Best Easter canal boat holiday destinations in 2025
This Easter, narrowboat holidays offer the chance to explore the Great British countryside as it bursts into life with new leaves, daffodils, bluebells, spring lambs and nesting birds.
Set sail aboard your own floating holiday home to enjoy a fantastic family adventure, stopping off along the way to visit exciting waterside visitor attractions.
Here are our top 5 Easter holiday destinations to visit afloat in 2025:
1. Enjoy animal talks at Chester Zoo
You can reach Chester on a short break from Bunbury on the Shropshire Union Canal in Cheshire, and experience a visit to the award-winning Chester Zoo. Home to over 37,000 animals across 128 acres, every day at the zoo expert keepers and zoo rangers share fascinating facts about the animals they care for through their animal talks. From keeping elephants healthy and the hunting techniques of a Komodo dragon, to how penguins fly through the water and snow leopards live in cold temperatures. The journey from Bunbury to Chester takes around seven hours, passing through nine locks along the way.
2. Glide across ‘The Stream in the Sky’
Just five minutes from our base on the Llangollen Canal at Trevor in North Wales, you’ll encounter the incredible Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, also known as ‘The Stream in the Sky’. 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 Mahal. On a short break from Trevor, you can cross the aqueduct and then continue east to reach the historic market town of Ellesmere in the heart of the Shropshire Lake District. The journey from Trevor to Ellesmere takes around seven hours and passes through two locks.
3. Enjoy a daily show at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds
From our base at Silsden on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, on a week’s holiday you can travel to Leeds and back. There you can moor up in Leeds Dock and visit the Royal Armouries Museum, home of the national collection of arms and armour. Every day at the museum there are daily shows where the museum’s expert live interpretation team brings to life what it felt like to take part in legendary battles. From the Celtic Warrior Boudicca riding into battle against the mighty legions of Rome, to first-hand accounts from soldiers about the Battle of the Somme, the shows span from ancient times to the world wars. The journey from Silsden to Leeds takes around 11 hours and passes through 15 locks.
4. See new-born lambs at the Shugborough Estate
From our base at Great Haywood, on the Trent & Mersey Canal near Stafford, the National Trust’s beautiful Shugborough Estate is a short journey away. Here you can explore the historic mansion house and servants’ quarters, as well as visit the working farm to see lambs being born, witness bulbs blooming in the walled garden and wildlife emerging in the parkland. The journey from Great Haywood to moorings close to Shugborough takes around 20 minutes.
5. See a show at Bath’s Egg Theatre
On a short break from Bradford on Avon on the Kennet & Avon Canal in Wiltshire, you can cruise to Sydney Gardens close to Bath City Centre. There you can moor up and walk into the city to visit the famous Egg Theatre. There Return to the Forbidden Planet is being performed by the Theatre Royal Bath Theatre School 17-19 April. The journey from Bradford on Avon to Sydney Gardens in Bath takes around four hours and passes through just one lock.
Book your holiday online here or call us on 0117 463 3419.
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.
Top 8 quirky canal boat holiday destinations
With a 250-year old history, Britain’s canals and rivers have some fascinating destinations and stories to tell.
To celebrate, we’ve listed some of the most interesting, quirky and unusual stories on our waterways:
1. Enjoy the most heart-stopping boat trip in Britain
The World Heritage Status Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is a stone’s throw away from our canal boat hire base at Trevor in North Wales. This magnificent feat of engineering was built over 200 years by canal engineers Thomas Telford and William Jessop. Incredibly, ox blood was added to the lime mortar which binds the structure’s masonry together (forming 18 titanic brick pillars), following an ancient superstition that the blood of a strong animal would strengthen a structure. And sugar was boiled with Welsh flannel then mixed with tar to seal the cast joints of the structure’s cast iron trough, which carries the Llangollen Canal 38 metres above the Dee Valley. With not even a handrail on the north side, when travelling across by canal boat, it’s probably the most heart-stopping and exhilarating experience on the canal network! On a short break from Trevor, you can glide across the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and travel on to Ellesmere and back. On a week’s break, you can continue on to the historic market town of Whitchurch, cruising for a total of 24 hours and passing through two locks each way.
2. Spot the mysterious barrel roofed lock cottages on the Stratford Canal
The southern section of the pretty Stratford Canal, running from Bancroft Basin in the centre of Stratford-upon-Avon up to the village of Lapworth, is characterised by split bridges with gaps for the tow ropes of boat horses and a series of curious barrel roofed lock cottages. The reason for these quirky structures is actually purely practical. Engineers building the canal knew more about building bridges than houses so when they turned their hand to building dwellings for the lock keepers, they adapted their skills, producing barrel-shaped roofs. On a short break from our canal boat hire base at Wootton Wawen on the Stratford Canal near Henley-in-Arden, you can travel to Stratford and back, cruising for a total of 12 hours and passing through 17 locks each way. On a week’s break you can travel the Birmingham Mini-Ring, cruising for 35 hours and negotiating 83 locks.
