Today’s canal boats are fully equipped with all the essential mod cons – central heating, hot water, TV, fully-equipped kitchens, showers and flushing toilets. To create ever higher standards of accommodation, the length of boat per berth is increasing and new canal boats for hire are arriving on the network with extras like baths, drinks fridges, larger showers, fuel stoves, King-sized beds and WiFi.
Here at Anglo Welsh we’ve been investing in the construction of top class narrowboats, all boasting exacting standards of craftsmanship, comfort and finish.
Our ‘Bond’, ‘Constellation’ and, new for 2018, ‘Heritage’ Class narrowboats are the stars of our fleet, with full-size showers; a range of flexible and private berths; fuel stoves on the four and six berth boats; a large TV and Wifi; spacious kitchens with modern fittings and lighting; and a stylish new livery.
We now offer luxury canal boat hire from eight of our bases, with boats providing top class narrowboat accommodation for either four, six or twelve people.
Here are our Top 9 luxury canal boats for hire in 2018:
Float across ‘The Stream in the Sky’ aboard ‘Lily’. The brand new luxury four-berth ‘Lily’ Heritage class boat is now available to hire from our canal boat rental base at Trevor, on the Llangollen Canal in North Wales. This 66ft long semi-traditional stern narrowboat offers ‘heritage’ features, including a Belfast sink, port holes and a fuel stove in the saloon, alongside modern home comforts, including two showers and two toilets, two double beds (one of which can be made into twin beds) in separate cabins, LED lighting, full radiator central heating and WiFi. On a short break from Trevor, canal boat holiday-makers can travel to Ellesmere and back, passing over the incredible World Heritage Status Pontcysyllte Aqueduct along the way. On a week’s break, boaters can reach Whitchurch and Wrenbury. Prices for ‘Lily’ start at £740 for a short break, £1,060 for a week.
Travel to Stratford aboard ‘Aries’. The beautiful brand new four-berth Constellation Class ‘Aries’ is now available to hire from our Wootton Wawen narrowboat hire base on the Stratford Canal. This 65ft semi traditional stern narrowboat features two showers, two toilets, full central heating, a traditional fuel stove, well-equipped galley and flexible accommodation in two cabins ranging from two doubles to four singles, full radiator central heating and WiFi. On a short break (three or four nights) from Wootton Wawen, narrowboat holiday-makers can travel to Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon and back. On a week’s holiday, boaters can reach historic Warwick or Birmingham’s City Centre. Prices for ‘Aries‘ start at £730 for short break (three or four nights), £1,045 for a week.
Charter ‘Cassiopeia’ to Chester. The super 67ft six-berth Constellation Class ‘Cassiopeia’ is based at Bunbury on the Shropshire Union Canal near Tarporley in Cheshire. ‘Cassiopeia’ has a spacious semi traditional stern, two showers, two toilets, full central heating, a traditional fuel stove, well-equipped galley and flexible accommodation ranging from three doubles to six singles. It takes just seven hours by boat to reach the historic city of Chester, perfect for a short break. While on a week’s holiday, hirers can travel to the pretty Eisteddfod town of Llangollen and back. Cassiopeia’s 2018 hire prices start at £750 for short break, £1,070 for a week.
Cruise the Kennet & Avon Canal aboard ‘Phoenix’. The brand new 66ft four-berth Constellation Class ‘Phoenix’ is available to hire from our canal boat hire base on the Kennet & Avon Canal at Bath. ‘Phoenix’ has a spacious semi traditional stern, two showers, two toilets, full central heating, a traditional fuel stove, well-equipped galley and flexible accommodation in two cabins ranging from two doubles to four singles. From Bath, it takes around 10 hours to reach Fox Hanger Wharf at the base of the Caen Hill Flight of locks, perfect for a short break. On a week’s holiday, boaters can travel on to Pewsey. 2018 prices for ‘Phoenix’ start at £730 for a week, £1,045 for a week.
