News

Canal Museum is a winner!
The Canal Museum at Stoke Bruerne, Northamptonshire, scooped top honours in two categories at the Northamptonshire Heritage Awards, winning Best Event and The People’s Choice Award.

Get on your bike to celebrate improved towpath
A celebratory bike ride between Smithybridge and the Summit of the Rochdale Canal is being held at 6pm on Wednesday 28 July to mark the completion of towpath resurfacing work.

Minister for Climate Change Visits Action Outdoors
Mr Stewart Stevenson MSP, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change, visited the Action Outdoors Centre in Redding yesterday (Wednesday 21st July 2010) to hear all about the innovative learning facilities’ green credentials.

Return of week-long free Rochdale Canal festival
A walking, biking, wildlife-watching, canoeing, angling, boating, eating, relaxing week of fun!

Unique chance to see waterways heritage brought to life
For two hundred years, thousands of canal boats were towed along the canals by horses, today there are only 5 operators left in Britain with their horse-drawn boats. On Wednesday 21 July, people in Manchester will have a fantastic opportunity to see this spectacle first hand as a horse-drawn boat starts her journey along the Rochdale Canal. The boat will start from Castlefield Basin in Manchester city centre, going to the Summit of the canal between Littleborough and Walsden, where the horse and boat will be on Sunday 1 August.

£86,000 for 37 projects along the River Thames
37 projects which care for, enhance and increase the use of the River Thames are benefiting from over £86,000 in grants from leading waterways charity, The Waterways Trust, thanks to generous donations from its supporters.

Chairman presents certificates to Heritage Boatyard Trainees
Tony Hales, Chairman of British Waterways, visited the National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port (formerly the Boat Museum) to present trainee completion certificates to three young trainees at the museum’s Heritage Boatyard – Anthony Sayle, Andrew Holme and Conner Parker.

School children help kick off start of work on sensory trail
40 children from schools in the Kilsyth area joined Provost Tom Curly and guests to kick off the second phase of The Waterways Trust Scotland’s environmental improvement programme at Auchinstarry Basin in Croy yesterday, Tuesday 8th June.

£110k to help waterways museum pass on heritage skills
The National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port (formerly the Boat Museum), in partnership with National Historic Ships, has received £110k from Heritage Lottery Fund’s ‘Skills for the Future’ programme to help expand its successful Heritage Boatyard operation.

Student creates colourful design for waterways museum's rhino
The National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port will host one of the colourful rhinos that will be stampeding into Cheshire this summer as part of the Rhino Mania experience.

Gloucester Waterways Museum Commemorates 70th Anniversary of Dunkirk aboard ‘Little Ship’ Queen Boadicea II
To mark the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Dunkirk, Gloucester Waterways Museum will be running 1940’s themed boat trips on Monday 31st May 2010 at 12 noon, 1.30pm and 2.30pm from the quay side outside the museum.

School children put their feet first
This summer sees the return of The Waterways Trust Scotland’s innovative walking programme, Feet First, to Edinburgh and children from three of the city’s primary schools will be putting their best foot forward to learn more about the city’s Union Canal, Water of Leith river and Lord Ancrum’s Wood at Eskbank, whilst also improving their health.

Family Fun at Gloucester
Gloucester Waterways Museum has a host of family fun on offer over the weekend of Saturday 22nd May with a book signing with children's author D H Clacher.

Young people use art to tell story of Rochdale Canal
Eleven young people from youth charity, Fairbridge North Manchester have been working with Waterways Action Squad, British Waterways and Rochdale Council to create a special exhibition of artwork based on the heritage of the Rochdale Canal.

Activity centre invites everyone to ‘Come and have a go!’
Staff at Falkirk’s award-winning Action Outdoors Activity & Learning Centre want people living in the area to come and have a go at a range of outdoor activities on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th April.

Waterway Museums to strengthen their local focus
The waterways museums at Gloucester and Stoke Bruerne are being re-named to emphasise and strengthen their links with their local environment. The museum at Gloucester will now be known as Gloucester Waterways Museum and at Stoke Bruerne the museum will revert to its original name, the Canal Museum.

