Enjoy a Great Day Out by the Water this Summer

The UK’s largest canal charity Canal & River Trust has published a free guide to ‘Places to Visit in the South East’, with maps, information about visitor facilities and free activities, and ways to get the most out of visiting the region’s canals and rivers this summer.

Last year, over 10 million people visited the charity’s 2,000-mile network of canals and rivers to enjoy walking, cycling, running, boat trips, fishing, wildlife spotting, feeding ducks, watching boats go through locks, paddleboarding, visiting a museum, enjoying food and drink at a canalside café or pub, and marvelling at some of the world’s finest examples of working industrial heritage.

Ros Daniels, Canal & River Trust’s director for the South East, says: ‘Every year, millions of people visit our waterways to be active, relax and to enjoy the scenic landscapes our canals offer.

‘Our canals provide free and low-cost family-friendly days out by the water, and the chance to have some fabulous waterside experiences this summer. Even in city centres, people can spot a variety of birds, animals, insects and plants along our canals and rivers. And from locks and bridges, to tunnels and aqueducts, there are hundreds of historic structures to marvel at.

‘We want to encourage more people to visit our canals, rivers, reservoirs and docks so they can experience the physical and mental health and wellbeing benefits of spending time by water, and find out more about the work of our charity to care for the nation’s world-famous historic network.’

Canal & River Trust’s free ‘Places to Visit in the South East’ guide includes information on the following locations:

Berkhamsted, Canal Fields, Broadwater, HP4 2AL

Once a busy inland port and the centre of boat building activity, today the historic market town of Berkhamsted on the Grand Union Canal in Hertfordshire makes for a fascinating day out. Visitors can stroll along the towpath to see boats going through the locks and the Canadian totem pole that marks the site of an old boat building yard, explore the ruins of Berkhamsted Castle built by one of William the Conqueror’s knights, enjoy a drink and bite to eat at one of the canalside pubs, and visit the nearby Ashridge estate woods.

Tring Reservoirs, Marsworth HP23 4LL

The four reservoirs at Tring were built to supply the Grand Union Canal and are now a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The waters of the reservoirs attract many plants, fish and insects, and large numbers of breeding, wintering and migrating birds. As well as watching boats go through the locks, visitors can choose from three way-marked circular walks to follow, discover bird hides to sit in and watch swifts and common terns during the day, or pipistrelle bats hunting for insects in the evening, and visit a canalside pub or café.

Weston Turville Reservoir, World’s End Lane HP22 5PS

Nestled in the Buckinghamshire countryside, Weston Turville Reservoir Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is a wildfowl wonderland and the perfect place to get close to nature. Visitors can spot teal, tufted duck and bittern, follow the 1.2-mile (2 kilometre) pathway around the reservoir, get a licence to go fishing, and watch the boats from Aylesbury Sailing Club.

Canal & River Trust’s free ‘Places to Visit in the South East’ guide is available to download at www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/free-guide.

For more information on the Canal & River Trust charity, including how you can donate money or volunteer to support its work, visit www.canalrivertrust.org.uk.