The Canal Museum, Stoke Bruerne — Attraction in Stoke Bruerne

Lovely place to visit, especially in the summer. Very dog friendly place, pubs and the cafe allow them inside, including in the restaurant.

Canal museum is up a flight of steep stairs so not accessible to people with physical disabilities. Also you cannot take your dog into the museum so not accessible in those circumstances.

The 'Boat inn' pub has a lovely welcoming restaurant, food is amazing albeit the deserts rather overpriced. They also do a boat trip through the blissworth tunnel every Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday- to be booked in advanced by calling the pub. Dogs welcome on this boat. Reasonable price.

A shorter trip to the mouth of the blissworth tunnel is available on a boat called 'Charlie'. It's not as good as it use to be but still worth a trip for how little it costs. This doesn't need booking in advanced. Cash accepted or card.

Parking is charged at £5 for the day. Money goes to funding the canal museum...so would be better to make it dog friendly and accessible to the disabled. The museum isn't big or busy, you wouldn't spend much time in it.

Some lovely walking routes along...

I first visited here about 5 years ago and there have been a few changes since then.

The museum is now free to enter and is still based on the first and second floor of the building. These are accessed by stairs only, so not for those who are mobility impaired.

Although the displays still give good information they have been significantly reduced and both floors have been decluttered. As a result I found it wasn’t as interesting as before, but judging from the displays and layout it has been geared towards school groups. Obviously a good idea to get younger people interested, but maybe a bit facile for adults now.

The cafe has been modernised and serves good quality food and drinks at similar prices to say Nero or Costa. You can eat in, or beside the canal and there’s also take away if preferred.

Modern toilet facilities are available under the building, accessible to all from outside.

Plenty of choice locally for drinks and food. Also canal boat trips available too.

Parking is pay and display. The final direction signs are a bit obscure but there if you’re...

The museum is lovely and the team inside, but the surrounding area was not so welcoming. Even as we parked in the car park, the people around us just stared at me and my young family. As we walked to the canel the people sitting outside the pub and ice-cream area in front of us just staired at us and the whole atmosphere felt unwelcoming. One guys and his partner even walked past us muttering something that was not legible, but felt negative and directed at us. We left promptly. Note, I live a few miles away from here but felt like an outsider here. Maybe it's just the political atmosphere in 2025 or my own anxiety assuming it's because we are of colour, and no one else there was. I hope others going, like me with my young children, are not made to...