Long-term moorings in Daventry

Daventry is a market town in West Northamptonshire with no canal of its own. Moorings in Daventry are, in practice, a few miles outside it: the Grand Union Canal passes to the north of the town and meets the Oxford Canal at Braunston, the main boating centre nearby.

A canal arm and marina in the town were planned from 2007, but the district council dropped the scheme in May 2018, so the nearest berths remain out on the canal.

Moorings near Daventry

• Braunston Marina: a marina and boatyard in Braunston village, at the foot of the Braunston locks, with electric hook up, pump out, diesel, laundry and showers.
• Whilton Marina: at Whilton Locks, with a Daventry address. Family run since 1971, it holds approximately 200 boats on piers with electric hook up, and has a chandlery, wet docks and a slipway.
• Welton Hythe and Welton Haven: two basins run by Weltonfield Marinas Ltd, with gated access, car parking and metered electricity. Welton Hythe is on the Leicester Line, close to Norton Junction.
• Braunston Towpath: a Canal & River Trust towpath site on the Grand Union Canal, about 100m long with space for up to 6 boats, around two and a half miles from Daventry.
• Braunston Puddlebanks: a Trust site on the offside of the Oxford Canal for up to 3 boats, about 3 miles from Daventry. It is for leisure use, not full-time residential use.
• Stowe Hill: a Trust offside site on the Grand Union Canal about a mile from Weedon and four miles from Daventry, for up to 6 boats. Leisure use only, with no facilities block.

On the water

The Grand Union Canal and the Oxford Canal meet at Braunston Turn. From Braunston Marina six locks lift the Grand Union to Braunston Tunnel, which opened in 1796, is more than 2,000 yards long and has no towpath. Two narrowboats of 7ft beam can pass inside it.

The Canal & River Trust runs these waters and every boat on them needs a licence. Drayton Reservoir and Daventry Reservoir, on the edge of the town, supply the canal.

Getting there and around

Long Buckby is the nearest railway station, about 4 miles north east of Daventry. Braunston village, within half a mile of the Puddlebanks moorings, has pubs, shops and a post office.