NarrowBoat

27/03/2026

The Spring 2026 issue of NarrowBoat magazine is out now, bringing together a rich collection of canal and river history from across the inland waterways network.

This issue leads with Chris M. Jones studying boats from Fellows, Morton & Clayton, featuring several previously unpublished images, many drawn from family collections.

Andy Tidy revisits restoration battles on the BCN, exploring the east–west route campaigners couldn’t save and the wider story of closures and revival, including Dudley Tunnel.

A remarkable 1952 newspaper feature follows the Berridge family aboard Towy as they carry tar through Birmingham in the small hours, offering a rare contemporary portrait of working boat life in the 1950s, and Richard Dean examines how the route of the Grand Junction Canal might have been very different.

The issue also includes a history of the Mon & Brec, memories of working on the Weaver in 1971 and an examination of the last coal traffics into Liverpool - plus readers’ letters and the latest heritage news.

Get your copy now – https://shop.waterwaysworld.com/current-issue/nb

03/02/2026

https://canalandriverlife.substack.com/p/the-night-the-boaters-escaped-with

The Llangollen breach has resulted in a predicted all-year stoppage, with repairs expected to run into millions. We look at the impact of December's landslip

31/12/2025

The Winter 2025 issue of NarrowBoat is now on sale, offering a richly illustrated exploration of Britain’s canal and river heritage.

This season’s magazine features a deep dive into the remarkable engineering of the Harecastle tunnels, a detailed look at canal industry and granite traffic on the Leicester Navigation at Mountsorrel and the striking 1960s images of Harker’s barges working the Aire & Calder.

Find historic scenes from the port of Wisbech on the River Nene, evocative photographic studies of the Erewash Canal and the Old Thames waterfront in and around London.

Enjoy this carefully curated celebration of the waterways as the NarrowBoat team sends seasonal greetings and thanks for your support throughout 2025.

Get your copy now – https://shop.waterwaysworld.com/current-issue/nb

16/12/2025

https://canalandriverlife.substack.com/p/writing-wartime-women

Romance novelist Shirley Mann researched the female boatwomen of World War II for her latest book. Amelia Saxena finds out more…

01/12/2025

https://canalandriverlife.substack.com/p/the-boating-booklist

Whether you've got an eye on Christmas gifts, fancy curling up with a good read, or maybe you want to plan some adventures for when better weather comes around - books are always the answer

25/11/2025

Another beautiful image from the archives - Mary Gilbert with her daughters Gwen and Julie at the Welford Wharf in 1907.

Find this image and the story behind it plus much more in the Autumn issue of Narrowboat magazine - https://shop.waterwaysworld.com/current-issue/nb

22/11/2025

The annual historic boat mayhem during the last weekend of June in the Braunston Historic Boat Rally was more subdued and manageable this year. Instead of gridlocked historic boats between the marina entrance and Braunston Turn, the parade was spread out over a much longer period.

Find out more about the event in the Autumn issue of Narrowboat magazine - https://shop.waterwaysworld.com/current-issue/nb

18/11/2025

https://canalandriverlife.substack.com/p/the-end-of-horse-power-in-london

In the capital, horses were still in use to pull boat cargo in the early 1960s, but for a while, their replacements used four wheels instead of legs

06/11/2025

Among the UK’s canal summit pounds, the Leicester Line summit of the Grand Union stands out as one of the most isolated. It winds for 18 remote miles between Crick in Northamptonshire and Foxton in Leicestershire, with scarcely a hamlet in between. The one exception to all this emptiness is the village of Welford, which is reached by its own short branch canal.

In the Autumn issue of NarrowBoart, Andy Tidy explores this short branch of the Leicester Line. Get your copy now - https://shop.waterwaysworld.com/current-issue/nb

27/10/2025

At West Bridge, flood prevention work is underway behind the large coffer dam in around 1890. These works were a major undertaking with tramway tracks laid down to remove the subsoil. This view is from West Bridge looking south, with Castle Mill Works, used for dyeing, on the off-side and the spire of St Mary’s Church in the mist behind.

Find more waterside scenes at Leicester in the Autumn issue of NarrowBoat - https://shop.waterwaysworld.com/current-issue/nb

Subscribe now and never miss an issue – https://shop.waterwaysworld.com/subscription

22/10/2025

On a dreary overcast day in 1965 Jack Parkinson and his cruiser Grey Dove pass Enfield Rolling Mills at Brimsdown, Enfield on the River Lee Navigation on the pound above Ponders End Locks.

In the Autumn issue of NarrowBoat, Chris M. Jones delves into Jack Parkinson's photo collection to explore traffic on the Lee Navigation. Get your copy here - https://shop.waterwaysworld.com/current-issue/nb