11 Facts About British Waterways

British Waterways, often shortened to BW, was a statutory corporation wholly owned by the government of the United Kingdom.

In Scotland, British Waterways continues to operate as a standalone public corporation under the trading name Scottish Canals.

British Waterways Board was initially established as a result of the Transport Act 1962 and took control of the inland waterways assets of the British Transport Commission in 1963.

British Waterways managed and maintained 2,200 miles of canals, rivers and docks within the United Kingdom including the buildings, structures and landscapes alongside these waterways.

British Waterways Board was required under the Act to keep commercial and cruising waterways fit for their respective traffic and use.

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However, despite this steady progress throughout the 1970s and 1980s, organisations such as English Heritage criticised the newly named British Waterways for failing to provide "adequate training or access to professional advice [for British Waterways officers] on the conservation of historic structures".

The following month saw an official announcement from British Waterways confirming the leaked list, and that a new charity would be established to tend the 2,000 miles of canals and rivers in England and Wales cared for by British Waterways.

British Waterways operated from headquarters in Watford, with additional administrative offices in Leeds and thirteen regional waterway offices.

At a regional level, British Waterways was divided into thirteen regional waterways; each appointed a waterways manager.

British Waterways was funded through a mixture of commercial activities, government grants and grants and donations from charitable bodies.

British Waterways owned a large canalside property portfolio which made a considerable contribution to the funding of the waterway network.