The Grand Union Canal near Cowley
Introduction
The photograph on this page of The Grand Union Canal near Cowley by Marathon as part of the Geograph project.
The Geograph project started in 2005 with the aim of publishing, organising and preserving representative images for every square kilometre of Great Britain, Ireland and the Isle of Man.
There are currently over 7.5m images from over 14,400 individuals and you can help contribute to the project by visiting https://www.geograph.org.uk
Image: © Marathon Taken: 24 Oct 2018
This section of the Grand Union Canal from the River Thames at Brentford was opened in 1794. It was the first section of what was originally called the Grand Junction Canal. Its purpose was to provide a new, shorter and quicker transport route between London and Birmingham by connecting with a network of canals at Braunston near Daventry. When the canal reached Braunston in 1805 it cut 60 miles off the shortest alternative route. To the east of West Drayton the canal follows the Great Western Main Line but then the canal swings away to the north-west as it heads up to Uxbridge. This is just south of Packet Boat Lane