News

  • STARLINK Alternative?

    STARLINK Alternative?

    by

    –

    VISITORS to this year’s Crick Boat Show may well have seen one of the most interesting new products to appear on the market for boat owners for some time, and one that is particularly apt given the show’s notoriously bad mobile data connections. Phil Pickin reports… The company in question is Oyster Sat-Tech Limited, which…

    Continue reading »

  • PARRY HONOURED after 12 years at the tiller

    PARRY HONOURED after 12 years at the tiller

    by

    –

    OUTGOING Canal & River Trust chief executive Richard Parry has hinted he will keep his ties with the waterways after a presentation at Braunston Marina in Northamptonshire. Before the formal opening of this year’s Braunston Historic Boat Rally, Tim Coghlan of Braunston Marina asked Sir David and Lady Suchet to jointly present Richard with a…

    Continue reading »

  • HOT WEATHER takes its toll on Irish Waterways

    HOT WEATHER takes its toll on Irish Waterways

    by

    –

    IRELAND, renowned for its damp weather and lush countryside, has struggled in the recent heatwaves that have swept across the northern hemisphere. The first marine notices warning of low water levels were issued as early as March this year and with no major rainfall forecast for the foreseeable future boaters have and continue to be…

    Continue reading »

  • HULL: Bridge work begins

    HULL: Bridge work begins

    by

    –

    HULL City Council has confirmed that repair and strengthening works on the iconic Drypool Bridge over the River Hull have begun with Esh Construction and Mason Clark Associates leading the project, reports Alison Alderton. Following the receipt of a Marine Management Organisation (MMO) licence, the contractors started setting up the works compound on the former…

    Continue reading »

  • MUSEUM FOCUS: End of en era as much-loved museum closes

    MUSEUM FOCUS: End of en era as much-loved museum closes

    by

    –

    Nicola Lisle bids a sad farewell to the River and Rowing Museum in Henley, Oxfordshire. IF YOU want to visit the River and Rowing Museum in Henley you’ll have to be quick, because sadly this popular riverside attraction is closing in September after 27 years. The award-winning museum’s final hurrah will coincide with this year’s…

    Continue reading »

  • STEPPING OUT for a good cause

    STEPPING OUT for a good cause

    by

    –

    THE Clifton Suspension Bridge, spanning the Avon, is one of the locations in a much-loved fundraising sculpture trail this summer. Bristol-based animator Nick Park’s Academy Award-winning character, Gromit, was first unleashed on the streets of the city way back in 2013 to raise money for sick children. Now, more than 500 sculptures, four trails and…

    Continue reading »

  • WIN! A year’s RCR Gold Membership

    WIN! A year’s RCR Gold Membership

    by

    –

    To celebrate River Canal Rescue’s 25th anniversary, managing director Stephanie Horton is giving away prizes every month, throughout the year. In September, Towpath Talk readers can win a gold membership worth £335. The breakdown assistance and recovery package includes: vessel covered for any user or member covered on any vessel; unlimited call-outs; recovery to your nearest…

    Continue reading »

  • BIODIVERSITY AWARD: Testament to hard work of charity and partners

    BIODIVERSITY AWARD: Testament to hard work of charity and partners

    by

    –

    A scheme in the West Midlands that is improving the habitat for wildlife along the region’s historic navigable canals has received a prestigious award. Lucy Wood reports… THE transformative Unlocking Biodiversity programme has been recognised by a Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management award. It has helped preserve and restore wildlife habitats in the…

    Continue reading »

  • LEARN NEW SKILLS and refresh existing knowledge

    LEARN NEW SKILLS and refresh existing knowledge

    by

    –

    RIVER Canal Rescue has spaces on its two-day maintenance courses, running on October 1/2, 15/16 and 29/30, November 12/13 and 26/27 and December 10/11. Held at RCR’s Stafford headquarters near bridge 101 on the Staffs & Worcs Canal, the boat and engine maintenance course covers how to maintain diesel engines and a narrowboat’s systems, including propulsion,…

    Continue reading »

  • BEHIND THE SCENES at the Cotswold Canals Trust: Western Depot tours a resounding success

    BEHIND THE SCENES at the Cotswold Canals Trust: Western Depot tours a resounding success

    by

    –

    The Western Depot of the Cotswold Canals Trust opened its gates to the public on August 19 and 21, offering a rare glimpse behind the scenes of the ambitious canal restoration project. The special tours, part of the National Lottery Heritage Fund Summer Campaign, proved to be a resounding success, drawing visitors from near and…

    Continue reading »

  • CANAL ACCESS improved with new ramp

    CANAL ACCESS improved with new ramp

    by

    –

    A brand-new mobility ramp for Grand Union Canal at Radford Semele is providing greatly improved access to the canal in Warwickshire for walkers, cyclists, wheelchair users and people with limited mobility. LOCATED at Bridge 35, the ramp connects the local community directly with the towpath and the National Cycle Network and will make it easier…

    Continue reading »

  • BOAT NAMING HONOUR for outgoing boss

    BOAT NAMING HONOUR for outgoing boss

    by

    –

    AHEAD of his final week as chief executive of the Canal & River Trust, volunteers and colleagues at the charity’s base on the Grand Union’s Hatton lock flight surprised Richard Parry by naming a new workboat in his honour. The 30ft work boat and hopper will be used for operational maintenance including brickwork repairs, litter-picking…

    Continue reading »

  • BRIDGE REFURB set to improve towpath

    BRIDGE REFURB set to improve towpath

    by

    –

    STOKE City Council and the Canal & River Trust are working together on a project which includes removing and replacing the Whieldon Road towpath bridge deck as it has now reached the end of its serviceable life. To carry out the work safely, the towpath and bridge between Whieldon Road and the incinerator has been…

    Continue reading »

  • MONTH LONG Totally Thames festival returns

    MONTH LONG Totally Thames festival returns

    by

    –

    The Totally Thames festival is celebrating the world-famous River Thames’ past, present and future. Lucy Wood reports… RUNNING throughout September, the festival features arts events, active adventures, environmental initiatives and more. First held in 1997, it is organised by the Thames Festival Trust, a charity which also works year-round to deliver a programme of heritage…

    Continue reading »