Britain’s 3,000-mile network of canals and river provides the perfect destination for a staycation afloat in 2025
Pottering slowly through the countryside at just four miles per hour, watching out for wildlife, is a great way to relax.
Our canal boats are like floating holiday cottages, with everything you need for a self-catering break. It’s free to moor up almost anywhere, so you can stop off at canalside pubs, villages and waterside destinations along the way.
Our holidays are pet friendly and tuition is included in our canal boat hire.
To help plan your next waterway-getaway, here’s a guide to our top 8 narrowboat holidays for 2025:
1. Visit Georgian Bath afloat
From our canal boat hire base at Bradford on Avon in Wiltshire, you can cruise along the Kennet & Avon to Bath and back. The journey will take you through the Bath Valley and across the magnificent Bath stone aqueducts at Avoncliff and Dundas. You can moor up close to Sydney Gardens and take a 20-minute walk into Bath City Centre to explore all that this World Heritage City has to offer. The journey to Bath and back takes around seven hours and passes through one lock each way.
2. Cruise across the Pennines
On a week’s break from Silsden on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal in West Yorkshire, you can cruise across the Pennines to Barnoldswick and back. The journey takes around 11 hours and passes through 15 locks. Along the way you’ll pass through Skipton, ‘the Gateway to the Yorkshire Dales’, with its medieval stone castle. And a series of villages with places to eat, including The Abbots Harbour restaurant at East Marton.
3. Spot an otter on the Montgomery Canal
On a week’s break from Whixall, you can cruise a section of the Montgomery Canal. This beautiful canal, which runs for 38 miles between England and Wales, is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) on both sides of the border. You can cruise a seven-mile section to Gronwyn Wharf and back, looking out for otters and water voles. From Whixall, the journey to Gronwyn Wharf and back takes around 20 hours, travelling through 34 miles of beautiful countryside and passing through 16 locks (eight each way).
4. Cruise to Caen Hill at Devizes
On a short break from Bath on the Kennet & Avon Canal it takes around nine hours to reach the Caen Hill Flight of Locks. One of the Seven Wonders of the Waterways, this dramatic flight of locks at Devizes is one of the most iconic sights on the waterways. You’ll pass through eight locks each way. You can enjoy stops at Bradford on Avon, with its magnificent medieval Tithe Barn, and Avoncliff Aqueduct with its popular Cross Guns pub.
5. Head to ‘The Cathedral of the Canals’
From Bunbury on the Shropshire Union Canal in Cheshire, it takes around nine hours to reach the iconic Anderton Boat Lift. This Wonder of the Waterways lifts boats 15 metres between the River Weaver and the Trent & Mersey Canal in two giant tanks of water. On the way to Anderton, you’ll navigate through beautiful Cheshire countryside along the Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal. And you’ll pass through the historic Roman town of Middlewich.
6. Glide across ‘The Stream in the Sky’
From Trevor on the Llangollen Canal in North Wales, you’ll soon encounter the incredible Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. One of the ‘Seven Wonders of the Waterways’, this UNESCO World Heritage structure carries canal boats 38 metres high across the Dee Valley. On a short break from Trevor, you can travel cross the aqueduct and on to Ellesmere, in the heart of the Shropshire Lake District. The journey to Ellesmere and back takes around 14 hours, passing through two locks each way.
7. Cruise into the Peak District
On a week’s break from Great Haywood near Stafford, you can travel into the Peak District. It takes around 20 hours to reach Froghall Basin, passing through 35 locks. The route will take you along the Trent & Mersey Canal to Stoke on Trent. Here you can transfer onto the Caldon Canal. You’ll then travel through beautiful stretches of unspoilt countryside, with moorlands, woodlands and an abundance of wildlife.
8. Visit Shakespeare’s Stratford
From Wootton Wawen on the Stratford Canal, it takes around six hours to reach Bancroft Basin in the centre of Shakespeare’s Stratford. Along the way, you’ll pass through 17 locks and miles of peaceful Warwickshire countryside. You can moor up in the basin and use it as a base to explore Stratford-upon-Avon. This world-famous market town has a great choice of shops, restaurants, museums and theatres.
To check availability and book click here or call us on 0117 463 3419.
UK’s most impressive aqueducts
To help you plan your next narrowboat holiday, we’ve listed the most impressive canal aqueducts to look out for in England and Wales
There are few things as magical as drifting on a canal boat high above another waterway, road or railway, waving to the world below.
