One of the reasons Britain still has a rather poor network of roads is that, historically, it had a wonderful network of waterways. Most of England's rivers are peaceful and relatively navigable. More importantly, Britain has an amazing network of canals (and locks), which offered a better way to transport cargo than overland. The railroads eventually replaced canals as a means of transporting goods throughout Britain, but the waterways remained as a viable means for travelers to get about - or to simply enjoy "messing about in boats." This section looks at travel via waterway, or along the waterways, or simply enjoying the waterways for camping, canoeing and fishing.

The Thames Seaward (Illustrated London Almanack, 1853)

The Book of the Thames, from Its Rise to Its Fall, by Mr. and Mrs. S.C. Hall (Art Journal, 1858)

The journey of two artists along the Thames, beginning at Part 13. The complete series was republished in book form and can be found at Archive.org.

Between Severn and Wye (Leisure Hour, 1860)

Up the River (Illustrated London Almanack, 1874)

Boating and fishing on the Thames.

Camping Out on the Thames, by James Albert (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1876)

"A week on the Thames is a very healthy and very pleasant way of spending a holiday, but two things are necessary - you must have fine weather, and you and your companions must have good tempers."

A Voyage on the Thames, by Edward Oxenford (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1877)

A Dream of the Western Wye (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1878)

Down the Thames in a Birch-Bark Canoe (Harper's Monthly, 1881A)

All Along the Wear (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1883)

A Canoe Voyage Down the Wharfe [Yorkshire] (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1884)

On the Thames, by Emma Tyng (Demorest, 1884)

A journey along the Thames by canoe.

[The Upper Thames] The Royal River, by W.T. Mainprise (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1886)

A Literary Ramble Along the Thames from Fulham to Chiswick, by Austin Dobson (Century Magazine, 1886B)

[The Thames] The Stream of Pleasure, by Joseph and Elizabeth Robins Pennell (Century Magazine, 1889B)

An August Ramble Down the Upper Thames, by Reginald Blunt (English Illustrated Magazine, 1890A)

The Warwickshire Avon (Harper's Monthly, 1891A)

A Cruise on the Norfolk Broads, by Anna Bowman Dodd (Century Magazine, 1895B)

Camping Out on the River, and How to Enjoy It, by Arthur H. Shaw (Windsor Magazine, 1898B)

This article looks at permanent and temporary camps set up along the Thames - campsites where all the amenities are maintained and available for visiting campers, including complete kitchens!

From Hampton Court to London, by W. Pett Ridge (Windsor Magazine, 1898B)

A journey by canal.