Held over the late May/Whitsun bank holiday weekend this year of Saturday 23rd to Monday 25th May 2026, The Crick Boat Show is the UK’s leading inland waterways festival, bringing together narrowboats, marine exhibitors, live entertainment, boating seminars and family attractions.

And here’s are just a few good reasons why you should stop by and see the team from LNBP over ‘the three-days of Crick’.

1. Book your ticket and join us on the Crick Boat Show trip boats

We will once again be operating the hugely-popular Trips Boats for visitors to the Show who can enjoy a short boat trip with us from the Marina and along the Leicester Line of the Grand Union Canal aboard canal boats which are once again run by our volunteer team of skippers.

The half-hour trips are run and provided free, but we welcome donations in lieu, and will run every 10 minutes from 10.10am each day of the show.

As these trips always prove very popular year-on-year, our advice is to book with us once you arrive at the Show to avoid disappointment.

You will find us at Stand Q50 by the quayside where you can up pick your tickets from our team who can tell you more about we can do and offer.

2. Donate to support us and benefit others

As mentioned above, the boat trips we run on behalf of the Crick Boat Show are provided to the Show’s visitors FREE of charge.

However LNBP do accept donations in lieu.

This is enable us as a non-proft volunteer-led charity to continue our work in the community and provide opportunities for those less than fortunate to enjoy a trip on our boats on the canals and inland waterway networks of central England

You can make donations either by cash in the collection buckets that will be on the boats and by our Booking Tent, by card via our card payment terminal, or scan the QR code on the posters on the trip boats or at the Booking Tent to make a donation payment  via our website (which you can also do here)

3. Find out more about short break residential trips for your community group or organisation

Members of our team will be on hand throughout the weekend to tell you more about the opportunities we can provide to community groups and organisations on our boats. 

Whether it be short break residential of two or more nights at weekends or during the week, or a day trip as part of the limited number of inexpensive day trips we also provide from Braunston, talk to us about your group and how we can help create memories and an experience that will stay with your group members for years to come.

Why not even make an enquiry for your community group or organisation for 2027 or 2028?

4. Ask about volunteering with us

LNBP Community Boating is reliant on the efforts of volunteers who give their time to ensure the smooth running of the organisation and the canal boat experiences we provide.

And we are always keen to welcome new volunteers to our organisation, so if you are 16 years old and over, why not consider getting involved?

There are many ways you can get involved, and many benefits for individuals who volunteer with us, so talk to a member of our team (themselves, all volunteers) on how you can get involved; even if it is just for an hour or two here and there.

You can also find out more here

5. Find out and register for CCBM training

We are also also an accredited Training Centre for the Certificate in Community Boat Management (CCBM) and run several training weeks a year.

Administered by the National Community Boats Association (NCBA) of which LNBP Community Boating is a member, the CCBM course is designed to improve the knowledge and skills of people operating boats carrying groups of twelve passengers or less. It is

It is aimed at boat users in the voluntary or public sectors, but the scheme is also open to all group leaders using commercial hirecraft. Many organisations require the CCBM as a prerequisite for group leaders who are planning to self-steer.

For more information, talk to a member of our team and our Project Skippers who will be at the Show and running the trip boats. Why not even register your interest for our next CCBM Training event too.

As always,  we welcome any enquiries from all Show Visitors and are only too happy to answer any questions you may have.

So please don’t be afraid to pop by our Stand or ask a member of our team on the trip boats. You won’t miss us – we will have our distinctive blue polo shirts and sweat shirts on (and hopefully won’t need raincoats and umbrellas).

We look forward to seeing and meeting you at Crick.

The post Great reasons to see LNBP Community Boating at the 2026 Crick Boat Show appeared first on LNBP Community Boating.

Once again our team will be at the ever-popular Show for what promises to be another busy Whitsun weekend.

Organised by Waterways World in partnership with the Canal & River Trust and Crick Marina, the three-day Show offers a great day out by the water for all the family and showcases 300 exhibitors from across the canal and inland waterways industry.

Held at Crick Marina in Northamptonshire, this year’s Show will once again be held over the late May [Whitsun] bank holiday weekend which for this year is across Saturday 23rd, Sunday 24th and Monday 25th May 2026.

Once again there will be a Trade and Preview Day 24 hours before on Friday 22nd May when all boats and Quayside stands and much of the Show Village and Boating Marquee will be open to trade visitors and to Preview Day ticket holders.

