Waterways

The Restoring the Soar project is looking to recruit a local champion to play a leading role in giving people in Leicester a say in how the River Soar can be improved for people and wildlife. The project, which is a partnership Leicester City Council and Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust, is looking to recruit…

Over the past 30 years there have been significant changes in the use of our 2,000-mile canal network in the UK. Today, we have established a new Commission to review the legal framework around boat licensing, to explore whether it is appropriate for the network’s future. The Commission The Commission will start its review in…

New research reveals that 87% of people who took a quintessentially British holiday on the nation’s historic navigable canals and rivers would definitely recommend it to others. Attracting domestic and overseas holiday makers from all over the globe, an impressive 92% felt their holiday was value for money and overall satisfaction with the experience was…

We will carry out a routine inspection of Sutton Weaver Swing Bridge later this week. We will conduct the scheduled principal inspection on Thursday, 12 December, weather permitting. The inspection Engineers will use a specialist drone to help complete the checks which will remove the need for work platforms or an overnight road closure. They…

Lift off for a special year of exciting celebrations in 2025 to mark the 150th anniversary of Anderton Boat Lift, the world’s first major commercial boat lift, Cheshire’s Cathedral of Canals in Northwich. Family visiting Andeton Boat Lift Raising the roof Raising the roof at this unique Scheduled Monument, we will be transporting visitors back…

The communities within the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct UNESCO World Heritage Site were celebrated at a festival of art, performance and culture on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 November. The special event was part of a year-long community art placemaking project that has been exploring the vibrant cultural heritage of Trevor, Froncysyllte, Cefn Mawr and Chirk. The…

Some updates to London prebookable moorings have been announced. New, chargeable overnight moorings were introduced at five locations earlier this year on the capital’s most popular stretches of canal, allowing boaters to guarantee somewhere to stop for the night in Central London. These include iconic locations such as Little Venice, which was named one of…

Electric boats are as silent as ballerinas and ice skaters, and so they can dance to the music. Each year, for the E-Regatta held during the Venice International Boat Show, one discipline is called the E-Ballerina where each contestant choose a piece of music and dances in circles and figures of eight. Take a look…

We’ve announced an increase of 4% in boat licence fees from 1 April 2025 for both private boat owners and boating businesses. The rise is based on the latest Bank of England forecasts that inflation will remain at around 2.5% through until April 2025. The charges Surcharges for boats without a home mooring and wide…

We’ve completed a six-week dredging programme on the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal to improve the navigation for boaters. Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal dredging Taking place between 23 September and 5 November, the work saw in the region of 300 tons of sediment removed from four different locations along the canal. The work The dredging has…