Aqueducts offer some of the most incredible moments of any canal boat holiday. You can experience sweeping views across verdant countryside and admire these incredible feats of historic engineering. As your narrowboat crosses an aqueduct, you can calmly watch the world passing below, and feel transported in body and mind.
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
Arguably the most awe-inspiring aqueduct in Britain, the Pontcysyllte carries the Llangollen canal a jaw-dropping 38 metres above the River Dee. It offers traversing canal boats and towpath walkers incredible views across the stunning river valley. Located at Trevor in North Wales, this Grade I* listed aqueduct achieved UNESCO World Heritage status in 2009. And it’s one of the Sevon Wonders of the Waterways.
Situated on a stunning stretch of the Kennet & Avon Canal between Bath and Bradford upon Avon, this beautiful stone structure was completed in 1810 by John Rennie. It carries narrowboats across the River Avon as well as Brunel’s Great Western Railway. It’s now designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
Another of the Seven Wonders of the Waterways, this is the only swing aqueduct in the world. It carries the Bridgewater Canal across the much larger Manchester Ship Canal. Now a Grade II* listed building, this feat of Victorian civil engineering opened in 1893. It consists of a channel that can be sealed off at each end to form a 235-feet long and 18 feet wide tank. Holding 800 tons of water, it swings on a pivot on an island in the middle of the Ship Canal.
The highest canal aqueduct in England, this incredible triple arched structure carries the Peak Forest Canal 90-feet above the River Goyt. Designed by Benjamin Outram and opened in 1800, this Grade I listed construction and ancient monument sits at the bottom of one of the steepest lock flights in Britain.
Also known as the Seven Arches Aqueduct, this beautiful Grade II edifice takes the Leeds & Liverpool Canal across the River Aire, between Saltaire and Bingley. Designed by the famous engineer James Brindley, the 245-year-old aqueduct runs for 131 yards over seven stone arches.
This 70-ft high aqueduct was built between 1796 and 1801 by Thomas Telford and William Jessop. It carries the Llangollen Canal across the Ceiriog Valley straddling England and Wales. Despite its scale and beauty with 10 masonry arches, the Chirk Aqueduct is often overshadowed by its near neighbour the Pontcysyllte. But it is also included within the World Heritage Site which stretches for 11 miles from Chirk to the Horseshoe Falls in Llangollen.
This cast iron aqueduct built in 1811 carries the Grand Union Canal 40-ft above the River Great Ouse at Cosgrove. Originally known as the Iron Trunk, the aqueduct was built in iron to replace a previous stone aqueduct that had failed.
The longest cast iron aqueduct in England, the Edstone is one of three aqueducts on a four mile stretch of the Stratford Canal in Warwickshire. Stretching for 475-ft, the Edstone crosses a road, a busy railway line and the track of another former railway near Bearley. Opened in 1816, the aqueduct’s towpath is at the level of the canal bottom so walkers crossing it can watch the narrowboats motor past at waist height.
If you’d like further advice on the best routes for a canal boat holiday with aqueducts and other marvels of our canal network, please call us on 0117 304 1122.
Autumn is a great time to go boating and enjoy the beautiful colours in the trees along our amazing inland waterways
Tuition is included as part of our boat hire. So whether you are beginner looking for an easy short break to test the waters. Or a seasoned canal boater looking for a longer more challenging route, why not book a narrowboat holiday break this autumn and choose from hundreds of fantastic waterside destinations.
All our boats are equipped with the key comforts of home – central heating, hot water, TV, WiFi, well-stocked kitchens, showers and flushing toilets. And some have multi-fuel stoves on board too.
Here are our top 8 destinations to enjoy this autumn:
Explore the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds
From Silsden on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, it takes around 17 hours, passing through 28 locks, to reach Leeds – perfect for a week away. Along the way, you’ll travel through the Bingley Five Rise locks, one of the Seven Wonders of the Waterways. And the UNESCO World Heritage town of Saltaire. Once in Leeds, you can moor up in Leeds Dock, and visit the Royal Armouries Museum, home to the national collection of arms and armour.
Cruise through the beautiful Vale of Pewsey
On a week’s holiday from Monkton Combe, you can cruise along the Kennet & Avon Canal to Pewsey and back. Along the way, you’ll encounter the historic market town of Bradford on Avon and the Caen Hill flight of locks at Devizes. Once you’ve travelled up the flight of 29 locks, you’ll pass through the North West Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the beautiful Vale of Pewsey. You can moor up at Pewsey, where there’s a choice of pubs. The journey to Pewsey and back cruises 57 miles, passes through 74 locks (37 each way) and takes around 33.5 hours.
