Waterway Dimensions

"What is the maximum size of boat that can travel on the waterways?"

Restrictions on size are often due to the sizes of locks but there may in some instances be other factors which can cause restrictions, such as obstructions caused by sharp bends or bridges.
Changes to dimensions may occur, due to maintenance or alterations and therefore boaters should check particulars with the relevant navigation authority before setting off on an known waterway.

Maximum Sizes for Boats by Waterway listed in Descending Boat Size ( it may be possible to navigate larger boats along specific sections of some waterways-see details in text ).

OVER 72 FEET

Manchester Ship Canal
Large locks: Length 600 foot, beam 65 foot. Parallel smaller locks: Length 350 foot, beam 65 foot.

Gloucester & Sharpness Ship Canal
Length 240 foot, beam 30 foot.

Sheffield and South Yorkshire New Junction Canal
Sykehouse Lock: Length 215 foot, beam 22 foot 6 inches.

Caledonian Canal
Length 150 foot, beam 35 foot.

Aire & Calder Navigation: Wakefield Section
Length 142 foot, beam 17 foot 6 inches.

River Weaver
Winsford Bridge to Northwich: Length 130 foot, beam 35 foot. Northwich to Weston Point: Length 150 foot, beam 35 foot.

Exeter Ship Canal
Length 122 foot, beam 26 foot 3 inches.

River Thames
Lock sizes vary but the maximum dimensions for craft navigating the river are as follows. Lechlade to Oxford: Length 109 foot, beam 14 foot. Oxford to Reading: Length 120 foot, beam 17 foot 3 inches. Reading to Windsor: Length 130 foot, beam 17 foot 6 inches. Windsor to Teddington: Length 174 foot, beam 19 foot 10 inches.

Lydney Canal
Length 100 foot, beam 24 foot.

River Cam
Length 100 foot, beam 14 foot.

River Foss
Length 97 foot, beam 18 foot 6 inches.

Middle Level - Old River Nene
Marmont Priory Lock: Length 92 foot, beam 12 foot.

Old West River (Great Ouse)
Hermitage Sluice: Length 90 foot, beam 12 foot 6 inches. Denver Lock: Length 96 foot 9 inches, beam 17 foot 8 inches.

River Lee - Bow Creek
Length 90 foot, beam 19 foot 6 inches.

River Severn
Lock sizes vary but the maximum craft sizes are from Gloucester to Worcester: Length 135 foot, beam 21 foot. From Worcester to Stourport: Length 90 foot, beam 19 foot.

Crinan Canal
Length 88 foot, beam 20 foot.

River Lark (Great Ouse)
Length 88 foot, beam 14 foot 6 inches.

River Great Ouse
Individual lock sizes vary but the maximum size for navigation from Bedford to the Wash is Length 85 foot 4 inches, beam 10 foot 4 inches.

River Stort
Length 85 foot, beam 13 foot 3 inches.

River Lee
Length 84 foot, beam 16 foot.

River Trent
Lock sizes vary but the maximum dimensions for craft navigating the waterway are as follows. Derwent Mouth to Meadow Lane Lock (Nottingham Canal): Length 81 foot, beam 14 foot 6 inches. From Meadow Lane Lock to the tidal river: Length 165 foot, beam 18 foot 6 inches.

Middle Level - King's Dyke
Stanground Lock: Length 80 foot, beam 11 foot 6 inches.

Middle Level - Whittlesey Dyke
Ashline Lock: Length 80 foot, beam 11 foot 6 inches.

River Avon (Bristol)
Through the Cumberland Basin Entrance Lock: length 324 foot 9 inches, beam 48 foot 10 inches. Through Netham Lock: length 80 foot, beam 17 foot 8 inches.

River Medway
Allington Lock to Maidstone: Length 175 foot, beam 21 foot 6 inches. Maidstone to Tonbridge: Length 80 foot, beam 18 foot 6 inches.

Aire & Calder Navigation - Selby Section
Length 78 foot 6 inches, beam 16 foot 6 inches.

Hertford Union Canal (Grand Union)
Length 78 foot, beam 14 foot 6 inches.

River Nene
Length 78 foot, beam 14 foot. Note - Irthlingborough Bridge restricts the maximum beam of craft navigating the Nene to 13 foot.

River Witham Navigation
Length 78 foot, beam 15 foot 2 inches.

Grantham Canal
Length 75 foot, beam 14 foot.

Fossdyke Canal
Length 74 foot 6 inches, beam 15 foot 2 inches.

Rochdale Canal
Length 74 foot, beam 14 foot 2 inches.

72 FEET

Ashby de la Zouch Canal
Length 72 feet, beam 7feet.

