There is plenty going on at London Canal Museum. We have regular monthly illustrated talks in the evening, aimed at adults with an interest in industrial heritage and canals. We have a programme of towpath walks in spring summer and autumn, and summer boat trips through the long Islington Tunnel on certain dates. Each summer we welcome the Mikron Theatre Company for theatrical performances and we have occasional special days of activities for families or adults. In August we have a series of Childrens Activity Days. We also occasionally offer roses and castles painting courses, and other events.
Illustrated talks are held at 7.30 pm, on the first Thursday of each month except August. Most speakers illustrate their presentations with photographs. The museum is open 1000 to 1930 on the first Thursday of each month. Admission to talks and museum is £3.00. Students, senior citizens, members of the Canal Museum Trust, and unwaged £2.00. The programme is given below. In the event of any last minute changes to lectures or other events the site will be updated if sufficient notice is available.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2nd July 2009. | Talk:. How the book "When London Became an Island" came to be written by Robert Phillpotts, author of the book, which is a detailed account of the building of the Regent's Canal. Robert's first book was on the Grantham Canal. He then wrote about the construction of the Lancaster Canal. |
| 11th and 12th July | President in Steam. The restored steam narrowboat President and butty Kildare will be in steam on the museum's mooring. Crew members will be available to answer visitors' questions and explain the workings of this superb piece of steam history. |
| 12th July 2009 | Guided Towpath Walk from the museum to the St. Pancras Water Tower, with historical commentary and an opportunity to see a fine view from the top of the tower. Departure at 1430. £5 per person (£4 concessions). |
| 19th July | Guided Tunnel Boat Trips from the museum through Islington tunnel and back, with historical commentary. Departures 1100, 1200, 1400, 1500 and 1600. Pre-booking strongly reccommended. |
| Every Tuesday in August and 1st September | Children's Activity Days. Sessions at 1100-1230 and 1330-1500. A range of fun activities for children including a short boat trip. Activities vary but usually include making model boats, painting, a treasure hunt and similar things. £3.75 per child. Adults and usual admission charges. Children must always be with a responsible adult. Groups of children are welcome but groups must book in advance. |
| 6th August 2008 at 1930 | Guided Towpath Walk to Camden Town, via Islington Tunnel west portal, exploring the history of the canal and the signs of its past that can be seen along the route. Depart 1930. Charge £5 adult, £4 child/senior/student. Advance booking not required or possible. |
| 16th August 2009 | Guided Tunnel Boat Trips from the museum through Islington tunnel and back, with historical commentary. Departures 1100, 1200, 1400, 1500 and 1600. Pre-booking strongly reccommended. |
| 3rd September 2009. | Talk:. The River Severn from Stourport to the Sea by Runnells Davis. Stourport is the link between Bridley's Grand Cross and the River Severn. In earlier times this great river highway was navigated to Shrewsbury and beyond. Runnels tells of the current navigation and the places along its banks. |
| 13th September 2009 | Guided Towpath Walk from the museum to the St. Pancras Water Tower, with historical commentary and an opportunity to see a fine view from the top of the tower. Departure at 1430. £5 per person (£4 concessions). |
| 20th September 2009 | Guided Tunnel Boat Trips from the museum through Islington tunnel and back, with historical commentary. Departures 1100, 1200, 1400, 1500 and 1600. Pre-booking strongly reccommended. |
| 1st October 2009. | Talk:. The river Gipping by Spencer Greystrong. The River Gipping , or the Ipswich & Stowmarket Navigation , linked the port of Ipswich to the productive agricultural area around Stowmarket. It was one of the market supply routes that soon became under attack when the railway network expanded. Dereliction and decay set in. Now the newly formed Gipping Navigation Trust are working hard to bring it back to life. |
| 30th and 31st October. | Halloween at London Canal Museum. A joint LCM/CCNA event. Spooky sights in the museum, ghost stories, and scary boat trips through Islington Tunnel. Pre-booking strongly reccommended for boat trips. Museum visiting without boat trip need not be booked in advance. Late afternoon until mid-evening. |
| 5th November 2009. | Talk:. The Kennet and Avon Canal by speaker, to be announced, from the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust. The waterway link between the Thames at Reading and the Bristol Avon at Bath fell into decay after the Second World War. The Trust took up the battle to get it fully operational, a task that took over 40 years. Even today, they still are battling to achieve 'Cruiseway' status for the canal throughout its length.. |
| 3rd December 2009. | Talk:. The Cotswold Canals by Liz Payne. The Thames & Severn and Stroudwater Canals provide the basis of a link from the Thames at Lechlade to the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal at Saul. The Cotswold Canals Trust is leading the way to get them fully restored. |
| 7th January 2010. | Talk:. Birmingham Canals, Past and Present by Eric Lewis. Eric tells us about this amazing network of waterways, dating back to Brindley. He describes how the former trade has now changed into leisure traffic. |
| 4th February 2010 | Talk: 30 Years of KESCRG. by Roy Sutton. The Kent and East Sussex Canal Restoration Group forms part of that network of modern navvies who go out to derelict waterways and through their knowledge and skills slowly bring them back to working order. Roy Sutton has been involved with the group over many years and tells us some of what they have achieved. |
| 4th March 2010 | Talk: London's More Important River by Jeremy Batch. An overview of the River Lea and the Lee Navigation, that includes the Limehouse Cut,the Bow Backs, Three Mills, the Olympic Site etc. |
| 1st April 2010 | Talk: Idle Women- results of further research by Mike Constable. The nickname "Idle Women" was given to canal boatwomen who worked on the canals in World War 2 to replace men called to the armed forces. They wore a badge with the letters "IW", for Inland Waterways. Their story has fascinated canal historians ever since and tonight we learn more about them. |
| 6th May 2010 | Talk: History Starts Here - Waterways in the 1960s and 1970s by Mike Timms. |
| 3rd June 2010 | Talk: The Macclesfield Canal - past and present by Tim Boddington. |
| 1st July 2010 | Talk: Lock and Weir Keeping on the Thames by Colin Reynolds. |
| 5th August 2010 at 1930 | Guided Towpath Walk to Camden Town, via Islington Tunnel west portal, exploring the history of the canal and the signs of its past that can be seen along the route. Depart 1930. Charge £5 adult, £4 child/senior/student. Advance booking not required or possible. |
| 2nd September 2010 | Talk: The Sleaford Navigation - past , present and future.by Steve Hayes. |
| 7th October 2010 | Talk: The Doritwich Canals Restoration by Martin Ludgate, Deputy Editor of Canal Boat magazine |
| 4th November 2010 | Talk: The Cromford Canal past present and future by Patrick Morriss |
| 2nd December 2010 | Talk: London's Waterways, by renowned waterways photographer Derek Pratt, whose new book on the waterways of the Capital is expected to be published in 2010. |