Travel the Trent & Mersey in style aboard ‘Centaurus’. The new Constellation Class ‘Centaurus’ will be available to hire for the 2018 boating season from our narrowboat hire base at Great Haywood on the Trent & Mersey Canal from the beginning of July. This luxury 65ft four- berth boat has a spacious semi traditional stern, two showers, two toilets, full central heating, a traditional fuel stove, well-equipped galley and flexible accommodation in two cabins ranging from two doubles to four singles, full radiator central heating and WiFi. There are a variety of short break routes from Great Haywood, including the option to travel south along the Trent & Mersey Canal to the historic market town of Stone. On a week’s holiday, boaters can travel to Market Drayton, home of the gingerbread man. Prices for ‘Centaurus‘ start at £730 for short break (three or four nights), £1,045 for a week.
Explore Warwickshire aboard ‘Lynx’. The 69ft 12-berth Constellation Class ‘Lynx’ is available to hire from our canal boat rental base at Stockton, on the Grand Union Canal in Warwickshire. ‘Lynx’ has a spacious semi traditional stern, two shower rooms with a toilet in each, two dinette doubles in the lounge, four single bunks and four singles in two cabins. On a short break from Stockton, boaters can reach the beautiful county town of Warwick and its stunning Castle on the banks of the River Avon. On a week’s holiday, canal boat holiday-makers can travel to Banbury on the Oxford Canal or Foxton on the Leicester Line. 2018 prices start at £825 for short breaks on ‘Lynx’, weekly hire from £1,175.
Hire ‘Hydra’ and head to Birmingham. The 65ft long four-berth Constellation Class ‘Hydra’ is available to hire from our narrowboat hire base on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal at Tardebigge. ‘Hydra’ has a semi-traditional stern, two shower rooms with a toilet in each, plus two doubles or four singles in two cabins. From Tardebigge, it’s a five-hour, lock free journey to Birmingham City Centre, perfect for a short break. On a week’s holiday from Tardebigge, narrowboat holiday-makers can head to Stratford, Warwick or Worcester, or travel the Stourport Ring. 2018 hire prices for ‘Hydra’ start at £730 for short break (three or four nights), £1,045 for a week.
Enjoy a Thames boating holiday with ‘Delphinus’. The 69ft 12-berth Constellation Class narrowboat ‘Delphinus’ is available from our Oxford base, on the River Thames at Eynsham. ‘Delphinus’ has a spacious semi traditional stern, two shower rooms with a toilet in each, two dinette doubles in the lounge, four single bunks and four singles in two cabins. From our luxury canal boat hire base on the River Thames, it takes just over three hours to reach moorings at Hythe Bridge in Oxford City Centre, perfect for a short break. On a week’s holiday, boaters can continue along the Thames to Henley. 2018 short breaks on ‘Delphinus’ start at £825, weekly hire from £1,175.
To book a holiday or break on any of Anglo Welsh’s fleet, call our friendly booking team on 0117 304 1122.
Canal boat holidays are great for families – bringing everyone together for an adventure afloat – soaking up the scenery, learning how to steer the boat and work the locks, watching out for wildlife and stopping-off to visit waterside pubs and attractions.
To celebrate the International Day of Families (15th May), we’ve put together our top 9 narrowboat holidays for families for 2018.
Walk the City Walls in Chester. The ancient City of Chester is a delightful seven hour cruise, passing through nine locks, from our canal boat hire base at Bunbury on the Shropshire Union Canal in Cheshire. Once there, narrowboat holiday-makers can moor up to explore the City, including the largest Roman Amphitheatre in Britain and the almost three kilometre-long City Walls, which were started by the Romans between 70 and 80 AD and formed a complete circuit of the medieval city.
Discover the Witch in a Bottle at the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford. From our Thames boating holiday hire base at Eynsham, it’s a tranquil three-hour cruise to moorings at Hythe Bridge, perfect for exploring Oxford’s city centre. There are excellent shops, many historic buildings and fantastic museums to explore in Oxford, including the extraordinary Pitt Rivers Museum, home to one of the world’s finest collection of anthropology and archaeology, including shrunken heads from the Amazon and the famous ‘witch in a bottle’.
Soak up the Italianate architecture at Saltaire. From our base at Silsden on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, on a short break boaters can travel to Sir Titus Salt’s famous model town at Saltaire, a journey which takes seven hours and passes through 11 locks. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sir Titus Salt built the textile Mill and entire village for his mill workers, all in a beautiful Italianate style. Places to visit include Saltaire Park and the Grade II* listed Salt’s Mill. This homes many examples of work by Bradford born artist David Hockney, as well as collections of books, furniture, jewellery, clothing and the Salt’s Diner restaurant.
