Waterways

We’re carrying out work to repair the Macclesfield Canal, near Bosley Locks, following a breach in March. As the site is a remote, rural location, contractors have built a 400m-long metal track and created ramps to the canal bed to allow vehicles and machinery to safely gain access and start work. Excavation works to the…

The PolyboatGlobal Challenge is now in its second successful year. Visit the website polyboatglobal.com to discover the variety of voyages you can make with your electric boats. Take your pets and keep a cruise logbook and by April 2026 you may have made a variety of cruises on the inland waterways or the coasts long…

A colourful boat parade will pass through Foxton Locks during a festival celebrating the key role Leicestershire’s waterways played in reviving the canal network 75 years ago. The flotilla of boats will be heading to Union Wharf in Market Harborough, scene of the 1950 Festival of Boats & Arts which was pivotal in the campaign…

Nearly 25,000 people visited the 25th Crick Boat Show, the UK’s largest inland waterways festival. The festival took place at Crick Marina near Daventry, across the Bank Holiday weekend 23-26 May 2025. A focal point of the year The event, which is sponsored by Haven Knox-Johnston, and organised by Waterways World in partnership with us…

We’ve announced the appointment of Ben Cottam as the director for our historic canals spanning Wales & South West of England. Ben will be joining us on 11 August. About Ben Ben joins us from the Federation of Small Businesses where he is currently head of Wales. As Wales largest business membership body, Ben has…

Pirates are poised to jump aboard two Cheshire waterway attractions in June for wild weekends of high seas shenanigans. The events are to take place at Ellesmere Port’s National Waterways Museum (7/8 June) and Anderton Boat Lift, near Northwich (21/22 June). What to expect The Conwy Pirates will swing into action for two thrilling events…

It was full steam ahead for a Victorian extravaganza at Cheshire’s cathedral of the canals in Northwich, which attracted around 3,000 visitors. Steam at the Lift Steam at the Lift 2025, hosted at Anderton Boat Lift & Visitor Centre, saw steam-powered engines, lorries and steam rollers on show, as well as an exhibition of working…

The Canal & River Trust is today (15 May 2025) announcing the appointment of Campbell Robb as its new chief executive. Campbell will be joining the charity on 6 October, after six years leading the social justice charity Nacro as its chief executive. Canal & River Trust is the UK’s largest canal charity, caring for…

Britain’s inland waterways are under threat. Adequate investment is needed for failing infrastructure and to safeguard the future of the 5,000-mile network. A wake-up call Government received a wake-up call today from waterways campaigning group, Fund Britain’s Waterways, as it takes its message to Westminster. A flotilla of boats today stopped by the Palace of…

We’ve commenced a heritage survey of the nation’s canal network, starting in the North West with the 127-mile-long Leeds & Liverpool Canal. The project will chart how our canals, and the wider canal corridor, have changed over the past 30 years by updating and augmenting a joint British Waterways and Historic England survey of canals…