Planning your journey on Google Maps




Worcester and Birmingham Canal

30 miles, and 58 locks, including the 30-lock Tardebigge flight.

Using My Maps at Google you can create a detailed route for your narrowboat vacation, although I must warn you there is a very great danger of being sucked down into a bottomless hole of nitpicking detail. You can create a map that includes so much information that it’s impossible to grasp the big picture of your trip. Nevertheless when you’re planning a trip, a map like this is a great help. Unfortunately unless you have a smartphone, tablet or laptop with a cellular connection, you won’t be able to view a Google map you’ve created. You can, however, download a regular Google map to your phone or tablet that works even without a connection. Unfortunately you can’t download your own map.

The map above is based on information derived from the Canal & River Trust, both from the See Our Network link and also from a downloaded guide to the Worcester and Birmingham Canal. I’ve also included some street views so you can see moorings and locks and marinas.

I’ve very tediously outlined the canal because it can be difficult to follow the route otherwise. Of course, now that I’ve done all this work already, you don’t have to. You can copy a link to this map or embed into your own website or on some social sharing website. Of course if you embed this map, any changes I make to it will be reflected wherever you’ve used it.

Alternatively, you can make a copy of the map for yourself and then make changes to your copy.