Marvel at the Caen Hill flight of locks at Devizes. From our barge holiday base on the Kennet & Avon Canal in Bath, it’s a 10-hour, eight-lock cruise to Fox Hanger Wharf at the base of the mighty Caen Hill flight of 29 locks at Devizes, one of the ‘Seven Wonders of the Waterways’. Once here, the historic market town of Devizes is a short walk away, with its Wadworth Brewery Visitor Centre and famous shire horses making daily deliveries, plus a range of shops, pubs and restaurants, including the ‘Peppermill Restaurant’ and the Bear Hotel. Along the way, narrowboat holiday-makers can stop off to explore historic Bradford on Avon, home to the magnificent 14th monastic stone Tithe Barn, with its amazing timber cruck roof.
Climb the Ramparts at Warwick Castle. From our Stockton canal boat rental base on the Grand Union Canal in Warwickshire, it’s a seven-hour journey, passing through 20 locks, to reach the beautiful country town of Warwick with its magnificent medieval castle on the banks of the River Avon. The Castle offers a fantastic family day out with ramparts to climb, the Castle Dungeon, Great Hall and Staterooms to explore. Families can experience the sights, sounds and smells of the medieval period in the Kingmaker exhibition, watch soaring birds of prey and trebuchet firing displays and navigate the Horrible Histories Maze and landscaped gardens.
Glide across ‘The Stream in the Sky’. Just five minutes from our base on the Llangollen Canal at Trevor, boaters encounter the incredible Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, truly one of the ‘Seven Wonders of the Waterways’. Its cast iron trough filled with water, is supported on iron arched ribs and carried 38 metres high above the Dee Valley on 19 hollow pillars. In 2009 the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct was added to the UNESCO World Heritage site list, putting it on a par with the Pyramids and Taj Majhal. On a short break from our canal boat hire yard at Trevor, boaters can cross the aqueduct and then continue east to reach the Ellesmere Lakes, teaming with wildlife. On a week’s break, narrow boat holiday-makers can cruise on to the historic market town of Whitchurch.
Experience the Pirahna Tunnel at Birmingham’s National Sea Life Centre. From our narrow boat holiday hire base on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal at Tardebigge, Gas Street Basin in Birmingham City’s Centre is a five-hour lock-free cruise away, perfect for first-time canal boat holiday-makers. From there it’s a short walk to Brindley place with an abundance of shops, restaurants and attractions, including Birmingham’s Sea life Centre, with over 60 displays of freshwater and marine life, including the new Pirahna Tunnel and Jelly Invaders exhibit.
Get close to nature at Fradley Pool Nature Reserve. From our canal barge holiday base at Great Haywood in Staffordshire, on a short break boaters can cruise along the Trent & Mersey Canal to Fradley Junction and back, a journey which takes six hours and passes through five locks. Picturesque Fradley offers visitors guided walks, a café, two pubs and the award-winning Fradley Pool Nature Reserve, home to an abundance of creatures. Along the way, boaters pass the Shugborough Estate with its stunning Georgian mansion house and walled garden. Families can explore the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust’s Wolseley centre with 26 acres of beautiful grounds and Rugeley with its choice of pubs, including the canal side Mossley Tavern.
Watch a Shakespeare play in the Bard’s home town. From our luxury canal boat hire base at Wootton Wawen on the Stratford Canal, it’s a delightful six-hour, 17-lock cruise journey through the Warwickshire countryside to Bancroft Basin in the centre of Stratford-upon-Avon. From there, it’s a short walk to the town’s theatres, shops, restaurants and museums, including the Royal Shakespeare Theatre where until 18 September Christopher Ecclestone will play Macbeth and Niamh Cusack Lady Macbeth in ‘The Scottish Play’.
To book a holiday or break on any of Anglo Welsh’s fleet, call our friendly booking team on 0117 304 1122.
Wonderful Wootton Wawen – the place to go for peaceful cruises, high culture and very long tunnels!
