Canal & River Trust to host four-day waterways festival

Dozens of historic boats from across the UK are expected to congregate at the National Waterways Museum in Ellesmere Port for the annual Easter Boat Gathering Festival. The event, hosted by the Canal & River Trust, takes place over the Easter bank holiday weekend (7-10 April 2023).

The celebration starts on Good Friday morning as the 40-strong boat convoy travels down the Shropshire Union Canal, setting off from Chester city centre early morning and arriving at the Waterways Museum between 11am and 1pm.

The festival offers visitors the opportunity to get up close to old working boats, as well as the latest leisure narrowboats, and also offers a range of waterway-themed activities and music.

Visitors can also visit the museum’s off-site store of old boats, not normally open to the public.

Chris Done, visitor services manager with the Canal & River Trust, says: “The 2023 Easter Boat Gathering promises to be bigger and better than ever. We hope visitors will enjoy the opportunity to explore behind-the-scenes of the museum to see historic boats and heritage artefacts not normally on public display. “

Located at the junction of the Manchester Ship Canal and the Shropshire Union Canal, the museum site will stage a wide range of special attractions from craft workshops, produce stalls and lock demonstrations to children’s activities and steam engines working in the Power Hall. Plus, there will be short boat trips on offer, along the Shropshire Union Canal, run by volunteers from the Wirral Community Narrow Boat Trust.

More information is available online.