NABO AND CANAL & RIVER TRUST collaborate to improve safety at Pontcysyllte Aqueduct.
Practical safety measures are now being introduced at the iconic Pontcysyllte Aqueduct following concerns raised by boaters.
Independent investigation
An independent investigation by the National Association of Boat Owners (NABO), and a year of constructive collaboration with the Canal & River Trust.
33The measures are the outcome of work that began in 2025 when increasing numbers of boaters contacted NABO about congestion, delays and potential safety hazards during busy periods, particularly where large commercially organised canoe groups, powered craft, pedestrians and other visitors were sharing the same confined space at one of Britain’s busiest and most celebrated waterways destinations.
Rather than simply reporting individual incidents, the NABO Council decided to investigate. Council members visited the site during busy periods, observed conditions first-hand, and considered evidence and views from boaters, canoe organisations, visitors and local residents and their representatives.
The investigation also considered the site’s status as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. NABO then prepared a detailed report setting out its findings together with nine practical recommendations aimed at improving safety and the overall visitor experience.
Worked together
The report was submitted to Canal & River Trust earlier this year. Since then, the two organisations have worked together to examine the findings and explore practical solutions. During a joint visit to the aqueduct in June, CRT confirmed that CCTV monitoring had independently corroborated many of the patterns identified in NABO’s investigation, helping to quantify both the scale and nature of the issues. As a result, Canal & River Trust has now introduced a series of trial measures during the busy summer period.
These include dedicated aqueduct monitoring staff, improved management of boat movements during peak periods, continued CCTV monitoring, and additional measures relating to commercial paddle-sport operations. The effectiveness of the trial will be monitored to help inform longer-term management of the site.
Carolyn Green, Chairman of the National Association of Boat Owners, explained:
Pleased with the progress
”The NABO Council is pleased with the progress that has been made. We’re encouraged to see practical measures now being introduced as a result of this work.
”This project shows what can be achieved when concerns raised by boaters are backed by evidence and followed by constructive dialogue. We particularly welcome the way Canal & River Trust has worked with us throughout the process.
''Our aim has never been simply to identify problems, but to help find practical solutions that improve safety and the experience of everyone using this remarkable waterway.
”There is still more to do. The measures introduced this summer are an important first step and the longer-term challenge will be to understand and manage the underlying causes of congestion as visitor numbers continue to grow. Nevertheless, excellent progress has been made, and we look forward to continuing to work constructively with the trust and other stakeholders.
”In its own announcement of the initiative, Canal & River Trust acknowledged that its wider safety review had drawn on feedback from across the boating community, including NABO’s detailed report, and thanked the association for its independent investigation and constructive dialogue. For NABO, the Pontcysyllte project is an example of its continuing commitment to Making Boating Better through evidence-based investigation, constructive dialogue and practical collaboration with those responsible for our inland waterways.