Half the population of the UK lives within five miles of one of British Waterways’ canals or rivers
Every year our inland waterways bring Britain over £1½ billion in visitor income
10 million people visit the waterways every year supporting 55,000 jobs
Our turnover has risen year on year since 1996
British Waterways manages and cares for 2,000 miles (3,219km) of canals, rivers and docks, buildings, structures and landscapes.
Our 200-year old network of inland waterways has a unique history and environment which improves the quality of life for people and communities close to them.
In this section you can learn more about our history, what we do, how we are organised and how we are funded. We have included information here on the various commercial activities in which we engage in order to secure the future of our waterways.
British Waterways employs 2,000 people in a wide range of jobs, all over the country. If you would like to work with us you can check out the latest vacancies, or upload your CV for consideration when positions become available.
British Waterways is a public corporation sponsored by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in England and Wales and the Scottish Executive in Scotland.