Chesterfield Canal
River Trent to Retford: Length 72 foot, beam 14 foot. Retford to the head of navigation: Length 72 foot, beam 7 foot.

Coventry Canal
Length 72 foot, beam 7 foot.

Grand Union Aylesbury Branch
Length 72 foot, beam 7 foot.

Grand Union Erewash Canal
Trent Lock to Length 72 foot, beam 14 foot 3 inches.

Grand Union Main Line
Brentford to Camp Hill Top Lock: Length 72 foot, beam 14 foot. Camp Hill Top Lock to Salford Junction: Length 72 foot, beam 6 foot 10 inches.

Grand Union Northampton Branch
Length 72 foot, beam 7 foot.

Grand Union Regents Canal
Length 72 foot, beam 14 foot 6 inches.

Grand Union Welford Branch
Length 72 foot, beam 7 foot.

Leeds & Liverpool - Leigh Branch
Length 72 foot, beam 14 foot.

Kennet and Avon Canal
Reading to Newbury: Length 75 foot, beam 14 foot. Newbury to Bath: Length 72 foot, beam 14 foot. Bath to Hanham Lock: Length 75 foot, beam 16 foot.

Lancaster Canal
Length 72 foot, beam 14 foot 6 inches.

Lancaster Canal - Glasson Dock Branch
Length 72 foot, beam 14 foot 6 inches.

Louth Navigation
Length 72 foot, beam 15 foot.

Oxford Canal (Southern Section)
Length 72 foot, beam 6 foot 10 inches.

River Wey
Length 72 foot, beam 13 foot 10 inches.

Shropshire Union Dee Branch
Length 72 foot, beam 14 foot 9 inches.

Shropshire Union Main Line
From Autherley Junction to Nantwich (the old Birmingham & Liverpool Junction Canal): Length 72 foot, beam 7 foot. From Nantwich to Ellesmere Port: Length 72 foot, beam 14 foot 9 inches but note that other structures on the waterway limit craft to a beam of 9 foot.

Caldon Branch - Trent and Mersey Canal
Length 72 foot, beam 7 foot.

Trent and Mersey Canal
Derwent Mouth to Burton-on-Trent: Length 72 foot, beam 14 foot but maximum beam for craft on this section is 10 foot. Burton to Middlewich Lock 74: Length 72 foot, beam 7 foot. Middlewich Big Lock: Length 72 foot, beam 14 foot. From Middlewich to Preston Brook the maximum beam for craft is 9 foot.

71 FEET

Droitwich Junction Canal
Length 71 foot 6 inches, beam 7 foot 1inch.

Droitwich Canal
Length 71 foot 6 inches, beam 9 foot 6 inches.

Worcester and Birmingham Canal
Length 71 foot 6 inches, beam 7 foot.

70 FEET

Ashton, Peak Forest and Macclesfield Canals
Length 70 foot, beam 7 foot.

Ashton Canal
Length 70 foot, beam 7 foot.

Macclesfield Canal
Length 70 foot, beam 7 foot.

Peak Forest Canal
Length 70 foot, beam 7 foot.

Birmingham and Fazeley Canal
Length 70 foot, beam 7 foot.

Dudley Canal Line No 1
Length 70 foot, beam 7 foot.

Digbeth Branch Canal
Length 70 foot, beam 7 foot.

BCN Main Line
Length 70 foot, beam 7 foot.

Birmingham Canal Navigations
Length 70 foot, beam 7 foot, applies to the whole BCN.

Dudley Canal Line No 2
Length 70 foot, beam 7 foot.

Gower Branch Canal (BCN)
Length 70 foot, beam 7 foot.

Old Main Line (BCN)
Length 70 foot, beam 7 foot.

Rushall Canal (BCN)
Length 70 foot, beam 7 foot.

Titford Canal (BCN)
Length 70 foot, beam 7 foot.

Tame Valley Canal
Length 70 foot, beam 7 foot.

Edinburgh and Glasgow Union Canal
Length 70 foot, beam 12 foot 6 inches.

Grand Union Market Harborough Branch
Length 70 foot, beam 7 foot.

Grand Union Leicester Section
Norton Junction to Foxton Junction (the old Grand Union canal): Length 72 foot, beam 7 foot. Foxton to Leicester: Length 70 foot, beam 13 foot. Leicester to Trent Junction (the River Soar): Length 72 foot, beam 14 foot 4 inches.

Huddersfield Narrow Canal
Length 70 foot, beam 6 foot 10 inches.

Kyme Eau - Sleaford Canal
Length 70 foot, beam 14 foot.

Market Weighton Canal
Length 70 foot, beam 14 foot 10 inches.

