From a 1,000 year old log boat to a concrete barge, a coracle to a steam powered dredger, our collection of boats from Britain's inland waterways illustrates the many different types of craft that have used our canals and rivers over the centuries.
Whilst some boats are exhibited as part of the Museum's indoors displays, the majority can be found in the canal docks outside where some of them are open to the public to explore.
Looking after these boats is an on-going task and you will see boats and narrowboats in various states of repair. The Heritage Boatyard, which is located behind the Island Warehouse, is where a dedicated team of volunteers and young trainees work to care for and restore boats from this important collection.
Click here to find out how to get involved in helping save our historic boats and narrowboats.
Find out more about some of the boats in our collection:
