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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.

Reporting an urgent matter on the cut - phone CRT on 0303 040 4040 

Reporting general issues - use CRT's new on-line form

Please tell us too - navigation@hnbc.org.uk

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

Find historic boats...

Events   view all

Sat 21 July
Anderton Boat Lift Transport Festival

The Festival organisers are anxious to encourage historic boats to attend, so this would be an ideal place to call in on your way from Lymm to Audlem!

Contact Graham Wood, Duty Manager Operations at Anderton Boat Lift 01606 786777 ext 4187

Sat 21 July
HNBC Committee meeting

To be held at Field View, Braunston NN11 7JS.

Fri 27 July
Audlem Festival of Transport

The Festival of Transport takes place on Sunday 29 July, but historic boats will gather on the nearby Shropshire Union canal from Friday 27 July onwards.

Further details here http://www.audlem-aset.org/events/transport-festival.html

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 a map showing the waterways for which they are responsible - 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