Nottingham to Newark Marina by narrowboat
It is 25 miles and 5 locks from Nottingham to Newark Marina, about 8 hours 18 minutes of cruising, comfortably done in 2 days at 6 hours a day. The route is checked against live closure notices from the Canal & River Trust and the other navigation authorities - none currently affect it (last checked 28 Aug 2026).
Recalculated 6 Aug 2026 against live closures.
A big-river contrast to canal cruising. From Nottingham Castle Marina the route threads the Nottingham & Beeston Canal through the city centre, then joins the broad River Trent at Meadow Lane for the sweep downstream through the wide, deep locks at Holme, Stoke Bardolph and Gunthorpe. It finishes under the walls of Newark Castle, with Newark Marina just beyond the town bridge.
Day by day
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Day 116.85 mi 5 locks 5 h 56 min arrive ~13:56
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Day 27.8 mi 0 locks 2 h 21 min arrive ~10:21
Live closures on this route
Most planners list stoppages and leave you to plot around them. Canal Nav checks every live notice and plans this route around anything blocking - automatically, each time it is recalculated.
5 live notices on this route's waterways (last checked 28 Aug 2026, 06:29). The live map routes around anything blocking.
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Advice 2026-09-16
Railway Bridge 1C (Mainline) London Road, Nottingham
Read the notice → -
Advice 2026-09-12 – 2026-09-13
Bridge 21, Backwater Bridge to Bridge 22, Trent Bridge
Read the notice → -
Advice 2026-09-04
Bridge 10, Wilford Toll Bridge to Bridge 13, Lady Bay Bridge
Read the notice → -
Advice 2026-06-18
Weir, Gunthorpe Lock
Read the notice → -
Advice 2025-05-20
Newark Dry Dock Bridge - River Trent
Read the notice →
Coming back the other way
The return from Newark Marina to Nottingham covers the same water, the same 25 miles and 5 locks, again over about 2 days - only the overnight moorings shift.
Reverse day-by-day plan
- Day 1: 18.32 mi, 3 locks
- Day 2: 6.33 mi, 2 locks
Start and finish
Plan it properly
Distances and times are planning estimates (last computed 6 Aug 2026). Always check live closures on the map before setting off.
Cruising Nottingham way? Plan it in minutes.
Turn-by-turn routing with live closures, lock counts and day planning - free.