RIVERS AND CANALS have shaped the Manchester conurbation over the centuries, but on maps, they're often obscured by highways and other features - that's why I've highlighted them here.

The earliest settlements were built next to rivers. During the Industrial Revolution, cotton mills used river water for power. In the 18th century, canals were built to transport goods. Soon, factories, mills and warehouses sprang up along their banks. The Manchester Ship Canal was opened in 1894, but had a useful life as a major shipping artery of only 8 decades.

HERE'S MY RUNDOWN OF THE RIVERS AND CANALS OF GREATER MANCHESTER. The Croal flows through Bolton. It joins the Irwell near Kearsley, to the north west of Manchester. The Irwell flows down from Rawtenstall, and Ramsbottom through Bury. The Roch flows through Rochdale - hence the name - and joins the Irwell near Radcliffe.

From Kearsley, the now strengthened Irwell flows south east towards Salford, where it does one large meander, then a small one. Close to Strangeways, a sharp "elbow" of the Irwell was "straightened out" and the banks fortified in the 1950's. In front of Victoria Station, the Irwell is joined by the River Irk - hardly a picturesque name, but at one time the valley of the Irk was very beautiful - so I'm told! The Irk rises at a point east of Royton indicated on the A-Z as "source of the River Irk", and flows down through Middleton, Blackley and Collyhurst.

The Irwell now continues south west, dividing Manchester from Salford. It's crossed by a number of bridges, including Blackfriars Bridge (right) and the footbridge designed by Calatrava. Near Castlefield, the Irwell flows into the Ship Canal. Pre-Ship Canal, the Irwell continued to meet the Mersey further downstream. Now the Mersey also flows into the Ship Canal at a weir near Irlam. The old Mersey river course survives, flowing through Warrington, past Widnes and into the Mersey estuary. The Ship Canal proceeds roughly parallel to the Mersey, and meets the sea at the Wirral.

Two more important rivers rise to the north east of Oldham. The Medlock flows south west passing north of Ashton and south of Failsworth. Close to the city centre, it starts to meander, and disappears under a number of culverts, some of which pass underneath UMIST, but it's clearly visible behind the Palace Hotel and from Oxford Road. At Castlefield, it flows into the Bridgewater Canal.

The Tame also originates in the hills above Shaw and flows down the eastern side of the conurbation, through a number of spectacular valleys. At Stockport it meets the Goyt and becomes the Mersey. The Goyt flows north east from New Mills in Derbyshire though some beautiful landscape. It's joined near Romiley by the Etherow, which flows down from the "spooky" Longdendale Valley, and gives its name to Etherow Country Park.

The Mersey is perhaps one of the most famous river names in the world, but is normally associated with the city at its estuary - Liverpool, rather than the town at its beginning - Stockport. It proceeds in a long wide meandering path through Stockport, near my childhood home district of Cheadle Heath, and across south Manchester and Trafford, joining the Ship Canal west of Flixton. It used to burst its banks regularly, but "levees" or river bank fortifications, were built in the 50's. The water still rises quite high, as can be seen in the picture below.

The southernmost River in the area covered by the map is the Bollin, rising near the town which takes its name, Bolllington. Near Styal it's joined by the Dean and then flows under the Second Runway, along by Hale, past Dunham Massey. It joins the Ship Canal a few miles down from the Mersey

The main canals are the Duke of Bridgewater's Canal, linking Worsley, Castlefield, Altrincham and the sea at Runcorn. In Manchester city centre, a newly reopened arm of the canal leads to the Bridgewater Hall. After passing under Oxford Road, along by Canal Street, under the Malmaison Hotel and under London Road, it splits in two, forming the Rochdale Canal and the Ashton Canal. The Rochdale Canal goes, not surprisingly to Rochdale, via Failsworth. The other arm goes to Ashton and on to Huddersfield. From Ashton a branch goes off down via Hyde to Marple where it splits into the Peak Forest and Macclesfield canals.

Not all the canals are in good condition - the Manchester, Bolton and Bury canal is in a terrible state, and may never be restored. Others such as the one from Gorton to north Stockport, have been filled in.

As for lakes, Hollingworth Lake north east of Rochdale has been a favourite with day-trippers since the last century. Other stretches of water include the many reservoirs in the hills to the north and east of Manchester, as well as municipal reservoirs at Audenshaw and Heaton Park (both inaccessible). The older Gorton upper and lower reservoirs are now used for watersports. Manchester's water comes via aqueducts from Haweswater and Thirlmere in the Lake District, and is very good indeed - far more drinkable than London water!

There are man-made lakes at Chorlton and Sale Water Parks and at Clifton Country Park, where the earth was dug out to build the nearby motorway embankment and bridge across the Irwell Valley. Daisy Nook Country Park has a string of man-made ponds once used by canal boats. Rostherne Mere is a nature reserve, Tatton is used for watersports and if you can brave the cold, swimming. Reedsmere, Poynton Lake, and Lindow, near Wilmslow, are just three of Cheshire's many enchanting lakes or "meres".

So although Manchester is 35 miles from the sea, the "floating world" is all around. Any comments, or favourite rivers, canals or lakes to report? Please contact!

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