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Fund Britain's Waterways - Future Events

Read about  the events and activities planned to continue promotion of the Fund Britain’s Waterways campaign during the 2025 Flotilla cruise.

See the report and photos of the boats’ journey on the Photos Reports page.

Fund Britain's Waterways - Future Events

Fund Britain’s Waterways – Campaign Cruise 2025

The FBW Campaign Cruise for 2025 continues.  You can follow progress by joining the Facebook group Fund Britain’s Waterways – Cruises for 2025

The first boats set off from Strawberry Island Boat Club, near Doncaster, on 29th March, and during April boats from across the UK travelled from their home locations to Little Venice, London to attend IWA’s Canalway Cavalcade over the bank holiday weekend of 3rd to 5th May.

Boats called at marinas or cruising clubs on route where the local people organised events to which local politicians, including MPs were invited.

The boats formed small convoys and moored together. The boats’ crews have been posting on social media as they progressed. The aim of the cruise has been to generate positive publicity for the FBW campaign getting local people and their political representatives involved.

Following IWA’s Canalway Cavalcade, a group of boats moved to Limehouse Basin and on Wednesday 7th May to cruise to the Palace of Westminster on a rising tide, arriving at the Palace from 10.30 a.m.  High Water Westminster Bridge was at 11.00 a.m.  After making our voices heard for a suitable length of time, boats headed downriver on the ebbing tide, passing Limehouse, for overnight moorings in West India Dock.

On Thursday 8th May, boats cruised from West India Dock to Brentford or Teddington. As water levels allowed, boats departed the Dock on a rising tide inbound for Brentford and Teddington. High Water Brentford and Teddington was at 1.00 p.m.  There was also an opportunity for boats to depart the tideway at Limehouse Lock.

Following the Cavalcade Dispersal cruise, individual boats have cruised towards Boston to cross The Wash.  Those boats who exited the Thames at Brentford took the Grand Union Canal north to Braunston, then headed up to Huddlesford Junction and then along the Trent and Mersey Canal to Torksey Junction and down to Boston for to cross The Wash to Wisbech. The first available window for the transit begins on 23rd June. Each Wash crossing will be limited to ten boats, but multiple crossings are being planned for. Once boats have reached Wisbech, we expect they will travel into the Middle Level Navigation and possibly out to River Great Ouse and its tributaries.

Boats that choose to go up to Teddington then cruised the Thames to Oxford, followed the Oxford Canal up to Braunston, then the Grand Union Canal to Leicester, River Soar to join the rest of the group at Boston. Some boats have taken slightly different routes, but the idea has been to use water in the care of as many different navigation authorities as possible.

The following week by week itinerary gives an indication of areas covered.  Our Facebook page Fund Britain’s Waterways – Cruises for 2025 is updated each day.

Several boat club visits have taken place during the flotilla’s journey:

6th April – Soar Boating Club
12th April – Taveners Boat Club
1st May – St Pancras Cruising Club
17th May – Lionhearts Cruising Club
24th May – Lichfield Canal Cruising Club
24th May – Tooley’s Boatyard, Banbury
13 & 14th June – Burton Waters Boat Club

Week 1 Saturday 29th March 2025 – Saturday 5th April 2025 – Strawberry Island Boat Club, Doncaster to Soar Boat Club, Normanton-on-Soar – Cruising the Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigation, Stainforth & Keadby Canal, River Trent and River Soar.

Week 2 Sunday 6th April – Saturday 12th April – Soar Boat Club, Normanton-on-Soar to Taverners Boat Club, Cosgrove – Cruising the River Soar, Leicester Section Grand Union and Grand Union Canal

Week 3 Sunday 13th April – Saturday 19th April – Taverners Boat Club, Cosgrove to Marsworth – Cruising the Grand Union Canal

Week 4 Sunday 20th April to Saturday 27th April – Marsworth – St Pancras Cruising Club – Cruising the Grand Union Canal, its Paddington Arm and The Regent’s Canal

Week 5 Sunday 27th April – Saturday 3rd May – St Pancras Cruising Club to Little Venice for IWA Cavalcade Bank Holiday Weekend – Cruising The Regent’s Canal

Week 6 Sunday 4th May – Saturday 10th May – Busy week this week – Little Venice IWA Cavalcade – 6th May to Limehouse – 7th May Campaign Cruise to Palace of Westminster – 8th May Dispersal Cruise with boats heading for Brentford and Teddington – Boats Coming through Brentford Lock will head for Hillingdon Canal Club – Cruising the Regents Canal, River Thames, Grand Union Canal – Boats Heading to Teddington will be continuing up the Thames

Week 7 Sunday 11th May to Saturday 17th May – Hillingdon Canal Club to Lionhearts Cruising Club – Cruising the Grand Union Canal

Week 8 Sunday 18th May to Saturday 24th May – Lionhearts Cruising Club to Lichfield Cruising Club, Huddlesford Junction – Cruising the Grand Union, Northern Oxford and Coventry canals

 Week 9 Sunday 25th May to Saturday 31st May – Lichfield Cruising Club (Huddlesford Junction) – Derby Motorboat Club – Cruising the Coventry and Trent & Mersey canals

Week 10 Sunday 1st June to Saturday 7th June – Derby Motorboat Club to Boston – Cruising the River Trent, Fossdyke Navigation and River Witham

[Note: An unexpected closure of the Boston Barrier between 2nd and 15th June has disrupted plans, as the then next available window for suitable tides, etc, is 23rd to 28th June.  The schedule for the flotilla is therefore being reviewed].

Week 11  – Boston to Denver Sluice Cruising Club Dependent on weather – Cruising the The Wash and River Nene

Week 12  – Denver Sluice Cruising Club to Cambridge – Cruising the River Nene, Middle Level Navigations, River Great Ouse and River Cam

Week 13  – Cambridge to St Ives – Cruising the River Cam and River Great Ouse

Week 14  – St Ives – March – Cruising the River Great Ouse and Middle Level Navigations

Week 15  – March – Peterborough – Cruising the Middle Level Navigations and River Nene

Week 16  – Peterborough – Oundle – Cruising the River Nene

Week 17  – Oundle – Northampton – Cruising the River Nene

Week 18  – Northampton to Hinkley – Cruising the River Nene, Northampton Arm, Grand Union, Northern Oxford, Coventry and Ashby canals

Week 19  – Hinkley to Swarkestone – Cruising the Ashby, Coventry and Trent & Mersey canals

Week 20  – Swarkestone to Doncaster – Cruising the Trent & Mersey Canal, River Trent, Stainforth & Keadby Canal, Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigation.

Future Events with a Fund Britain’s Waterways presence

If you can help promote the FBW cause at any events you are involved in at any time, please contact Hazel Owen: [email protected] and 07929 204811.

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