2. …
  3. Canal history

Unlocking Hidden Stories

Unlocking Hidden Stories delves deep into the diverse array of objects in our collection.

Diver's Suit @Jenine.McGaughran Diver's suit

We care for more than 15,000 items across our three museum sites at Ellesmere Port, Stoke Bruerne and Gloucester, representing the most comprehensive history of inland waterways in the UK, and the largest in the world.

Each item in the collection has a story to tell, from the building and development of the waterways through to their decline and later revival.

Our latest blogs

Helmet, pump pressure and weighted shoe

Seibe Gorman diving suit

Hear from Georgina Wilson-Williams, collections officer based at the National Waterways Museum, Ellesmere Port
T Walker Patent Harpoon Log @ Luke Unsworth

Reconnecting Day

Discover more items and their roles from a collection at the National Waterways Museum in Gloucester

Listen up

Unlocking Hidden Stories seeks to tell the human story behind the objects by championing little known and often unseen items from the collection. Drawing on a wealth of knowledge and passion from our staff, volunteers and visitors we seek to uncover new narratives that can help us better understand our inland waterways and our connection to them today:

National Waterways Museum opening 1976

Got a story to tell?

Share your interesting story about an item in our collection by emailing us

This project is supported by National Lottery Project Grants from Arts Council England.

Arts Council lottery grant logo

Last date edited: 9 December 2021