Disabled boaters’ information

Everyone is entitled to use and enjoy our canals and rivers. Find out more about accessible moorings across our waterway network, and our disabled boaters' forum.

Two narrowboats moor along the canal on a sunny day with rolling hills in the background.

Boating on our canals and rivers with a physical or mental impairment can present a whole set of different challenges, such as accessibility and boat handling. We're also very aware that it can make it hard to continuously cruise or move your boat in line with our boat licence terms and conditions.

Accessible moorings

East Midlands

Foxton, Nottingham, Lincoln, Stoke Bruerne, Leicester

London & South East

Banbury, Thrupp, Little Venice, Broadway Market, Victoria Park

North West

Cadley, Lancaster, Carnforth, Upper Mill, Chester, Wigan, Anderton

Wales & South West

Brecon, Gloucester, Bath, Bathampton, Bradford on Avon, Devizes, Hungerford, Newbury, Saul Junction

West Midlands

Birmingham, Tipton, Wolverhampton, Wednesfield, Walsall, Selly Oak, Stourport-on-Severn, Fradley Junction, Rugeley, Coventry, Leamington Spa, Ellesmere, Trevor Basin, Stratford, Erturia

Yorkshire & North East

Skipton, Gallows Bridge, Kirkstall Brewery, Sowerby Bridge, Brighouse, Fall Ings, Hebden Bridge and Ripon

Where to find volunteer lock keepers

If you know in advance that you'll need help, our volunteer lock keeper team can try to have someone on duty to assist

Disabled boater forums

We hold forums every three months, to hear your views on the issues you encounter, and to let you know what we are doing to help improve your boating experience. Most of them take place online.

Contact us if you want to receive notice of these meetings, or check our meetings page for the Eventbrite link to book your place. These forums also appear on the IWAF (Inland Waterways Accessibility Forum) page on Facebook – a place where discussions relating to disability and boating can take place. We welcome your questions and suggested topics for discussion, which you can submit in advance or bring to the meeting.

A British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter can be provided at the Disabled Boater Forum online meetings, if you let us know at least one week in advance.

Meeting dates for 2026 are: