It’s interesting to note that there has been a resurgence in canal restoration in Britain over the past three decades, resulting in the reopening of many canals. However, it’s sad to see that many canals are still abandoned, and some have even vanished under roads, railways, and buildings. At one point, many thousands of miles of canal and navigation routes crisscrossed the British Isles, serving various areas such as collieries, iron mines, steelworks, towns, and villages. Unfortunately, many of these canals were closed down from the start of the twentieth century onwards due to a lack of trade. Most of the lost canals are in the industrial belts of Scotland and Wales, with a few Irish routes, such as the Rockville Navigation via the Monkland Canal (now under the M74 motorway) and the Aberdare Canal.

Andy Wood provides us with a brief history of many of the lost canals, from the Athlone Canal to the Trewydda Canal.