Haiku, tree planting and learning about the canal...all in a day’s walk
Children from three Falkirk primary schools are doing more than improving their health and fitness as they take part in the Feet First walking programme.

VIPs turn out for heritage boatyard celebration
The Chairman of British Waterways, Tony Hales was guest of honour at the opening of a new heritage boatyard at the National Waterways Museum, Ellesmere Port (formerly the Boat Museum) on Friday 19 March. Andrew Miller MP and local councillors also attended the celebration which officially marks the start of a new operation to create a sustainable working boatyard at the museum which will maintain and restore historic boats, develop and pass on heritage skills and engage museum visitors in the boat collection and its care.

Waterways Renaissance Awards 2010 Winners
Projects from across the U.K. are celebrating after scooping top honours at this year’s Waterways Renaissance Awards, run by The Waterways Trust and BURA (British Urban Regeneration Association).

Museum & College make learning fun!
The National Waterways Museum, at Ellesmere Port (formerly the Boat Museum) hosted a fun family learning day with storytelling, puppet making and painting to show how learning can be fun.

Outdoor activity centre uses canal water to keep people warm
An innovative heat pump has been installed at Falkirk’s newest outdoor activity centre, Action Outdoors and has been activiated and is flooding the venue with sustainable heat.

Appeal launched to help protect Britain’s waterway birds
The Waterways Trust has launched an appeal backed by wildlife presenters Miranda Krestovnikoff and Mike Dilger to help provide homes for some of the nation’s most threatened species of waterway birds.

Grants available for community-led projects along the River Thames
Waterways environmental and heritage charity, The Waterways Trust, is offering grants of up to £5,000 for environmental and community projects along the non-tidal River Thames, from Teddington to Cricklade.

Waterways museum welcomes aboard Heritage Boatyard Supervisor
The National Waterways Museum is delighted to announce the appointment of Dave Linney as Heritage Boatyard Supervisor of the National Waterways Museum Ellesmere Port. Dave has over 25 years experience with boats and restoration having worked at a number of boatyards.

Three new Trustees for The Waterways Trust
Three new Trustees have joined the Board of Trustees of The Waterways Trust – local government and partnerships expert Brenda Harvey, regeneration specialist Steve Dunlop and charity leader Diana Organ.

Caught on camera: Capture the secret lives of our canals and rivers and win a prize
The North West packs a punch when it comes to diversity of waterways – from the Leeds-Liverpool Canal to the River Weaver. Youth volunteering project, Waterways Action Squad, wants young people aged 16-25 to help celebrate the people, industry, wildlife and activity that can be found along the region’s canals and rivers by capturing it on camera.

New Model Boat Exhibition at Waterways Museum Gloucester Docks
An new exhibition of model boats will be on display on the third floor of the Waterways Museum at Gloucester Docks from the 18 January for two months. The special exhibition, which has been organised by The Waterways Trust archivist Caroline Jones and University of Gloucester student Richard Kallmeier, will feature 27 scaled-down versions of boats commonly found on the canal.

Droitwich Canals Restoration asks local schools to put on a play
As part of the Droitwich Canals Restoration, The Waterways Trust is calling local schools to take part in a community drama project - A Canal Runs Through It - in March 2010, to bring to life the story of the canals.

Local school children rewarded for putting their best feet forward
Forty Scottish children have been rewarded for their successful completion of The Waterways Trust Scotland’s Feet First programme with a John Muir Award presented by Robin Harper MSP at the Scottish Parliament, Holyrood on Monday, 14 December.

Waterways Museum hosts Christmas Carol Concert
The National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port is hosting an evening Christmas Carol concert in one of its atmospheric Victorian warehouses on Friday 18 December 2009, from 7.30pm to 10pm.

A Magical Celebration of Christmas at Stoke Bruerne
Take a boat trip on the Grand Union Canal, see the children’s lantern procession and listen to Christmas carols from the children of Stoke Bruerne Primary School. Join in the carol singing and watch a procession of illuminated boats. It’s all happening on Saturday 12th December between 5pm and 7pm near to The Canal Museum at Stoke Bruerne.

