What do the waterways mean to you? That's a question being asked in a campaign by the Inland Waterways Association. The IWA says there are about 5000 miles of navigable waterways in the UK, and there must be 5000 reasons why they should be preserved. In this episode, we hear from Tiffany Gale-Haynes tells us about an epic cycle ride she completed from Oxfordshire to Manchester, during which she spoke to dozens of people about why the waterways are special to them. And Charlie Norman from the IWA talks about the challenges facing the network, including funding shortages, water shortages, and climate change -- and what can be done to address them.

The Water Road is produced and presented by Adam Porter.

If you're enjoying the series, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi.

Being a lock keeper on the River Thames must be one of the best jobs out there -- but there's more to it than meets the eye. In this episode of The Water Road, the man who looks after Abingdon Lock tells us about what his job entails, how he ensures boats get through as efficiently as possible, and how he's responsible for controlling the water level on his part of the river. Plus we find out about the pygmy goats which live in the lock cottage garden, and hear from a man who's just retired from a 40 year career on the River Thames.

The Water Road is produced and presented by Adam Porter.

If you're enjoying the series, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi.

In this episode we visit the workshop of Will Howard, a builder and restorer of traditional Thames wooden boats. We're talking skiffs, dinghies, and canoes, and find out how much work it takes to restore boats which can date back to 1900.

The Water Road is produced and presented by Adam Porter.

To see what Will's boats look like, check out his website -- or look him up on Instagram where he's @w.howardboatbuilder