2025 WATERWAYS FESTIVAL
FOXTON & MARKET HARBOROUGH

The Inland Waterways Association was formed in 1946,  but it was not until the 1950 Festival of Boats and Arts, held in Market Harborough, that the campaign to save the inland waterways really became established as a national crusade. The festival is generally thought to be the tipping point of the waterways revival, triggering the mass-participation on a volunteering spirit which is still unique in the world.

The Leicestershire Branch of the Inland Waterways Association, with local partners, are organising a waterways festival on the 7th and 8th of June 2025 to honour this historic event for the IWA, a huge success that became the benchmark for subsequent national waterways festivals. The 1950 festival was held at Union Wharf, Market Harborough, a location chosen as being central to the waterways system and accessible to all shapes and sizes of inland waterways craft. The rally would bring together a variety of different craft owned by members of the Association, and encouraged them to travel along the many diverse routes to Market Harborough. The initial aims of the rally were to inspire new members to join,  and focus attention on the dire state of the waterways, aims that are still relevant seventy five years later.

The inspiration for the event came from a very successful Vintage Sports Car Club rallies that had been organised by Tom Rolt, one of the founding members of the association. The event received enthusiastic support from the Harborough Council, who committed their full support. The rally developed from being merely a boat rally into a festival of boats and arts with a range of land-based attractions – exhibitions, films, theatre productions –  a development inspired by Robert Aickman, the association’s co-founder.

 The festival was a huge success, and attracted some 120 craft and an estimated 50,000 visitors over the six days. A trophy was awarded to recognise the boat coming the longest distance, (A.P. Herbert Trophy) as well as trophies for the best turned out boat and other achievements.

Sadly, our event cannot be located at Market Harborough, as Union Wharf is now a hire-boat base and has permanent mooring for private boats. We are basing our event therefore at Foxton, with land trading stalls, food, music and canal societies all in the CRT event field adjacent to the main line and Bridge 60. We aim to organise a cavalcade of boats up to Market Harborough Arm to Union wharf on Saturday of the festival to create a visual link to Harborough.