Boating along the Aire & Calder Navigation

The wide, deep Aire & Calder Navigation is an exciting experience for the pleasure boater. The automated locks and freight traffic give it an atmosphere quite unlike the narrow canals of the Midlands.

Commercial barge skippers are always aware of smaller boats and will treat you with courtesy. However, as their boats are less manoeuvrable than yours, you should give way to them and follow instructions from lock-keepers where appropriate.

As the name suggests, the Aire & Calder Navigation is partly a river navigation, and there are flood locks to separate the river and canal sections. Traffic lights at each lock will inform you if the river sections are flowing too fast for safe navigation.

Along the way you will see soaring power stations, old loading basins, motley collections of commercial craft, and fearsome-looking weirs as river and canal sections interchange. If this sounds unattractive, think again. The Aire & Calder can be a glorious cruise on a summer's day for those who like their boating on a grander scale than 7ft wide.

Bridge & lock opening times

Find detailed information on local services, moorings and stoppages by using the drop down menu on the left.