Berkhamsted 'penis' map may be a cock-up but things are looking up for 'innocent' tourist campaign

A map produced to attract tourists has turned a town into a laughing stock - because some believe it looks like a penis.

The diagram, commissioned by the Canal and River Trust, shows off the pubs and local landmarks along the banks of the Grand Union Canal that runs through  Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire.

But as soon as it was published, dirty-minded locals noticed its striking resemblance to an outline of male genitalia.

The image has now been posted to the council's Facebook page, where one eagle-eyed local said: ‘It looks like a willy. Tee hee.’

Another added: ‘Come to Berkhamsted. You can visit our nob-shaped canal, or take a day trip to Cock Grove.’

Cock Grove is a small forest on the outskirts of the town.

Other web users have been tittering because of the text written on the map, which the Trust proudly boast is being ‘one of our hidden gems.’

Simon Salem, of the Canal and River Trust, said they had not noticed the shape of the map.

He said: ‘It does look, as the poster on Facebook says, like a willy. We didn't notice it.

‘Somebody should have seen it, I agree.

‘You could accuse of us of being a bit naive but canals are long, straight things, and when you draw a map it tends to be that sort of shape.’

‘If it gets at least one more person down to the canal then it has worked.’

The map was produced by the waterways charity as part of a scheme to promote more than 100 different family-friendly locations across the country, where visitors can enjoy the local scenery and activities.

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Canal and River Trust spokesperson Jonathan Ludford said: ‘There's a really thriving community along the canal in Berkhamsted.

‘The map, and the businesses we chose to include on the map, is a wonderful endorsement to the local community.

‘If we were building the canal again, would we make it look like a penis? No.

‘But do we mind if people come to the conclusion that the map looks like a penis? Not at all.

‘It was produced in good faith, and is meant to increase interest in the area.’

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The Trust is funded partially by charitable donations, and also by river licences and other methods.

Jonathan added: ‘We have a small marketing budget, but we would never charge businesses to feature on one of our maps.’

Mark Granger, manager of The Rising Sun Freehouse, which is featured on the map, added: ‘We don't feel shafted by the map at all. Absolutely not at all.

‘It's just by pure chance that the map looks like a penis.

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‘Nobody should take offence to the map - it looks like whatever you want it to look like, and to me it looks like a fun day out.’

Waitrose, whose Berkhamsted store features prominently in the 'scrotum' of the map, have declined to comment.

The canal flowing through the centre of the map has given some people the impression that Berkhamsted is urinating on their down-river neighbours Hemel Hempstead.

Hemel is less than six miles along the Great Union Canal from Berkhamsted, and the comical map even includes a handy arrow.