There are 4,700 miles of navigable canals and rivers throughout the United Kingdom, passing through quaint villages, market towns, past castles and many other attractions.
Travelling by boat is an ideal way to slowly explore the UK and discover places from a different perspective.
With busy lives and the option to travel at 575mph on a plane to some far off land, travelling at a maximum speed of 4 mph in a shallow man-made ditch might not at first seem that exciting.
But as you cruise along at slightly under walking pace, you’ll be able to appreciate the beauty that is on the doorstep for many of us, but is easily missed in the day to day business (and busyness!) of life.
The glimpse of a heron patiently waiting for his next meal, a flash of electric blue that you are pretty sure is your first ever kingfisher, and the realisation that the shallow ditch on which you now reside was dug out 100s of years ago by hand, using pickaxes, shovels and dynamite.
Perhaps you’ll even find the time to read a book, but that’s not to say there is nothing to do, quite the contrary. On a narrowboat holiday you’re always en-route somewhere: possibly the worlds tallest canal aqueduct, or a nature reserve, or perhaps a lovely pub for the night.
Don’t worry, if you’ve never even seen a lock before, it’s all part of the experience. Beginners are absolutely welcome and you’ll be given a comprehensive handover showing you the details of your particular narrowboat, how to operate a lock or lift/swing bridge, and you’ll be taken for a short-cruise as you get to grips with steering the boat. If you choose your first hire base well, you can also be taken through your first locks as part of the handover, so that you have full confidence for the rest that awaits you.
Canal boat holidays in general make for a relatively environmentally-friendly holiday, but some hire bases are taking this a step further. Trinity Boats and Cafwin Cruises on the Droitwich Ring (no.7, below) have a hybrid electric narrowboat, with Trinity Boats also running the fleet on HVO. Castle Narrowboats on the Monmouthshire & Brecon canal (no.9, below), have fully electric boats for hire.
As an added bonus many train lines follow the course of canals. This means that there are plenty of holiday hire bases easily accessible via public transport.
Top 10 Canal Boat Holiday Destinations
England
1. Cheshire Ring and Four Counties Ring
A varied mixture of rural landscapes as well as the odd bit of industrial heritage thrown in for good measure. Narrow locks, a range of attractions such as Little Moreton Hall or Shugborough Estate, and the fact that both routes can be completed in a two-week hire makes the Cheshire Ring & Four Counties Ring two of the most popular canal ring routes in the UK.
Of course you don’t need to complete the ring and there are a range of out-and-back routes that you could also do in this area, for example a route along the Caldon Canal.
Top rated hire bases in this area:
- Andersen Boats (closest station Winsford, then a 10-minute bus ride on the no. 37 bus)
- Canal Cruising (13 min walk from Stone station)
- Chas Hardern Boats (closest station Chester, then a 30-min bus ride on the no. 84 + 25 min walk, or 35 min taxi)
- Heritage Narrowboats (12 min taxi from Kidsgrove station)
2. Kennet & Avon canal
The Kennet & Avon passes through some of the UK’s most beautiful countryside. You’ll find a mixture of remote rural stretches, tiny villages and buzzing towns, the beautiful Vale of Pewsey, the impressive Avon gorge, and the elegant City of Bath.
If you are feeling up to it, there is the famous Caen Hill Flight with its 29 locks!
Top rated hire bases in this area:
- Bloomsbury Boats (15 min walk + 15 min bus (no. 231) from Bath Spa station)
- Bath Canal Boat Co (23 min walk from Bath Spa station)
- Foxhangers (25 min taxi/37 min bus (no. X33) from Chippenham station. Other nearby stations are Trowbridge and Pewsey)
3. Yorkshire navigations
Spectacular scenery as you make your way up and down the Pennine waterways, with the Leeds & Liverpool canal offering a gateway to the North York moors, the River Ouse taking you through historic York, and the South Yorkshire Navigations winding through city and countryside to Sheffield.
With wide locks and steep hills, these routes can be hard work, but it will all be worth it when the day is done and you put a well-earned drink to your lips in one of the many canal side pubs.
Top rated hire bases in this area:
- The Boat Co North (20 min walk from Leeds station)
- Silsden Boats (19 min walk from Steeton & Silsden station)
- Pennine Cruisers (10 min walk from Skipton station)
4. Grand Union canal
The longest canal in the UK at an impressive 137 miles, the Grand Union canal brings plenty of choice for potential holiday routes, especially if you start near the junction with the Oxford canal (just south of Rugby).
Highlights include the Blisworth and Braunston tunnels, the 21 locks at Hatton, Foxton Locks and boat lift, and the museum at Stoke Bruerne.