Visit the Bodleian Library in Oxford
Experience a Thames boating holiday from our Oxford base, cruising to city centre moorings in around three hours. One of Oxford’s most famous attractions is the magnificent Bodleian Library, one of the oldest libraries in Europe. You can access the library by walking through ‘The Quad’ (the Old Schools Quadrangle of the Divinity School), a breath taking masterpiece of English Gothic architecture.
Enjoy panoramic views from Chester’s Roman walls
On a short break from Bunbury on the Shropshire Union Canal you can navigate to the Roman City of Chester and back. The journey through the Cheshire countryside takes around 14 hours (seven each way). And passes through 18 locks (nine each way). Once there, you can explore this great heritage city, home to the most complete City Walls in Britain, dating back 2,000 years to the Roman occupation. There’s a two-mile wall-walking trail, giving you the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Roman soldiers and enjoy panoramic views on both sides.
Glide across the Stream in the Sky to Whitchurch
On a week’s holiday from Trevor on the Llangollen Canal in North Wales you can cruise to historic Whitchurch and back. The journey takes a total of 44 hours (22 each way), passing through just four locks (two each way). Soon after leaving Trevor, you’ll cross the incredible UNESCO World Heritage Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, carrying the canal 38 metres high above the Dee Valley. Once at Whitchurch, you can moor up to explore this pretty historic town with independent shops and restaurants, walking trails and the award-winning Black Bear pub.
Travel round the Birmingham Mini-Ring
On a week’s holiday from Wootton Wawen you can complete the Birmingham Mini-Ring. The journey takes 35 hours and passes through 83 locks. You’ll cruise sections of the Stratford Canal, Grand Union Canal and Worcester & Birmingham Canal. It takes you through peaceful stretches of the Warwickshire countryside, with quiet villages and historic waterside pubs to enjoy along the way. And right into the heart of Britain’s Second City, where you’ll find over-night moorings at Gas Street Basin. From there, you can visit some of the City’s top attractions, including Brindleyplace and the Mailbox Shopping Centre. And the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, home to the world’s largest collection of Pre-Raphaelite art.
Visit the Royal Crescent in fabulous Georgian Bath
From Bradford on Avon, it takes just five hours to cruise along the Kennet & Avon Canal to the centre of the UNESCO World Heritage City of Bath. Once moored up, you can explore some of the City’s top attractions, including the Roman Baths, Bath Abbey and the stunning Georgian Royal Crescent. There 14 locks on this journey (seven each way) and two magnificent Bath stone aqueducts at Avoncliff and Dundas.
Cruise into the Peak District to enjoy magnificent scenery
On a week’s break from Great Haywood you can reach the Caldon Canal and cruise into the Peak District. It’s a 43-hour return journey to Froghall and back, travelling a total of 72 miles (36 each way) through 70 locks (35 each way). The route first takes you north along the Trent & Mersey Canal to Stoke-on-Trent. There you transfer onto the peaceful 17-mile long Caldon Canal, which passes through some of the most magnificent scenery in Britain. As the canal leaves Stoke, you’ll soon be cruising through gently rolling hills, wooded areas, past old mills and alongside the beautiful River Churnet. The route takes you through Cheddleton, home of the Churnet Valley Railway. And the village of Consall Forge with the secluded Black Lion pub serving good food and real ales.
Check availability and book online here, or call our booking team on 0117 304 1122.
Experience luxury afloat with our Constellation fleet
Our Constellation Class narrowboats are among the luxury stars of our boat hire fleet
They have full-size showers, a range of flexible and private berths, solid fuel stoves on the four and six berth boats, a large TV and Wifi, and spacious kitchens with modern fittings and lighting.
You can find Constellation Class boats at the following locations:
For more information about these boats, take a look at our boat layouts
Constellation narrowboat hire prices start at £865* for short break on a boat for four and £1,200* for a week.
Check availability and book here or call us on 0117 304 1122 to find out more
*A compulsory £50 damage waiver is extra, plus a fuel deposit of £70 for short breaks and £110 for week long holidays.
