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Free canal art trail launches in Smethwick this Saturday!
Waterways charity, Canal & River Trust, is inviting local people to the launch of a new, free canal art trail in Smethwick. The trail is a year-long community arts programme exploring the town’s canals, heritage and communities. The project, made possible thanks to funding from players of Postcode Lottery and Arts Council England, launches on…
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WaterBlitz returns as volunteers asked to help monitor UK’s freshwater health
PEOPLE around the UK are being encouraged to take part in a major citizen science project this autumn, helping to monitor the health of the nation’s canals, rivers, lakes and ponds. The annual Great UK WaterBlitz will return on September 18-21 , with organisers aiming to make it the largest and most impactful water quality…
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Blue substance prompts bathing warning
A bright blue substance discovered in Littleham Brook, in Exmouth, Devon, has prompted the Environment Agency to advise people against bathing as a precaution. Officers attended the site after receiving a report of the unknown substance and found no visible environmental impacts. The agency said the source was traced to an industrial site, but the…
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Characters of the Cut: Where the water writes the story
For writer Jenni Ratcliffe, water is in her blood, and her journey to finding herself living aboard Trentham, a 40ft 1975 cruiser stern narrowboat built by Stone Boat Builders, somewhat fated. Alice Elgie reports… “GROWING up, my parents called me and my sister to dinner by ringing a large brass bell that we were told…
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Aggregate on the Aire & Calder Navigation
Ice doesn’t sort rocks, but water from melting glaciers does, laying down gravels in neat, flat layers, often on the banks of subsequently formed rivers. Jonathan Mosse reports.. IN many cases, rural roads provide an excellent means of moving these aggregates, once extracted, to the point of use, such as on construction sites and to…
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Volunteers needed to help uncover the health of Yorkshire’s rivers this September
ALMOST one in four river samples taken in Yorkshire’s Derwent and Aire catchments showed poor water quality during the Great UK WaterBlitz in April 2026, as Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s Rivers to Reef partnership project calls for more volunteers to help build a deeper understanding of the health of Yorkshire’s rivers. Nearly 200 water samples were…
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Historic river’s secret war role revealed
AN exhibition at Buckler’s Hard Shipyard is shedding light on the hidden wartime history of the Beaulieu River, revealing how a tranquil Hampshire waterway was transformed into a vital military asset during the Second World War. Beaulieu River At War opened at the Shipyard Gallery following a launch by historian Dan Snow. Running daily until…
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Deep-dive rescue reopens historic Bevere Lock
BOATERS can once again navigate the River Severn between Stourport and Gloucester after vital repairs reopened Bevere Lock, near Worcester. An inspection discovered a faulty paddle on the 183-year-old lock that was preventing it from filling properly, impacting boaters travelling between Stourport and Gloucester. The fault, located below the waterline, required the assistance of specialist…
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Volunteers wanted as Yorkshire river survey reveals water quality concerns
ALMOST one in four river samples taken in Yorkshire’s Derwent and Aire catchments showed poor water quality during the Great UK WaterBlitz in April 2026, as Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s Rivers to Reef partnership project calls for more volunteers to help build a deeper understanding of the health of Yorkshire’s rivers. Nearly 200 water samples were…
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Goole marks 200 years with spectacular bicentenary flotilla
A CELEBRATORY flotilla marked Goole’s 200th anniversary, retracing the historic 1826 arrival of 50 vessels that heralded the port’s opening. The modern fleet assembled at the Dog and Duck area, near Goole Marina, on July 18, navigating through South Dock bridge and around the docks under the lead of an ABP survey vessel and accompanied…
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Lightwell reveals hidden river at busy train station
An installation at Sheffield Station is allowing passengers to experience a long-hidden stretch of the River Sheaf for the first time in more than a century. THE new River Sheaf Lightwell, unveiled on Platform Five, provides sight, sound and even the scent of the river as it flows beneath the station – a route it…
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Pontcysyllte safety squad targets mounting congestion
A safety team is being deployed at Pontcysyllte Aqueduct to manage busy-period traffic and ease congestion as growing numbers of paddle craft and narrowboats use the landmark. THE aqueduct safety team, with their visible onsite presence, add to existing measures, including CCTV and the introduction of vessel and operator identification requirements for commercial operators using…
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Work begins on Cotswold Canals’ Missing Mile
CONSTRUCTION has begun on the Cotswold Canals’ Missing Mile after six years of planning. The scheme will reconnect the restored Stroudwater Navigation with the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal, edging the waterway closer to the national network. Volunteers are excavating 750 metres of canal east from John Robinson Lock towards the M5, with two locks, flood…
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Drought forces canal network into emergency mode
AS large swathes of England and all of Wales were declared in drought following weeks of exceptionally dry weather, the Canal & River Trust activated its highest level of operational response to keep boaters moving as much as possible. THE combination of very low rainfall and higher temperatures has seen reservoir levels, river levels and…
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