Top rated hire bases in this area:
- Union Canal Carriers, Braunston (20 min taxi from Rugby station)
- Wyvern Shipping (19 min walk from Leighton Buzzard station)
- Grand Union Narrowboats (15 min taxi from Northampton station)
5. Oxford canal
Narrow locks, twists and turns through remote countryside, and the occasional village, all make the Oxford canal a fantastic and popular holiday destination. This canal cuts through the English countryside at its best, heading north from Oxford and through Banbury, joining the Grand Union canal just south of Rugby.
Top rated hire bases in this area:
- Union Canal Carriers (20 min taxi from Rugby station)
- College Cruisers (12 min walk from Oxford station)
- Napton Narrowboats (20 min taxi from Leamington Spa station)
6. Ashby canal
22 miles of tranquil lock-free cruising along this pretty canal which gently takes you through some beautiful countryside. You’ll pass through a few small villages such as Dadlington, Shenton, Sutton Cheney, perhaps taking the time to visit a cafe, pub or the Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre. Or just moor up in the middle of nowhere and relax.
Top rated hire bases in this area:
- Ashby Boat Co (nearest station Hinckley, then 13 min walk + 26 min bus (No. 7A))
- Midland Mallard (20 min taxi from Nuneaton station)
7. The Droitwich Ring and Worcester & Birmingham canal
Most canal ring routes need a week or two to complete, but the Droitwich Ring can be completed in a weekend, and is by far the most popular short canal ring.
From here you can also head into Birmingham travelling through pleasant countryside and tackling the thirty locks at Tardebigge.
Top rated hire bases in this area:
- Trinity Boats (nearest station Droitwich Spa, then 20 min bus (no. 19) + 20 min walk, or 10 min taxi)
- Cafwin Cruises (40 min walk from Droitwich Spa station along the canal, or 10 min taxi)
Wales
8. Llangollen canal
The Llangollen canal is surely the most famous holiday canal – chances are you’ve seen the world-famous Pontcysyllte Aqueduct on the TV, known as the stream in the sky, and offering fabulous views over the Dee Valley. You’ll find lovely stretches of open countryside, impressive canal infrastructure, narrow locks and the occasional canalside pub.
Top rated hire bases in this area:
- Drifting Wood Canal Breaks (5 min taxi from Whitchurch station)
- Marine Cruises (7 min taxi from Nantwich station)
- Crest Narrowboats (6 min taxi from Chirk station)
9. Monmouthshire & Brecon canal
The Mon & Brec passes through the Brecon Beacons National Park and is possibly one of the most picturesque canals in the UK. As it is not connected to the main canal network, it doesn’t get quite as busy as the Llangollen in North Wales.
With just six locks, five of which are grouped together, it makes a fantastic relaxed cruise, especially for those who would prefer to gently cruise along rather than jump on and off the boat to work an endless stream of locks.
The Mon & Brec is also one of the only canals with electric charging points along its length, which means that if you choose a hire base with fully electric boats such as Castle Narrowboats you can make what is already a low-carbon holiday even more so.
Top rated hire bases in this area:
- Brecon Park Boats (16 min taxi from Abergavenny station)
- Road House Narrowboats (8 min taxi from Abergavenny)
- Cambrian Cruisers (35 min taxi from Abergavenny)
- Castle Narrowboats (16 min taxi from Abergavenny)
Scotland
10. Forth & Clyde canal and Union canal
A canal boat holiday in Scotland will start near Falkirk and the Falkirk Wheel, the world’s only rotating boat lift and one of the UK’s most impressive pieces of canal infrastructure. From here you can travel to the historical cities of Edinburgh along the Union canal, and Glasgow, along the Forth and Clyde canal.
All the locks and bridges here are managed by staff and volunteers, so it’s a great option if you would like to experience them but would rather avoid all that effort.
Top rated hire bases in this area:
- Marine Cruises (23 min bus (no. 7 or 8) from Falkirk station, or 30 min walk / 8 min taxi from Camelon station)
How much will it cost?
Prices range between £600 and £3000 for a week’s hire, depending on time of year and quantity of people onboard. You can find a breakdown of narrowboat hire prices here.
Beyond the hire cost you can spend as much or as little as you like, using the onboard galley for cooking meals, and visiting the free attractions along the way, or treating yourself to a meal out every night in the many places you'll be travelling through.
Walk, cycle, Stand-Up Paddleboard, kayak…
Of course, you don’t need to book a canal boat holiday to enjoy the canal network. There are 1000s of miles of towpath that can be explored on foot or by bike. You could walk across the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, visit one of the museums, sit in the cafe and watch the Falkirk Wheel turn, or even take a canoe trip through the UK's longest canal tunnel.
They are there for us to enjoy, so if you don’t already know, why not find your local canal and have a wander along the towpath.
Article written by James Anelay from Roam&Roost Canal Boat Holidays
