Yorkshire's Waterside

River Ouse Click on the image for larger version

Yorkshire offers every type of waterway the visitor could wish for notably its unique trans-Pennine canal crossings that were the engineering wonders of their day. Boats have traded along the rivers of Yorkshire for centuries - and are still doing so. A web of 18th and 19th-century canals link the rivers Ouse and Aire, and the great cities of York, Leeds and Sheffield.

You might still see a loaded barge navigating these wide waters, but you're as likely to spot a heron or kingfisher nestling in the reeds. Threading slowly through miles of rolling countryside, these waterways are prized by anglers, boaters and walkers alike.

The Leeds & Liverpool Canal is the longest canal in Britain - yet one of the least busy especially as it climbs through the Pennines from Yorkshire to Lancashire.

The mighty River Humber and its estuary occupy a central role in the waters of the region. The Transpennine Trail, a coast-to-coast route from the Humber to the Mersey, runs along the Humber and thence to the towpath of the Aire & Calder Navigation.

And the Huddersfield Narrow Canal boasts Britain's longest, deepest and highest canal tunnel, superb Pennine scenery, and charming canalside towns.

See for yourself: discover Yorkshire’s canals and rivers!