Top 7 holidays for 2025
Top 7 canal boat and narrowboat holidays in England and Wales for 2025
Our 2025 holidays are now available to book at 2024 prices with an early booking discount*
1. Cruise through the countryside to Whitchurch and back
On a mid-week break from Bunbury, you can cruise to Whitchurch. The journey there and back travels 35 miles, through 40 locks and takes around 20 hours. You’ll first head south through Bunbury Locks and on to Barbridge Junction, where the Middlewich Branch meets the Shropshire Union Canal. At Hurleston Junction you’ll transfer onto the Llangollen Canal. Cruise on through the countryside and stop at bridge 12 for a walk to the Farmers Arms in the village of Ravensmoor. Soon after you’ll reach Wrenbury, with the canalside Dusty Miller and Cotton Arms. Continue on to Marbury, home to the Swan Inn. Then on to Grindley Brook Locks and historic Whitchurch, with independent shops and restaurants, way-marked walks and award-winning Black Bear pub.
2. See the spectacular flight of locks at Devizes
On a short break from Bradford on Avon you can cruise east along the Kennet & Avon Canal to the Caen Hill locks at Devizes. The journey there and back goes through 14 locks and takes around 15 hours. You’ll pass the canalside King’s Arms pub at Hilperton Marina. The journey continues east through Semington and Seend, with its canalside Barge Inn. Soon after you’ll reach the base of the Caen Hill flight of 29 locks at Devizes, one of the ‘Seven Wonders of the Waterways’. From the canal it’s a short walk to the historic market town of Devizes, with places to visit including the Wadworth Brewery Visitor Centre, Bear Hotel, Peppermill Restaurant and Dolcipani Bakery.
3. Glide across ‘The Stream in the Sky’ to Ellesmere
From Trevor on the Llangollen Canal in North Wales, the incredible Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is minutes away. This UNESCO World Heritage structure carries canal boat holiday-makers 38 metres high in the air above the River Dee. On a short break from Trevor you can cross the aqueduct and then continue east through Chirk, with a choice of canalside pubs. Then on to the historic town of Ellesmere in the heart of the Shropshire Lake District. The journey to Ellesmere and back travels 28 miles, passes through four locks and takes around 14 hours.
4. Cruise along the River Thames to the Cotswolds
On a mid-week break from our Oxford base you can cruise along the River Thames to Lechlade on the edge of the Cotswolds. The journey there and back takes 18 hours and passes through 14 locks. Along the way, you’ll enjoy views of the peaceful Oxfordshire countryside. You’ll pass through small villages along the way, including Radcot with its Swan Hotel. And Kelmscott with its picturesque Plough Inn and beautiful Grade I listed riverside Kelmscott Manor, once the inspirational Cotswold retreat of William Morris.
5. Travel round the Avon Ring
On a 10-day or two-week break from Wootton Wawen on the Stratford Canal you can travel round the epic Avon Ring. The journey takes around 58 hours and passes through 131 locks. Heading south from Wootton Wawen, you’ll connect with the River Avon at Shakespear’es Stratford-upon-Avon. From there, you’ll cruise through the countryside to Evesham and then Tewkesbury, where the Avon joins the River Severn. You’ll cruise for 16 miles along the River Severn before reaching Worcester. The route then travels up the Worcester & Birmingham Canal to its junction with the Stratford Canal at Kings Norton. You’ll pass through the mighty Tardebigge flight of 30 locks along the way. At Kings Norton, head south along the Stratford Canal back to return to Wootton Wawen, passing through Lapworth and Lowsonford.
6. Boat to Fazeley and Drayton Manor Park
On a week’s holiday from Great Haywood you can cruise through the Staffordshire countryside to Fazeley and back. The journey there and back travels 48 miles, passes through 10 locks and takes around 22 hours. First head south along the Trent & Mersey Canal past Little Haywood, with Red Lion and Lamb & Flag pubs. Cruise on past the Wolseley Bridge, with canalside Wolseley Arms pub and access to the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust’s Wolseley Centre. Continue on, now passing through Cannock Chase, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Cross Brindley Bank Aqueduct and continue towards the historic town of Rugeley. At Fradley Junction transfer onto the Coventry Canal. Next you’ll pass through a series of villages, including Whittington, home of The Swan pub. At Fazeley Junction turn right and moor up between Tolson’s Footbridge and Coleshill Road Bridge. From there you can walk to Drayton Manor Park.
