The Environment Agency’s navigation programme has invested £5.2 million into East Anglian waterways over 2025/26 and delivered a variety of refurbishment projects, from Ditchford in Northamptonshire to Denver in Norfolk.
These include improvements to public safety, lock resilience and the surrounding habitat to make visiting the waterways an even more pleasant experience for boaters and the general public out across East Anglia this year.
A series of improvements have been completed at Bedford Lock on the River Great Ouse to ensure the lock continues to operate safely and reliably in all seasons. The downstream gates have been replaced, as has the upstream landing stage, and the lock chamber wall has been stabilised. This will end the disruption that boaters faced with the old lock and will make the navigation safer and smoother. A final stage of the project is planned for later in the year to improve the downstream landing stage.
At Titchmarsh Lock on the River Nene, solar panels have been installed to provide renewable energy to operate the guillotine gate. In recent seasons, the gate had reverted to manual operation due to its ageing components. The project makes passage through the lock easier and more reliable for boaters. It’s the first in a planned series of green energy switchovers the Environment Agency is planning in the coming years.
At Brampton on the River Great Ouse and Wansford on the River Nene, major improvements to the locks are now complete that ensure they continue to operate safely and reliably for years to come. At Brampton, the works included improvements within the lock chamber and enhancing the surrounding pathways. At both Brampton and Wansford, mechanical improvements have been made to the guillotine gate.
Gate improvements have also been made at Upware & St Ives.
Environment Agency East Anglian waterways manager Katherine Briscombe said
We are delighted to have completed this range of works to get the East Anglian waterways open for business across summer 2026.
In total, we invested in more than £5.2 million worth of investments in 25/26 and look forward to delivering more investment programmes in the coming years that will further improve our customers’ experiences on the local waterways. With all these improvements and the prospect of a long summer ahead, there isn’t a better time to get out on the river.
Similar to excise duty for road vehicles, boat registration fees allow the Environment Agency to manage and maintain more than 600 miles of inland waterways across England, keeping them open and safe for thousands of boaters to enjoy. ‘Boats’ include any vessel with or without a motor, such as sailing boats, river boats, canal boats or houseboats, as well as ‘open boats’ such as canoes, paddle boards, rowing boats or dinghies.
Throughout the 2025 to 2026 season, 35 unregistered boats were removed from East Anglian waterways, demonstrating our commitment to addressing non-compliance on our waterways.
You can get more information on registering a boat by calling 03708 506 506 or going to Anglian waterways boat registration and application forms – GOV.UK
Media enquiries 0800 141 2743
E-mail [email protected].