Take to the Water for Your Christmas Party with Gloucester Waterways Museum
The Christmas season is under way at The Waterways Museum in Gloucester Docks, with Christmas Party Lunch Cruises on offer from the 12 to 22 December between 12.30pm and 2.30pm and Christmas Disco Party Cruises running between 12 and 22 December, from 7.30pm to 11.30pm.

Family Festive Cheer Afloat at Gloucester Docks Waterways Museum
The Christmas season is underway so come and join in the fun at The Waterways Museum Gloucester Docks where there is an exciting programme of events on offer to get you in the festive mood and provide a great day out for all the family.

TWT presents annual review & accounts at National Waterways Museum
National charity The Waterways Trust will today (2.15pm, 26 November 2009) present its 2008/09 review and accounts at its annual meeting to be held at National Waterways Museum Ellesmere Port, and will announce plans for the future, including its development of a youth engagement strategy.

Help us plant a World Record
The Droitwich Canals’ Restoration Partnership needs your help to set a new Guinness World Record on Saturday 5 December. The event is part of BBC Breathing Places Tree O’Clock – a national attempt to plant a record number of trees in just one hour. Taking place across the country, the aim is to plant a million trees, beating the current record of 653,143.

Unlocking the benefits of Leicestershire's waterways
On 24 November 2009 the Chairman of Leicestershire County Council will join the River Soar & Grand Union Canal strategy group to launch plans to realise the full social, economic and environmental benefits of Leicestershire’s waterways.

Young Carers to plant hedge at Waterways Museum
As part of their ongoing work to improve the gardens and wildlife habitats at the National Waterways Museum Ellesmere Port, the St John Ambulance Cheshire Young Carers will begin planting a new native hedge this Saturday 21 November at 11am.

National Waterways Museum hosts 1940s themed Family & Local History Weekend
It won’t just be Spam Fritters on the menu next weekend (14 and 15 November) at the National Waterways Museum Ellesmere Port! As part of their Winter programme of events, the Boat Museum Society and National Waterways Museum are organising a family and local history weekend with a 1940s flavour.

New Collections Manager Appointed
National charity The Waterways Trust has appointed Peter Collins to the post of Collections Manager for its National Waterways Museum, based at Ellesmere Port.

Historic boats at National Waterways Museum to be craned out for repairs
On Thursday 5 November three historic craft will be craned out of the Shropshire Union Canal alongside the new heritage boat yard at National Waterways Museum Ellesmere Port, ahead of a new restoration programme for the Museum’s fleet of 80 historic boats.

Creepy Capers at the Stoke Bruerne Canal Museum
...calling all ghosties, ghouls and goblins to our Halloween Extravganza! The National Waterways Museum Stoke Bruerne has a fun-packed week on offer at the end of October to celebrate Half Term and Halloween. From Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November, there will special spooky goings on at the Museum with mask making, ghostly goings-on, a fancy dress competition and prizes for everyone taking part!

Get Spooky Down at Gloucester Docks
...calling all ghosties, goblins and little terrors! The National Waterways Museum at Gloucester Docks is hosting a spooky Halloween cruise and workshop from 11.30am on 31 October 2009.

Set Sail for the Gloucester Docks Tall Ships Photography Exhibition
Ten stunning photographs will be on display at the National Waterways Museum Gloucester Docks from 24 October to 8 November 2009. The special exhibition, organised by the Friends of the Waterways Museum and sponsored by Severnprint Ltd, features large prints of the winning photos from a recent Friends competition which asked people to submit images of the ships visiting the docks for the Tall Ships Festival on 29-31 May.

Waterways Action Squad to Launch at National Waterways Museum
An exciting new volunteering programme for young people in the North West is being launched at National Waterways Museum Ellesmere Port on Sunday 25 October, 11am to 4pm. Waterways Action Squad, which is being run by The Waterways Trust and British Waterways with funding from v, The National Young Volunteers Service, and the Bank of America, will offer over 570 volunteering opportunities for people aged between 16 and 25 over the next two years.

