Boaters' Update 26 March 2026

Water resources ahead of Easter

Even though the damp winter is still fresh in the memory, we all know that it takes the right intensity of rain, in the right locations, to make a measurable difference in water resources for navigation. So, you may be wondering, did the wet winter have the desired effect? I met up with our group hydrology manager, Adam Comerford, to find out.

Transforming Boating Programme update

On top of the largescale engineering works, lock replacements, dredging and other maintenance that’s needed to keep the network flowing, in response to feedback from you, last year, we set about prioritising the day-to-day things that most improve navigation – targeting the issues that will make your experience better. There are four main principles of what’s become known as the Better Boating Plan (which forms part of the Transforming Boating Programme!):

• Keeping canals open for boating: We will demonstrate to you that keeping our canals open for navigation is at the heart of what we do. This is our commitment to you, from the top of the Trust, that boating is central to our long-term plan.
• Getting the basics right: Boating should feel easier for you, with our locks and swing bridges better maintained and easier to use. You should also see fewer unplanned stoppages that disrupt your cruising.
• Boater Facilities: We know that boater facilities - water, Elsans and rubbish points – are important, so when they do break, we'll work quicker to fix them. Combatting overflowing bins and fly tipping will improve your experience of using these facilities. And we know many of you care about recycling: clearer facilities will make it easier for you to do this.
• Better communications & customer service: We want to make it easier for you to tell us if there is a problem so we can fix it. Being able to find up-to-date information is important, so we'll improve the communication and customer service you receive and provide more opportunities to meet and talk with us.

Even though last year’s drought meant we had to divert resources to protect the network in the face of near-unprecedented extreme weather, great strides were made as part of the three-year plan to transform the boating experience. In this edition we look at ‘Getting the basics right’.

The presentation below, from national boating manager, Alex Hennessey, and operations colleague, Tracy Jackson, goes into the detail of the changes in our approach to maintenance that will make a tangible difference out on the cut.

Over the coming editions we delve into other aspects of the plan and, as always, you’ll be able to track our progress via the dashboards on our website.

Share your thoughts!

What does ‘good communication’ mean to you? We’re looking for boaters to talk to us about how we communicate, what’s working, and where we can make changes for the better.

We’d like to hear your views and ideas, either in one-to-one calls or in discussion groups with other boaters. We’ll also be inviting representatives from the national boating organisations and the boater representatives on our council to share their thoughts.

If you’d like to be involved, please contact [email protected]

The need to improve our communications was highlighted in the Licence Commission Report and is part of our Better Boating Plan (see above).

230 years of the Nottingham & Beeston Canal

Another trip down memory lane - last time we looked at the Huddesrfield Narrow, this week we visit the East Midlands and delve into 230 years of the Nottingham & Beeston Canal

The canal, winding its way through the heart of Nottinghamshire, is more than just a stretch of water; it’s a living testament to the city’s rich industrial past. Work began in 1793 and boats were heading along the initial stretch, the Beeston Cut, by 1796.

This ambitious project was spearheaded by the engineer William Jessop who, after working on the Cromford Canal, understood the transformative effect of canals. Designed to connect the fast-growing city with the River Trent, navigation had a total length nearing 15 miles, stretching from Trent Bridge to the city centre.

By the time all construction finished in 1802, the estimated cost was nearly doubled at around £130,000, which, adjusted for inflation, would amount to close to £13million today. This can be considered a bargain given that HS2 could eventually cost up to £1billion per mile and parts are still in use 230 years later!

Poking rock

You may remember that, in the last edition, there was a little sneak preview of our principal tunnel inspection at Standedge Tunnel. Well, a more detailed look at this work was promised and here it is! You’ll also get to hear from the fabulous volunteers that make the tunnel accessible for those who don’t have a boat (or would rather someone else navigated through the tunnel while they enjoyed the experience of going through the longest and highest canal tunnel in the country!).

The boom and, you guessed it, bust

Once the canal was operational, it became a lifeline for local industries, playing a pivotal role in Nottingham's economic landscape. It was especially crucial for transporting coal from the nearby pits in the Nottinghamshire coalfields to the city and beyond. Boats could carry up to 30 tonnes of cargo at a time, significantly more than horse-drawn carts.

Within the first couple of decades, the canal enabled the movement of around 220,000 tonnes of goods annually. It's estimated that around 500 boats regularly used the canal each year during its peak, reflecting Nottingham's bustling economy. Goods such as limestone, timber, and even agricultural produce moved along its waters, helping industries like lace-making thrive.

The economic boom wasn’t the only one. There was also a literal boom during this period. On 28 September 1818, the canal company’s warehouse near Wilford Street, Nottingham, was destroyed by an explosion, which tragically resulted in the deaths of two men.