Among the wide variety of stalls and entertainment on offer during the three public days, there is opportunity to take a boat trip with us as we will once again be operating the hugely-popular Trips Boats. Visitors to the Show can enjoy a short boat trip with us from the Marina and along the Leicester Line of the Grand Union Canal aboard canal boats which are once again run by our volunteer team of skippers.

The half-hour trips are free, but we welcome and greatly appreciate donations in lieu, with trips running every 10 minutes from 10.10am each of the three days of the show.

As these trips always prove very popular, our advice is to book with us once you arrive at the Show. You will find us at Stand F0 by the quayside where you can up your tickets  from our team who can tell you more about we can do and offer, answer any questions and take enquiries for potential community group shrt break trips and longer holidays for 2027 (and 2028!)

For more information about the 2026 Crick Boat Show and to buy tickets in advance, go to their website HERE.

We look forward to seeing you at Crick.

——————————————————————————————————–

The post Come and see us at the 2026 Crick Boat Show appeared first on LNBP Community Boating.

* And if are not around by the cut, you can of course find out more about us here on our website. 

The post Dewintersing weekend this weekend appeared first on LNBP Community Boating.

A combination of planned reservoir maintenance and the driest summer since 1976  resulted in a significant lack of water in the UK, including our canal and river network.

On 26^th August 2025 the Canal and River Trust closed the locks at Braunston, Hillmorton and Calcutt, effectively restricting LNBP boating to a few miles of “flat” cruising.

The locks are still closed today and we also understand a further 400 miles of inland waterways remain closed to navigation.

We continue to monitor the position with Canal and River Trust and work to support our remaining 2025 hirers to agree an appropriate way forward.

** Stop Press **

From 10^th October the locks at Braunston, Hillmorton and Calcutt will be re-opened from 10:00am to 3:00pm allowing some boating at the end of the season

We have made our hirers aware and continue to work with them to meet their boating needs and fulfil their residential bookings with us.

The post An update appeared first on LNBP Community Boating.

A group from Bexley Targeted Youth Service joined us recently for a residential trip and kindly sent in these wonderful pictures from their time on our boats.

Thank you to Bexley Targeted Youth Service for sending in these pictures. It is great to see everyone enjoying themselves and had a great time.

We hope to see you again soon.

• If these pictures have interested you and you are considering ideas for your community group, why not get in touch to find out about what we can offer, where you can visit and what you can do on and with our boats.

• To find out more and discuss ideas and your group’s requirements including to check availability for 2026, call our Bookings Officer Nigel Smith on 07783 002073 or email us at bookings@lnbp.co.uk

The post In pictures: Bexley Targeted Youth Service’s residential trip appeared first on LNBP Community Boating.

They booked and joined us for a trip over the Whitsun bank holiday weekend and whilst the majority of LNBP’s team were at the Crick Boat Show, LNBP Booking Officer Nigel and one of our Project Skippers Andrew had a great long weekend with the group.

The group travelled down from Braunston to Weedon and by the looks of the kind pictures they have sent through, everyone had a wonderful time both on and off the canal.

Thank you to everyone at Kedington Scouts for joining us for your residential trip. We look forward to welcoming you again soon.

The post In pictures: Kedington Scouts appeared first on LNBP Community Boating.

The Whitsun half-term school holidays at the end of May just after our involvement at the Crick Boat Show presented the ideal opportunity to run the second of our Pirate Days themed trips.

This year The LNBP Purple Pirate (Denise) and her Skipper (Paul) were pleased to welcome two local community groups – one based in Braunston Village and one from nearby Daventry – for two separate days of fun and activities on Lancelot.

Ahoy, matey! Keep calm and hoist the Jolly Roger.

After meeting our motley crews with and providing a short safety brief, the fun began with Lancelot setting off from our mooring at Bottom Lock at Braunston cruising past the Marina and Stop House before heading up the Grand Union to just before Napton.

On board The Purple Pirate had been hard at work creating a super array of activities for the crew to enjoy below deck, in addition to the crew taking in the sounds and sights of the countryside  and spotting wildlife of the boat trip. There was even friendly waves and hellos from other fellow boats too (no doubt wary not to get on the wrong side of the Purple Pirate and her crew!

