Waterways

We’re carrying out major repair works on two sections of the Oxford Canal to protect the historic waterway, prevent water loss and ensure the canal and towpath remain safe for everyone. Canal bank works near Napton Locks The works In Warwickshire, near Napton Locks, we’re strengthening a stretch of canal bank where sheet piling installed…

We’ve expanded our volunteering with over three quarter of a million hours donated in 2025/26. We’re today celebrating a record 12 months for volunteering across its 2,000-mile network of waterways in England and Wales. In the year up to the end of April, 8,043 volunteers supported us, up from almost 5,500 volunteers the year before. …

We’ve reached a milestone in the construction of a multi‑million‑pound scheme to upgrade Slaithwaite Reservoir. A major phase of the upgrade Construction of the new spillway marks the first major phase of the upgrade. The spillway acts as the reservoir’s overflow channel, safely releasing excess water when levels are high. The new, modern spillway will…

We’re announcing the biggest change in lock gate manufacture since moving from steam to electric machines. We’re investing in new technology at our lock gate workshop in the West Midlands that will allow us to increase production of lock gates to keep up with the demand for replacement gates across our 2,000-mile canal network. The…

We’ve completed a programme of major maintenance and preservation works on Cheshire’s waterways to help keep the county’s historic canal network navigable and safe. Lock gates have been replaced at several locks on the Llangollen Canal, Shropshire Union Canal and Trent & Mersey Canal, as part of a £1.2m programme of repairs and restoration across…

We’ve recently completed a programme of maintenance and improvements across several canals in the Black Country to get them primed and ready for the start of the busier summer boating season. With around 110 miles of canals, all dating back more than 200 years, the Black Country boasts one of the UK’s most historic waterway…

The Crick Boat Show, sponsored by Haven Knox-Johnston and held across the late May Bank holiday weekend at Crick Marina, near Daventry in Northamptonshire, offers a fantastic family day out by the water. Organised by Waterways World in partnership with us and Crick Waterside & Marina, Crick Boat Show is the UK’s biggest inland waterways…

We’re currently carrying out major repair works at the historic Ellesmere Yard in Shropshire, helping to protect this important canal site for future generations. Ellesmere Yard, on the Llangollen Canal in Shropshire. Image credit Ian P Roberts The repairs are being funded by a £113,000 grant from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, a government programme…

We’ve completed a programme of winter conservation and repairs to keep the historic Kennet & Avon Canal navigable for boaters and for the benefit of local communities and visitors along its 87-mile length. Maintenance work on the Kennet & Avon Canal Linking the River Thames with the Bristol Channel, the Kennet & Avon Canal is…

We’re carrying out dredging on the Ashby Canal as part of a series of improvements to help keep boats moving on the centuries-old waterway. The dredging, starting in early March and lasting for around nine weeks, will see us invest over £400,000 in removing around 4,600 cubic metres of sediment from the bed of the…