Table of Contents

Part 1: an introduction to the canals; to Banbury Cross; the boatbuilders; fitting out; the people of the boats; bells and beer; four houses; the Upper Avon. Part 2: Banbury to Braunston; the Grand Union Canal; the "Leicester cut"; interlude at Market Harborough; Leicester; Cossington and Barrow-on-Soar; the bellfounders; down to the Trent; singing shardlow and storm at Findern; the brewers; Horninglow to Haywood; Yockerton Hall; Trentham and the potteries; industrial landscape; Harecastle tunnels; the Vale Royal; Church Minshull. Part 3: Nantwich; into Shropshire; "dirty fair"; Cheswardine Wharf; Norbury, Newport and "cut end"; the Stour cut; Lichfield and the Coventry Canal; the Oxford Canal again; frost; spring at Hampton Gay.