Popular canal boat hire destination Wootton Wawen in the West Midlands
Anglo Welsh’s Wootton Wawen base near Henley-in-Arden in the West Midlands is one of the UK’s most popular locations to hire a narrowboat – no surprise really with so many prime waterways within easy reach. One huge fan is base manager Matt Stearn who five years ago swopped the coastal charms of his native Dorset for the historic canals of middle England.
“People who hire a canal boat at Wootton Wawen are really spoilt for choice,” says Matt. “We’ve got a fleet of 19 narrowboats and 2 day boats for hire here including luxury Bond class boats ‘Summer’ and ‘Buckland’ and later this month we take delivery of a state-of-the-art Constellation class boat called ‘Aries’. And whichever narrowboat you hire in May there is a 20% discount off the normal price*.”
“Wootton Wawen is only a gentle six hour – 7.5 mile cruise from Stratford-upon-Avon, so visitors come to us for the triple delight of pretty canals, great boats and Shakespeare,” continues Matt. “Stratford is our most popular destination for weekend breaks and it’s something of a tradition for people to plan their canal break with us after buying tickets for a Shakespeare play.”
“Mooring one of Anglo Welsh’s narrowboats – or as we call them, floating hotel rooms – at the basin in front of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre after a day on the River Avon is a truly memorable experience.”
Stratford-upon-Avon may be the most celebrated destination from Wootton Wawen, but for weekly cruises and longer barge hires there is no shortage of picturesque routes from the base, some nice and gentle for narrowboat novices, some more challenging for experienced crews who know their way around a lock or two.
“The Avon Ring, the Warwickshire Ring and the Grand Union Canal all combine pretty canal routes with great sights like Warwick Castle, Tewkesbury Abbey, Worcester Cathedral, and the famous Hatton Flight of Locks,” says Matt. “I also recommend the Edstone Aqueduct, the longest aqueduct in England, and one of three along a four mile stretch of the Stratford Canal.”
To the north of Wootton Wawen you can moor up for the urban buzz of Birmingham with its fantastic shops, restaurants and great entertainment offer: the Symphony Hall, the National Indoor Arena, Sealife Centre, The Jewellery Quarter, Chinatown.
“Another memorable experience is to cruise through the Wast Hills canal tunnel that runs for over two miles underneath Birmingham,” says Matt. “This incredible long underground tunnel was built at the end of the eighteenth century and runs from Hawkesley to just outside the city limits in Worcestershire, taking between 20 minutes to an hour by narrowboat. Before motorisation of the canal boat, travellers would have pushed their way through by walking their feet along the tunnel walls.”
Luckily, no such physical effort is required these days. For most people, hiring a narrow boat from Wootton Wawen is all about rest and relaxation and getting away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Call our Booking Team on 0117 3041122, quoting ‘Pay Day’ to receive 20% off your Wootton Wawen booking.
This fabulous offer is available on all Anglo Welsh holidays booked by May 25th and taken during the month of May and could represent savings of up to £412*.
On Sunday 15 April 2018 we’re offering free canal boat holiday taster sessions at five of our canal boat hire bases, giving visitors the chance to find out more about what it’s like to enjoy a narrowboat holiday on Britain’s wonderful inland waterway network.
Our events are being held as part of Drifters’ National Open Day, which is supported by the Canal & River Trust. The taster sessions will include free trips on skippered narrowboats, as well as narrowboat tours, holiday discounts and the chance to find out more about our luxury canal boat hire opportunities. No advance booking is required. The events will open at 11am and close at 4pm.
Here’s a list of our narrowboat hire bases hosting events:
Celebrate National Pet Month With a Canal Boat Holiday
To celebrate National Pet Month, here at Anglo Welsh canal boat holidays we are waiving our second pet price of £35 on holidays booked from today to depart throughout April.
First pets are already free as part of all our holiday packages, and narrowboat holidays are especially great for dogs – with plenty of towpath walks, dog-friendly canalside pubs and other canines to meet along the way. As well as hundreds of dogs, we’ve accommodated many other kinds of pets aboard our floating holiday homes, including cats, rabbits, hamsters, caged birds and goldfish.