Open Day at Hanbury Locks
Droitwich Canals Trust is holding its annual Open Day on the restored lock flight at Hanbury Wharf on Sunday, 11th October between 11am and 4pm.

Record Turnout for Bigman2!
An estimated four thousand visitors turned out for the second Bigman event held on the Forth & Clyde Canal at Maryhill Locks, Glasgow, yesterday (Sunday 20 September) enjoying a raft of fun-packed, free events on land and water celebrating the historic canal and its place in the wider regeneration plans for the Maryhill area.

Monster Fun with Bigman2
Sunday 20th September 2009, 11:00am – 4:00pm Forth and Clyde Canal at Maryhill Locks, North Glasgow (at the corner of Maryhill Road and Cowal Road)

Bankers To Create Nature Trail at Falkirk Wheel
Working alongside staff from The Waterways Trust Scotland and British Waterways Scotland, 30 Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) directors will today (15 September 2009) be taking a break from money matters to create a new 3km nature trail in woods alongside the Falkirk Wheel and the Forth & Clyde Canal.

Droitwich Canals Gateway Park Launch
The Droitwich Canals Restoration Project is calling for all budding young shipmates to attend a fun filled pirate themed event this Saturday (12 September), to celebrate the opening of the Droitwich Canals Gateway Park, near Hanbury Wharf. Press are invited to the official opening ceremony at midday.

Blisworth Tunnel Celebrates 25th Anniversary
200 year old Blisworth Tunnel was filled with steam and boats on Saturday as hundreds of people turned out to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of its reopening to boat traffic on 22nd August 1984 to the sound of a full peal of church bells.

New 'Waterways Action Squad' creates celebration wall painting
A group of young people have created a new piece of wall art at the National Waterways Museum in Ellesmere Port to celebrate the start if a major new youth volunteering project and to brighten up a graffiti-covered canal tunnel.

Supporters scheme launched to help save historic boats
The National Waterways Museum has joined forces with publishers Waterways World to launch a new Supporters Scheme for its national collection of historic boats at Ellesmere Port.

Young carers awarded for their wildlife work at National Waterways Museum
The Ellesmere Port St John Ambulance Young Carers is to be presented with a Silver Award from Cheshire Wildlife Trust’s Wildlife Friendly Garden Award scheme at the National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port 11am this Saturday 15 August. The award is for the work the group has done to improve the Museum’s gardens and wildlife habitats.

Stoke Bruerne Canal Museum goes to war!
“Don’t you know there’s a war on?” This will be the clarion call at Stoke Bruerne over the weekend of 2-4 October when a 'Village at War' event will take villagers and visitors alike back to the 1940s.

Call for volunteers to help green-up new canal cut
Thanks to a £10,000 grant from the GreenPrints campaign, a series of environmental improvement works are underway on the newly cut 1.5-mile section of the Droitwich Junction Canal, and The Waterways Trust is calling for more young people to get involved.

Charities Launch Sponsored Waterside Walks
Leonard Cheshire Disability and The Waterways Trust have joined together to offer people a series of sponsored walks across England and Scotland on 12 and 13 September. As well as increasing awareness of disability and the many miles of accessible paths the waterways have to offer across Britain, ‘Waterwalks 2009’ aims to raise money for both charities and to celebrate the 10th anniversary of The Waterways Trust and Leonard Cheshire Disability Week.

National regeneration awards launch new category
The 2010 Waterways Renaissance Awards today, 29 July 2009, opened for entry with an announcement from the British Urban Regeneration Association (BURA) and The Waterways Trust of a new category for the 2010 Awards.

Last chance to enjoy free festival fun
It is the last chance for people living in Manchester, Rochdale, Oldham and Calderdale to enjoy some free festival fun and discover the historic Rochdale Canal which runs through the heart of the region.

Waterways museum welcomes aboard new manager
The National Waterways Museum is pleased to announce the appointment of John Inch as General Manager of the National Waterways Museum Ellesmere Port.

