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.

This was the second phase of the nationwide study carried out by The Canal & River Trust - the charity that looks after 2,000 miles of canals and rivers across England and Wales - in collaboration with the Data Science Lab at the University of Warwick.

Its objective was to collate real world data to provide scientific insight into the importance of ‘everyday beauty’.

This year’s study brings the total of number of pictures entered up to more than 15,000, with over 28,000 people casting more than 1.6m votes to date.

Using an online game, ‘Rate this Scene’ was developed in partnership with the team at Warwick Business School and Fellows of The Alan Turing Institute. Participants are asked to rate canal photos from 1-10 depending on how beautiful they think they are.

New findings have revealed that some of the most popular scenic elements include trees, reflections on the water and big skies. However, when these features are combined with elements unique to inland waterways including boats, bridges, locks and marginal vegetation, they are deemed even more aesthetically pleasing by members of the public.

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.

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.”

A summer evening sunset on The Grand Union Canal in Wistow, Leicestershire, came out on top, with a scene approaching Whittington Horsebridge along the Staffs + Worcs Canal coming second.