Here are our top tips for taking your dog on a barge holiday:
Go for an open cruiser-stern. When considering which of our narrowboats to hire, it’s a good idea to go for the cruiser-stern style back, rather than semi-trad option, as there’s more room ‘on deck’ for the dog and the rest of the family to enjoy watching the world go by.
Bring your furry friend’s bed. To help them feel at home and keep them off the beds on board!
Don’t leave your dog unattendedon board. It’s best to keep your pet with you, but if you do leave Fido behind for a short time to go shopping, bring an appropriately-sized crate as its own ‘safe space’.
Boost their buoyancy. Adoggy life-jacket is a good idea, especially for canal barge holiday first-timers, and it’s best to choose one with a wide belly-strap and easy-to-grab handle.
Pack your poo bags. Our 2,000-mile network of navigable canals and rivers offers a wonderful world for dogs to explore but please pick up anything your dog might drop and pop it in a bin.
Be extra safe. By keeping your dog on a short lead around busy spots like locks and bridges and making sure they wear their collar with an ID tag
Watch out for wildlife. Don’t let your dog swim in the canals, especially when there are ducklings, signets, goslings and other water bird chicks about.
From our canal boat hire base at Wootton Wawen on the Stratford Canal, it’s a delightful six-hour, 17-lock cruise journey through the beautiful Warwickshire countryside to overnight moorings at Bancroft Basin in the centre of Stratford-upon-Avon.
From there, it’s a short walk to the town’s theatres, shops, restaurants and museums with the chance to enjoy some special activities this Easter. So why not step aboard your own floating holiday home to enjoy a family canal boat holiday adventure afloat, watching the countryside burst into life with spring lambs, busy birds, daffodils and hedgerow blossom as you cruise gently through the countryside to Shakespeare’s Stratford.
We’ve put together a list of the top 5 things to do in Stratford-upon-Avon when you get there on your narrowboat holiday:
Take part in a live theatre hunt at Shakespeare’s birthplace. This Easter (31 March to 15 April), as well as exploring Shakespeare’s home where he was born and grew up, children visiting Shakespeare’s Birthplace can take part in a fun interactive treasure hunt in the gardens, with music and comedy, led by the Museum’s in-house actors Shakespeare Aloud.
Pick up some tasty treats at the market. Stratford’s vibrant markets are an important part of the town’s history and atmosphere. Every Friday and Saturday, markets are held in Rother Street offering a range of international street food and fresh produce stalls, as well as clothing, accessories, flowers and gifts. And the Waterside Market will re-open on Easter Sunday 1 April and Bank Holiday Monday 2 April, offering a wide range of top quality products, delicious street food, plus street entertainers to delight the children.
See Christopher Ecclestone play Macbeth at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. On his return home from battle, Macbeth hears the disturbing prophecies of three witches and sets out on the path to murder. From 21 March to 18 September, Christopher Ecclestone will play Macbeth and Niamh Cusack Lady Macbeth in ‘The Scottish Play’ at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Mess with mad machines at the Museum of Mechanical Art & Design. The bizarre machine-infested MAD Museum in Stratford-upon-Avon has over 100 pieces of Kinetic Art and Automata from artists around the World. The mechanical art is loud, fun and interactive and kids are encouraged to press buttons and be hands-on with the machines on display, subtly teaching them about design, physics and maths. Over the Easter holidays (30 March to 15 April) the MAD Museum will be open every day from 10am to 5.30pm.
Enjoy waterside dining at Carluccio’s. Offering stunning views across the River Avon in Stratford, Carluccio’s Italian restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. With plenty of tasty treats for both adults and children to choose from – including Crispy Calamari, Lasagne Tradizionale and Chicken Milanese – it’s the perfect place to land after a day’s boating or sight-seeing.
To book a holiday or break on any of Anglo Welsh’s fleet, call our friendly booking team on 0117 304 1122.
Hooray! Spring is in the air and nature is flourishing around Anglo Welsh canal routes
Spring Canal Boat Holidays
Spring is always welcome when it finally breaks cover, but following an especially harsh British winter of rain, snow and low temperatures, it’s fair to say most people will greet this year’s first change of season with even more enthusiasm than usual. The nature lovers at Anglo Welsh’s ten narrowboat bases across England and Wales are no different!
