Canal & River Trust

Leicester Line (Grand Union Canal)

43 miles of navigable water, 37 locks, 9 named marinas and moorings. Passes Leicester.

Will your boat fit?

BoatSizeFits?
Narrowboat57ft × 6ft 10inFits
Long narrowboat70ft × 6ft 10inFits
Widebeam60ft × 10ftSome sections
Widebeam60ft × 12ftToo big
Dutch barge70ft × 14ft 6inToo big

Length and beam against Canal & River Trust. “Some sections” means your boat is too big for at least one section or lock. Draught and headroom aren't checked here: see the table below.

Leicester

Published size limits

Maximum boat sizes in metres, from the Canal & River Trust's waterway dimensions (page last edited 26 Mar 2026). “–” means the Trust doesn't give a figure.

SectionLengthBeamDraughtHeadroom
Norton Junction to Foxton (narrow)21.792.1212.28
Foxton to Kings Lock21.953.0512.23
Kings Lock to Leicester24.13.0512.13

Marinas and moorings

Each opens its Check a Mooring page: what's nearby on the water and ashore.

Services on the water

Mapped within 150 m of the Leicester Line (Grand Union Canal) in OpenStreetMap. Volunteers map these, so there are gaps.

Water points 10

  • Crick Water Point
  • Foxton Junction Water Point
  • Foxton Top Lock Water Point
  • Kilby Bridge Water Point
  • Norton Junction Water Point
  • Watford Bottom Lock Water Point
  • Watford Top Lock Water Point
  • Yelvertoft Water Point

1 more without a name in OpenStreetMap.

Elsan disposal 2

  • Crick Elsan Point
  • Watford Top Lock Elsan Point

Pump-out 1

1 more without a name in OpenStreetMap.

Boat fuel 1

  • Weltonfield Narrowboats Diesel Pump

Rubbish disposal 4

  • Crick Rubbish Disposal
  • Watford Top Lock Rubbish Disposal
  • Yelvertoft Rubbish Disposal

1 more without a name in OpenStreetMap.

Winding holes 10

  • Blaby Bridge Winding Hole
  • Kilby Bridge Winding Hole

8 more without a name in OpenStreetMap.

Questions

Can a widebeam go on the Leicester Line (Grand Union Canal)?

Partly. A 60ft × 10ft widebeam fits some sections of the Leicester Line (Grand Union Canal) but not all of them. Check the limits for the sections you plan to use.

Will a 57ft narrowboat fit on the Leicester Line (Grand Union Canal)?

Yes. A 57ft × 6ft 10in narrowboat is within every published limit on the Leicester Line (Grand Union Canal).

How long is the Leicester Line (Grand Union Canal), and how many locks does it have?

About 43 miles of navigable water on our map, with 37 locks mapped in OpenStreetMap.