The Nottingham Boat Company had delivered 21 barrels of gunpowder, and a man named Musson noticed that some of the powder had leaked from a barrel. For reasons unknown, he dropped a hot cinder onto the powder, which caused it all to explode - it’s said that he was thrown 115m by the blast.

Here’s where the story gets all too familiar. With the arrival of the railways in the 1830s, the technology of transport took a giant leap forward. Trains could carry goods faster and in greater quantities. By the middle of the 19th century, the canal started to see a decline in traffic and income.

As happened across the network, the canal company decided to cut its losses and sell to the Ambergate and Manchester Railway. While not as busy as it had been, as late as 1916 saw over 120,000 tonnes of goods transported via the cut. But the introduction of motor vehicles only exacerbated this downward spiral and the mainline of the canal was abandoned in 1937, as road transport became increasingly preferred.

Another familiar narrative is of tireless volunteers and revival – in this case spearheaded by the Nottingham Canal Society, formed in 1976. The Society, local council and other volunteer-led organisations such as the Waterway Recovery Group held work parties and gradually brought five miles of the canal back to life and navigable.

Vital part of the network

Just last month, as part of our winter works programme, we did a full paddle replacement at Castle Lock. Outside of this programme, over the last few months, we’ve also been carrying out tree safety works, repaired the water point at Meadow Lane and the Elsan at Beeston Lock as well as recovering a mobility scooter from the cut near Bridge 9.

Today, with the restored 17th Century Nottingham Castle standing guard, the canal forms a vital link between where the Upper Trent meets the River Trent, from Beeston Lock to Meadow Lane Lock, where it rejoins the River Trent, enabling you to bypass an unnavigable section of the River Trent.

Much like those who championed its original construction, the present-day city has embraced the canal as a central, dynamic, part of its evolution and its story of resilience and adaptation is waiting for you to discover. It might only make up a small part of the network but it plays a big part in demonstrating the value, to those who want to cruise as well as local communities, of supporting our canals and rivers.

Maintenance, repair and restoration work this weekend

As someone who’s out on, or by, the water more often than most, you’ll know that there are times when we need to fix things that unexpectedly break. Of course, as we’re in the more volatile months of spring there’s still a higher chance of extreme weather impacting navigation.

When this does happen, or we have to unexpectedly repair something, we get notices up on to our website as soon as we can – it’s always best to have a scan while you’re planning your cruise and also just before you set off. You can find out how to get stoppage notification alerts on your smartphone in this article.

Follow this link to see where navigations are shut this weekend.

If you have any questions about a specific closure, or spot an error in our system, please get in touch.

Best boating behaviour

With Easter just around the corner, and with the sunshine returning, many of you have returned to the cut. It is therefore a good time to revisit boating etiquette. In broad terms, this is what you have told us are the four principles to follow:

1. Cruise past moored boats at your slowest safe speed or, in any case, a speed that does not cause undue disturbance to moored boats. Reduce speed before you reach moored boats.
2. Frequently check that you are not creating a breaking wash behind your boat – ‘Watch Your Wash’.
3. Keep an eye out for boats behind you – they may signal, sometimes with their horn, that they want to overtake. If a skipper has signalled that they wish to overtake you, check it is safe for them to do so before moving over to the side of the channel. If it is not safe, convey this to the skipper and wait for a more suitable opportunity.
4. When mooring use spring lines – ropes set diagonally from the bow and stern – as well as your usual fore and aft lines.

A great tip was also proposed for those who are new, or returning, to boating after a hiatus:

• If you’re new, or just returning, to boating then it might be an idea to disembark a crew member, when out on your first cruise, so that they can walk along the towpath while you match their speed – this way you’ll get a rough idea of a suitable cruising speed (unless passing moored boats of course when, generally, you’ll be going slower!)

It's not only cruising speed that you’ve told us about. Considerate use of generators is also important. As a reminder, the Terms & Conditions of a boat licence state that you should:

• 10.9.2. not use any electricity generator, including the boat's engine, at any mooring along the waterway between 8pm and 8am, unless you are moored in isolation, out of earshot of other people. We do not intend this condition to stop you moving the boat from the mooring;
• 10.9.3. not run the boat’s engine in gear when it is moored. This can both damage the waterway walls and cause a nuisance;

Of course, even if you’re running your generator after 8am and before 8pm you still need to ensure that any exhaust fumes are blowing in a safe direction.

Another issue, recently pointed out on social media, was of water points being used for something other than their intended use – such as hooking up a hose with a brush and washing a boat. They are for filling drinking water tanks and should be used as speedily as possible with an eye out for other craft who might be waiting to use the water point.

And the final, definitely least palatable, topic you’ve been in touch about is dog poo. It’s a perennial subject that, seemingly, people need reminding about. To be unequivocal about it, there is only one answer to the question ‘what are the acceptable ways to clear up after my dog next to a waterway?’. And that is ‘The same as you should anywhere else – bag it and bin it, not stick and flick it’.