Waterways

Boats can return to cruising the seven-mile length of the Leigh Branch of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal in Wigan as it reopens following a large water main burst in August. United Utilities burst water main repairs on Leigh Branch Our engineers worked closely with United Utilities, who owns the water main, to carry out…

The report of the independent Commission set up to review the legal framework around boat licensing has been welcomed by our Board, which thanks the Commissioners and endorses the report’s analysis The review The report concluded that boat licensing needs reform to reflect the current and future use of the waterways and noted the considerable…

We’re today announcing an increase in boat licence fees for both private boat owners and boating businesses of 4.85% from 1 April 2026. The rise is based on Bank of England forecasts that inflation will remain at around 3.8% through until April 2026. Surcharges for boats without a home mooring and wide beam boats, introduced from…

Our report shines a light on how the nation’s former industrial canal network is one of its greatest, yet under-recognised, assets for wildlife and for connecting people with nature. The UK faces an unprecedented convergence of crises: a decline in biodiversity, people losing their connection to nature, and widening wellbeing inequalities. The Vital Connector for Nature…

We’re celebrating the outstanding contribution of volunteers as it completes its annual volunteer awards. The awards, made with the Marsh Charitable Trust, recognise teams and individuals across our 250-year-old navigable network. A great success story Volunteering has been one of our great success stories since our formation in 2012, with around 5,500 people now regularly…

Canal & River Trust, the charity charged with the care of 2,000 miles of canals in England and Wales, is set to deliver a wide-ranging programme of major maintenance and preservation projects to help keep the nation’s historic canal network navigable, open and alive. It is a vast, multi-million-pound endeavour to upkeep the nation’s 250-year-old…

Aqua superPower today announced the unveiling of the world’s first battery-backed DC charger in a marine environment at Fowey Harbour. This pioneering solution, delivered as part of The Electric Seaway (TES) project, now makes fast DC charging for electric boats possible even in areas with limited grid connections—unlocking sustainable voyages along Cornwall’s iconic coastline. The…

Navigating the Woods’​ Silver Fleet into the 21st century and once again pushing the boundaries of events and shipbuilding on the Thames, siblings Tom Woods, Kate Woods and William Woods have set a new standard in London sightseeing. Constructed by superyacht specialists Pendennis Shipyard. The Silver Raven is built with incredible attention to detail and…

Nothing to do with Barbie, for the past ten years they have been calling it “Pink October” where people around the world adopt the pink colour and display pink ribbons everwhere to raise awareness about the importance of prevention and routine screening for the early diagnosis of breast cancer. polyboatglabal.com has found a number of…

We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Prunella Scales who was a much-loved supporter of our canals and a familiar face to so many people along our canal and river network. Prunella had a great enthusiasm for boating. She explored Britian’s canals and rivers with wit and warmth, along with her late…