The number 1 best selling waterways guides
Did you know that half the country’s population live within five miles of a canal or river, 11 million people regularly visit the inland waterways every year and more than 32,000 registered boats are on the inland waterways?
Robert Nicholson published the first Nicholson waterways guide in 1969. That guide, covering the Thames, prompted the then British Waterways Board to persuade Nicholson to publish a series of guides to the inland waterways. The Collins/Nicholson Waterways Guides have been regularly updated and expanded ever since, but their purpose has remained the same: to provide useful and comprehensive information for everyone who enjoys and uses the inland waterways.
In print for 40 years, the Collins/Nicholson guides to the waterways have always been a vital part of journeys along Britain’s canals and rivers. They are designed for anyone and everyone with an interest in Britain’s inland waterways – from experienced boaters to those planning their first boat trip, as well as walkers, cyclists and visitors.
Colour Ordnance Survey® maps have additional information showing:
• Locks, bridges, tunnels, aqueducts, winding holes and towpaths.
• Waterpoints, sanitary stations, pump out facilities and refuse disposal.
• Boatyards, pubs, restaurants and local shops.
• Mile markers and milestones (distance in miles and number of locks to strategic points along the waterways).
Text includes:
• The history and background to each canal.
• Local services and places of interest, pubs and restaurants and postcodes for each place.
• Opportunities for walking and cycling.
• Notes on wildlife to be found along the waterways.
Comprehensive navigational notes include:
• Maximum dimensions and low bridges.
• Mileages, advice and potential hazards.
• Navigation authorities and contact details.Collins/Nicholson Waterways
Waterways Guides:
1: Grand Union, Oxford and The South East. Buy from Amazon
2: Severn, Avon and Birmingham. Buy from Amazon
3: Birmingham and the Heart of England. Buy from Amazon
4: Four Counties and the Welsh Canals. Buy from Amazon
5: North West and the Pennines. Buy from Amazon
6: Nottingham, York and the North East. Buy from Amazon
7: River Thames and the Southern Waterways. Buy from Amazon
Norfolk Broads. Buy from Amazon
Inland Waterways Map of Great Britain. Buy from Amazon
Nicholsons guides are always good
“Another one for the series. Accurate and packed full of information in easy to follow format.”
Ms. M. F. Ault Amazon review (31 May 09) for Collins/Nicholson Waterways Guides 1 Grand Union, Oxford and The South East
Links
Water-Way the essential boating companion
Collins/Nicholson Norfolk Broads Waterways Guide
Waterways Guides competition in Canal Boat Apr 09
For our new 2012 editions see Collins Nicholson Waterways Guides and Maps
9 Jun 2010
Collins/Nicholson Waterways Guides
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I find these guides very good - but two suggestions for future editions:
ReplyDelete(a) Put postcodes in for addresses of boatyards, restaurants etc
(b) Where there is more than one boatyard, restaurant etc on a page, number them so one know which is which.
All the new editions published from 2009 have the postcodes in the contact details and addresses for boatyards, restaurants etc
ReplyDeleteI agree whole heartedly with the comment about identifying which boatyard/pub is which. Often when there are four of five pubs one a page it can take a good minute or two to pick out enough information as to which is which, and once i was infact unable to fully confirm which details went with which location.
ReplyDeleteGenerally other than that the guides are very usable.
Although it is a shame that since Collins took over the guides they have greatly reduced the thickness of the paper and covers used as well as removing the number from the spine.
Daniel
Owner CanalWorld.net
can you get a unfolded copy of the inland waterways map of Great Britian
ReplyDeleteDaniel, thanks for your comments.
ReplyDeleteFor the next editions we will look into a system to clearly link the pub/restaurant on the map with its text information.
You must have an old format Waterways Guide. The current design has been in production for about 10 years – it is now spiral bound and uses paper suited to the colour printing and book weight. The guide number cannot now be put on the spiral spine, but a flap on the back cover can enclose pages (acting as a bookmark), this has the guide number and waterway name on it.
David Mumford
The Inland Waterways map of Great Britain were folded at the printers so there are no flat copies available.
ReplyDeleteYou could try and iron out the creases of the folded map or get the map scanned and printed out flat at a print shop.
In 2009, when we were ordering Collins/Nicholson Waterways Guides (for shipment to the United States), we received previous revisions -- is there anyway of ordering direct form the publisher, so we know we are receiving the latest version?
ReplyDeleteBob Reinhard
Bob,
ReplyDeleteThe latest Collins Nicholson Waterways Guides were published in 2009, the next editions are due out in spring 2012.
You can order the guides direct from us HarperCollins UK via our Customer Services mail order trade line 0844 576 8122.
David Mumford
Hi,
ReplyDeleteJust wondering if there's a likely publishing date for the new edition of these? You mention 'Spring 2012' - I'm off boating in April so just wondering whether it's worth waiting for the new edition to do my planning!
Thanks
Owen
Owen,
ReplyDeleteThanks for asking.
New editions of all 7 Collins Nicholson Waterways Guides, the Norfolk Broads Guide and the Inland Waterways map of Great Britain will be published on the 1st of March 2012.
David Mumford
Great, thanks very much David - most helpful.
ReplyDeleteOwen
Just got the new 2012 edition of the Inland Waterways map! The only change I could spot from the 2010 edition was for the restored Droitwich Canals (did I miss any other changes?) But I guess that's all that really *has* changed on the network since then (bar a few hundred yards here and there on the Wey & Arun and Chesterfield etc). Still no inclusion for the restorations of the Grand Union Buckingham Arm or Louth Navigation...?
