Top News
K&A pill boxes converted to bat roosts
Volunteers for the Canal & River Trust have begun a program to turn the Kennet & Avon Canal’s World War II pillboxes into bat roosts.
Two, at Garston Lock near Reading and Hamstead Lock near Newbury, have now been converted by volunteers, with funding from Historic England and the People’s Postcode Lottery.
Vegetation has been cleared, some of the slits have been covered up, bat boxes fitted inside and vandal-proof doors fitted. The work included heritage training, so any future conversions should be quicker and cheaper. Interpretation panels have also…
09 March 2026
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Inland craft share in National Historic Ships grant
Two inland vessels are among 12 recipents sharing a total of £9,100 this year in the Small Grants Scheme from National Historic Ships.
The charity…
09 March 2026
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Obituary: Ken Warriner
Founder of Fernwood Craft and influential consultant to Finesse Boats
Ken Warriner, who with his wife, Julia, founded narrowboat builder Fernwood Craft, has died suddenly…
18 February 2026
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Major chandlery group closes shops, moves to online delivery
LKQ, the big motor industry distributor that now owns Midland Chandlers, is closing its three showroom-style shops and moving to a delivery-only model.
Customers will…
13 February 2026
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CRT responds to Boat Licensing Commission proposals
…
12 February 2026
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British Marine takes training online
British Marine has announced a digital training platform for the leisure marine industry.
Called the British Marine Training Academy (BM Academy for short), it has…
11 February 2026
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GU arm reopens after seven-month closure
The Aylesbury Arm of the Grand Union Canal finally reopened in late January, a full seven months after it closed due to last year’s drought.…
08 February 2026
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Ex-chair of CRT is new English Heritage chair
Tony Hales CBE has been appointed the new chair of English Heritage.
Tony had been appointed British Waterways chair in 2005, seeing its transition through…
08 February 2026
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Oxford Canal apprentice is first qualified Heritage Marine Engineer
An apprentice at Banbury’s historic Tooley’s Boatyard has gained a brand-new certificate in inland waterways marine skills.
Jacob Beak, who works at Tooley’s Boatyard in…
08 February 2026
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Long summer stoppage for Staffs & Worcs
Little noticed in the drama of the Llangollen breach was a collapse of a bywash culvert on the Staffs & Worcs Canal at Penkridge on…
08 February 2026
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All boats out of the breach
After three weeks when little seemed to be visibly happening at the site of the Llangollen Canal breach, all three of the boats embedded in…
27 January 2026
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