Canal reference codes

A (hopefully) comprehensive listing

Last update 26 May 2021

Additional information is always gratefully received, whether entirely new records (particularly historical records) or information to fill in gaps or correct errors, via the contact link under the Miscellaneous entry in the navigation bar above. Thank you.

Please select a starting letter from the links below:

This listing gives the British Waterways/Canal & River Trust equivalent to the ELR system. Information is derived from records quoting codes in use and there are thus some gaps for which translations are unknown (the codes themselves are known). There are also canals for which the code is not known. In both cases, further information would be welcome.

Code Canal Branch (if applicable)
AI River Aire
AL Aire & Calder Navigation Aire & Calder Main Line
AN Ashton Canal
AS Ashby Canal
AW Aire & Calder Navigation Wakefield Branch
BA Birmingham Canal Navigation (Wyrley & Essington Canal) Anglesey Branch
BB Bow Back Rivers not confirmed
BC Birmingham Canal Navigation New Main Line
BE Birmingham Canal Navigation Netherton Tunnel Branch
BF Birmingham Canal Navigation (Birmingham & Fazeley Canal)
BG Birmingham Canal Navigation Gower Branch
BI Birmingham Canal Navigation Icknield Port Loop
BJ Birmingham Canal Navigation (Wednesbury Old Canal) Ridgacre Branch
BK Birmingham Canal Navigation (Dudley Canal) Dudley No 2 Canal
BO Birmingham Canal Navigation Oozells Street Loop
BP Birmingham Canal Navigation (Dudley Canal) Dudley No 1 Canal
BR Birmingham Canal Navigation (Wednesbury Old Canal)
BS Birmingham Canal Navigation Soho Loop
BT Bridgwater & Taunton Canal
CA Calder & Hebble Navigation
CB Calder & Hebble Navigation Dewsbury Arm
CC Coventry Canal
CD Caledonian Canal
CH Chesterfield Canal
CI Crinan Canal not confirmed
CL Caldon Canal
CM Cromford Canal
CR
CX
DE Birmingham Canal Navigation (Wyrley & Essington Canal) Daw End Canal
ER Erewash Canal
FC Forth & Clyde Canal
FG Forth & Clyde Glasgow spur
FK Stainforth & Keadby Canal
FO Foss Dyke not confirmed
FT Sheffield & Tinsley Canal
GA Grand Union Canal Aylesbury Arm
GB Birmingham & Warwick Junction Canal
GF
GG Grand Union Canal Slough Arm
GH Grand Union Canal Market Harborough Arm
GL Grand Union Canal Leicester Line
GN Grand Union Canal Northampton Arm
GP Grand Union Canal Paddington Arm
GR Grantham Canal
GS Gloucester & Sharpness Canal
GU Grand Union Canal
GV Grand Union Canal Wendover Arm
HB Huddersfield Broad Canal
HN Huddersfield Narrow Canal
HT Hatherton Canal
HU Hertford Union Canal
KA Kennet & Avon Canal
LA Llangollen Canal
LB Limehouse Basin
LC Lancaster Canal
LE Leeds & Liverpool Canal Leigh Branch
LG Lancaster Canal Glasson Branch
LI
LL Leeds & Liverpool Canal
LN Lee Navigation
LO
LR Leeds & Liverpool Canal Rufford Branch
LS
LT
MA Macclesfield Canal
MB Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal
MC Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal
MD Middle Dock
ME Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal Bolton Arm
MG Montgomery Canal
MI Millwall Inner Dock
MO
MW Millwall Dock
NJ New Junction Canal
OB
OG Boddington Reservior Canal Feeder - inflow
ON Boddington Reservior Canal Feeder - outflow
OS
OX Oxford Canal
PB Peak Forest Canal Bugsworth Arm
PF Peak Forest Canal
PO Pocklington Canal
RC Birmingham Canal Navigation (Rushall Canal)
RD Rochdale Canal
RE Regent's Canal
RI Ripon Canal not confirmed
RL Ribble Link not confirmed
RO River Ouse not confirmed
RS River Severn Navigation
RT River Trent not confirmed River Stort? not confirmed
RU Ure Navigation
SA Swansea Canal
SD South Dock
SE Selby Canal
SG
SH Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigations
SJ Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigations (New Junction Canal) not confirmed
SM Shropshire Union Canal Middlewich Branch
SN North Stratford Canal
SO River Soar
SP
SR
SS South Stratford Canal
ST Stourbridge Canal
SU Shropshire Union Canal
SW Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal
SY
TC
TD Birmingham Canal Navigation (Titford Canal) not confirmed
TE
TK
TM Trent & Mersey Canal
TN Tees Navigation not confirmed
TV Tame Valley Canal not confirmed
UN Union Canal not confirmed
UT
WA Birmingham Canal Navigation (Walsall Canal) Anson Branch
WB Worcester & Birmingham Canal
WE Birmingham Canal Navigation (Wyrley & Essington Canal)
WG
WH
WI River Witham
WK Waterworks River
WN Weaver Navigation
WO Birmingham Canal Navigation (Walsall Canal) Ocker Hill Tunnel Branch
WR Birmingham Canal Navigation (Dudley Canal) Dudley Tunnel Branch
WS Birmingham Canal Navigation (Walsall Canal)
WV Birmingham Canal Navigation Old Main Line
WW Birmingham Canal Navigation Bradley Arm
WX Birmingham Canal Navigation (Wyrley & Essington Canal) Cannock Extension Canal
WZ Birmingham Canal Navigation (Birmingham & Fazeley Canal) Digbeth Branch

Canals without known codes