Canal & Waterways News and Features

Waterways News & Features about what's happening on the UK Canals and River Navigations

Canal Junction has regular news updates on canal matters, progress reports on the many canal restoration and rebuilding schemes and special features about UK canals and inland waterways.

Make sure you make time to dip into Tony Lewery's 'Off the Mainline' musings for a refreshingly different, thoughtful and thought provoking look at canals, their heritage and future.

News reports & images are provided by Harry Arnold and Waterway Images except where indicated by *. Thanks also to the IWA for permission to use information from their Waterways Bulletins.

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Canal & River Trust Members

Nominations for the seven positions on the 35-strong Council of the Canal & River Trust (CRT) that are to be filled by boaters or boating businesses will open on 12 December. CRT will take over the responsibilities of British Waterways (BW) in April 2012.
Four positions will be elected by boat licence holders and two positions elected by boating businesses. The British Canoe Union, which holds a collective licence for around 60,000 individual and club members, will be asked to nominate a person to fill a further position.
A CRT employee will also be elected by all employees at this time to serve on the Council.
Boaters wanting to stand for election will need to complete a simple nomination form available for download on the Canal & River Trust website from 12 December 2011 until 18 January 2012.

November 2011

IWA says write to your MP*

The IWA is asking all its supporters to help secure the future funding of the Canal and River Trust.

It is asking all waterway supporters to urgently write to their MP drawing their attention to the fact that the waterways are being transferred over into the charitable sector, and that it is vital that the funding package is sufficient that it allows them to be maintained in a sustainable condition. They also suggest you ask your MP to contact the Waterways’ Minister Richard Benyon MP, directly, to register their concern, and to ensure that he knows that there needs to be more money put on the table.
MPs are the most effective way of influencing the agenda for funding by applying pressure on the Minister. The IWA also suggests you get as many of your contacts as possible to contact their MP in support of the campaign.

IWA November 2011

Northwich riverfront concern*

Northwich in Cheshire has long seemed to turn its back on the River Weaver which circles the centre of the town. New plans would dramatically alter the waterfront area. The development would include a 58-home block of extra care housing, an 18,000 sq ft Waitrose Supermarket, a 40-berth marina and waterside leisure facilities.
However there is local concern that the development will mean also the loss of yet more waterside maintenance facilities, the British Waterways Hayhurst repair yard slipway and shed which is in constant use by private boaters.
Comments about the proposals may be made to Pdimoldenberg@quatro-consults.co.uk with 'Northwich riverside development' in the subject area.

December 2011 - Image is Hayhurst Yard in 1970s, used courtesy of Mike Clarke.

Features

Brand New SmallAds

Sell your canal boaty bits online FREE! Details »

Events & Rallies

Events, rallies and gatherings. More »

House/boat exchanges

Swap your boat for a memorable holiday. More »

Off the Mainline

Thoughtful journeys through waterways issues. More »

Restoration News

Canal & waterways restoration. More »

Canal Linocuts Exhibitions*

Canal Lino cut Eric Gaskell has three exhibitions showing his canal linocuts and other works this Summer. Although the shows are principally about linocuts, and more specifically linocuts along the canals, there will also be drawings and paintings. Many of these drawings are pen & ink and conte drawings showing the “workings” of the linocuts. Made on location around the country they make an interesting adjunct to the prints.
Nantwich Museum & Art Gallery
7 May 2011 - 25 June 2011
Ellesmere Port Museum
1 July 2011 - 26 September 2011
The Canal Museum, London
4 October 2011 - 29 January 2012
You can see much more of Eric's Linocuts at www.canalprints.co.uk.

BW Winter Closures

British Waterways has published its 2011-2012 winter programme of stoppages for a £50 million programme of extensive repairs to its canals and rivers. Most of these are within the period 7 November 2011 to 9 March 2012, but a limited number extend outside this period.

Notable engineering structures stopped for inspection and or repairs include the world renowned ‘wonder of the waterways’ Pontcysyllte Aqueduct on the popular Llangollen Canal. All the three tunnels on this canal are also closed for short periods.

All are clearly illustrated on a series of five maps, which can be seen on Waterscape.com.

November 2011

New at Canal Junction

Have you seen our new additions?

Our BerthFinder is free to use, both for boatowners and for moorings providers, so we expect the number of entries to increase rapidly. If you are looking for a new mooring check it out now!
Boatowners can search mooring areas, boat length and widths and online and offline moorings. Mooring providers can set up a free account then add or update their available moorings.

Also new this year is our SmallAds section where you can hunt for boating bargains, from Buckby canals to big boats!
And if you've something to sell it is entirely free to use!

Hireboats2go isn't new of course, but during these Winter months you can search right through to March to find a cosy hireboat. We've also a useful listing of companies who hire in the Winter, including over the Christmas holidays.

Mendip Restoration Print

Based on a photograph by Harry Arnold of Waterway Images, taken on 25 June 1962, 'Last traffic on the Trent & Mersey' painted by Dusty Miller depicts narrow boats of the British Waterways North Western fleet loading coal at Sideways Colliery in Stoke-on-Trent for Seddons Salt at Middlewich.
A Limited Edition of 250 numbered prints is being produced to raise funds for the restoration and future maintenance of the famous Josher Mendip, which worked on this traffic. All prints will be signed by artist Dusty Miller. More details and how to buy»