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for more information about the book. |
This is the latest venture from GEO projects, whose The
Thames Ring and London Atlas I reviewed in our Summer 1998 issue (click here to read this review.). Like that
publication, this one moves away from their well-known sheet map format into a
wire-bound book. As always the clarity and quality of their full-colour maps is
the book’s strongest point.
The book catalogues all the waterways in Great Britain
(including the obscure ones). The amount of information given varies from one
line for the lesser ones to several pages of text and maps for the more
important navigations.
After a brief historical introduction, the book opens with a
2-page index map of the whole system and finishes with a 14-page atlas at
1:700,00 for England and Wales, 1:825,000 for Scotland, and an index.
In between, each of the main waterways is illustrated by a
map at 1:350,000 (the Broads and the BCN at 1:250,000). This scale enables
nearly all waterways to be seen on at most a two-page spread, with a few
exceptions. The Thames takes three pages to show the whole length from the
source to below Tilbury, but the Trent & Mersey, Britain’s longest
canal, fits onto a 2-page spread. Paradoxically for the “Shroppie”
(including the Llangollen and the Mont) one has to turn the page to see the
whole map, whereas it would have fitted into a single spread.
The maps are accompanied by photographs and informative
text, including the basic statistics (length, number of locks, broad or
narrow), contacts for the navigation authority, tourist information and
relevant restoration projects, a potted history (a little too potted for my
taste), trip boats, and a listing of some places of interest, which are keyed
to the maps. Many of the waterways also have one or more “short
strolls” or longer walks described and mapped at 1:15,000.
When I first opened the book, I wondered what market it was
aimed at. It’s certainly not a cruising guide (it makes no claim to be
one), as the waterway maps aren’t detailed enough for that, nor is there
any listing of facilities. For individual waterways it sometimes suggests a
suitable more detailed guide-book.
But what the maps do well is to show the relationship of the
waterways to town, roads and railways in their area. So the book would be of
considerable use to somebody wishing to explore the waterways by car or
train.
The maps of suggested walks show a lot of detail and, in
conjunction with the detailed commentary, look extremely suitable for their
purpose. They include details of how to get there by car or public
transport.
I don’t think this is a book that experienced boaters
will choose to keep on their boats. But a waterway enthusiast who drives around
the country might well find it useful to keep a copy in the car. It would also
be useful to somebody who is just getting to know the waterways and wants a
general introduction to what’s where.
Readers may recall that when I reviewed The Thames Ring
and London Atlas I welcomed GEO projects’ decision to publish it as a
ring-bound book, as opposed to a flat map which is difficult to use on deck
while cruising. I spoke to one of their representatives at the
“National” this August and heard that they plan similar publications
about “the better-known cruising rings” using, as before, the
information from their excellent sheet maps. This I regard as good news indeed,
as the standard of their maps and information is, in my opinion, the best of
any publisher serving the waterways at present.
Review by Mike
Stevens, first published in Excalibur, Spring 2000 |
