What’s On

  • Canalway Cavalcade 2026

    Canalway Cavalcade 2026

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    AS reported, the IWA Canalway Cavalcade returns to London’s Little Venice on Saturday, May 2 for the full early May Bank Holiday weekend. Boat bookings are now open at www.waterways.org.uk/cavalcade Each year we celebrate the best of life on the waterways and its community. With eclectic live music around the site, special boating activities like…

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  • Go behind the scenes of lock restoration at Chesterfield Canal open day  

    Go behind the scenes of lock restoration at Chesterfield Canal open day  

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    The Canal & River Trust is giving members of the public the opportunity to get an up-close view of newly installed lock gates at Stret Lock in Worksop to highlight what it takes to look after the nation’s centuries-old canal network. The trust has replaced two sets of lock gates on the narrow beam lock…

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  • HISTORIC NORTHAMPTONSHIRE working boat celebrates 90th birthday

    HISTORIC NORTHAMPTONSHIRE working boat celebrates 90th birthday

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    A historic Northamptonshire working boat which played a key role in fighting fires in London during World War II is set to celebrate her 90th birthday. Sculptor, which is owned by the Canal & River Trust and normally moored outside the Canal Museum at Stoke Bruerne, began her working life in November 1935 when she joined…

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  • MEET SANTA at Coombeswood Canal Trust’s Winterfest

    MEET SANTA at Coombeswood Canal Trust’s Winterfest

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    Coombeswood Canal Trust presents its first Winterfest on Saturday, November 29. All are welcome to attend the fun-filled event which features live seasonal music, hot and cold food, real ale, children’s activities, stalls – and a visit from the man himself, Father Christmas, who will be setting sail on a Santa ferry. Visit Hawne Basin,…

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  • FOXTON LOCK festive feeling as Christmas illuminations are switching on

    FOXTON LOCK festive feeling as Christmas illuminations are switching on

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    Foxton Locks is set to sparkle as the Canal & River Trust invites visitors to one of Leicestershire’s most spectacular Christmas events, taking place on Friday 28 November. The charity, working with Foxton Locks Inn, Foxton Canal Museum and other businesses on site, is organising the event, which will see the historic site decked out…

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  • MATLOCK BATH ILLUMINATIONS

    MATLOCK BATH ILLUMINATIONS

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    Lights, boats, action! THE River Derwent, in Derbyshire, dazzled the crowds as enchanting displays of illuminated boats paraded on the water as part of this year’s Matlock Bath Illuminations. The event, which ran from September 6 to October 26, was a sell-out success, which also featured fireworks and family entertainment. During the eight-week season, Matlock…

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  • MONTH LONG Totally Thames festival returns

    MONTH LONG Totally Thames festival returns

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    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…

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  • OUTDOOR EXERCISE classes in heart of the capital

    OUTDOOR EXERCISE classes in heart of the capital

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    This summer, the much-loved morning classes on the canalside steps at King’s Cross, London, are back, so fitness fans can take in some vitamin D while they exercise. The classes run every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday until August 28. Londoners are celebrating the warmer months by starting their day on the grassy steps in Granary…

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  • EXPLORE the magical world of dragonflies

    EXPLORE the magical world of dragonflies

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    There’s plenty of time to get involved in the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust’s summer Dragonfly Festival. It’s taking place until September 22 at all 10 of the WWT’s wetland sites in the UK. “Dragonflies are some of nature’s most dazzling creatures, with their shimmering wings, acrobatic flight, and vibrant colours,” said the trust. “A living…

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  • ICONIC PADDLE STEAMER returns to the water

    ICONIC PADDLE STEAMER returns to the water

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    The historic steam-powered Kingswear Castle – the last remaining coal-fired paddle steamer in the UK – has set sail on its summer cruises on the River Dart. The circular route takes in the lower part of the river, viewing the castles at the estuary, the Britannia Royal Naval College, and towards famous crime novelist Dame…

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  • FLOCK to Foxton Locks for family fun

    FLOCK to Foxton Locks for family fun

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    Families are being encouraged to explore a 200-year-old marvel of engineering this summer as the Canal & River Trust launches a programme of summer activities at Foxton Locks, Leicestershire. The charity is holding a series of activities helping people to discover the wildlife and historic features at the site, the UK’s longest, steepest flight of…

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  • TRADE SHOW promises to be electric!

    TRADE SHOW promises to be electric!

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    Electrika 2025, the second ever gathering of narrowboat owners, industry experts and manufacturers, is shining the spotlight on sustainable boating. Lucy Wood reports… With more and more electric narrow boats on the canal network and increasing interest in sustainable boating, Electrika aims to encourage and support the wider adoption of electric propulsion on the UK…

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  • FOXTON hosts 75th anniversay celebration

    FOXTON hosts 75th anniversay celebration

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    FOXTON Locks is set to host a weekend-long canal festival celebrating the pivotal role that Leicestershire’s waterways played in the renaissance of the nation’s canal network 75 years ago. The festival, taking place on June 7 and 8, is being organised by the Leicestershire branch of the IWA with local partners including the Canal &…

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  • SUMMER PARTY: All welcome!

    SUMMER PARTY: All welcome!

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    Only a few weeks to go until River Canal Rescue’s 25th anniversary celebration! The free family-friendly party is from 1-7pm on Sunday 8 June, at the Stafford Riverway Link Grounds, Baswich, Stafford, ST17 4FR. Near RCR HQ (br 101 on the Staffs &Worcs canal). Bringing together the local community, boaters, past and current RCR members,…

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