British Waterways Marinas Ltd

[Heartland]

Whilst, it remains recent history, the launch of the Inland Marina Investment Guide by British Waterways in 2006 opened a path for marina investment. The BW launch was held at the St Pancras Cruising Club in March 2006 and guidelines were laid out for suggested new marinas across the UK network. That BW  was keen to become involved and support such schemes was due to the rise in boating on the waterways and need to provide suitable moorings for craft as well as facilities and general services. It was a scheme that grew and with the Canal and River Trust taking over the former BW waterways in England & Wales, a now separate British Waterways Marinas Ltd, took over the running of a group of new marinas as well as arranging for the construction of more.

Their website indicates they have 20 separate establishments, I can find 17 so far:

Apsley                         Dickensons Quay, Grand Union

Dickenson owned paper mills on the canal and river, that were served by narrowboats bringing coal

Bath                             Bath, River Avon

Cowroast                     Tring, Grand Union Canal

Diglis                           Worcester & Birmingham Canal

Wharves and basin built for the carrying trade soon after canal was opened (1815)

Galgate                        Moorings and Basin beside Lancaster Canal

Glasson                        Glasson Dock, Glasson Dock Branch, Lancaster Canal

Hull                             Humber Dock, Hull, built 1807-1809

Kings                           Newark, River Trent

Lemonroyd                  Aire & Calder Canal

Portavon                      Keynsham, River Avon

Packet Boat                  Cowley, Grand Junction

Pennington Wharf        Plank Lane, Leigh Branch, Leeds & Liverpool

                                    Under construction, Taylor Woodrow

Poplar Dock                 London, River Thames

                                    Opened 1999

Priory                           River Ouse, Bedford

Ripon Racecourse        Ripon Canal

Sawley                         River Trent

White Bear                   Adlington, Leeds & Liverpool Canal

 

From a history perspective it is a facet of how BW in later years looked to maximise revenue and certainly this aspect was initially achieved, although now, I suppose the benefits for CRT, Peel Ports and the Environment Agency are the increased numbers of boaters on the UK network.