BOATERS planning a visit to London will have more options to guarantee a mooring, as the Canal & River Trust extends its pre-booking service to more moorings across the capital from Monday April 1 2024.
The capital has seen boat numbers grow dramatically and, in central areas, demand for mooring space is at a premium. A recent consultation showed that boaters were put off visiting because of the perception that they would not be able to find somewhere to moor.
These additions to the existing pre-bookable moorings will give boaters the security of a spot before they embark on a cruise into central London.
CRT head of customer service support Matthew Symonds said: “London’s canals cut through some of the tourist hotspots of the city and it’s no surprise that, for many boaters, mooring up in the heart of the capital is on their ‘bucket list’ of cruises.
“The waters are vibrant spaces, busy with liveaboard boats, visiting cruisers, trip boats and roving traders, not to mention waterside businesses, and the many thousands of people who use the towpaths every day. With London’s canals at peak capacity, it’s more important than ever that we manage the space fairly for all.”
The 800m of pre-bookable moorings are at Camden, King’s Cross, Broadway Market and Victoria Park on the Regent’s Canal, and Cowley North and Kensal Green on the Grand Union Canal. They bring the total length of pre-bookable moorings in central London to around 1500m with existing sites at Little Venice and Paddington on the Grand Union, and eco-moorings* at King’s Cross and Islington on the Regent’s.
New sites at Camden and King’s Cross are available from April 1, with the sites at Broadway Market, Victoria Park, Cowley North and Kensal Green to be phased in throughout the year. The moorings are priced between £25 and £35 per night and can be booked for one to seven days, with a maximum of seven days in a single visit. Moorings can be booked online or by calling the trust’s customer service team on 0303 040 4040.
Additional income raised from the pre-bookable moorings will allow the charity to employ rangers to make sure that boats are not staying too long and blocking spaces for other boaters.
*The Trust is introducing a charge for the pre-bookable eco mooring sites at King’s Cross and Angel Islington. Boaters have the option to connect to electric hook up at these locations using their Meter Max account.
More information can be found on the Canal & River Trust website: Pre-booked visitor moorings in London.
