History of Canals in London from the London Canal Museum

London Canal Museum is located in the heart of Kings Cross in London and covers the history of canals in the area as well as telling the story of ice and ice houses. The web site is crammed full of canal related links including this online history of London's key man-made waterways, which includes a short overview of the history of UK canals.  

http://www.canalmuseum.org.uk/history/index.html