Moorings on the River Don

The River Don flows 113 kilometres from the Pennines east through Sheffield, Rotherham, Mexborough and Doncaster before joining the River Ouse near Goole. The navigable section is the lower Don, which forms a key part of the Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigation system — a broad-beam working waterway capable of taking commercial barges, wide-beam liveaboards and large pleasure craft. For boat owners, the Don and its connected navigation offer broad-beam cruising through industrial South Yorkshire heartland, with significant urban regeneration providing modern amenities at Sheffield's Victoria Quays, Rotherham's Aldwarke Lock and Doncaster's Strawberry Island. Long-stay moorings are available at Victoria Quays Marina (Sheffield city centre), Strawberry Island Boat Club (Doncaster), Thorne Marina, Stainforth and Keadby Lock at the connection with the River Trent. The river opens via Keadby and the Trent to the wider Humber network, providing onward routes to the Aire & Calder, the Ouse, and the entire eastern broad-beam system. Liveaboards based on the Don enjoy reasonable mooring prices compared to the southern canals, real broad-beam cruising water, and strong rail connectivity at Sheffield (London St Pancras), Rotherham and Doncaster (East Coast Main Line). A characterful Yorkshire waterway with excellent network connections.