This is the story of how a computer consultant threw off the weary chains of work and got on his bike when threatened with high blood pressure. His journeys took him round the canals of northern England, first on the three routes across the Pennine Hills, then further afield to Scotland. He slogs his way round hundreds of miles of canals, passing through many major towns and cities including Manchester, Leeds, Bradford, Liverpool, Sheffield, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Off the bike and on foot the author also visits the Oxord and the Kennet and Avon Canals, and waterways in the Birmingham area, before venturing abroad. He also gets on a narrow boat for a calamitous trip up the Shropshire Union and Llangollen Canals. This edition is illustrated with 46 maps and photographs and includes a history of each canal in the sequence. The author selects his Top Ten Sights of the northern canals. The book concludes with a list of recommended canal sites across the country.