Boaters will travel from St Ives to Bedford this July in a bid to highlight what campaigners describe as a critical lack of investment in the River Great Ouse and Britain’s inland waterways.
A FLEET of boats will cruise the River Great Ouse from St Ives to Bedford this month as part of a campaign calling on the Government to invest in Britain’s ageing inland waterway infrastructure.
Organised by the Great Ouse Boating Association (GOBA) and Fund Britain’s Waterways (FBW), the ‘Navigating for Change’ campaign cruise will take place from July 13-18, travelling around 25 miles along the Bedford Ouse.
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The flotilla will stop at riverside towns including Huntingdon and St Neots before arriving at the Bedford River Festival on July 17. The festival is one of the largest free outdoor events in the East of England and attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year.
Campaigners say the cruise is intended to draw attention to what they describe as a growing funding crisis affecting waterways managed by the Environment Agency, which is responsible for maintaining the River Great Ouse in a safe and navigable condition.
According to the organisers, the Environment Agency has identified an annual funding shortfall of between £6 million and £11 million across the Anglia region. They say that around 40 of the region’s 60 locks and weirs are approaching the end of their operational lives, with no capital renewal programme currently in place.
Campaigners argue the consequences are already being felt across the network. Navigation on the River Cam was suspended for more than 18 months during 2024/25 following the structural failure of two lock islands, with repairs estimated to cost £10 million. Meanwhile, Brandon Lock on the River Little Ouse remains closed because of a lack of funding for repairs and channel clearance.
The campaign also points to increasing flooding, disruption to navigation and the impact on businesses that rely on the waterways. Boat repair workshops and hire operators have reportedly suffered significant financial losses, while one boat hire company closed its hire operation in 2025 after the cost of compensating customers affected by closures became unsustainable.
Mike Starnes, campaign organiser, said: “The Great Ouse is not in decline because the Environment Agency isn’t trying — it’s in decline because the Government is not giving them the money they need to do their job.
“We are taking this message directly to MPs, town councils and the public along the river, and we will be arriving in Bedford to make sure it cannot be ignored.
“This is not just about boaters. We are representing canoeists, kayakers, paddleboarders, anglers, riverside walkers and everyone who values our waterways.”
The flotilla will assemble at St Ives on Monday, July 13, before making its way to Bedford. A number of boats will moor within the Bedford River Festival itself, where representatives from GOBA and Fund Britain’s Waterways will be on hand throughout the event to speak with visitors and the media.
Organisers say all types of watercraft are welcome to join the cruise for all or part of the journey, while MPs representing constituencies along the route are expected to meet the fleet at various points.
For more information about the campaign, email [email protected] or visit goba.org.uk.