Taking ‘Green Action’ for Falkirk’s Youth
‘Green Action’ – a new initiative for 16-24 year olds in Falkirk launches on Monday 20 July. The volunteering and employability project will provide opportunities for young people from Falkirk and surrounding areas to enrol on an environmental or tourism 12-week volunteer training programme, contributing to the local area and developing skills for life.

Canal Festival’s Feet First Walk
This weekend (27 & 28 June) the Union Canal will come alive with festivities for the first Edinburgh Canal Festival, with lots of fun activities taking place along the towpath including two special Feet First walks.

New partnership to help shape future of museum
A new partnership has been formed to help create a sustainable future for the National Waterways Museum Gloucester Docks.

Summer of family fun at waterways museum
The National Waterways Museum Ellesmere Port (formerly The Boat Museum) has a summer of fun on offer to keep every member of the family entertained during the school summer holidays.

Free fun for all the family at canal festival
The 2009 Rochdale Canal Festival will get underway on Saturday 11 July with a week-long programme of free fun events and activities for all the family to enjoy.

TV historian backs restoration of historic mill
Dan Cruickshank, one of Britain’s leading architectural and historic building experts and presenter of BBC’s ‘The Best Buildings of Britain’ and ‘What the Industrial Revolution did for us’, is fronting a campaign to restore the machinery in a historic watermill located on the outskirts of the Olympic park in Bromley-by-Bow, east London.

River Thames community projects benefit from grants
Twelve community driven projects on the River Thames are benefiting from almost £40,000 in grants from leading waterways environmental and heritage charity, The Waterways Trust, thanks to the generous monthly donations from its supporters.

Seal of approval for museum
VisitBritain has given the National Waterways Museum Gloucester Docks the thumbs up.

New partnership to shape future of city canal
A new partnership has been formed to help shape the future of the section of the Oxford Canal which runs through the historic city.

Work starts on new canal gateway park
Work to create a new gateway to the soon-to-be-restored Droitwich Canals at Hanbury Lock is well underway.

MSP joins children to help tidy towpath
As part of British Waterways Scotland’s Towpath Tidy week, Cathie Craigie MSP for Cumbernauld & Kilsyth will join children from two local schools and Scotland’s leading inland waterways charity, The Waterways Trust Scotland, as they spring clean the towpath alongside Forth & Clyde Canal on Monday 30th March.

£1 million project to help Falkirk young people get active
On Monday 6 April Scotland’s leading inland waterway charity, The Waterways Trust Scotland and Falkirk Council opened a brand new outdoor activity centre on the bank of the Union Canal, giving young people in the region the opportunity to get out and get active.

Waterways Renaissance Awards 2009 – winners celebrated
Projects from across the U.K. are celebrating after scooping top honours at this year’s Waterways Renaissance Awards, run by The Waterways Trust and BURA (British Urban Regeneration Association).

Finalists announced for 2009 Waterways Renaissance Awards
A project to regenerate the waterfront in Castleford in West Yorkshire, the creation of a series of self-guided walks along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal in Chorley for visually impaired people and plans for the construction of a linear park along the Connswater river in Belfast are just a few of the diverse and inspiring schemes to reach the finals of the 2009 Waterways Renaissance Awards.

Is Twecharwood the next Hollywood?
A group of young people from Twechar received the red carpet treatment yesterday (Sunday 8 February) when their film ‘Dr Twechar and the Glowing Lens’ and their documentary ‘So you think you know Twechar’ were premiered at Glasgow Film Theatre.

Budding actors bring story of town’s canals to life
A project to capture memories of the Droitwich Canals and create a unique ‘Community Mind Map’ culminated with the performance of a unique ‘Play in a Day’ on Saturday 31 January 2009 at the Droitwich Community Hall, Heritage Way.

VOLUNTEERS BRAVE FREEZING WEATHER TO CLEAN UP TOWPATH
A group of enthusiastic volunteers braved the freezing weather on Saturday 31 January to help clean up the towpath along the Glasgow Branch of the Forth & Clyde Canal.

