You can cruise along the beautiful River Nene from where it joins the Grand Union Canal at Northampton all the way to The Wash. The River Nene is 91 miles long and links England’s canal system and the Fen waterways network and beyond.
There are 37 locks on the River Nene between and including both Northampton and Peterborough. Nearly all the locks on the River Nene have upstream pointing doors and downstream guillotine gates, which have become a distinct heritage feature of this much treasured river. During times of flood, at certain locks the pointing doors are chained back and the bottom guillotine gate controls the flow of water.
Boat traffic on the River Nene is noticeably quieter than on nearby waterways particularly the Grand Union Canal and the River Great Ouse, however over the past few years there has definitely been an increase in boaters exploring this tranquil waterway. Many people believe there is a severe lack of moorings for narrowboats, widebeams and cruisers, however more and more moorings are popping up, not just through the development of marinas, but also thanks to the hard work of the Friends of the River Nene who over the past few years have opened up 11 mooring sites.
Over 1,000 widebeam boats, narrowboats and cruisers are currently registered on the river between Northampton and Peterborough, and the Environment Agency estimates at least 1,000 additional boats could be comfortably accommodated. Each year the number of visitors increases quite considerably, and once you have visited the River Nene, then you will completely understand why.
We have an abundance of information about the River Nene and surrounding Nene Valley available from the office, so next time you find yourselves at White Mills lock, call in to White Mills Marina (which is adjacent to the lock) and we would be happy to tell you about Northamptonshire's hidden gem.