Canal Museums &
Waterways Museums

Canal Museums - The National Waterways Museum, Gloucester Waterways Museum, Black Country Living Museum, London Canal Museum, Stoke Bruerne Canal Museum, Shardlow Heritage Centre, The Inland Waterways Heritage Network.

The best places to see the story of the changes that the canals wrought are in the waterways museums. The best known were the Canal Museum at Stoke Bruerne in Northamptonshire, the Boat Museum at Ellesmere Port in Cheshire (right) and the National Waterways Museum at Gloucester Docks, now under common management and forming The National Waterways Museum. There are are several smaller canal museums and many kindred exhibitions and interpretation centres all over the canal system. (See link to Inland Waterways Heritage Network below.) Although they all give some sort of historic overview, each naturally tends to reflect the history of their own particular area which is part of their interest and charm.

Many canals and restoration projects have their own Societies, many with Society websites, dedicated to their study, promotion and/or restoration. For instance the preserved Steam Tug Kerne and the restored Shroppie Fly Boat Saturn now have their own sites. We list Canal Societies.

The Boat MuseumThe Gloucester Waterways Museum tackles the whole broad subject of waterways in a comprehensive way, from water supply to wildlife, whilst The National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port has a huge collection of historic boats and barges, many of which are displayed afloat and working. Sadly the condition  of many is deteriorating due to lack of funds but a dry dock has been set up and trainees are developing their skills in historic boat renovation. Some very interesting canal exhibitions are part of larger regional museums, The Black Country Living Museum in Dudley, for example, has a number of complete boats as well as a recreated working canal boatyard to service them. What they all share is the dedication and enthusiasm of their staff, a huge range of experience and information on offer. Come and see, you can be sure of a warm welcome everywhere in the world of waterway museums.

UK Canal Museums & Canal Societies

Based at Ellesmere Port near Chester The National Waterways Museum includes a large collection of traditional canal and inland waterways craft.   The London Canal Museum is housed in a building built in the 1860's as an ice warehouse adjoining Battlebridge Basin on the Regent's Canal.
Housed in a magnificent old warehouse in Gloucester docks The Gloucester Waterways Museum has interesting and interactive displays.   Shardlow has a unique place in the history of this country. The 18th century canal port, still has its associated wharves and warehouses.
The Stoke Bruerne Canal Museum is housed in a restored cornmill alongside the locks in the small canal village has interesting exhibits & souvenirs.   Many canals and restoration projects have their own Canal Society websites, dedicated to their study, promotion and/or restoration.
The Black Country Living Museum has a large open air collection of buildings moved from their original sites. It is on the Birmingham Canal System.   The Inland Waterways Heritage Network contains links and information about many other UK museums who have inland waterways collections.
Anson Engine Museum, close to Lord Vernon's Wharf on the Macclesfield canal, houses the UK's largest collection of Internal Combustion Engines.      


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