Moorings on the Nottingham & Beeston Canal

The Nottingham & Beeston Canal is a 9.7-kilometre waterway that bypasses an unnavigable stretch of the River Trent, leaving the river at Beeston Lock and rejoining it at Meadow Lane Lock on the eastern edge of Nottingham city centre. Opened in 1796, it was built to carry coal and goods into the heart of the city and remains one of the few canals in Britain that runs straight through a major urban core.

The canal is a study in contrasts. The Beeston end is leafy and suburban, running alongside the Trent's flood meadows and the Attenborough Nature Reserve, while the city section passes the converted Fellows, Morton & Clayton warehouse, Castle Marina, and the modern waterside development around Nottingham station.

For boaters it is one of the most practical long-stay locations in the East Midlands. Castle Marina and Beeston Marina both offer serviced long-term berths within walking distance of shops, tram stops and a mainline station with direct trains to London. Access to the River Trent at either end opens up cruising to Newark, Cranfleet and the wider Trent & Mersey network, and the canal itself is lock-free between Beeston and Meadow Lane, making it an easy base for boaters who want city amenities without heavy lock work.