News

  • ROWED HOME: Swedish lifeboat after 155 years

    ROWED HOME: Swedish lifeboat after 155 years

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    A 19th CENTURY lifeboat has been rowed across the Thames to Limehouse Basin in London, site of the yard where she was built.  There, a commemorative plaque was unveiled to mark the visit and the RNLI’s 200th anniversary. Unveiling the plaque, Canal & River Trust chairman David Orr said: “The return of Lifbåt 416, built…

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  • Wigrams Turn Waterside & Marina launches new residential moorings

    Wigrams Turn Waterside & Marina launches new residential moorings

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    AQUAVISTA has just announced its latest marina to be awarded full residential status. Wigrams Turn Waterside & Marina on the junction of the Oxford and Grand Union Canals in Warwickshire now have brand-new residential moorings for sale for both wide beams and narrowboats. Aquavista’s residential mooring package includes a registered UK postal address and post box, a 2000L Keter…

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  • The ‘Business End’ of the Pottery Industry at the Junction of Two Canals

    The ‘Business End’ of the Pottery Industry at the Junction of Two Canals

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    An ‘in steam’ weekend is upcoming at Etruria Industrial Museum, Staffordshire’s “hidden gem” tucked into a junction of the Trent & Mersey and Caldon canals in Stoke-on-Trent. On 27th-28th July, its 1820s beam engine ‘Princess’ will be seen driving the world’s only operational steam-powered potter’s mill, a scheduled monument. Opened in 1875, the mill produced the…

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  • From marina to mountain

    From marina to mountain

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    BOATER James Kinsey is embarking on an incredible challenge this October by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to raise vital funds and awareness for the charity Meningitis Now. His 18-month-old son, Ralph, battled meningitis at just 12 weeks of age but it won’t be known if there have been any lasting effects until he is older.  Colleagues…

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  • Canalathon along the Grantham Canal

    Canalathon along the Grantham Canal

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    ON SATURDAY June 29, the Grantham Canal will see a group of walkers from Greenfields Countryside Limited and GCS walking 26.2 miles in their own ‘Canalathon’ to raise funds for the Grantham Canal Society. This idea was proposed by Greenfields Countryside Limited following a very successful Corporate Volunteering day in February and has been ably…

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  • Floating sculpture gets thumbs up from planners

    Floating sculpture gets thumbs up from planners

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    A FLOATING sculpture to be created by internationally renowned artist Alex Chinneck for the Sheffield & Tinsley Canal has been granted planning permission. The ambitious new commission will be installed on the Tinsley Flight, close to Tinsley Marina, later this year and is the first time the artist has embarked on a floating artwork. Sculpted…

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  • Dredgers remove tons of sediment from canal locks

    Dredgers remove tons of sediment from canal locks

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    THE Canal & River Trust is dredging several locks on the Trent & Mersey Canal between Burton-on-Trent and Kings Bromley in Staffordshire. These works, taking place until June 28, will see the trust remove around 25 tons of sediment each from Branston, Dallow and Tattenhill locks, investing around £60,000 in the project. The dredging is…

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  • Priority repairs to Thatcham canal lock

    Priority repairs to Thatcham canal lock

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    DIVERS have taken to the water of the Kennet & Avon Canal in Thatcham as the Canal & River Trust carries out repairs to Colthrop Lock. One of the busiest on the river section of the canal, the lock had developed leaks caused by general wear and tear. The trust prioritised work to fix the…

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  • Rubber ducks and dragon boats return to Paddington Basin

    Rubber ducks and dragon boats return to Paddington Basin

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    THE Rubber Duck Race and Dragon Boat Regatta are making a splash again in July on the Paddington Arm in aid of the Cosmic charity. It supports the children’s and neonatal intensive care units at St Mary’s and Queen Charlotte’s Hospitals in London.. Lynsey Carrington, acting chief executive for Cosmic, said: “We hope to raise…

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  • Adventures with wildlife: How wildlife aware are you? 

    Adventures with wildlife: How wildlife aware are you? 

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    MONDAY sees the start of the Green Blue’s Boating Wildlife Aware Week (June 10-14), an awareness campaign from the RYA’s environmental programme. The annual campaign celebrates the amazing animals and birds that we share our blue spaces with and promotes best practice methods for minimising wildlife disturbance.     Here are The Green Blue’s top tips…

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  • Busy season for Grantham volunteers

    Busy season for Grantham volunteers

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    GRANTHAM Canal Society work parties are well into their busy season and have been making good progress on maintenance and restoration projects. Volunteers have attended chainsaw training to allow them to clear self-set trees along the canal bank, Lock 16 has had a fresh lick of paint and work on Lock 13 is well underway.…

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  • Celebrating 30 years since Bridgwater & Taunton Canal reopening

    Celebrating 30 years since Bridgwater & Taunton Canal reopening

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    CANAL lovers in Somerset are marking 30 years since the Bridgwater & Taunton Canal was reopened, with a flotilla of boats and a celebration at the Somerset Boat Centre on Saturday and Sunday June 8-9. Connecting the towns of Bridgwater and Taunton, the 14-and-a-half mile waterway, cared for by Canal & River Trust, boasts nearly…

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  • Hayes Canal Festival returns with day of fun

    Hayes Canal Festival returns with day of fun

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    A SUNDAY of fun on the canal is returning with the annual Hayes Canal Festival confirmed for Sunday June 23, 2024.  The event, run by the Canal & River Trust, has been made possible this year through the generous financial support from Colt Data Centre Services and building services company T Clarke. There will be…

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  • CRT customer service facilities update

    CRT customer service facilities update

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    THE Canal & River Trust is looking to fill gaps between its boater facilities to bring them in line with its policy to ensure a consistent level of service. Over the past year, the trust has been rolling out fully contactless payment options on pump out machines, modernising the facilities, making them more robust, and…

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