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The charity making life better by water

Stunning photos capture the wonder of winter waterways

Britain’s gorgeous canals and rivers have been the focus of our Winter Photography Competition.

Grand Union Canal by Steve Brown

Have a look at the stunning winning images, which capture the essence of why the nation's 200-year old canals need to be treasured.

We recieved nearly 7,000 entries via our website and Instagram account. The competition encouraged both keen canal-lovers and those that may not have visited their local waterway recently to show the best of the winter waterways. With over 2,000 miles of waterways on the doorstep of millions there were many subjects to choose from, such as frosty towpaths, urban and rural waterways, people out and about enjoying their time by the water, classic canal architecture, lock gates, bridges and boats of every variety.

Jon Horsfall, head of customer services at Canal & River Trust, said: “The canals are stunning at any time of year and these wonderful photographs prove it. We look after 2,000 miles of waterway that snake across England and Wales, passing through myriad different landscapes and telling the tale of our industrial heritage.

“There's something about being by the water that is good for body, mind and soul: our research shows that it makes people less stressed. Let these images inspire you to come and visit and find your perfect picture.

“Thank you to everyone who shared their photos, and congratulations to the winners.”

The winning images were:

  • Trent & Mersey Canal by Nick Heath
  • Peak Forest Canal by Nicola Turner
  • Leeds & Liverpool Canal by Kelly
  • Lee Navigation by Jens Moser
  • Leeds & Liverpool Canal by Grahem Denney
  • Grand Union Canal by Steve Brown
  • Birmingham & Fazeley Canal by Natalie Marsh
  • Birmingham Canal Navigations by Veronika Jurickova
  • Leeds & Liverpool Canal by John
  • Kennet & Avon Canal by Barry Waddell
  • Urban waterway by @katkynes on Instagram
  • Weaver Navigation by Debbie French
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Last Edited: 27 March 2019

photo of a location on the canals
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