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  • Join appeal to help keep PeggotyTom IV operational

    Join appeal to help keep PeggotyTom IV operational

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    ISLINGTON Boat Club is raising funds for a new engine for its core boat, PeggotyTom IV. Keeping the boat operational is critical to what the club does – without it, youth sessions and training courses are at risk. “For many years, PeggotyTom IV has been more than just a narrowboat. She has been a place…

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  • Race to a greener future – but is the finish line still out of reach?

    Race to a greener future – but is the finish line still out of reach?

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    Jonathan Mosse reports: Some folk reading recent pieces in this column might feel that I’ve been a little harsh regarding the potential of hydrogen when looking at alternative fuels. In the interests of balance, here is a round-up of where on the road to sustainable propulsion this fuel resides today. OVER the past five years…

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  • Fish rescue begins at Whitchurch following canal breach

    Fish rescue begins at Whitchurch following canal breach

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    Waterways charity, Canal & River Trust, is completing an important ecological milestone in the recovery from December’s canal breach on the Llangollen Canal at Whitchurch.  Around 1,000 fish washed into a neighbouring farmer’s field are being rescued and safely returned to the canal. The pool of water in the field, which was up to six…

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  • Chair sought to navigate association in the future

    Chair sought to navigate association in the future

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    The Northern Canals Association is appealing for a new chairperson to take over the helm. THE group was set up in 1991 with the aim of enabling restoration societies to visit other’s sites, where the host would discuss their possibilities, plans and problems. Over the years, its meetings have ranged far and wide in location,…

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  • Fin-tastic revival of West Country rivers

    Fin-tastic revival of West Country rivers

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    THOUSANDS of fresh fish have been introduced to rivers, lakes and ponds in Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire by the Environment Agency. The seasonal restocking of lakes and fisheries in need of a piscine boost has taken place thanks to 6750 of coarse fish reared by the agency’s Calverton Fish Farm, near Nottingham. Money from rod…

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  • Easter historic boat gathering heralds golden anniversary year at Ellesmere Port

    Easter historic boat gathering heralds golden anniversary year at Ellesmere Port

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    The Canal & River Trust will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port with its annual Easter Historic Boat Gathering, taking place from 3–6 April 2026. Around 40 decorated narrowboats and barges are expected to attend the popular event, which takes place at the museum’s historic dock site at the…

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  • Back to Braunston: Pete Waterman to open 2026 rally

    Back to Braunston: Pete Waterman to open 2026 rally

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    Legendary music mogul Pete Waterman will officially open this year’s Braunston Marina Rally & Canal Festival at the helm of narrowboat President. THE 1980s pop icon and prolific steam enthusiast will return to the marina on June 27 and 28 for the famous rally, back for its 22nd year. Sponsored by Towpath Talk, it is…

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  • Residents invited to drop-in sessions about Brewood Bridge repair plans

    Residents invited to drop-in sessions about Brewood Bridge repair plans

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    Waterways charity, the Canal & River Trust, is inviting residents, businesses and boaters to attend two drop-in sessions to learn more about plans to repair Brewood Bridge and the proposed timeline for the works. These informal sessions will give local people the opportunity to speak directly with the project team, ask questions, and find out…

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  • Trust accused of ‘abandoning restoration’ as flagship projects stall

    Trust accused of ‘abandoning restoration’ as flagship projects stall

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    The Inland Waterways Association (IWA) has challenged the Canal & River Trust’s draft Restoration Delivery Plan, arguing that restoration is being treated as a low priority. The organisation says several major projects have stalled and has raised concerns about new financial and administrative requirements for volunteer restoration groups. IWA challenges Restoration Delivery Plan THE IWA…

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  • Fenland waterways face permanent fragmentation as sluice becomes fifth indefinite closure

    Fenland waterways face permanent fragmentation as sluice becomes fifth indefinite closure

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    The Inland Waterways Association has warned that East Anglia’s waterways are being lost ‘in perpetuity’ following the announcement that due to health and safety concerns, navigation though the Old Bedford Sluice V-doors has been closed indefinitely – the latest in a growing catalogue of closures across the Environment Agency’s Anglian waterways with no plans for…

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  • Study finds widespread metal pollution in Corby’s rivers

    Study finds widespread metal pollution in Corby’s rivers

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    A report produced by Earthwatch Europe, in partnership with the Corby community, has identified metals at concentrations above Predicted No Effect Concentrations at freshwater sites across the town. The study involved citizen scientists testing dozens of locations and analysing samples for metals and metalloids in Corby’s rivers. Community partnership investigation IN partnership with the Corby…

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  • Clyde Puffer to undergo major restoration programme

    Clyde Puffer to undergo major restoration programme

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    THE Puffer Preservation Trust, which looks after Clyde Puffer S.L. VIC 32, has been awarded a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant of £245,537 to support the vessel’s restoration. While money generated from carrying passengers over the past 20 years has allowed the charity to fund necessary maintenance, the Covid pandemic and then a dip in…

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  • Floating encampment removed in £40k operation

    Floating encampment removed in £40k operation

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    An unauthorised floating encampment connected with reports of antisocial behaviour and alleged illegal activity has been removed from the River Lee Navigation, near Bow Locks, in an operation costing waterways charity Canal & River Trust in the region of £40,000. TEAMS from the charity, supported by private security personnel, Metropolitan Police officers and a dog…

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  • All aboard the Lego dreamboat

    All aboard the Lego dreamboat

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    Hot on the heels of the possibility of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in Lego, as reported last month, another imaginative fan is making a bid to preserve traditional canalia through the iconic toy brand. BRITAIN’S waterways are making a splash in the world of Lego, as enthusiasts rally behind two imaginative campaigns to preserve canal heritage.…

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