Canal & River Trust

Oxford Canal

77 miles of navigable water, 44 locks, 16 named marinas and moorings. Passes Oxford, Banbury, Kidlington.

Will your boat fit?

BoatSizeFits?
Narrowboat57ft × 6ft 10inFits
Long narrowboat70ft × 6ft 10inFits
Widebeam60ft × 10ftToo big
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.

OxfordBanburyKidlington

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
Braunston Junction to Wigrams (Napton Junction)21.962.131.172.44
Wigrams (Napton Junction) to Oxford21.962.131.231.98
Braunston Junction to Hawkesbury Junction (Sutton Stop)21.962.131.12.07

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 Oxford Canal in OpenStreetMap. Volunteers map these, so there are gaps.

Water points 27

  • Boughton Road Water Point
  • Braunston North Water Point
  • Hawkesbury Junction Water Point
  • Hillmorton Water Point
  • Napton Water Point
  • Newbold Water Point
  • Stretton Arm Junction Water Point

15 more without a name in OpenStreetMap.

Elsan disposal 7

  • Braunston North Elsan Point
  • Hawkesbury Junction Elsan Point
  • Hillmorton Elsan Point
  • Napton Elsan Point

3 more without a name in OpenStreetMap.

Pump-out 1

1 more without a name in OpenStreetMap.

Boat fuel 3

3 more without a name in OpenStreetMap.

Rubbish disposal 14

  • Braunston North Rubbish Disposal
  • Napton Rubbish Disposal
  • Refuse Disposal

11 more without a name in OpenStreetMap.

Winding holes 29

  • Duke's Cut Junction
  • Napton Junction

27 more without a name in OpenStreetMap.

Questions

Can a widebeam go on the Oxford Canal?

No. A 10ft-wide boat is wider or longer than the Oxford Canal allows.

Will a 57ft narrowboat fit on the Oxford Canal?

Yes. A 57ft × 6ft 10in narrowboat is within every published limit on the Oxford Canal.

How long is the Oxford Canal, and how many locks does it have?

About 77 miles of navigable water on our map, with 44 locks mapped in OpenStreetMap.