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Welcome to the HNBC

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Welcome to the HNBC

The Historic Narrow Boat Club was formed in 1966 and is a not-for-profit club dedicated to preserving the working heritage of UK canals, from the boats themselves to details of the waterways on which they travel.  We are passionate about working boats, traditional skills, the built heritage, and the practices and courtesies of the working boat people.

We are an active pressure group for navigational and waterway heritage interests and we welcome all who support our aims, whether boat owners or not.  By supporting the Club, you are helping to ensure that the UK’s canals retain their unique heritage value.

We hope you enjoy exploring this website.

Two new events added to the calendar: 

Oxford Canal Festival - 8 September 2018

Dewsbury Heritage Weekend - 5-7 October 2018

Six good reasons to join us

  • Our quarterly newsletter, full of interesting articles.
  • Discount offers on boating equipment and services.
  • Access to the ever increasing wealth of information in our narrow boat register and archive.
  • Help and advice on historic craft maintenance through our members' forum
  • Small, sociable rallies.
  • Twice yearly members’ meetings – the AGM in March and the winter social in November, both with interesting speakers.

How to join

You can join us as an individual, joint or associate member.

Read more about how to join

Our Newsletter

The Club's Newsletter is published quarterly. This is a high quality and lavishly illustrated colour publication with many fascinating features of interest to enthusiasts of historic boats.

Read "taster" Newsletter articles here. Back issues are available in limited quantities from the Club shop.

Why not join the club and get your copy hot off the press every quarter?

  Cover of Newsletter 2018/2

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Events   view all

Sat 30 June
Chesterfield Canal Festival 2018

Festival at Staveley Town Basin, S43 3XZ, on Saturday 30th June and Sunday 1st July from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Trip boats will be in operation and lots of entertainment, attractions and caterers.  Email festival@chesterfield-canal-trust.org.uk or ring 01246 477569 for further information or if you would like to have a stall or bring a boat

Sat 7 July
Half Marathon, Birmingham & Black Country

If you're boating, be prepared to admire the endurance of the half marathon runners as they pound the towpath. Or could you offer your boat as a floating water station?

Further details here http://www.bbchm.net/

Club shop

The Birmingham Canal Navigations 1950-1977, as seen through the lens of Philip Weaver

 

compiled by Mike Harrison

96 pages of photographs of the BCN taken by Philip Weaver, some in colour, some black and white. The photographs are grouped into colour-coded chapters, each with a beautiful hand-drawn map cross-referenced to the locations of the pictures.

£12.00 plus £1.50 p&p

Buy your copy through our Shop.

 

Our Club Shop always has an range of interesting products available. As well as running a stall at various events through the year, we offer a mail order service. Please browse the various categories using the links below

Blank Cards  -  Christmas Cards  -  Clothing  -  Club plaques  -  Maps and books

Navigation issues

Has your boat been stuck on the waterways?  Too shallow, too narrow, too short, too low?

It is very difficult to predict where one boat will get through and another will stick, but there are some well known tricky areas, and we're keen to have up-to-date information so we can identify new problems as well as old restrictions that are getting worse.  Please tell us where you've been stuck, with plenty of detail - eg were you going up or down in a lock, did you stick in the middle?  Also whereabouts on your boat - eg the front bends, the engine'ole bulkhead, the skeg. Read our current list here.

Don't just sort it yourself - tell CRT (03030 40 40 40) so that the problem is logged and then let us know so we can chase it up.  Here is our pinchpoints form, or you can email navigation@hnbc.org.uk.  Many thanks.

CRT have published an updated map showing their regions - click here. There is also a Contact Form for telling them about problems. 

Latest stories   view all

Middlewich - alternative route

If the breach at Middlewich has changed your route planning, have you considered the West Cheshire Ring instead?

There's useful information from CRT on how to go about booking a passage on the Manchester Ship Canal and the River Weaver on this link.

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/middlewich-alternative-route

Using Paddle Gear Safely

Here's a great little video showing the safe way to use lock paddles - only just over 6 minutes long but well worth a watch.

Click here, sit back and enjoy!

Hurleston bottom lock

Iain MacTavish, the Club's North Wales and Border area rep, has devised a schematic reporting grid that you can download here and mark where on the brickwork your boat sticks.  Please send reports to him on nwbrep@hnbc.org.uk. Thank you!

Tell us about Winding Holes!

Have you spotted a winding hole that's been chained off, or now has boats permanently moored in it, or where the width's been reduced? Please let us know so we can lobby navigation authorities to try to get these vital areas improved or reinstated. HNBC carried out a joint survey with the Inland Waterways Association because both organisations are concerned about the gradual loss of these turning points.  The survey results are now being studied, but if you spot anything new, please let us know anyway by emailing navigation@hnbc.org.uk.

Recent updates   view all