Restoration of historic walls celebrated
Teams of volunteers who have spent almost a year restoring the historic Brimscombe Port Walls today celebrated their achievement at a special event marking completion of the restoration project.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO SPRING CLEAN TOWPATH
People young and old are urged to get their hands dirty and help spring clean the Forth & Clyde Canal from Spiers Wharf to the Nolly Bridge on Saturday 31 January 2009.

Budding actors needed for one-off ‘Play in a Day’ experience
A project to capture memories of the Droitwich Canals and create a unique ‘community mind map’ will culminate with a celebration for all to enjoy on Saturday 31 January 2009 at the Droitwich Community Hall, Heritage Way.

Steven set to make a splash on the Forth & Clyde Canal
Steven Coles is on a mission to make a splash on the Forth & Clyde Canal in Glasgow and West Dunbartonshire, encouraging more people to use the waterway and is surroundings.

Birthday party helps canal restoration
A couple from Droitwich have made the ultimate sacrifice in aid of the appeal to restore the town’s canals.

Appeal to restore town canals nears total
The appeal to raise the final £1 million needed to restore the historic canals in Droitwich, Worcestershire has been given a major boost with a grant of £300,000 from regional development agency, Advantage West Midlands. This grant brings the appeal total to over £700,000.

Children to help decide design for new play-space
School children in Droitwich Spa will help to decide what a new play-space in the Droitwich Canals Gateway Park will look like.

MPS Support cross-border vision for canal
The Montgomery Canal Regeneration has taken a significant step forward, with MPs from Wales and England backing an ambitious initiative for the waterway to become a leisure and tourism magnet providing benefits both sides of the border.

Supporters get inside view of restoration
People from across Worcestershire who have given a donation to the appeal to restore the Droitwich Canals had an inside view of restoration progress at a special event held on Friday 10 October.

Remembering the ‘Idle Women’ – a story of wartime heroism
More than 60 years after the end of World War II, a group of ladies who worked relentlessly transporting cargo along the nation’s waterways in aid of the war effort have been honoured officially for the first time.

Bigman has big plans for the Forth & Clyde
Saturday 4 October marked the first Bigman Canal Festival at Maryhill locks, celebrating Maryhill, its canal and its people.

Fresh air and friends on free guided walks
Waterways and environmental heritage charity, The Waterways Trust Scotland, is launching a new series of six guided walks along the Union and Forth & Clyde Canals in Falkirk starting at 10.30am on Saturday 18 October.

Historic Lock re-opens its gates
On Friday 26th September, the Droitwich Canals Partnership celebrated the restoration of the 155 year old Barge Lock which links the Junction Canal with the Barge Canal in Droitwich.

Waitrose support canal restoration
Staff at the Droitwich Spa branch of Waitrose have raised £4,347 for the restoration of the town’s historic canals. The money, which came from donations from the staff team and the John Spedan Lewis Foundation, will help to restore 50 metres of the canal.

Historic lock to re-open its gates
On Friday 26th September, the Droitwich Canals Partnership will be celebrating the restoration of the 155 year old Barge Lock which links the Junction Canal with the Barge Canal in Droitwich.

Sir Peter Soulsby MP leads panel for national waterway awards
The Waterways Trust and the British Urban Regeneration Assocation(BURA) today announced that Sir Peter Soulsby, Labour MP for Leicester South, will be heading up the Assessment Panel for the 2009 Waterways Renaissance Awards.

Idle Women wanted
The Waterways Trust and British Waterways are appealing for women who worked on the waterways during the Second World War to come forward to receive formal recognition of their efforts more than 60 years after the conflict ended.

Volunteers restore canal heritage
Since receiving official planning permission, the Droitwich Canals Partnership has wasted no time in getting stuck into major restoration work on the town’s canals.

Waitrose staff 'raise for reeds'
Staff at the Droitwich Spa branch of Waitrose supermarket are showing their support for the restoration of the town’s two historic canals by raising money for the new reedbed at Coney Meadows, near Salwarpe.

Many hands make light work at Wester Hailes
A stretch of towpath at Calders Crescent, Wester Hailes has been upgraded and improved thanks to the efforts of 60 willing volunteers from the Royal Bank of Scotland.