Top News
Another consultation on boat licensing
The Canal & River Trust is promising a final public consultation on boat licensing, from December 2026 through to February 2027.
This follows a report published earlier this year from the independent commission, appointed in 2025, to recommend a wholesale revision on licensing.
The consultation will address boat safety, social support for boaters, navigation requirements, fair sharing of waterway space, licence fees, and how CRT's network can be managed in the future.
The trust says it wants to clarify and modernise the whole system, which dates back to the British…
31 July 2026
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New owner for Oxford wharf
The long-fought-over Jericho Wharf, on the Oxford Canal, finally has a new owner.
Oxford University's Worcester College, whose land is adjacent to the old boatyard,…
05 August 2026
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CRT backtracks on restoration demands
The Canal & River Trust has revised its Restoration Delivery Plan, following severe criticism by many societies working on the restoration routes it still controls.…
05 August 2026
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Restoration society calls for regional water strategy
With England and Wales enduring an unprecedented run of droughts, the Buckingham Canal Society has called on the government and water companies to integrate not…
05 August 2026
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New barge and narrowboat moorings for Thames marina
One of the largest moorings on the River Thames, Penton Hook Marina near Staines-on-Thames, has become more welcoming to barges and narrowboats, with 18 new…
31 July 2026
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Government sounds out weddings aboard trip-boats
Weddings could soon be permitted aboard cruising boats, following the launch of a government consultation on the concept.
Until now all weddings in England and…
16 July 2026
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Obituary: Hugh McKnight
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15 July 2026
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Call for rethink on Exeter Ship Canal bridges
Supporters of the Exeter Ship Canal have criticised a proposal by Devon County Council to replace the familiar swing-/lift-bridge pair on the canal, without taking…
07 July 2026
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Gate deterioration cause closure of lock flights
Two key Canal & River Trust lock flights closed indefinitely in June after gate deteriorations caused concern.
On the BCN’s Walsall Town lock flight, a…
02 July 2026
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National Boat Count shows boat numbers down
Boat numbers on Canal & River Trust waters fell slightly last year by 2.1% to 34,742, according to the latest national boat count, released in…
02 July 2026
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HDPE hulls to get independent survey before leaving factory
FP Technologies – the pioneering plastics manufacturer creating the world's first HDPE narrowboat shells – has said that to guarantee quality control all its hulls…
30 June 2026
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