7. Visit the World Heritage village at Saltaire
On a short break from Silsden on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal you can travel to Sir Titus Salt’s model town at Saltaire. The journey to Saltaire and back travels 18 miles, takes 13.5 hours and passes through 22 locks. Along the way you’ll encounter the Bingley Five Rise locks, one of the ‘Seven Wonders of the Waterways’. These cavernous chambers raise (or lower) boats 18 metres. They open directly from one to another, with the top gate of one forming the bottom of the next. It takes around one-and-a-half hours to pass through and there are lock keepers on hand to help. Cruise on through Stockbridge and Riddlesden and then you’ll reach Saltaire, near Shipley. Now a World Heritage site, Sir Titus Salt built the textile Mill and entire village for his mill workers at Saltaire. Today, Salt’s Mill is home to examples of the work of Bradford born artist David Hockney.
*If you book your 2025 canal holiday by 31 August 2024, you can book at 2024 prices with a 10% discount. T’s & C’s apply.
To check availability and book click here or call us on 0117 463 3419.
Enjoy a relaxing family day out boating on the canals on Father’s Day
Cruising along a peaceful canal and stopping off for a pub lunch along the way, is a great way to bring the family together on Father’s Day (Sunday 16 June).
We offer self-drive day boat hire from six of our bases, with prices starting at £99 on weekdays, £150 on weekends and bank holidays.
Full tuition is included so we can help you get the hang of steering, mooring up and working the locks. Our day boats have a toilet, fridge, kettle, cutlery, cups and plates – perfect for a picnic afloat. Or you can you can stop-off for lunch at a canalside pub or restaurant nearby.
Here’s a guide to our six day boat bases and top destinations:
Glide across ‘The Stream in the Sky’ – you can cruise across the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct from our canal boat hire base at Trevor on the Llangollen Canal in North Wales. Standing at over 38 metres high, the UNESCO World Heritage Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is often referred to as ‘The Stream in the Sky’. There are a choice of canalside pubs to stop off at, including The Bridge Inn at Chirk Bank.
Cruise along the Stratford Canal to the Fleur de Lys at Lowsonford – from Wootton Wawen on the Stratford Canal near Henley-in-Arden, it takes around three-and-a-half hours to reach the Fleur de Lys canalside pub at Lowsonford. The route takes you through the Warwickshire countryside and the remains of the Forest of Arden, passing through eight locks each way.
Boat along the Kennet & Avon Canal to the Cross Guns at Avoncliff – on a day out boating from Bradford on Avon in Wiltshire, you can cruise through the Bath Valley to Brassknocker Basin and back. There are a choice of places to stop for lunch, including the Cross Guns pub at Avoncliff.
Navigate through the Shropshire countryside to the Boathouse at Ellesmere – from Whixall Marina you can cruise along the Llangollen Canal to Ellesmere and back. You can moor up on the Ellesmere Branch and take a short walk through the town to enjoy lunch at the waterside Boathouse restaurant on the Mere. The journey to Ellesmere and back takes around six hours.
Float along the Trent & Mersey Canal to the Ash Tree pub at Rugeley – on a day out from Great Haywood you can cruise to the historic market town of Rugeley and enjoy lunch at the canalside Ash Tree pub. Along the way, you’ll pass the Wolseley Arms in Wolseley Bridge. The return journey to Rugeley and back takes around six hours, passing through two locks each way.
Cruise ‘The Shroppie’ to The Cheshire Cat at Nantwich – from Bunbury on the Shropshire Union Canal, you can cruise to Nantwich and back in a day. There’s a choice of pubs at Nantwich, including the Cheshire Cat. And you’ll pass the canalside Barbridge Inn at Barbridge. The journey to Nantwich and back takes around six hours.
Take to the water this Easter to enjoy a family boating adventure
You can cruise slowly through the spring countryside aboard your own floating holiday home and stop off at exciting waterside destinations along the way.
From medieval fortresses, battles and jousting, to the Worlds biggest Cadbury shop, here’s a guide to our top 6 family canal boat holiday destinations this Easter:
Explore the medieval fortress at Chirk – from our base at Trevor on the Llangollen Canal in North Wales, it takes just over an hour to reach Chirk. On the way you’ll cross the incredible UNESCO World Heritage Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. Once moored-up, it’s a half-hour walk up to the National Trust’s Chirk Castle, with dungeons and murder holes, and a wild play area to explore.
