Page updated 11 July 2002 

Britain's Waterways - Cruising Rings and Other Things

Author:	Brian Roberts
Publisher:	GEOprojects (UK) Ltd, 9-10 Southern Court, South Street, READING, RG1 4QS
Guide Web Site:	http://www.britains-waterways.com
Format:	A 252x210mm (i.e. as wide as A4 but slightly shorter) spiral bound glossy cover book, illustrated with many photographs and a profusion of maps - all in colour.

General Comments:

As with the first book in this series, Brian Roberts was kind enough to send me a review copy. At first glance you might think that this is just the second edition of the first. It has an identically styled front cover and internal design. Closer examination makes you realise that it does a different job. This book is aimed at those who have already been on the water once and may not realise where else they might go.

I was pleased to see that this book has dropped the wrap-around cover and spiral binding of "A Unique Insight". "Cruising Rings and Other Things" has a more conventional stitch and glue binding, but it does retain the "magazine style" layout with sections starting on the left not right hand page.

After a "Contents" page, there are two pages with maps of the waterways of Scotland and the rest of the England and Wales. These provide a key to the various rings which are covered in the main part of the book. Then there's a couple of pages of "Frequently Asked Questions". Towards the end are the same 14 pages of 1:350,000 scale maps found in the first book followed by appendices listing 129 hire companies, booking agencies, hotel boats, Robert Aickman's "Seven Wonders" and various other waterways attractions.

The bulk of the book is devoted to the rings and other things of the title, divided into groups according to the time taken to cover them. These start with Taster Trips and the, One Afternoon, Oxford Ring, and proceed through the Long Weekend, One Week, Two Weeks and More Time chapters. The "Other Things" chapters cover the Norfolk Broads and the Scottish Caledonian Canal and Forth and Clyde and Union Canals.

Each of these chapters follow a similar format, a brief introduction followed by the list of rings or, in some cases, out and back trips, such as the Lancaster, Llangollen, Monmouth and Brecon and Caldon Canals. The sections devoted to these cruises start with a list of the canals, their dates of construction, and the main towns and junctions on the route. Next a brief note of the number of miles of river and canals, wide or narrow, on the route and a suggestion about the number of cruising hours they should take. Their follows lists of visitor attractions, waterways distractions and a "Worth a Detour" list which can extend the cruise. Each section finishes with a suggested guidebook, list of tourist Information Centres and possible start points, cross referenced to the appendix on Hire Bases. The whole thing is accompanied by one of GeoProjects distinctive maps.

As before you can read extracts from the book, including the whole of the Frequently Asked Questions chapter, at http://www.britains-waterways.com.

If stopped by a gongoozler and asked the question "Where can you go?", this is the book to give them. It does a good job, covering 15 rings and ten other potential holiday routes. It's hard to criticise. There's plenty here to whet any new boaters appetite. Obviously, it's a personal selection and there's not much scientific about it. For instance, Brian chooses to put the Cheshire Ring (suggested cruising time 55 hours) in the two week group, though accepting, in the description, that some people manage it, using all the daylight hours, in a week, and yet places the Four Counties Ring, also 55 hours, in the More Time group.

In much the same way that I said of "A Unique Insight" that it made the perfect bedside companion for planning a visit to a remote part of the network, the same could be said of this book. However, this isn't just another directory of waterways, and if your aim to is select where to go for your holiday this is the one to choose.

While it is a only personal selection of cruises, I couldn't fault those chosen. After all there are enough maps and material here, with a balanced coverage across the whole network, including even disconnected branches, to assist you to mix and match your own personal favourite holiday route. Another good one, Brian! I'll be starting out from Hire Base 77 at the beginning of August and I still can't make up my mind on the Cheshire or Four Counties!

Reviewed by: Greg Chapman