British Waterways facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
British Waterways

British Waterways logo adopted in 1991
Former type	Statutory corporation
Industry	Waterways
Predecessor	British Transport Commission
Successor	Canal & River Trust Scottish Canals
Founded	1962
Defunct	2012
Headquarters	Watford , England
Key people	Robin Evans (Chief Executive) Tony Hales (Chairman)
Revenue	£176,500,000 (2010/11)
Total assets	£676,900,000 (2010/11)
Owner	UK Government
Number of employees	2,000
Parent	DEFRA

British Waterways, often called BW, was a special company owned by the UK government. It was in charge of most of the canals, rivers, and docks in England, Scotland, and Wales.

On 2 July 2012, BW's duties in England and Wales were given to a new charity called the Canal & River Trust. In Scotland, British Waterways still exists as a public company, now known as Scottish Canals.

The British Waterways Board started in 1963. It took over the waterways from the British Transport Commission. The UK government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) supported BW in England and Wales. The Scottish Government supported it in Scotland.

British Waterways looked after about 2,200 miles (3,500 km) of canals, rivers, and docks. This included the buildings and landscapes along them. About half of the UK population lived near a waterway managed by BW. BW also cared for 2,555 historic structures. This included 70 scheduled monuments and 100 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs).

BW had a charity part called The Waterways Trust. This trust helped run museums about waterway history. These museums were at Gloucester Docks, Stoke Bruerne, and Ellesmere Port. After 2012, The Waterways Trust in England and Wales joined the Canal & River Trust. It is still an independent charity in Scotland.

The Story of British Waterways

A British Waterways sign near Gas Street Basin in Birmingham

How British Waterways Began

In the early 1900s, canals were used less and less. This was because trains and roads became more popular. By the 1950s, freight was still carried on canals. These canals were owned by railway companies. When the railways became owned by the government in 1948, the canals joined them. They became part of the new British Transport Commission.

The Commission wanted to encourage more business on the waterways. But new roads and laws like the Clean Air Act 1956 made this hard. The last regular boat trips carrying goods ended in the 1970s and 1980s.

In 1962, the British Transport Commission was split up. New groups were formed, like the British Railways Board. The inland waterways became part of the new British Waterways Board (BWB).

That same year, a very cold winter froze many boats. This made it hard for them to move. This was one reason BWB decided to stop most commercial boat traffic. By then, the canal network was about 2,000 miles (3,200 km) long. This was half its size from the early 1800s. But the main network was still there. Many closures were for duplicate routes or smaller branches.

Waterway Categories from 1968

The Transport Act 1968 put the waterways into three groups:

• Commercial Waterways: These could still be used for carrying goods. Most were in North East England.
• Cruising Waterways: These were good for fun activities like boating and fishing.
• Remainder Waterways: These had no clear use for business or fun.

British Waterways had to keep Commercial and Cruising Waterways in good shape. But they only had to do this in the cheapest way. They did not have to maintain Remainder waterways. Many of these waterways were later crossed by new roads without space for boats.

Canals in the Late 1900s

As time went on, more people started using canals for fun. By the early 1980s, there were 20,000 leisure boats. Also, volunteer groups helped restore some waterways. But some groups, like English Heritage, felt British Waterways needed more training. They thought BW officers needed better advice on caring for historic structures.

By the late 1990s, the canal network was doing well. Money for canal upkeep reached £100 million in 1998. Large grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund helped restore old canals. More money was given to British Waterways in 1999. By the early 2000s, the number of boats was higher than ever before. The canal network was also officially called 'safe'.

Why British Waterways Changed

By 2009, British Waterways needed more money. They had a £30 million budget gap. They also wanted more volunteers to help with the waterways. Their plan was to become a charitable trust. This new trust would manage the canals and possibly other waterways.

In March 2010, the government said it wanted to turn BW into a mutual organization. This meant it would be run for the benefit of its members. BW welcomed this idea. Its chairman, Tony Hales, said it would protect the canals. He believed it would stop them from falling into decline again.

In September 2010, it seemed this plan would happen. A list of government bodies to be abolished was leaked. British Waterways was on it, with a note saying it would become a charity. The next month, BW officially confirmed this. A new charity would care for the 2,000 miles (3,200 km) of canals and rivers in England and Wales.

The new charity's name, the Canal & River Trust, was announced in October 2011. It became a charity on April 5, 2012. On July 2, 2012, all of BW's duties in England and Wales moved to the Canal & River Trust. The Scottish Government decided that Scottish waterways would stay government-owned. British Waterways Scotland became Scottish Canals.

How British Waterways Was Organized

Bank repair on the River Avon

British Waterways had its main office in Watford. It also had offices in Leeds and 13 regional waterway offices.

At the top level, there were ten non-executive board members. They were led by the chairman, Tony Hales. The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Scottish Government appointed these members. There were also nine executive directors, led by Robin Evans, the Chief Executive.

At a local level, British Waterways had thirteen regions. Each region had a waterways manager. These regions included:

• Scotland (Highlands)
• Scotland (Lowlands)
• North West Waterways
• North East Waterways
• Manchester and Pennine Waterways
• North Wales and Borders Waterways
• West Midlands Waterways
• Central Shires Waterways
• East Midlands Waterways
• South Wales and Severn Waterways
• South East Waterways
• Kennet and Avon Waterways
• London Waterways

How British Waterways Was Funded

British Waterways got money from different sources. This included business activities, government grants, and donations. In 2010/11, BW earned over £103.6 million from its commercial work. It also received £58.9 million from a government grant. Another £14 million came from other groups.

However, the company had a deficit of £3.7 million. This was because the government grant was cut by 16 percent. Also, BW spent £92.1 million on ongoing renovation and works.

British Waterways owned many properties along the canals. These properties helped fund the waterway network. Before 2008, they brought in £130 million over five years. BW also thought about installing 50 wind turbines on waterside land. These could generate a lot of power.

Waterscape Website

British Waterways wanted to encourage more people to use the canals. So, in 2003, BW created the Waterscape website. It was an official website for information about UK inland waterways. The website worked with the Environment Agency and the Broads Authority. It covered all canals, rivers, and waterways in England, Scotland, and Wales.

The Waterscape website was closed on July 3, 2012. It was replaced by the new website of the Canal & River Trust.

Waterways Managed by British Waterways

Here are some of the waterways and docks that British Waterways owned and cared for:

Other Waterways in Britain

Other groups manage different waterways in Britain. The Environment Agency looks after the non-tidal River Thames and rivers in the Fens. The Port of London Authority manages the tidal part of the Thames. The Broads Authority is in charge of the Norfolk Broads. Other canals like the Manchester Ship Canal and Bridgewater Canal are managed by other authorities.

Images for kids

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  British Waterways logo adopted in 1991