Crick Marina to Market Harborough by narrowboat
It is 23 miles and 9 locks from Crick Marina to Market Harborough, about 9 hours 10 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, and is currently planned around the 2 active stoppages on its waterways (last checked 28 Aug 2026).
Recalculated 6 Aug 2026 against live closures.
From Crick Marina the Leicester line’s summit pound runs for miles without a single lock, twisting through remote Northamptonshire and Leicestershire grazing country and the darkness of Husbands Bosworth Tunnel. At Foxton the route drops down the celebrated staircase locks beside the remains of the Victorian inclined plane, then turns along the winding Market Harborough Arm to finish in the basin at Union Wharf.
The route in words
Waterways on this route, in order:
- Husbands Bosworth Tunnel (tunnel, 11.88 miles in)
- Foxton Locks (lock flight, 9 locks)
- Foxton Locks (staircase locks)
Junctions along the way: Welford Junction.
The route works 1 movable (swing or lift) bridge.
Day by day
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Day 117.76 mi 3 locks 5 h 49 min arrive ~13:49Overnight: Mooring
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Day 25.59 mi 6 locks 3 h 21 min arrive ~11:21
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, 04:15). The live map routes around anything blocking.
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Closure 2027-02-01 – 2027-02-03
Foxton Lock Flight
Read the notice → -
Restriction 2026-07-13
Foxton Lock Flight
Read the notice → -
Closure 2026-07-13
From Kibworth Top Lock 18 to Kings Lock 38
Read the notice → -
Restriction 2026-07-13
Watford Lock Flight
Read the notice → -
Advice 2026-05-08
Between Honey Pot Farm Bridge 46 and Stink Farm Bridge 50, Husbands Bosworth
Read the notice →
Coming back the other way
The return from Market Harborough to Crick Marina covers the same water, the same 23 miles and 9 locks, again over about 2 days - only the overnight moorings shift.
Reverse day-by-day plan
- Day 1: 12.25 mi, 8 locks - overnight North Kilworth Wharf
- Day 2: 11.1 mi, 0 locks
Start and finish
Cruising rings touching this route
- Leicester Ring
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 Crick Marina way? Plan it in minutes.
Turn-by-turn routing with live closures, lock counts and day planning - free.