Watch live-action jousting at the Royal Armouries Museum – on a week’s break from Silsden on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal you can travel to Leeds and back. The journey to Leds takes 17 hours and passes through 29 locks. Over the Easter weekend (29 March to 1 April) the waterside Royal Armouries Museum will be hosting its spectacular International Jousting Tournament, with teams from the UK, France and Italy.
Tour the Roman Baths – from Monkton Combe on the Kennet & Avon Canal it takes around four hours, passing through six locks to reach Bath City Centre. From there it’s a short walk to the Roman Baths Museum, where you can see the remarkably preserved remains of one of the greatest religious spas of the ancient world.
Join the annual Easter Boat Gathering at Ellesmere Port – over the Easter Weekend (29 March to 1 April), the National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port in Cheshire celebrates the start of the boating season with a large boat gathering, live music and family activities. From our canal boat hire base at Bunbury on the Shropshire Union Canal in Cheshire, it takes 10 hours to reach Ellesmere Port. You’ll travel 21 miles through 12 locks, passing through the ancient City of Chester along the way.
Visit the Butterfly Farm in Stratford-upon-Avon – from our base at Wootton Wawen on the Stratford Canal, it takes around six hours to reach Bancroft Basin in Shakespeare’s Stratford. From there, it’s a short walk to the Stratford-upon-Avon Butterfly Farm, home to the UK’s largest tropical butterfly paradise. You can see hundreds of the world’s most beautiful butterflies flying in an exotic environmental of tropical blossom, waterfalls and fish filled pools.
Explore the Trentham Monkey Forest – from our boatyard at Great Haywood on the Trent & Mersey Canal near Stafford, it takes around 10 hours to reach Stoke bottom lock No. 36. From there it’s a short walk to the Trentham Monkey Forest, where there are 140 fascinating Barary macaques to see. The journey travels 13 miles and passes through 13 locks.
Click here to check availability and book, or call us on 0117 304 1122.
Top 10 wildlife destinations to enjoy on a canal boat holiday
There’s so much wildlife to see when you are boating along Britain’s beautiful inland waterways
Our beautiful network of inland waterways were once the transport arteries of the Industrial Revolution, but today they have become important green corridors for wildlife.
When enjoying your canal boat holiday, whether you are cruising through the countryside or waterside towns and cities, you can spot anything from ducks, moorhens and dragonflies, to kingfishers, otters and water voles.
Many areas of our canals and rivers have been designated as important nature sites, recognising the valuable habitats they provide.
To celebrate the wildlife of the waterways, we’ve put together a guide to our top 10 waterway wildlife hotspots:
Chimney Meadows, Oxfordshire
The Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust’s largest nature reserve in Oxfordshire runs alongside the River Thames, close to Shifford Lock. This vital refuge for wading birds has walking trails, bird hides and a picnic area. Part of an ancient landscape created by the River Thames and shaped by centuries of farming, these remote and tranquil wildflower meadows have a remarkable diversity of plant-life and are home to nationally declining wading birds such as curlew. When visiting, you can also look and listen out for cuckoos, barn owls, lapwing, fieldfare, redwing, snipe, brown hares, water voles and otters. Travelling from our Oxford canal boat rental base on the River Thames at Eynsham, you can take a Thames boating holiday and reach Chimney Meadows in just under four hours, cruising for 10 miles and passing through two locks.
Hatton Locks, Warwickshire
This stunning flight of 21 locks in the Warwickshire countryside offers a great place to watch out for wildlife. As well as ducks, moorhens and swans, you might see house sparrows and grey wagtails at the water’s edge, and on a warm day, grass snakes and slow worms. Setting off from our base on the Stratford Canal at Wootton Wawen, you can reach the bottom of the Hatton Flight in around eight hours, passing through 17 locks along the way.
Fradley Pool Nature Reserve, Staffordshire
At Fradley Junction, where the Coventry Canal meets the Trent & Mersey Canal, the picturesque Fradley Pool Nature Reserve is a great place for a family day out. There are walking trails, sculpture trails, places to picnic, as well as a choice places to eat and drink. Look out for ducks and swans, as well as terrapins basking in the sunshine and bats if you are there at dusk. Heading south from our base at Great Haywood, you can reach Fradley Junction in around five hours, cruising along 12 peaceful miles of the Trent & Mersey Canal and passing through just five locks.
