Cosgrove Canal Festival & Craft Fair
Linslade Canal Festival 2025
RCTA Market Drayton Summer Floating Market
IWA Milton Keynes branch Fenny Stratford Canal Festival 2025
RCTA Nantwich Floating Market 
Brownhills Canal Festival 2025
RCTA Froncysylite Floating Market
RCTA Ellesmere BH Floating Market
RCTA Gt. Linford Floating Market MK
Roving Canal Traders Association
The Roving Canal Traders Association (RCTA) is a non-profit organisation. It supports and promotes the diverse array of both existing and potential Canal & River Trust (CRT) registered Roving Traders on our waterways.
In 2013, we held the first ever floating market in Birmingham. Since then, we have grown into the large and respected association we are today. With over 130 members across the country, we run an increasing number of floating markets and events around the network. We work closely with CRT, local authorities and other agencies to provide these opportunities. Our members can also enjoy the benefits of exclusive trading deals with many marinas across the network.
We ensure that all our members are properly licensed and carry the necessary insurance for the public’s peace of mind. With the support of our committee, new members can be guided through what can be a minefield. For example, Roving Canal Traders who provide food and drink can find it difficult to obtain the Food Standards Agency rating approval.
For licensed Roving Canal Traders, it makes sense to join us and enjoy the benefits of being part of this growing and vibrant association. If you are thinking about trading from your boat, but don’t know where to start, please contact us for more information. We are here to help! We have a private Facebook group for members to share information and advice. Our public social media pages promote the RCTA and advertise events.
Our diverse community of Roving Canal Traders can not only be found at floating markets – they will also trade as “pop-ups” where one or two, sometimes more, trade ad-hoc on popular sections of the towpath. Our members are always pleased to attend other festivals and events, as well as work with charities to raise funds and awareness. Several of our traders have online shops too, so if you can’t get to them, you can buy via mail order.
From café boats to floating off-licences, arts, crafts and so much more, there is no end to enterprising people who are our members. Just look in our directory to see what you can buy from a Roving Canal Trader.
The original Licensed Waterways Trader window sticker.
Image by Ian Williamson
In December 2016, the first ever RCTA Annual General Meeting was held in Birmingham, with 20 RCTA members in attendance. A Constitution was agreed and signed, which forms the structure for the RCTA into the future.
This RCTA website contains a mixture of information, membership details and application forms, committee details, newsletter archives, details of forthcoming floating markets, a contact page for any enquiries from both members and non members, and information about RCTA traders.
For members there is a separate login area containing relevant content. If you are a member, and do not have login details, please email web.rcta@outlook.com
We have Facebook Groups and Pages, a Twitter Account, a Pinterest board for traders, and an Instagram Account. So there’s access to information for everybody, whether you’re a trader, a potential trader, you are interested in our traders and/or just want to visit some of the events.
Please consider joining the Roving Canal Traders Group on Facebook, which is accessible to anyone on Facebook.
In January 2023 we came to an agreement with over 30 large UK marinas so that our members can enjoy some extra trading opportunities with benefits. Most of these are fabulous marinas owned by Aquavista, along with Mercia Marina in Derbyshire & Fradley Marina in Staffordshire.
Once you are a member of RCTA you can access full details of the trading arrangement, find out how to join us here.
For RCTA members, there’s a specific RCTA Members Facebook Page – just ask to join, and once your details have been verified, you will be accepted.
Image by Jan Pickles Price
The main aims of the RCTA are to:
- improve trading conditions and opportunities for all licensed traders through negotiations with CRT
- raise public awareness of traders, and our waterways in general
- help and support potential, and existing, licensed Roving Canal Traders throughout the waterways.
There are a growing number of traders on the canals selling an increasingly eclectic range of handmade goods and giftware, and a diverse range of products. To read more about individual traders, visit our ‘Traders’ Directory’ and be amazed!
The many traders afloat bring diversity to the waterways, and we believe also enhance the publics’ experiences and enjoyment. Our aim as the Roving Canal Traders Association is to promote and enhance our unique trading community.
Join us …
We’d love for you to come and join us, and discover what we can do working alongside you – for you and your business. Email: canaltraders@outlook.com.
Britain’s inland waterways are under threat due to inadequate funding. The funding situation is already causing deterioration and will only worsen with the challenges of high inflation and the impact of climate change, which are both at a level unforeseen when current funding was agreed. Fund Britain’s Waterways (FBW) brings together a number of waterways associations to campaign to persuade national and local government to ensure that the benefits provided to the public do not continue to be eroded.
The Roving Canal Traders Association is proud to be part of this campaigning group.
