About this podcast
Join us as we travel the canals and rivers of England and Wales in our narrowboat. The podcast takes you to places and events around the canal network, meeting the people who live, work, or volunteer on the waterways.
The Water Road has been nominated for an Independent Podcast Award. We’re a finalist in the Travel and Adventure category.
The Financial Times said The Water Road "takes nerdy delight in the minutiae of canal life". The Guardian described it as "a soothing sound effects-packed listen ... (that) wouldn't sound out of place on Radio 4". James Marriott in The Times said "How do I join this world? We need more of this sort of thing".
If you enjoy what I do, consider supporting me on Ko-fi! Every little bit means the world! https://ko-fi.com/thewaterroad
Episodes
The newest 20 of 39 episodes
- Atherstone Locks and water shortages · 13 min · Season 2 Episode 20We are heading back north after our summer on the River Thames, but our route has had to be changed because of water shortages caused by the summer drought. Atherstone Locks have…
- 5000 miles, 5000 reasons · 25 min · Season 2 Episode 19What do the waterways mean to you? That's a question being asked in a campaign by the Inland Waterways Association. The IWA says there are about 5000 miles of navigable waterways…
- River Thames Lock Keeper · 21 min · Season 2 Episode 18Being a lock keeper on the River Thames must be one of the best jobs out there -- but there's more to it than meets the eye. In this episode of The Water Road, the man who looks…
- Traditional Thames Boats · 15 min · Season 2 Episode 17In this episode we visit the workshop of Will Howard, a builder and restorer of traditional Thames wooden boats. We're talking skiffs, dinghies, and canoes, and find out how much…
- River Wey · 15 min · Season 2 Episode 16We have reached the most southerly point of the connected network, Godalming Wharf on the River Wey in Surrey, and in this episode we'll work our way back to the River Thames…
- Caring for Carers · 12 min · Season 2 Episode 15In this extra episode of The Water Road, we hear about Caring for Carers -- a project which is planning to put a barge in a disused part of Paddington Basin, to act as a…
- Paddington Basin and Little Venice · 16 min · Season 2 Episode 14We're in London, moored in Paddington Basin and exploring the history of the area and nearby Little Venice. We chat to Julian Futter and Robert Bruce from the Paddington…
- Rickmansworth Waterways Trust · 14 min · Season 2 Episode 13On our journey south on the Grand Union Canal we've reached Rickmansworth in Hertfordshire. Next to Batchworth Lock is the Rickmansworth Waterways Trust, and we'll find out about…
- Aylesbury Canal Society · 16 min · Season 2 Episode 12The Aylesbury Arm, which branches off the Grand Union main line, is only just over six miles long but it's packed with interest. It starts at Marsworth Junction with the only…
- Braunston · 16 min · Season 2 Episode 11Braunston is at the heart of the canal network, and in this edition of The Water Road we explore its waterways history, including how the working boatmen adopted the village…
- Hatton Locks · 9 min · Season 2 Episode 10Hatton Locks are known as the Stairway to Heaven -- twenty-one wide locks on the Grand Union Canal just outside Warwick. In this epsiode, a volunteer lock keeper gives his tips…
- Harecastle Tunnel · 9 min · Season 2 Episode 9Our previous travels saw us on the Macclesfield Canal, but now we've turned onto the Trent and Mersey and are tackling Harecastle Tunnel. It's more than a mile and a half long…
- Campbell Robb interview · 13 min · Season 2 Episode 8Campbell Robb took over as Chief Executive of the Canal and River Trust towards the end of 2025. In this interview, he says the canal network is facing an inflection point…
- Crick Boat Show 2026 · 27 min · Season 2 Episode 7We're back at Crick for the annual boat show, the biggest show in the boating calendar. We hear from the vlogger's Paul and Anthony from Narrowboat Life Unlocked about their new…
- St Richard's Canal Festival, Droitwich · 20 min · Season 2 Episode 6We're in Droitwich for the St Richard's Canal Festival, an event which has it's roots in the restoration of the Droitwich Canals. We hear from the organiser about it's history…
- Middlewood Way · 13 min · Season 2 Episode 5Canals and railways often exist close to each other, and it was the railways which often killed the trade on canals because they could move goods so much more quickly. But the…
- Pets afloat · 17 min · Season 2 Episode 4We have a new crew member: Macc the Border Terrier puppy -- so this episode is all about pets on board. We speak to a puppy trainer, Cal Thorpe, about how to get the best out of…
- Marple Wharf · 11 min · Season 2 Episode 3A former trans-shipment warehouse at Marple Junction, where the Macclesfield and Peak Forest Canals meet, is currently being renovated by a community project. In this episode of…
- CanalPlanAC -- the canal planning website · 11 min · Season 2 Episode 2CanalPlanAC is one of the most used canal websites, used by boaters to work out the best route between two places, and how long it might take. We speak to Nick Atty, the man…
- New Series, New Boat · 15 min · Season 2 Episode 1The Water Road is back for a second series! In the past few months we have moved onto our new boat, and in this episode we talk to James Attwood from Braidbar Boats who built it…