ReplyDeletefeline1,
ReplyDeleteThe base mapping for the 2012 has remained faithful to the popular style that was used in the last few editions. There are alterations to the mapping as recommended by our author, but it is true to say that for the most part the canal network in the UK has remained pretty static since the last edition.
However, there are a vast number of changes relating to the navigational authority contact information and directions which are located on panels around the map itself.
The upcoming transfer in April of the canal network from British Waterways to the care of the Canal & River Trust has required the replacement of every single reference and website for this new edition – resulting in well over a hundred separate updates. Every address and phone number has also been routinely checked and updated.
We appreciate any feedback of changes spotted by readers and suggestions for the next edition.
David Mumford
I have just replaced my Nicholson Guide No.6 (Nottingham, York and the North-East). I am struck by the fact that the kilometre posts which stand by the River Trent, from Nottingham to Gainsborough, are still not marked on the maps.
ReplyDeleteI am sure that many of the people who buy your Guide will be canal boaters who will rely on it for their, perhaps, one-and-only trip on the Trent. For those people, having the kilometre posts marked on the maps would be very useful, especially on the featureless and very winding stretch of tideway between Cromwell and Torksey, where it is almost impossible to keep track of your position on the map.
I marked the post locations fairly accurately on my old Guide, and have now transferred them to the new one. I can make this information available to you if you are interested in including it in the next edition. If you don't want to rely on my info, please consider asking the CRT for their official record (if they have one).
Mike O
Mike O,
DeleteThanks for your suggestion above.
We show mile markers on all our guides but I will look into showing kilometer posts by the River Trent.
David
where is the android version coming out thank you for any help
ReplyDeletePaul, unfortunately we don't have plans for Android versions of the Guides just yet.
DeleteDavid
The Droitwich Canals were opened to through traffic in July 2011. When the new edition of Nicholson Guide No 2 was published in March 2012, I was really disappointed to discover that the navigation was still shown as a dotted line, with Hawford locks "disused", and no indication of where boaters facilities might be found.
ReplyDeleteJames, the updated reprint of Guide 2 shows the fully opened Droitwich Canals.
DeleteDavid
Waterways Guide 5 North West and Pennines
ReplyDeleteOn the front cover of your latest excellent guide there is a picture of our boat Bullfinch entering the Liver Building lock in Liverpool. She is a Colecraft narrowboat built in 1986 and is 57 foot. It has a traditional boatman's cabin and a 1977 Sabb engine in its own engine room.
We have been travelling over the canal system for many years now and we love the waterways and the way of life.
The picture on the cover of Guide 5 was taken in 2011 and in that year we travelled over 700 miles from Liverpool from our home base at St Mary's Marina, Rufford, the whole length of the Leeds and Liverpool and then onto Ripon via York and the tidal Ouse. Our return took us on the tidal Trent to Lincoln towards Boston and then home via the Erewash Canal and Trent and Mersey. This trip took us away for almost 4 months.
In 2012 we headed off from Rufford to the Ashby Canal, then onto Braunston and then to the Thames and onto the Kennett and Avon to Bath, returning via London. There and back we covered over 750 miles in another 4 months away.
We find your Guides most useful and we will use them again for this years trip. We plan to go to St. Ives and Cambridge via Peterborough with yet another visit to Liverpool planned. This will be possibly be another 700 miles or so.
We have bought a copy of the Guide 5 showing our boat on the front cover and for this years trip we will need to get new copies of Guides 3 and 4. You don't cover the area of the Middle Level Navigations and the Ouse and Cam but I imagine you might be looking at this for a future Guide possibly.
One final very small query. We wondered why the new Guide 5 didn't mention Fettlers Wharf Marina on the Rufford branch or its sister Marina at Scarisbrick on the main line? Maybe a future edition might include them?
Yours sincerely,
Peter and Linda Corbett
pd.corbett@ntlworld.com
Peter and Linda,
DeleteThanks for your comments. It’s great to get feedback from boaters, especially those immortalised on the front cover of our guide.
Looking at the Leeds & Liverpool Canal section of Guide 5, we show a marina on p98 (Scarisbrick) and two at the top of p100 (Fettlers Wharf and St Mary’s). Scarisbrick was being dug out when Jonathan Mosse our researcher and author passed by on his field check. We shall endeavour to include details for these in our next revision of the guide.
Sounds like you’ve got another adventurous trip planned for this summer, lucky things.
We bought 'North West and Pennines' and used it last week. PLEASE put it in the book that the winding hole at the north end of the Harecastle tunnel only has enough space for 48 feet boats. We had to reverse back 250 yards. But the book is generally good. Thanks and regards,
ReplyDeleteNigel
Thanks Nigel,
ReplyDeleteI’ll pass this on to our researcher and author for incorporating in the next edition.
Further information on the three Harecastle Tunnels and southward navigation of the Trent & Mersey Canal can be found in Guide 4: Four Counties & the Welsh Canals.
David
If you would like to comment on any aspect of the guides, you can use our nicholson@harpercollins.co.uk mailbox
ReplyDeleteThanks very much David for offering to put the 48 feet winding hole north of Harecastle Tunnel in the guide. Very helpful. Very good guides - to anyone considering whether to buy for their trip, they really help.
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Nigel