Autumn 2025 - Issue 79

The Autumn 2025 issue includes the following features. You can purchase this magazine from our online Shop.

You can read the articles in this and all other NarrowBoat issues online by becoming a NarrowBoat subscriber.

Front Cover: Based in Leicester in the early 1960s, Seymour-Roseblade's first boat was wooden motor Neptune, seen here, in the company’s familiar green and white livery, carrying timber under cloths.

Historical Profiles

The Lichfield Canal

Andy Tidy traces the past and future of this lost Midlands route 

View an excerpt.

Unearthing History

Excavating a lock-keeper’s cottage

Dr David Harrison discusses the rediscovery of a lost cottage on the Sankey Canal 

View an excerpt.

Historical Profiles

The Life and Times of Josiah Clowes

Roger Butler provides the story of an influential but largely forgotten canal engineer 

This is our free-access sample article from the Autumn 2025 NarrowBoat

View an excerpt.

Time and Place

Cadbury’s at Knighton

Chris M. Jones studies a series of images showing canal traffic at Cadbury’s Knighton factory

View an excerpt.

From the Archives

The Demise of the Shrewsbury & Newport

Joseph Boughey uses archive sources to trace the sad loss of an important canal connection

View an excerpt.

Picturing the Past

Barge Traffic on the Lee Navigation

Chris M. Jones delves into Jack Parkinson’s photo collection to explore traffic on the Lee Navigation

View an excerpt.

A Broader Outlook

Waterside Scenes at Leicester

Chris M. Jones studies several images of the River Soar and canals around Leicester 

View an excerpt.

Historical Profiles

The Welford Arm

Andy Tidy explores the history of this short branch of the Leicester Line 

View an excerpt.

Canals That Never Were

Cockfield Canal

An interesting County Durham scheme is revealed by Richard Dean

View an excerpt.