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Roses and castles templates

Four outline designs in the canal folk-art style: a spray of roses, a castle by the water, a painted water can and a rose panel. Print one on A4, then colour it or paint it.

Four templates to print

Pick one and print it on plain A4. Colour it in, or trace it onto a panel and paint it.

  • Outline drawing of three open roses with two buds and a ring of leaves, ready to colour

    A spray of roses

    Three open roses, two buds and their leaves. The classic bunch.

  • Outline drawing of a turreted castle on a hill above a lake, with a bridge, trees and a sailing boat, inside an oval

    A castle by the water

    Turrets, a bridge, a lake and a sailing boat, inside an oval.

  • Outline drawing of a tall lidded water can with a handle and spout, a castle scene in an oval on the top band and roses below

    A painted water can

    A tall lidded can with a castle band and roses below.

  • Outline drawing of a panel with a double border, a single rose in a central diamond and roses in each corner

    A rose panel

    A double border, a rose in a diamond and one in each corner.

Each prints alone on A4. Print at actual size (100%): the line at the foot should measure 50 mm. Free for clubs, schools and festival tables to copy.

Who they are for

Canal societies with a children's table at a festival, art groups, schools doing a canal project, and anyone who wants to try the style before picking up a brush. They are free to print and copy, and they need no sign-up.

Where the style comes from

The Canal & River Trust calls roses and castles the colourful folk art used to decorate working narrowboats in the 19th century. The name undersells it: the Trust says the designs also hold other flowers, cottages, churches, rivers and lakes.

Almost everything on a working boat was painted, the Trust says: the drinking can, the horse's harness, the doors, the fitted furniture and the lamps. Nobody knows exactly where the style began. What the Trust ties its growth to is the tiny cabin, the boat people's pride, and the fight with the railways. And it is still going strong today.

A spray of red, pink and white roses painted on a dark green narrowboat panel inside a cream border
The same rose spray, painted in colour on a cabin panel.

Colouring or painting

To colour in, print on plain paper and use pencils, felt tips or crayons. To paint, print on thicker paper, or lay the sheet over a panel with carbon paper between and trace the lines through, then paint inside them.

The templates are ours, made with an AI image tool in the folk style and checked by eye. They are not copies of any painter's work. For the full story of the style, read our guide to roses and castles.

Sources

Canal & River Trust, Roses & Castles: canal folk art, read on 30 October 2026.

Written by Craig Fearn for Narrowboat Gift. Updated .How the guides are written.

Questions before you go

Can our club or school copy the templates?

Yes, free. Print as many as you need for a festival table, a class or a workshop. A link back to this page is welcome.

What are roses and castles?

The Canal & River Trust calls it the colourful folk art used to decorate working narrowboats in the 19th century. Besides roses and castles, the designs include other flowers, cottages, churches, rivers and lakes.

How do I print at the right size?

Print on plain A4 at actual size (100%). The line at the foot of each sheet should measure 50 mm; if it does not, the printer has scaled the page.