The website run by Nick Atty could turn out to be one of your most used Internet resources.
It is certainly one of the most valuable sites available to boaters planning any length of trip.
Possibly the most comprehensive guide to the UK's inland waterways, it plans journeys, calculates the length (distance, number of locks, time taken etc) of your trip and shows gazetteer information on places along the way (pubs, shops and museums). Canalside events you might pass are listed. Basically it contains more information than you could shake a bargepole at!
Canalplan AC can be found here
Don't be put off by the initial 'busy' look of the site. Read the Info and Help section first.