Boating along the Coventry Canal

The canal is an essential part of several cruising rings and all facilities are available en route. The 5.5 miles from Hawkesbury Junction to Coventry Basin are comparatively under-used by boaters, and deserve exploration. If you are turning onto or off the Oxford Canal at Hawkesbury, watch out for the tight turn under the bridge - an enjoyable challenge for any narrowboater.

Once bustling with narrowboats carrying coal, it was a profitable venture that still paid a dividend right up to 1947, the year before the canals were taken under the Government's wing. Fazeley, the start of a useful canal link to Birmingham, neatly divides the route into two.

There are few locks on the canal: just a flight of 11 at Atherstone, and the two Glascote Locks in Tamworth. Instead, the canal follows the contours of the land, making for a rather winding line.

Bridge & lock opening times

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