Oxford Canal (Northern Section)
Length 70 foot, beam 7 foot.

Lower Avon Navigation
Locks vary - maximum size for navigating the whole waterway is: length 70 foot, beam 13 foot 6 inches.

Upper Avon
Locks vary- maximum size for navigating the river is length 70 foot, beam 12 foot 6 inches.
Stourbridge Canal
Length 70 foot, beam 7 foot.

Shropshire Union - Middlewich Branch
Length 70 foot, beam 7 foot.

Shropshire Union - Llangollen Canal
Length 70 foot, beam 6 foot 10 inches.

Shropshire Union Montgomery Canal
Length 70 foot, beam 6 foot 10 inches.

Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal
Length 70 foot, beam 7 foot.

Stratford upon Avon Canal - Kingswood Branch
Length 70 foot, beam 7 foot.

Stratford upon Avon Canal
Length 70 foot, beam 7 foot.

Stroudwater Canal
Length 70 foot, beam 15 foot 6 inches.

Daw End Branch Canal (BCN)
Length 70 foot, beam 7 foot.

Walsall Branch Canal
Length 70 foot, beam 7 foot.

Walsall Canal
Length 70 foot, beam 7 foot.

68FEET

Forth & Clyde Canal
Length 68 foot 6 inches, beam 19 foot 8 inches.

64 FEET

Swansea Canal
Length 64 foot, beam 7 foot 6 inches.

62 FEET

River Welland
Fulney Lock: Length 62 foot 4 inches, beam 27 foot 10 inches.

Leeds & Liverpool - Rufford Branch
Length 62 foot, beam 14 foot.

Leeds and Liverpool Canal
Leeds to Wigan: Length 62 foot, beam 14 foot. Wigan to Liverpool: Length 72 foot, beam 14 foot.

Middle Level - Well Creek
Salter’s Lode Lock: Length 62 foot, beam 12 foot 6 inches. NB longer boats can pass through this lock if the tide is at the right height.

61 FEET

Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigation
Keadby to Bramwith is restricted by Thorne Lock to length 61 foot 8 inches, beam 17 foot. From Bramwith to Rotherham maximum craft size is length 229 foot 8 inches, beam 20 foot. From Rotherham to Sheffield: Length 61 foot 6 inches, beam 15 foot 3 inches.

Driffield Navigation
Length 61 foot, beam 14 foot 6 inches.

60 FEET

Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation
Into Heybridge Basin: Length 107 foot, beam 26 foot.
Heybridge to Chelmsford: Length 60 foot, beam 16 foot.

Neath Canal
Length 60 foot, beam 9 foot.

River Yorkshire Ouse
Naburn Lock maximum craft size: Length 150 foot, beam 25 foot 6 inches. Linton Lock: Length 60 foot, beam 15 foot 4 inches.

Witham Navigable Drains
Maximum dimensions for craft are Length 60 foot, beam 10 foot.

58 FEET

Ripon Canal
Length 58 foot, beam 14 foot.

57 FEET

Calder and Hebble Navigation
Wakefield to Broad cut Top Lock: Length 120 foot, beam 17 foot 6 inches. The rest of the navigation to Sowerby Bridge: Length 57 foot 6 inches, beam 14 foot 2 inches.

Huddersfield Broad Canal
Length 57 foot 6 inches, beam 14 foot 2 inches.

Pocklington Canal
Length 57 foot, beam 14 foot 3 inches.

River Ure
Westwick Lock is length 57 foot, beam 14 foot 6 inches.

56 FEET

River Rother (Eastern)
Length 56 foot, beam 13 foot 9 inches.

54 FEET

River Derwent
Through Barmby Barrage Lock: Length 62 foot, beam 16 foot 6 inches. Sutton Lock: Length 54 foot 6 inches, beam 13 foot 9 inches.

River Parrett
Length 54 foot, beam 14 foot.

50 FEET

Bridgewater and Taunton Canal
Length 50 foot, beam 9 foot 10 inches.

Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal
Length 64 foot 9 inches, beam 9 foot 2 inches. Navigation is restricted to boats of length 50 foot, beam 8 foot 6 inches because of a bridge on a sharp bend.

47 FEET

Middle Level - Forty Foot River
Horseway Lock: Length 60 foot, beam 11 foot. Welches Dam Lock: Length 47 foot, beam 11 foot.

40 FEET

Little Ouse or Brandon River
Brandon Lock (opened 1995): Length 40 foot 4 inches, beam 12 foot.

River Ancholme
South Ferriby Lock: length 68 foot, beam 19 foot. Harlam Hill Lock: length 40 foot, beam 12 foot.
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