Making life better by water

  • About us
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    • About the Canal & River Trust
    • Where we work
    • How we are run
    • How we make a difference
    • Our publications
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    About the Canal & River Trust

    • Find out about our work
    Ecologists checking the canal bank

    Specialist teams

    Find out how our expert teams work together to make life better by water

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    Where we work

    • East Midlands
    • London & South East
    • North West
    • Wales & South West
    • West Midlands
    • Yorkshire & North East
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    Work for us

    We have vacancies across all of our waterways and in the offices, museums and attractions that support them. We're one of the UK's biggest charities and we take pride in everything we do

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    How we are run

    • Board of Trustees
    • Bwrdd Glandwr Cymru
    • The Council
    • Executive team
    • National Advisory Groups
    • National Users' Forum
    • Regional advisory boards
    Little Venice

    Contact us

    If you're thinking of getting in touch then please take a moment to look through these pages as we probably have the answer on our website

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    How we make a difference

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    Our publications

    • Annual report
    • Document library
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    Work for us

    • Find out about working for us
  • Enjoy the waterways
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    • Enjoy the waterways
    • Canal and river map
    • Boating
    • Canal history
    • Paddle sports
    • Cycling
    • Events
    • Fishing
    • Nature and wildlife
    • Places to visit
    • Safety on our waterways
    • Walking
    • Wellbeing
    • Arts & Culture
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    Enjoy the waterways

    • Boating
    • Canal history
    • Paddle sports
    • Cycling
    • Events
    • Fishing
    • Nature and wildlife
    • Places to visit
    • Safety on the waterways
    • Walking
    • Art & Culture
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    See our full waterways map

    • Regent's Canal
    • Grand Union Canal
    • Kennet & Avon Canal
    • Leeds & Liverpool Canal
    • Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal
    • Birmingham Canal Navigations
    • Oxford Canal
    • Trent & Mersey Canal
    • Lee Navigation
    • Lancaster Canal
    • Worcester & Birmingham Canal
    • Llangollen Canal
    A young boy enjoying the summer

    Summer safety by the water

    As the weather is warming up we want everyone to be able to enjoy our canals and rivers in the safest possible way

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    Boating

    • A guide to boating
    • Licence your boat
    • Mooring
    • Notices and stoppages
    • Boating accessibility
    • Boat services
    • Boat based businesses
    Derwent Mouth Lock, Open Day

    Stoppages and notices

    We're continually carrying out work to improve our canals and rivers. Find out if we're working along your route before you set off on a boat trip

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    Canal history

    • Canal heritage
    • The first canal age
    • Canals & Transatlantic Slavery
    • Twentieth Century decline
    • The new canal age
    • Horseboating
    • James Brindley, canal pioneer
    • Roses & Castles, canal folk art
    • War on the waterways
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    Paddle sports

    • Getting started
    • Licensing your canoe
    • Keep yourself safe
    • Kayak fishing
    • Canoeing and the environment
    • The canoeing and kayaking quiz
    • Paddle boarding
    Two people in a Canadian Canoe

    10 reasons to take up paddling

    It's a great way to get fit and explore our waterways at the same time

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    Cycling

    • Cycling routes
    • FAQs
    Duck Lanes, Share the Space

    Share the Space

    Take a look at our common sense guide to sharing the towpath

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    Events

    • Planning an event
    • Find an event
    • Open days
    Camden Lock Open Day

    Winter open days

    Our open days offer a different perspective of our waterways, a behind-the-scenes look at the great work we do. A free day out for all the family.

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    Fishing

    • Places to fish
    • Fishery list
    • Waterway wanderers
    • Commercial fisheries
    • Seven reasons why fishing is good for you
    • Let's fish!
    • Fish species
    • Angling match results
    • Learn to fish
    • Angling history stories
    • Blogs from the Fisheries & Angling team
    • Coarse fishing close season
    • Fishing FAQs
    Little Venice

    Find a place to fish

    From reservoirs to club-managed canals and river stretches - find your nearest place to fish

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    Nature and wildlife

    • Canals and climate change
    • Canal habitats
    • Keeping our ducks healthy
    • A spotter's guide to waterway wildlife
    • The rogues' gallery
    Grey Heron by the canal

    Get your free guide

    Download your free guide today and start exploring the waterway nature near you

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    See all 123 places to visit

    • Ten free places to visit in 2022
    • National Waterways Museum, Ellesmere Port
    • National Waterways Museum, Gloucester Docks
    • The Canal Museum, Stoke Bruerne
    • Anderton Boat Lift Visitor Centre, Cheshire
    • Standedge Tunnel and Visitor Centre, Yorkshire
    • Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Visitor Centre, North Wales
    • Little Venice, London
    • Foxton Locks, Leicestershire
    • Caen Hill Locks, Devizes, Wiltshire
    • Hatton Locks, Warwickshire
    • Fradley Junction, Staffordshire
    • Marple Locks and Aqueduct, Cheshire
    • Tees Barrage, Stockton on Tees
    Snowed in narrowboat on the canal at Apperley Bridge

    Download your free guides

    You've nine free days out guides to choose from - where will you go first?