Wherever there’s treasure, there’s a pirate not far behind

Why be a landlubber when ye can be a legend?

Our thanks to both groups for coming along to our Pirate Days and for getting involved and into the spirit of what we hoped the days are meant to be (and for being so well-behaved). We hope you enjoyed yourselves (it certainly looked like you did) and we thoroughly enjoyed having you.

And our thanks to Denise and Paul for their time and effort in running another highly successful few days (and coming so soon after Crick too!)

• Dates for our 2026 Pirate Days will be announced later in the year.

• If you are involved or organise a children’s or youth community group or youth club in the local area and would be interested to join us for one of our Pirate Days themed trips, why not get in touch. To register your interest, email us at marketing@lnbp.co.uk and we will be in touch shortly.

The post In pictures – Pirate Days 2025 appeared first on LNBP Community Boating.

The notable absentee will be one of our two full-size canal boats, Guinevere, which in previous years is normally moored on the quayside for Show visitors to view. However, she has been booked and will be busy in service this Whitsun weekend as part of a client group booking, but there is still so much LNBP has to offer over the three-days of Crick.

1. Book your ticket and join us on the Crick Boat Show trip boats

We will once again be operating the hugely-popular Trips Boats for visitors to the Show who can enjoy a short boat trip with us from the Marina and along the Leicester Line of the Grand Union Canal aboard canal boats which are once again run by our volunteer team of skippers.

The half-hour trips are free, but we welcome donations in lieu, and will run every 10 minutes from 10.10am each day of the show.

As these trips always prove very popular, our advice is to book with us once you arrive at the Show. You will find us at Stand F0 by the quayside where you can up your tickets from our team who can tell you more about we can do and offer.

2. Donate to support us and benefit others

As mentioned, the boat trips we run on behalf of the Crick Boat Show are provided to Show visitors ree of charge, however we do accept donations in lieu.

This is enable us as a non-proft volunteer-led charity to continue our work in the community and provide opportunities for those less than fortunate to enjoy a trip on our boats on the canals of central England

You can make donations either by cash in the collection buckets that will be on the boats and by our Booking Tent, by card via our card payment terminal, or scan the QR code on the posters on the trip boats or at the Booking Tent to make a donation payment  via our website (which you can also do here)

3. Find out more about short break residential trips for your community group or organisation

Members of our team will be on hand throughout the weekend to tell you more about the opportunities we can provide to community groups and organisations on our boats. 

Whether it be short break residential of two or more nights at weekends or during the week, or a day trip as part of the limited number of inexpensive day trips we also provide from Braunston, talk to us about your group and how we can help create memories and an experience that will stay with your group members for years to come.

Why not even make an enquiry for 2026 or 2027?

4. Ask about volunteering with us

LNBP Community Boating is reliant on the efforts of volunteers who give their time to ensure the smooth running of the organisation and the canal boat experiences we provide.

And we are always keen to welcome new volunteers to our organisation, so if you are 16 years old and over, why not consider getting involved?

There are many ways you can get involved, and many benefits for individuals who volunteer with us, so talk to a member of our team (themselves, all volunteers) on how you can get involved; even if it is just for an hour or two here and there.

You can also find out more here

5. Find out and register for CCBM training

We are also also an accredited Training Centre for the Certificate in Community Boat Management (CCBM) and run several training weeks a year.

Administered by the National Community Boats Association (NCBA) of which LNBP Community Boating is a member, the CCBM course is designed to improve the knowledge and skills of people operating boats carrying groups of twelve passengers or less. It is

It is aimed at boat users in the voluntary or public sectors, but the scheme is also open to all group leaders using commercial hirecraft. Many organisations require the CCBM as a prerequisite for group leaders who are planning to self-steer.

For more information, talk to a member of our team and our Project Skippers who will be at the Show and running the trip boats. Why not even register your interest for our next CCBM Training event too.

As always,  we welcome any enquiries from all Show Visitors and are only too happy to answer any questions you may have. So please don’t be afraid to pop by our Stand or ask a member of our team on the trip boats. You won’t miss us – we will have our distinctive blue polo shirts and sweat shirts on (and hopefully won’t need raincoats and umbrellas).

We look forward to seeing and meeting you at Crick.

The post 5 reasons to see LNBP Community Boating at the 2025 Crick Boat Show appeared first on LNBP Community Boating.

