For canals of Northern Ireland see the Canals of Ireland article
See History of the British canal system for a more detailed history.
Canals first saw use during the Roman occupation of Great Britain, and were used mainly for irrigation pupouses. However, the Romans did create several navigatable canals, such as Foss Dyke to link rivers, enabling increased transportation inland by water. Great Britain's canal network was steadily increased, but grew massivly in the 18th century as the demand for industrial transport increased, and new canals were constantly added until the mid-19th century. The purpouse of this large inland network was as a transport system. Roads at the time were unsuitable for large volumes of traffic, and road vehicles were unable to transport large amounts of materials quickly. Canal boats proved more than adequate for this task, and so canals were constructed between industries, and between cities and ports, with vast amounts of materials from manufactured goods to coal and lumber being transported. As the industrial revolution took hold, the canals enjoyed great success, thriving in the late 18th and early 19th centuries before railways replaced them as the major goods transportion method. As trains, and later road vehicles, became more advanced, they became more economically viable than canal boats, being faster, cheaper to run, and able to carry much greater cargos. The canal network declined, many canals becoming unusuable, filled with weeds, silt and rubbish.
However, in the latter half of the twentieth century, the canals saw a rise in popularity as a industrialists were replaced by holidaymakers, who rented a 'narrowboat' and roamed the canals visiting places they passed through. Canal based holidays became popular due to their relaxing nature, cheap costs, and huge variety of scenery available; from inner-London to the Scottish Highlands. For this reason the canal system was renovated and reopened. Canals have become so popular that new routes are even under construction for the first time in a century, linking navigatable rivers, and existing canals.
The aim of bodies such as British Waterways (which owns about 50% of Britain's inland waterway network) is to fully reopen all disused canals. There is now a large waterways network of canals and navigable rivers throughout Great Britain, with most canals being linked to either other canals, navigatable rivers or the sea.
Despite being man made, the Jubilee River was designed to look and act like a natural river, and so is usually counted as such.
Extending Slough arm of Grand Union south to River Thames.
Making the York stream fully navigatable for boats and linking to other nearby canals and navigatable rivers.
Connection from Grand Union at Milton Keynes to the River Great Ouse at Bedford.
Connection from River Arun to Grand Union via Warwick.
Ambitious plan to link Portsmouth with London. Proposed route would run from Portsmouth to River Wey at Godalming. Length of canal route and cost of crossing South Downs are prohibitive.