Spring is a time when the UK’s waterways and the surrounding countryside are teeming with activity and wildlife. It is a time to step off your narrowboat for a leisurely stroll in a bluebell wood, to relish the cobalt blue mist and the sweet smells, or to enjoy the spectacle of a sea of fresh wild daffodils.
Experiencing a dawn chorus on a picturesque canal is one of life’s great pleasures. Get up at first light to catch the first tentative calls, then, as the sky brightens, more and more birds will join in, building to a mighty crescendo. Later in the day, watch peacock butterflies circle one another in a delicate courtship, all against a background of white blossom and clear blue skies. And then there is the delightful, almost forgotten sensation of warm sun on bare skin.
Spring is certainly a great time to get back out and enjoy the UK’s canal side countryside, whether that means cruising on one of Anglo Welsh’s modern narrowboats, strolling along a towpath, or attending one of the season’s many canal side festivals and shows, among them the Easter Boat Gathering at the National Waterways Museum, Drifters Open Day, Skipton Waterways Festival and the Crick Show.
After a busy winter of maintenance and TLC at Anglo Welsh’s 10 bases, our fleet of 160 modern and spacious narrowboats are all shipshape and ready for another season on the waterways. And spring is a time of year that never fails to inspire Anglo Welsh’s canal-based staff.
As Kev, the Base Manager at Great Haywood in Staffordshire, puts it: “I love spring along the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal because it tells me winter is over and spring brings new beginnings, new growth, new colour and new life.”
Oliver, Fleet Manager at Trevor in North Wales, is equally smitten with the new season. “Spring on the Llangollen canal is magical as the days begin to get longer and warmer and all the wild flowers start to bloom, including our Welsh daffodil. People can also enjoy the view from our narrowboats as they pass fields full of baby animals.”
“One of the pretty spring sights along the Worcester and Birmingham canal are the bluebells on approach to Shortwood Tunnel,” says Sarah, Office Manager at Tardebigge in Worcestershire. “Hearing all the spring bird songs, seeing all the young lambs and all the blossom on the trees are some of my favourite things about being by the canal side in spring.”
So, no more winter coats, no more short days and no more Beasts from the East. Spring is finally here and Anglo Welsh welcomes it with open arms!
To book a holiday or spring break on any of Anglo Welsh’s fleet, call our friendly booking team on 0117 304 1122.
We feel better by the water – Since ancient times, people have assigned healing properties to water and today we still turn to water for a sense of calm. With hundreds of miles of tranquil unspoilt countryside to cruise gently through, a canal boat holiday is an excellent way to unwind.
Our canals are in great shape – With over £1billion invested since the turn of the Millennium, Britain’s beautiful canal network is in better shape than ever so it’s the perfect time to dip your toe in the water.
You don’t need to be an expert – A licence isn’t required to steer a narrowboat and boat steering tuition is provided as part of our holiday packages, so it couldn’t be easier to get afloat.
Ditch those tablets – Boating offers plenty of activities to keep idle hands busy – steering the boat, working the locks and planning the route, so iPad addicts are happy to take a break from their screens.
Pop into a pub – There are hundreds of waterside pubs to enjoy along our canals and rivers, many of them historic inns, welcoming families with traditional pub grub.
It’s like a floating safari – Our inland waterways are havens for wildlife providing homes for many types of birds, plants, animals and insects, so narrowboat holiday-makers can enjoy watching out for wildlife along the way.
Enjoy an outdoor workout – Working the locks, exploring local attractions, walking the towpaths and being out in the fresh air make a narrowboat holiday great for keeping fit.
You can take your dog – We welcome dogs on all our boats so you don’t have to leave your furry friend behind and rack-up doggy care bills.
Go for the greener way – As soon as you swap your car for a boat, you’ll be using a third of the fuel and emitting a sixth of the pollution so as well as enjoying the environment, you’ll be kinder to it.
Take a floating history lesson – Britain’s canal network is a ‘working heritage’ made up of thousands of historic structures, which were often world-firsts on the global civil engineering stage – like the incredible Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in North Wales, now a World Heritage site.
To book a holiday or break on any of Anglo Welsh’s fleet, call our friendly booking team on 0117 304 1122.