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    Safety on our waterways

    • Open water swimming
    • Safety during flooding
    • Summer water safety
    • Winter water safety
    • James' story
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    Walking

    • Walking routes
    • Access for all
    • Dog walking
    • Walking for health
    • Canal walking holidays
    Walking by the canal

    Find a walk near you

    Are you ready to ramble? Find a waterside stroll or a satisfying hike along our beautiful canals and rivers

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    Wellbeing

    • The five ways to wellbeing
    • Meet Well-B
    • Life's better by water

    Wellbeing with Well-B

    Discover how you can recharge when spending time by water

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    Arts & Culture on the Waterways

    • Street Art
    • The Line
    • Past projects
    Little Venice

    Art Events

    Take a look at our upcoming events here.

  • Volunteer
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    • Volunteer with the Trust
    • Volunteering opportunities
    • Ways to volunteer
    • Volunteer articles
    • Meet our volunteers
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    Volunteer with the Trust

    • Find out all about volunteering
    Young women volunteering

    Something for everyone

    Help us make a difference and have fun along the way. Find your perfect volunteer role today

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    Volunteering opportunities

    Join our team

    Could you join your local Towpath Taskforce team and help us to keep our canals looking lovely?

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    Ways to volunteer

    • Become a volunteer lock keeper
    • Towpath Taskforce
    • Lead volunteers
    • Welcome station volunteers
    • Explorers education volunteers
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    Volunteer articles

    • Read more about volunteering with us
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    Meet our volunteers

  • Support us
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    • Donate
    • Give regularly as a Friend
    • Our appeals
    • Fundraise for us
    • Give in memory and celebration
    • Our campaigns
    • Give as you shop online
    • Partner with us
    • Shop our online range
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    Donate

    • Donate online
    • Donate to our appeals
    • Find out how to donate to the Trust
    • Give in memory & celebration
    • Give as you shop online
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    Donate today

    100% of your donation will be used to make life better by water

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    Give regularly as a Friend

    • Become a Friend today
    • Friendship discounts & benefits
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    Our appeals

    • Mark 10 years of our charity with a festive gift
    • Help nature bloom over the Lune
    • Will you help nature recover?
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    Fundraise for us

    • Canalathon
    • Find a fundraising challenge
    • Fundraising ideas
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    Give in memory and celebration

    • Tribute pages
    • Dedication pages
    • Funeral donations
    • Leave a gift in your Will
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    Our campaigns

    • #ActNowForCanals
    • Plastics Challenge
    • Stay Kind, Slow Down
    Deborah Meaden with Kingfisher

    Our campaigns

    Our canals can change lives. We want everyone to have a space where they can relax, a space they can escape to, connect with our history and get closer to nature.

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    Give as you shop online

    • AmazonSmile
    • Easyfundraising
    • Give as you Live
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    Partner with us

    • Corporate partnerships
    • Philanthropy & major gifts
    • Volunteering in partnership
    • Youth partners & funders
    • People's Postcode Lottery
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Recharge with a waterside walk

Our charity makes life better by water

200 years of history, 2,000 miles of living waterways

Kick-start 2023 with an exciting fundraising challenge

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Local to you

Wellbeing on your doorstep. Find walks, activities and more within miles of

The latest from the Trust

A happy couple by the canal

Valentine's Wall of Love

Canals can be beautiful and romantic places to enjoy with your loved one. Show them how much they mean to you by sharing a message on our Wall of Love

Toddler enjoying the canal safely

Toddler Water Safety Week

Children's presenter Maddie Moate encourages us to 'Take two steps back'. Watch our new film about enjoying the canals safely

Open days wonderment

Open Days

Look behind the scenes at our charity's winter works

Man with shovel

Volunteer with us

Help our charity make canals blue, green and better

Couple walking Monkton Combe, Kennet & Avon Canal res id 12748

Ten romantic locations

Celebrate Valentine's Day somewhere beautiful

Winter on the Llangollen Canal

Boating notices

Stay up to date this winter

A full rigged ship at mooring

Latest news

Find out what's happening locally and nationally

Flying swan

Winter wildlife

See what you can spot by the canal

Notices & stoppages

Where to fish

Upcoming events

See our network

Learning

Keep up to date with the latest events, news and stories

Sign up to our newsletter

Resources

  • FAQs
  • Stoppages
  • Document library
  • Planning notices
  • National consultations

Services

  • Media centre
  • Business & trade
  • Location hire
  • Shop
  • Planning an event

Information

  • Specialist Teams
  • Our policies
  • Publication scheme
  • Work for us
  • Contact us
  • Safety by the water

Other sites

  • Canal & River Explorers
  • Waterside Mooring
  • Boat licensing
  • Waterway archive

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Canal & River Trust is a charity registered with the Charity Commission no. 1146792 and a company limited by guarantee registered in England & Wales no. 07807276.