Historic narrow boats from across the country will be travelling to the National Waterways Museum, at the junction of the Manchester Ship Canal and the Shropshire Union Canal, for the annual Easter Boat Gathering from 7 – 10 April.
Colourful narrowboats and barges take centre stage across the site while the museum will come alive with music and activities for the whole family.
Chris Done, visitor services manager with the Canal & River Trust, said: “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.
“For families, there is a special children’s trail, boat-themed playground and face painting. And we are very grateful to the family of Terry Kavanagh for the bequest of his incredible waterway library, which will go on sale to the public and proceeds donated to the Waterway Archive.Hopefully, this spectacular waterway festival will launch a fabulous summer season for everyone.”
New this year will be the chance to board a historic bus to ride to the museum’s off-site store of old boats, not normally open to the public, and waterway bookworms can dig for new treasure in a fabulous collection of canal, maritime and coastal volumes donated for sale by the family of prolific waterway researcher and writer Terry Kavanagh.
Foot-tapping music will be provided by costumed buskers and the Mersey Morris Men and visitors will also be able to enjoy short boat trips along the Shropshire Union Canal, run by volunteers from the Wirral Community Narrow Boat Trust.
The weekend 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.
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