The museum

There's always plenty to see and do at The Canal Museum.

Displays

Follow the story of Britain’s canals, from the great engineers and navvies who created them to the boat families, leggers and lock keepers who lived and worked on them.

You'll find models of working boats, traditional clothing, canal crafts, a re-creation of a boat-builder’s workshop, beautiful historical signs and more.

Collections

Stoke Bruerne boasts examples of painted ware and other canal crafts, traditional clothing, canal-side signs and specialist tools. Many of the objects in our collection have been designated of national importance.

You'll find a fine collection of models of working boats including narrow boats, barges, butties and tugs. Models include a short-lived inclined lift at nearby Foxton, and the remarkable Claverton Pumping Station.

Outside the museum on the canal you'll see the narrowboat Sculptor, one of the thousand or so craft listed on the UK's National Historic Boat Register.

Films and trails

There are two fascinating films to watch – early footage of working boats on the Grand Union Canal and a nostalgic 1970s film with a commentary by Jonny Morris.

Continue the story of canals with our audio guide (free with admission), which takes you from the museum along the banks of the Grand Union Canal and to the Blisworth Tunnel.