Once again our team will be at the ever-popular Show for what promises to be another busy weekend.

Organised by Waterways World in partnership with the Canal & River Trust and Crick Marina, the three-day Show offers a great day out by the water for all the family and showcases 300 exhibitors from across the canal and inland waterways industry.

Held at Crick Marina in Northamptonshire, this year’s Show will once again be held over the May Whitsun bank holiday weekend which for this year is across Saturday 24th, Sunday 25th and Monday 26th May 2025.

Once again there will be a Trade and Preview Day 24 hours before on Friday 23rd May when all boats and Quayside stands and much of the Show Village and Boating Marquee will be open to trade visitors and to Preview Day ticket holders.

Among the wide variety of stalls and entertainment on offer, there is opportunity to take a boat trip with us as we will once again be operating the hugely-popular Trips Boats. Visitors to the Show can enjoy a short boat trip with us from the Marina and along the Leicester Line of the Grand Union Canal aboard canal boats which are once again run by our volunteer team of skippers. The half-hour trips are free, but we welcome donations in lieu, and will run every 10 minutes from 10.10am each day of the show.

As these trips always prove very popular, our advice is to book with us once you arrive at the Show. You will find us at Stand F0 by the quayside where you can up your tickets  from our team who can tell you more about we can do and offer, answer any questions and take enquiries for potential community group shrt break trips and longer holidays for 2026 (and 2027!)

For more information about the 2025 Crick Boat Show and to buy tickets in advance, go to their website HERE.

We look forward to seeing you at Crick.

——————————————————————————————————–

The post Come and see us at the 2025 Crick Boat Show appeared first on LNBP Community Boating.

So what has walking got to do with canal boating, canal boats and us you may ask?

We can help you and your community group to enjoy the stunning countryside and many walks that are available here in central England by using our boats as a floating base

Location, location, location..for great walks

Where we are based and have our boats moored and also the routes that are available to take and places to visit along the way makes us a perfect fit for walking groups looking to explore the beautiful countryside with so many different walking routes to explore and enjoy

Our mooring base in the historic canalside village of Braunston, the proverbial Heart of the Canals, is in West Northamptonshire and less than a mile from the county border with Warwickshire.  This immediate area in itself has some stunning countryside with excellent walking routes which span the county borders. And also don’t forget the border with [south] Leicestershire is also not far away and easily reachable too.

So a great location to start your trip, and couple that with the fact there are so many beautiful places that can be visited further afield (no pun intended) depending on your intended length of trip.  Think the likes of Rugby, Warwick, Royal Leamington Spa, Stratford-upon-Avon, Banbury, Coventry, even as far as Birmingham.

Our boats, your floating base

So a great choice of walking routes, but where do our boats Lancelot and Guinevere come into all this?

By using them as a base for your travels.

Both boats are purpose-built, full-length, modern vessels that are designed, fully-equipped and maintained to the highest possible standards, making them suitable for all year round cruising.

Each boat is 12 berth in size across three separate cabins with central heating, instant hot water and double glazing, a fully-equipped kitchen, two toilets and a shower. Sleeping accommodation is provided in four berth and six berth cabins.

So you and your group have everything you need on board for your stay.

Plus as our boats are also made available with an accompanying LNBP skipper, you can be safe in the knowledge  that you and your group and all your belongings will be ready and waiting for you at the end of your day’s walking and agreed meeting point. No humping big bags and rucksacks from place to place. Let the boats do the carrying for you!

Over the years many of the community groups who have booked with us have used our boats for this very purpose. Move from place to place and explore off the beaten track before returning to the boats to relax, make dinner (or there is the option of the many canalsides pubs that are available, and bedding down for the night, before waking up on the water and in the countryside ready for a new day.

There is of course the option to simply sit back and relax as you enjoy your beautiful surroundings afloat.  A day off from walking to rest weary legs and feet to watch the world go by is not a bad option to have.

So whether you and your group wish to walk and explore or sit back and discover the beauty of the central England countryside and canals, or a combination of both, we can make your trip and short break a memorable one.

• For more information and to discuss your requirements including checking availability, please contact LNBP’s Booking Officer Nigel Smith who will be happy to assist. Telephone on 07783 07783 002073 or email at bookings@lnbp.co.uk

The post These boats are made for walking appeared first on LNBP Community Boating.