More Canal News Waterway Museums and Attractions Celebrate Historic First Anniversary

  More Canal News

Waterway Museums and Attractions Celebrate Historic First Anniversary

Waterway Watch

To mark its first anniversary the Canal & River Trust is opening the doors to its three museums; National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port; Gloucester Waterways Museum and The Canal Museum at Stoke Bruerne for free, and offering visitors to Standedge Visitor Centre in Yorkshire free 30-minute boat trips into Britain’s longest canal tunnel.

In July 2012 the Canal & River Trust took over responsibility for 2,000 miles of canals and rivers in England and Wales. The transfer of the waterways from state control to the voluntary sector was the largest of its kind ever to happen in this country.

The Canal & River Trust’s, Head of Museums and Attractions, Debbie Lumb, said: “The creation of the Canal & River Trust was an historic event in the life of the waterways and we are opening the museum doors for free so people can come and find out more about the important, but often hidden story, of our canals and rivers.

“The canals are wonderful working pieces of our nation’s heritage. It’s amazing to think that when we walk along the towpath we are still enjoying the hard work of thousands of men and women who created the canals over 250 years ago.”

Special Events include:

Gloucester Waterways Museum will be offering free entry to visitors on Sunday 30th June.

The National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port will be offering free entry to visitors on Tuesday 2 July

The Canal Museum at Stoke Bruerne will be offering free entry to visitors on Tuesday 2 July

Free 30-minute boat trips will be available from Standedge Visitor Centre on Tuesday 2 July

On 2 Julyvisitors to Anderton Boat Liftwho purchase a hot drink will be offered a slice of birthday cake

to help celebrate the first birthday of the charity.

The doors at Ellesmere Port will reopen to visitors on the 9 July, when the Trust’s Annual Meeting will be hosted by the National Waterways Museum.

To make 9 July an extra special day, entry to the museum will again be free so visitors can take advantage of seeing the museum putting on a real show – with special art workshops, archives open, engines running in the Power Hall, guided tours of the museum and a rare chance to take a behind the scenes tour of the Heritage Boatyard.