Discover the fascinating history of our inland waterways at Gloucester Docks. Canals have been part of British life for more than 200 years.
Through interactive displays, historic boats, archive film footage and exhibits, you can explore the fascinating story of this revolutionary transport system.
Housed in a grade II listed warehouse on the side of the UK’s most complete Victorian dock, we offer a time-travel opportunity to visit Victorian Gloucester, see how and why the canals were built and test your own skills with our indoor working lock system.
Videos narrated by people who worked on the canals give an insight into the industry. Models show different bridges and photographs illustrate examples of canal architecture. A gallery devoted to boat decoration explores the "castle and roses" style of artwork with an array of colourful painted historic artefacts.
The propulsion gallery complete with a Foden engine shows the different ways by which boats were propelled along the canal over the years and there are several boats from the historic collection on display in the docks outside the museum.