Steamboats@Norbury Canal Festival

Norbury Canal Festival

1st - 5th May 2026

Video link to festival invitation  https://youtu.be/vbGVwtSR9OI 

Norbury Canal Festival is an annual festival based at Norbury Wharf on the Shropshire Union Canal.

There’s fun for all the family, a wide selection of trading boats, food, drink and live music.

This year the steamboats have been asked by Norbury Wharf if they would like to attend.

The itinerary is as follows:

Friday : Launch, briefing and evening meal. There is a café at Norbury Wharf which will be open all day, there is also a pub over the bridge.

Saturday: AM Talking to Public and cruising around the festival area, lunch from Cafe.
PM Cruise to the Anchor Inn for drinks, continue or return to site.

Sunday: AM Cruise around festival site, then continue to the Hartley Arms for lunch and return.

Monday : A Cruise around festival site, steam to Navigation Inn and return.
Evening meal with other exhibitors

Tuesday: Recover and head home

There is opportunity to extend your stay, the Steam @ the Lift event is the next weekend - please let me know if you might be interested in joining a 'flotilla' to cruise to Steam @ the Lift. 

This is a lovely setting in a 17 mile lock free pound with several pubs within steaming distance.

There is a slipway suitable for smaller boats ( I have launched Quetzal 20ft, 2.5ft draft several times, although anything of a deeper draft may struggle). It would be great to see some steam narrowboats attending as well.

As this event is held on the Shropshire union canal which is ran by the canal and river trust, you are required to purchase a short term license. For this you do not require a Boat safety certificate.

Short-term visitor licences | Canal & River Trust

Licence Prices :: Canal & River Trust Licensing

There are a wide variety of hotels in the local area,

Newport Hotels | Book Hotels In Newport Shropshire | Premier Inn    15 mins to Norbury

Holiday Inn Express Stafford M6 Junction 13 - Guest Reservations      30 mins to Norbury

SBA type 2 - SBA participation in a third-party event

Key to event types

1 - SBA Organised Event (owner's declaration required)

2 - SBA organised participation in 3rd party's event (owner's declaration required)

In event types 1 and 2 the SBA organisers and SBA members are covered by the SBA Liability Insurance;

3 - private meeting of members with or without boats

4 - private, individual participation of members in 3rd party's event

5 - for information only