditional narrowboat painting of course, evidence that the canal people were keenly aware of them. We’ve illustrated below some of the castles painted on watercans and narrowboat cabin table cupboards by generations of canal painters. Also see our Canal Folk Art section.

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Newark Castle alongside the River Trent

Chirk Castle

Chirk Castle One mile west of Chirk tunnel built in 1295 as a marches fortress. It consists of a square court with a drum tower in each corner. Since 1595 it has been the home of the Middleton family. The gates were added in 1721. Within the park, traces of Offa's Dyke can be found.

Nottingham Castle

Nottingham Castle is famous for its connection with the story of Robin Hood. Built in 1068 under the instruction of William the Conqueror, it had large sums of money spent on it, the outer bailey being walled in masonry and much done to transform it to a palace. 

Warwick Castle

Built in 1068-9 by William the Conqueror and entrusted to Roger of Beaumont, Warwick Castle became the hereditary home of the de Beaumonts and was developed over many years to be a palace castle.

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Coventry Canal
Holloway, Tamworth B79 7NA
Dating back to Norman times


Gloucester and Sharpness Canal
only the moat remains of this 13th century castle.


Grand Union Canal
White Hill, Berkhamsted HP4 1LJ.
Built by William the Conqueror
Ivinghoe, Buckinghamshire
A triangle of 6 acres includes a bowl barrow from the bronze-age and tumuli to the south east of the hill.
Warwick Castle
Warwick CV34 6AU.
Popular visitor attraction
01926 406610
www.warwick-castle.com


Grand Union Leicester Line
8-9 Castle View, Leicester LE1 5WH.
Built in 1088 on a popular route of travel


Horncastle Canal
Sleaford Rd, Tattershall, Lincoln LN4 4LR
1 mile north-east of Tattershall Bridge


Kennet and Avon Canal
Victorian Folly built on the site of a Norman Castle


Lancaster Canal
Greenhalgh Castle, Castle Ln, Garstang, Preston PR3 1TL.
The ruins can be viewed with permission from the adjacent farm
Castle Hill, Lancaster LA1 1YN.
The Norman keep was built on the site of a Roman fort


Lee Navigation
The Castle, Hertford SG14 1HR.
Built in 1100 the castle belonged to the Cecil family
Waytemore Castle, Link Rd, Bishop's Stortford CM23 2AY.
A pleasure garden has been developed where the bailey used to be


Leeds and Liverpool Canal
Spring Gardens Ln, Keighley BD20 6LH.
This totally restored castle in Keighley is now the home to the museum and art gallery
The Bailey, Skipton BD23 1AW.
Norman castle built to fill in a gap in the Pennine defence against the north


Llangollen Canal
Llangollen, Denbighshire, Wales, Llangollen LL20 8D.
Half mile north of Llangollen, on top of 1100 ft. mountain.
Chirk Castle
Chirk Castle, Wrexham LL14 5AF.
built in 1295 as a marches fortress
01691 777701
www.nationaltrust.org.uk
Llantysilio, Llangollen LL20 8DD.
Pillar was erected in the 18th century to commemorate Eilseg
6 Fair View, Holt, Wrexham LL13 9AZ.
A 14th century tower and a 19th century mansion


Macclesfield Canal
53A High St, Mow Cop, Stoke-on-Trent ST7 3PA.
Owned by the National Trust


Mon & Brec Canal
Castle St, Abergavenny NP7 5EE.
Motte and bailey built to dominate the area
High St, Crickhowell NP8 1BE.
Only scant remains (part of the curtain wall and small tower) survive.
Permission is required from the owners of the hotel in whose grounds can be found the remains of the 11th century castle
Broughton Castle, Banbury OX15 5EB.
3 miles southwest of Banbury
Pencelli Castle Farm, Pencelli, Brecon LD3 7LX.
Only castle mound remains
Powys, Tretower, Crickhowell NP8 1RF.
2.5 miles northwest of Crickhowell


Northampton Arm
13 St Andrew's Rd, Northampton NN1 2RW.
A once elaborately decorated royal castle


Oxford Canal
Ell Ln, Brinklow, Rugby CV23 0LR.
Castle earthworks


River Avon, Warwickshire
Victorian Folly


River Thames & Lee Navigation
Little Wittenham, Didcot OX14 4QZ.
Remains of an iron age fort
Tower Bridge Rd, London SE1 2UP.
Built in 1894 by Sir John Wolfe Barry
London EC3N 4AB.
World famous for housing the crown jewels and also for the colourful Yeoman Warders or Beefeaters
Castle Ln, Wallingford OX10 0BY.
Remains of a Norman castle
Windsor SL4 1NJ.
The largest inhabited castle in the world


River Trent
Castle Gate, Newark-on-Trent, Newark NG24 1BG.
The shell is all that remains of this riverside building
Nottingham Castle
Lenton Rd, Nottingham NG1 6EL.
Famous for its connection with the story of Robin Hood
0115 8763100


River Witham & Fossdyke and Witham Navigation
Castle Hill, Lincoln LN1 3AA
Built by the Normans in 1068


Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation
Castle Hill, Conisbrough, Doncaster DN12 3BU.
Built in 1185 the round keep has large protruding towers and once had a wooden roof


Shropshire Union Canal
Chapel Ln, Tarporley CW6 9TX.
Built in 1220 by Ranulf de Blundeville, Earl of Chester, and paid for by a levy on his tenants
Grosvenor St, Chester CH1 2DN.
One of the earlier Norman sites Chester castle was built in 1069
Peckforton Castle Dr, Stone House Ln, Cheshire, Tarporley CW6 9TN.
Close to Beeston Castle is actually a Victorian stately home and hotel


Staffs and Worcs Canal
Office/Hartlebury Castle, Hartlebury, Kidderminster DY11 7XZ.
In the 18th century it was rebuilt and now contains the Worcestershire County Museum


Wey Navigation & Basingstoke Canal
North Warnborough, Hook RG29 1HQ
Built by King John in 1207


Worcester & Birmingham Canal
44 Waterworks Rd, Birmingham B16 9AL.
In 1758 John Perrot built this seven-storey tower so that he could see the grave of his wife buried ten miles away

All materials and images © Canal Junction Ltd. Dalton House, 35 Chester St, Wrexham LL13 8AH. No unauthorised reproduction.

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