💷 Free entry
Tooley's Boatyard
One of Britain's oldest continually working dry docks on the Oxford Canal, with a heritage museum, live forge and summer canal boat trips.
✦ We visited
The working blacksmith's forge is the standout for children; it is rare to see this kind of heritage at such close quarters. The summer boat trips on the Dancing Duck are well worth booking ahead if you visit on a Saturday.
Tooley's Boatyard on the Oxford Canal in Banbury has been in operation since 1778, making it one of the oldest continually working dry docks in Britain. The boatyard still builds and restores narrowboats, and visitors can watch that work in progress at the forge and carpenter's shop, which continue to operate much as they did in the early 19th century. A permanent exhibition inside the yard tells the history of the place through two and a half centuries of photographs, tools, maps and artefacts linked to the Tooley family and the canal trade.
The Tooley's Boatyard Trust runs canal boat trips on Saturdays through the summer months aboard the Dancing Duck, a handcrafted 39-foot day boat built at the yard. Trips run for around 40 minutes along the Oxford Canal through Banbury town centre, giving a different view of the town from the water. These are popular and worth booking ahead. For families who want to keep it simple, the free museum and forge are worth the visit on their own.
The boatyard sits between Castle Quay and the canal, directly opposite the Banbury Museum, so the two make a natural morning pairing. The combined visit can fill a relaxed couple of hours without much outlay, and the canalside setting is easy to linger in.
Good for: history, water. Ages: 3–4, 5–7, 8–11, 12+.
Good to know
Is Tooley's Boatyard free to visit?
Yes, the museum and forge are free to visit. Canal boat trips on the Dancing Duck are ticketed separately; check the website for prices and booking.
When do canal boat trips run at Tooley's Boatyard?
Trips run on Saturdays through the summer; check the Tooley's Boatyard Trust website for the current season's dates and to book in advance.
How long should we allow at Tooley's Boatyard?
An hour or so covers the museum and forge at a comfortable pace. Allow extra time if you are taking a canal boat trip, which runs for around 40 minutes.