Ellesmere, Shropshire
The pretty market town of Ellesmere on the Llangollen Canal in Shropshire is next to The Mere, a large lake packed with wildlife. There are woodland walks, places to eat, drink and picnic, a sculpture trail and adventure playground. Keep an eye out for many of types of birds, including kingfishers, yellow hammers, tree sparrows, lapwing, sand martins and ringed plovers. Watch out for wading birds like curlew, greenshank, godwit and whimbrel, as well as herons using the heronry on Moscow Island. Setting off from our narrowboat hire base on the Llangollen Canal at Trevor, you can reach Ellesmere in around seven hours, passing through just two locks along the way. And from base at Whixall, Ellesmere is just three-and-a-half hours away by boat.
Caen Hill Locks, Wiltshire
The flight of 29 locks on the Kennet & Avon Canal at Devizes in Wiltshire, includes the spectacular run of 16 locks falling in a straight line up Caen Hill. Travelling from our Monkton Combe base it takes around 10 hours, passing through eight locks to reach the bottom of the Caen Hill flight. Along the way, look out for kingfishers, mute swans, coots, moorhens and herons. Once at Caen Hill, the newly planted Jubilee Woodland is already providing excellent habitat for birds, water voles have been spotted in the Caen Hill side pounds, along with otters and the rare chaser dragonfly.
Marple Locks, Derbyshire
The flight of 16 locks on the Peak Forest Canal at Marple are surrounded by beautiful countryside and stretches of ancient woodland – home to many types of woodland bird. You can also enjoy fantastic views across the Peak District from here. From our narrowboat hire base on the Shropshire Union Canal at Bunbury, you can reach the bottom of the Marple Flight in around four days, travelling 68 miles and passing through 36 locks. The Marple Flight is on the spectacular Four Counties Ring, which takes around 58 hours from Bunbury, or 55 hours from Great Haywood.
Prees Branch Canal, Shropshire
This tranquil arm of the Llangollen Canal provides a haven for waterway wildlife, including water plants, dragonflies, damselflies, birds and water voles. Our base at Whixall Marina is on the Prees Branch of the Llangollen Canal and next to the Whixall Moss Nature Reserve, a large wetland site which is home to a range of wading birds, rare plants, butterflies and dragonflies. From Whixall, you can travel to Ellesmere on a short break (three or four nights) or Llangollen on a week’s narrowboat holiday, passing over the magnificent World Heritage Status Pontcysyllte Aqueduct along the way.
Consall Forge, Staffordshire
On the beautiful Caldon Canal in the Churnet Valley, next to Consall Nature Park, Consall Forge is a great place to spot wildlife, including water birds, woodland birds and birds of prey. You can moor up to explore the nature trails here and choose from a variety of places to eat, drink, including the popular canalside Black Lion Inn. From our base at Great Haywood, you can reach Consall Forge in around 20 hours, travelling 33 miles through beautiful countryside, and passing through 34 locks – perfect for a week away.
Bittell Reservoir, Worcestershire
Built to supply water for the Worcester & Birmingham Canal, today Bittell Reservoir is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Over 200 species of water bird have been recorded here, including wintering wading birds and waterfowl, breeding birds such as the great crested grebe, little ringed-plover and grasshopper warbler. Rare silt shoreline plants such as slender spike rush and mudwort can be found here, along with the rare mud snail and five different species of dragonfly. You can reach the Bittell Arm and Lower Reservoir in around 15 two hours from our base on the Stratford Canal at Wootton Wawen.
Bingley, West Yorkshire
The fields either side of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal at Bingley are full of wildflowers, including Arum Lily, Yellow Flag Iris and Cuckooflower. The canal itself is home to dragonflies, damselflies, and many water birds. Setting off from our base on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal at Silsden, you can reach the Bingley Five Rise Lock Staircase, one of the Seven Wonders of the Waterways, in just over three hours.
To check availability and book click here, or call us on 0117 304 1122.
Be Inspired
We offer a range of different types of holidays such as City Breaks, Relaxation Cruises and Popular Destinations
So why choose Anglo Welsh?
Over 55 years providing unique canal boat holidays in England and Wales.
Modern and spacious narrowboat and wide beam barge hire – from 2 to 12 berths.
Wide choice of narrowboat hire locations and canal boat holiday destinations.
Canal boat holiday routes for novices & experienced boaters.
Flexible holiday booking, no hidden costs.
Family friendly and pet friendly holidays.
Great days out on the water.
Luxury canal boat hire and Thames boating holidays.
Anglo Welsh. So much more than narrowboats
...but don't just take our word for it
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