The Canal Museum
The Canal Museum
4
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Visit the Canal Museum at Stoke Bruerne to follow the story of Britain's canals, from the great engineers and navvies who created them to the boat families, leggers and lock keepers who lived and worked on them. You'll find models of working boats, traditional clothing, canal crafts, beautiful historical signs and much more. You will also receive a warm welcome in the museum's waterside café and gift shop. For up to date opening hours, please see our website and Facebook pages.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
236 reviews
Excellent
95
Very good
99
Average
25
Poor
8
Terrible
9
Anne S
Leeds, UK616 contributions
May 2023 • Couples
Moored nearby while on a canal boat holiday specifically to visit this museum. However it was closed as it was a training day. We could find no mention of this on the website, but it did say it would open at 10am the following day. We returned at 10am the following day to find a new sign on the door saying opening at noon. At this point we gave up, so we cannot comment on the contents.
Written June 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Friarygirl1974
Bedford, UK33 contributions
Mar 2023 • Friends
We stopped off here on a rainy day, only people there so very quiet. The young man in the cafe was really friendly and helpful and allowed us to wander round the museum in our own time even though officially we only had ten minutes to closing. The cafe is clean and choice of snacks. Interesting museum, had been before with school trips. Lovely walks and used to take the primary aged children on boat trips
Written March 30, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Greenpen
Banbury, UK121 contributions
Jun 2022 • Solo
The museum no longer offers any sort of canal history experience. It’s been reduced to a second hand book shop serving coffee from the cafe with very few interesting things on the upper floors. Many exhibits have been removed. Told all the material has been removed and some may be at the other canal museums in Gloucester and Ellesmere Port. Told concentrating on Stoke Bruerne local area but it was an important site relevant to the whole canal system. Nothing like it was; give it a miss.
Written June 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chris L
London, UK471 contributions
Mar 2022
The museum is relatively small but gives a very good idea of what canal life was like. Good history of the Grand Union canal and the boats that used it in its heyday. Nice cafe on site too. Very pleasant place to watch canal life.
Written March 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jannerbloke
Plymouth, UK13,641 contributions
Jul 2022
Regrettably only had limited time at the end of this afternoon but will probably come back soon to take a more detailed look. BUT this canalside modern building seems to be run by volunteers, entry is free (but they welcome donations) and the exhibits are generally well labelled. There is a cafe occupying half the ground floor but the museum occupies two and half floors with many different types of equipment, kit, maps, scale models and much more. There are many books, some geared to children and a second hand collection of canal books. Sadly I couldn’t find any comprehensive or thorough books on the British system but it has triggered my intention to research further. Don’t be discouraged by the shelves of mixed donated books which are part of the fund raising efforts. There are some little scale models of barges intended as souvenirs and would suit children as well as some fridge magnets. When I left I was spoken to by a woman from her barge waiting for the lock who said that this museum used to be much better but that a proportion of its exhibite had been disposed of or relocated in two or three other regional canal museums.
Written July 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Felicia J
1 contribution
Mar 2023
This is such a beautiful and unique venue on the edge of the canal. Inside the cafe has exposed beams and historical artefacts lining the walls, in addition to a used book library with books starting from £1 and local maps and some nice things for gifts.
The seating is comfortable and well spaced out and the room light and airy. It's a great place to meet up with friends. We had drinks, but there were also snacks available. The staff were all really friendly, one introducing the museum upstairs.
Despite the toilets being outside and downstairs, they were clean and well set.
I'd definitely visit the cafe again.
The seating is comfortable and well spaced out and the room light and airy. It's a great place to meet up with friends. We had drinks, but there were also snacks available. The staff were all really friendly, one introducing the museum upstairs.
Despite the toilets being outside and downstairs, they were clean and well set.
I'd definitely visit the cafe again.
Written March 26, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
51plus
Northampton, UK163 contributions
Apr 2023 • Friends
We decided to visit this after seeing it advertised in a leaflet about Northamptonshire museums. On
arrival we were told the museum is a ‘work in progress’ and there was actually very little to see, with limited information on boards. The largest item is a model of the previous inclined plane boat lift at Foxton Locks. The shop and cafe occupy the whole ground floor area, and I saw no lift (or signs to one) to access the museum itself which is on the two upper floors. If you are interested in canal history you would be better going to The Boiler House museum at Foxton in Leicestershire - but maybe this museum will be better when it’s finished. The cafe and cake are good though.
arrival we were told the museum is a ‘work in progress’ and there was actually very little to see, with limited information on boards. The largest item is a model of the previous inclined plane boat lift at Foxton Locks. The shop and cafe occupy the whole ground floor area, and I saw no lift (or signs to one) to access the museum itself which is on the two upper floors. If you are interested in canal history you would be better going to The Boiler House museum at Foxton in Leicestershire - but maybe this museum will be better when it’s finished. The cafe and cake are good though.
Written April 10, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jasowl
Sheffield, UK953 contributions
Mar 2023 • Couples
My wife and I stopped off in this small village on our way back up the M1 from a weekend in London. It was only about 7 miles from the motorway, near Northampton, and we found a canal with several locks, two lovely pubs (one thatched), and a small interesting museum , with a cafe serving hot drinks and cake. We wandered up and down the tow path, and watched a few travelers navigate through the locks. A lovely diversion from the joys of motorway driving.
Written March 25, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SparkLeicestershire
Loughborough, UK356 contributions
Jun 2022
A great free museum, informative on the canal in general, but particularly here at Stoke Bruerne. Attached gift shop and coffee shop all good value and clean public toilets below. Around the eaves House martens are nesting and swooping over the canal to feed.
Written June 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JenAnnie
Nottingham, UK2,003 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
Great place to visit. A great setting too on the canal side. Lots to see in the Museum about the history on the canal & all about the people who worked on & by the canal. Stories of how people lived & traded on & from boats along there, we really enjoyed our visit.
Written October 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Can you get a pushchair around the museum?
Written April 8, 2018
The museum is on three different levels, the gift shop and café downstairs and two levels of exhibits above. I don't recall seeing any lift, best to give them a call to find out for sure.
Written April 9, 2018
Does the boat trip take people in wheelchairs as .um can't walk and we would like to treat her.
Written July 29, 2017
Sorry, I can't help you with this, as I didn't go on the canal boat and didn't notice what facilities for wheelchairs they had
Written July 30, 2017
How much is car park
Written April 29, 2017
Hi,
Planning to visit in August 2016 .Would like to know the summer hours pls.
Regards
G
Written April 3, 2016
CanalMuseumTeam
Stoke Bruerne, United Kingdom
The museum, gift shop and café are now open from 10am seven days a week. Bring some sunshine from down under and we look forward to welcoming you in August.
Best Regards and safe journey,
From The Canal Museum Team
Written April 6, 2016
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