22nd April 2022
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News
22nd April 2022
Freight barges return to Yorkshire route
23rd December 2021
Braunston Marina is feeling festive!
The festive season has arrived at Braunston Marina with the appearance of the Santa decoration on entrance bridge.
22nd December 2021
Fire-damaged lock keepers cottage on Oxford Canal up for sale!
A fire-damaged lock keeper's cottage which overlooks the beautiful countryside of the River Cherwell Valley near Twyford Wharf and Banbury is up for sale.
Waterways
26th January 2022
Cruise guide: Peak Forest and Ashton canals
A 20-mile cruise on the narrow Peak Forest and Ashton canals will take you from the centre of Manchester to the fringes of the Peak District.
13th January 2022
10 of the best pubs along: Severn and Gloucester & Sharpness canal
Our canal boater's inside guide to 10 of the best waterside pubs to be found along the River Severn and the Gloucester & Sharpness canal.
7th January 2022
Heritage spotter: the Purton Hulks
From the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal towpath, a footpath leads to a ships’ graveyard; Martin Ludgate explains the history of the fascinating Purton Hulks.
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Boats
3rd October 2021
Narrowboat Living: Space-Saving Solutions
Do you "liveaboard"? Is your canal boat cluttered? Are you running out of space to store your belongings? Find space-saving solutions for narrowboats here!
9th September 2021
4 Interior Design Ideas for Your Narrowboat
Looking to transform the interior design of your narrowboat? We've got 4 great canal boat interior design ideas to modernise your floating home decor.
24th August 2021
Stormin’ Norman: singlehandedly navigating the waterways, aged 86
After losing his wife, Norman Woolley taught himself to navigate the waterways singlehandedly, and at age 86, is planning even more trips in 2022.
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Canal Network
21st April 2022
Cruise guide to the Macclesfield Canal
7th January 2022
Cruise guide: the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal
Our canal boater's cruise guide to the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal takes you from Gloucester Docks, with their interesting history, down to Sharpness Docks.
5th January 2022
Cruise guide: the River Severn
A guide to navigating the quiet, often wooded River Severn by narrowboat, travelling downstream from Stourport to Gloucester.
Boat tests
6th August 2021
Winifred: a 1980s hire boat refit with reclaimed wood
Explore Winifred - a retired 1980s hireboat with stunning traditional narrowboat refit using reclaimed wood and materials
7th July 2021
Boat test: ‘Whitsuntide No2’ hybrid 52ft canal boat by Trinity Boats
The Whitsuntide No.2 is a fitting tribute to the craftsmen of Trinity Boats who made sure this newbuild hybrid narrow boat had a home to go to...
27th February 2020
Boat test: Korea move pays off
Having led the construction and UK delivery of four hybrid tankers from the Far East, former Royal Fleet Auxiliary crewman shows how experience can be invaluable
6th December 2018
Boat test: the gentle giant
Propelled an electric motor powered by a huge array of solar panels, this style-packed 70-footer shows how technology is marching on
25th April 2018
Boat Test: bespoke boat from JD Narrowboats
A bespoke boat means you can really tailor your design to fit your dreams. And if that means an extended cabin and a gigantic bed, JD Narrowboats are happy to oblige
24th April 2018
The Boat Test: Specs appeal
Why wait years for a bespoke build? Adam braves the last blast of winter to test a top notch spec boat that is ready to go
Restoration
13th December 2021
The Wilts & Berks Canal restoration: 15 years on
In the 15 years since our last full review of one of the Wilts & Berks Canal, things have begun to get more connected on this tricky waterway restoration...
8th July 2021
Canal heritage spotter: turf-sided locks
What are turf-sided locks? Where can they be spotted on UK canals? Martin Ludgate seeks out some survivors.
14th June 2021
Linking Lichfield: the Lichfield Canal restoration
After 30 years of restoration driven more by opportunity and necessity than logic, things are starting to come together on the Lichfield Canal restoration
8th June 2021
Restoring & reopening the Wendover Arm of Grand Union Canal
On the face of it, reopening the abandoned Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal might look like not too difficult a job, yet after 30 years of work by Wendover Arm Trust and its…
9th July 2019
Restoration on the Cromford Canal
An East Midlands canal restoration scheme looks set to take an important step forward, with plans to reopen a short length connected to the national navigable network
5th June 2018
The £23m Cotswold Canals restoration programme
All being well, boats will be cruising the first ten miles of the Cotswold Canals in the not too distant future. We look at the background to the £23m restoration programme, and the work to…
Maintenance
3rd February 2021
Q&A: Fitting a stove flue in a wooden-structure canal boat
Our narrow boat has a wooden structure; can I still fit a stove in a wooden structure and is there a roof collar available for a 5” flue?
3rd February 2021
Q&A: Gas versus diesel central heating for canal boats
Our resident expert advises a liveaboard on the merits of gas versus diesel central heating systems for canal boats
31st October 2017
Heating your narrowboat efficiently and comfortably
A big consideration for boat owners is heating method. Simon Sharp from Funky Heat offers some invaluable advice on a new alternative
19th January 2017
Maintenance: why you should check the whole hull when blacking
Save yourself time, money and problems later on by checking the whole hull when you hook your boat out of the water for blacking
19th December 2016
How to make sure your narrowboat is heating up properly
Heating a boat can be notoriously tricky, but get the plumbing right and it’s a lot simpler
6th September 2016
Maintenance: catching corrosion
Discovering you have a hole in the hull is bad enough, but when you find the true extent of the problem is worse than expected it can turn out to be expensive
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Holidays
29th July 2021
5 stunning narrowboat holiday routes in the UK
Explore 5 of the most picturesque waterways routes in the UK this summer - there's never been a better time to take a holiday in your narrowboat
7th May 2021
Best pubs on: the Grand Union Canal, between Birmingham & Napton
A guide to the canalside pubs you will encounter if you follow our recent cruise guide - Grand Union Canal, Birmingham to Napton
29th April 2021
Cruise Guide | Grand Union Canal, Part 1 | Birmingham to Napton
Part 1 of our cruise guide to the Grand Union Canal begins in Birmingham, taking us past varied scenery & canalside pubs to Napton Junction.
27th July 2018
Cruise Guide: Warwickshire Avon
We follow 37 miles of the River Avon as it flows down from Warwickshire into Worcestershire, passing Mediaeval abbeys and bridges, glorious countryside, and historic Stratford-upon-Avon
1st November 2017
Cruise Guide: Peak Forest and Ashton canals
One end is in rural Derbyshire, the other in the heart of Manchester, but both canals form a vital link in the Cheshire Ring - and some attractive cruising too
11th July 2017
Cruise Guide: Lee and Stort navigations
Two short but interesting river navigations connect the Thames and Regents Canal via London’s Olympic venues to the attractive countryside of North Essex and Hertfordshire
29th July 2021
5 stunning narrowboat holiday routes in the UK
Explore 5 of the most picturesque waterways routes in the UK this summer - there's never been a better time to take a holiday in your narrowboat
7th May 2021
Best pubs on: the Grand Union Canal, between Birmingham & Napton
A guide to the canalside pubs you will encounter if you follow our recent cruise guide - Grand Union Canal, Birmingham to Napton
29th April 2021
Cruise Guide | Grand Union Canal, Part 1 | Birmingham to Napton
Part 1 of our cruise guide to the Grand Union Canal begins in Birmingham, taking us past varied scenery & canalside pubs to Napton Junction.
