The capital has seen boat numbers grow dramatically and, in central areas, demand for mooring space is at a premium. A recent consultation showed that boaters were put off visiting because of the perception that they would not be able to find somewhere to moor. The additions to the existing pre-bookable moorings will give boaters the security of a spot before they embark on a cruise into central London.
New sites
The 800m of pre-bookable moorings are at Camden, King’s Cross, Broadway Market and Victoria Park on the Regent’s Canal, and Cowley North and Kensal Green on the Grand Union Canal. They bring the total length of pre-bookable moorings in central London to around 1,500m with existing sites at Little Venice and Paddington on the Grand Union, and eco-moorings* at King’s Cross and Islington on the Regent’s.
The new sites at Camden and King’s Cross are available from 1 April, with the sites at Broadway Market, Victoria Park, Cowley North and Kensal Green to be phased in throughout the year. The moorings are priced between £25 and £35 per night and can be booked for one to seven days, with a maximum of seven days in a single visit. Moorings can be booked online or by calling our customer service team on 0303 040 4040.
The capital’s waterways are shared by many different types of boaters, and the available space must be shared fairly. Over 90% of London’s moorings remain available to moor on for free for up to 14 days. We have also created 1,200m of free towpath moorings in central London over the past few years to meet the needs of cruising boats.
The additional income raised from the pre-bookable moorings will allow the charity to employ rangers to make sure that boats are not staying too long and blocking spaces for other boaters.
Vibrant busy spaces
Matthew Symonds, our head of customer service support, said: “London’s canals cut through some of the tourist hotspots of the city and it’s no surprise that, for many boaters, mooring up in the heart of the capital is on their ‘bucket list’ of cruises. The waters are vibrant spaces, busy with liveaboard boats, visiting cruisers, trip boats and roving traders, not to mention waterside businesses, and the many thousands of people who use the towpaths every day. With London’s canals at peak capacity, it’s more important than ever that we manage the space fairly for all.
“We hope that these pre-bookable moorings will provide surety to boaters planning a visit to London. Everyone deserves to have the opportunity to see our fantastic capital city, and what better way to do it than from the water?”
** We're introducing a charge for the pre-bookable eco mooring sites at King’s Cross and Angel Islington. Boaters have the option to connect to electric hook up at these locations using their Meter Max account.
