The Water Road
Episodes
CanalPlanAC -- the canal planning website
20 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
CanalPlanAC is one of the most used canal websites, used by boaters to work out the best route between two places, and how long it might take. We spea...
New Series, New Boat
06 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Water Road is back for a second series! In the past few months we have moved onto our new boat, and in this episode we talk to James Attwood from ...
Christmas at Ellesmere Port Boat Museum
09 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's Christmas, and Santa is in his grotto at the National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port in Cheshire. The elves are running boat trips so childre...
Montgomery Canal
21 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Montgomery Canal is under restoration, and has been for more than fifty years. In this episode of The Water Road we speak to Chris Chambers, a loc...
Llangollen Wharf and the Horseshoe Falls
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Water Road we reach Llangollen, at the end of the Llangollen Canal, and explore the Horseshoe Falls a couple of miles from the ...
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
24 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Water Road we cross the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct on the Llangollen Canal, one of the wonders of the waterways. We get the facts an...
Hurleston Reservoir on the Llangollen Canal
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Water Road, we begin a journey along the Llangollen Canal, and discover why the water flows so strongly. Hurleston Reservoir ne...
Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker
26 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Water Road, we walk a couple of minutes from the Shropshire Union Canal in Cheshire to the Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker. Th...
Cholmondeston Lock
12 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Water Road we're at Cholmondeston Lock on the Middlewich Branch in Cheshire, where members of the local branch of the Inland Wa...
Water shortages and canal closures
05 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this extra episode of The Water Road, we examine the issue of the moment -- extreme water shortages which have led to canal and lock closures in th...
Staffs and Worcester Canal
29 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Water Road we travel along the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal. We visit the Bratch Locks near Womborne, which look like...
Floating Market
15 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Water Road we visit a floating market on the Shropshire Union Canal, and hear from some of the people trading from their boats....
Beeston's Canalside Heritage Centre
01 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of The Water Road comes from Beeston in Nottinghamshire, where the Beeston Cut leaves the River Trent. The main focus of the episode is t...
Electrika -- the electric boat show
18 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Water Road we investigate the world of electric propulsion boats, with a visit to the Electrika boat show. We hear how the show...
Foxton Locks and Inclined Plane
04 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Water Road we reach Foxton Locks, where we have quite a wait to get down Britain's longest flight of staircase locks. A volunte...
Richard Parry interview
20 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this special edition of The Water Road, we talk to Richard Parry, who's stepping down this summer as Chief Executive of the Canal and River Trust. ...
Crick Boat Show
06 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this bumper episode of The Water Road we visit the Crick Boat Show in Northamptonshire -- the biggest show of its kind for the inland waterways. We...
Caldon Canal 2: Froghall trip boat and steam trains
23 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Join us as we continue our travels on the waterways of England and Wales. In this episode we reach the end of the Caldon Canal. While our boat can't f...
Caldon Canal 1: Staircase Locks and Cheddleton
09 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Join us as we begin a journey along the Caldon Canal in Staffordshire in our narrowboat. We ascend the Beford Street staircase locks in Stoke, and tra...
Westport Lake, Stoke-on-Trent
25 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Join us at our mooring on the Trent and Mersey Canal at Westport Lake in Stoke-on-Trent. We hear from the boat builder, Tim Tyler, about how narrowboa...
Stoke Bruerne
10 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Join us as we set off on our narrowboat, and travel through the Northamptonshire village of Stoke Bruerne. We speak to a volunteer lock keeper and hea...