Enjoy Britain's waterways with the BCU Licence
If you enjoy canoeing on rivres and canals you will need a boat license to do so.
Canoe England have teamed up with British Waterways to offer members a great rate for the BW waterways licence in England. A license to paddle over 4,500km of navigations and canals is included with Canoe England membership. As part of your membership you will receive a boat license that needs to be applied to your boat.
BRITISH WATERWAYS MAP
What the Waterways Can Offer
Many of Britain's inland waterways are ideal for canoeing - a sport that can be enjoyed by families and individuals of all ages. The network owned by British Waterways, offers a variety of canoeing waters - some passing through wooded cuttings like those on the Shropshire Union Canal, while others are broad rivers navigations like the Trent and Severn. There are excellent long distance routes for experienced canoeists, equally there are plenty of quiet stretches for beginners.
Individual Members
BCU members living in England are provided with an identification sticker for attaching to their canoe in place of licences issued by those navigation authorities, with whom the BCU has agreements. Canoeist participating under the "Taster" system in BCU organised events on most of these waters (event organisers will clarify this) are also covered.
Affiliated Clubs
Canoes owned by clubs affiliated to the BCU can be provided with identification stickers by the BCU at a considerable cost saving to buying licences direct from the navigation authorities Current details are included on the Club Affiliation form.
Where does my license allow me to paddle?
Environment Agency waters
River Thames (Cricklade Bridge to Teddington)
Bedford Ouse below Kempston, Bedford
Ancholme
Nene below Northampton
Welland and Glen
Little Ouse, Wissey, Lark and Cam (below Bottisham lock)
Suffolk Stour below Brundon, Sudbury
Medway below Tonbridge
British Waterways licensed waters
River Trent below Derwentmouth
River Severn: Stourport to Gloucester
For the full list - see the BW waterways MAP
Waterways licensed by others
Stratford Avon from Alverston to Tewkesbury
Basingstoke Canal (North West Region)
Rochdale Canal
Norfolk Broads
Wey & Godalming navigations
Your Canoe England membership card must be carried at all times, as you may be asked to show this to authorised officials.
Thames Licence
Amongst the many benefits of BCU membership, perhaps one of the real benefits is the Thames Licence.
BCU Members visibly displaying the “BCU membership plate” are permitted to have one vessel registered for use on the River Thames as part of their yearly membership fee.
BCU members attention is drawn to the following points:
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The Thames Conservancy Act, navigation and registration byelaws require registration of each vessel.
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Therefore members with more than one vessel and clubs owning vessels will be required to apply to the Agency for separate registration and licensing of each additional vessel.
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The navigation byelaws forbid the transfer of plates between vessels.
Each BCU member intending to use the River Thames must make themselves aware of the River Thames byelaws as produced by the Environment Agency and available from the Environment Agency offices or displayed on the notice boards at riverside locations www.environment-agency.gov.uk