Water lovely view! Lancaster Canal voted UK's third most scenic waterside setting

Thousands of images of landscapes featuring canals or rivers were uploaded and assessed to identify and investigate what elements create scenes of ‘everyday beauty’.

More than 5,000 images were submitted by members of the public through the Canal & River Trust’s ‘Rate this Scene’ initiative this year.

The six-week study saw more than 15,000 people casting almost a million (843,183) votes to rate the scenic quality the pictures.

Participants are asked to rate canal photos from 1-10 depending on how beautiful they think they are.

The image of Lancaster Canal captures a peaceful, autumnal afternoon at the canal - with the orange and green of the season’s trees reflected in the water.

The overall highest-rated scene captured in this year’s study was a picture taken at Grand Union Canal in Wistow, Leicestershire, which plots a meandering course through rolling hills and unspoilt countryside.

The image features an early summer evening, with a setting sun that casts a warm orange glow between a ceiling of scattered clouds and tree lined fields beneath, all of which is captured in reflections along the canal itself, with reeds framing the canal’s banks and a narrow boat moored on the bend.

The rest of the top ten featured images from: Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal (Wolverhampton), Lancaster Canal (Lancaster), Shropshire Union Canal (Lapley), Mid-Wales Brecon Canal (Powys), Caen Hill on the Kennet & Avon (Devizies), Stainforth and Keadby Canal (Doncaster), Tame Valley Canal (Birmingham), Stratford-upon-Avon Canal (Stratford-upon-Avon) and Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal (Abergavenny).

Heather Clarke, Strategy, Engagement & Impact Director at the Canal & River Trust, said: “This research is fascinating because we are learning more about the scenic quality of the Trust's waterways and how this ‘everyday beauty’ can help make the many visitors to our network happier and healthier.

“Rate this Scene is helping us to identify the underlying contributory factors to beauty on the waterways so that we can better protect and enhance those features across the network.”

The study of canal landscapes aims to further evidence the unique value of the nation’s canal heritage.