3. Look out for World War II pill boxes on the K&A
Following the British Expeditionary Forces’ evacuation from Dunkirk, and the prospect of imminent German invasion, General Sir Edmund Ironside, Commander-in-chief of the Home Forces created a series of static defence lines. One was the Kennet & Avon Canal from Reading to Bristol, named GHQ Stop Line Blue. Pill boxes and tank traps designed by the War Office were built along the canal and manned by the home guard. Today there are still a large number of pillboxes lining the canal, including one at next to Avoncliff Aqueduct, one at Rotherstone in Devizes, one at Freewarren Bridge at Crofton and two between the canal and the railway line at Hungerford Common. From our base in Bath, it takes just over three hours to reach Avoncliff Aqueduct, great for a short break. From Bath, it takes around 29 hours to reach Hungerford, passing through 61 locks along the way – perfect for a 10-day or two-week break.
4. Visit the birthplace of the canal restoration movement
At the top of the mighty 30-lock Tardebigge Flight on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal near Bromsgrove, a plaque commemorates the famous meeting between Tom Rolt and Robert Aickman, which took place aboard Rolt’s Narrowboat ‘Cressy’, moored just above Tardebigge Top Lock. Rolt and Aickman were the passion and brains behind the formation of the Inland Waterways (IWA) in 1946. Their aim was to keep Britain’s canal network navigable and it is thanks to this incredible movement that the canals are in the fantastic shape that they are today, with over 3,000 miles of navigable waterways available to explore. You can reach the top of the Tardebigge flight on a week’s break from Wootton Wawen.
5. Navigate the Harecastle Tunnel
The Harecastle Tunnel on the Trent & Mersey Canal in Staffordshire links Kidsgrove and Tunstall. But there are actually two tunnels here built 40 years apart by two famous canal engineers – James Brindley and Thomas Telford. The earlier Brindley tunnel fell into disrepair is long closed, but the Telford tunnel is still used to this day. At 1.5 miles long, it is one of the longest canal tunnels in Britain and takes around 40 minutes to navigate. There is only space for one boat to pass through at one time, so you may have to wait to enter. The tunnel keeper instructs boaters when to go through and what to do. Back when the tunnel was first built it didn’t have a towpath and so boats had to be ‘legged’ through. This involves laying a plank of wood across the bows and having people lying across it to literally walk the walls. From Great Haywood it takes around 12 hours, travelling 22 miles and passing through 18 locks to reach the south end of the Harecastle Tunnel. From there, on a week or more away, you can continue on to complete the Four Counties Ring, travelling a total of 110 miles and travelling through 94 locks.
6. Have a pint at the Shroppie Fly
Originally a canalside cheese warehouse, the popular Shroppie Fly pub on the Shropshire Union Canal in the picturesque village of Audlem, has a narrowboat as a bar. The name of the pub pays tribute to a type of narrowboat designed for speed in the early days of the canal – particularly important when transporting cheese and fresh farm produce to town and city markets. Fly-boats were the Amazon Prime of their day, with fine lines to help them to glide easily through water and specially selected elite boatmen and horses to maximise speed, they ran non-stop, day and night. From Bunbury it takes around five hours to reach Audlem, passing through seven locks to the wharf and passing Nantwich along the way – perfect for a short break. On a week’s holiday from Bunbury, you can continue on to the Caldon Canal, cruising a total of 48 hours and travelling through 104 locks.
7. Cruise through a lake on the Staffs & Worcs Canal
Tixall Wide is a beautiful wide stretch of waterway close to the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal’s junction with the Trent & Mersey. Permission to build the canal was granted by the local landowner Thomas Clifford, on condition that the canal was made wide enough to look like a lake so that it didn’t spoil the view from his house. Today, over 250 years later, Tixall Wide is home to an abundance of wildlife and is a great place to moor up for the night. It’s just over a mile away from our base at Great Haywood. On a short break, you can cruise on from Tixall Wide to the village of Gailey and back, travelling a total of 26 miles and passing through 12 locks each way. On a week’s break, you can travel on to Market Drayton, home of the gingerbread man or complete the Black Country Ring. This circuit takes narrowboat holiday-makers on a 45-hour waterway odyssey, cruising a total of 75 miles and passing through 79 locks.
8. Float under the Double Arch on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal
On the Leeds & Liverpool Canal at East Marton near Skipton, you’ll encounter the quirky Double Arch bridge. The lower original packhorse bridge near the Cross Keys Inn had another arch added above to maintain the level of the newer A59 from Liverpool to York. You can reach East Marton on a four-night break from Silsden.
Click here to check availability and book, or call us on 0117 463 3419.
Amazing canal facts worth reading ahead of your narrowboat holiday
There are over 2,000 miles of navigable canals and rivers throughout England and Wales. This intricate network enables boats to travel the length and breadth of the country.
Across the network, there are 1,569 locks, 53 tunnels, 3112 bridges, 370 aqueducts and 74 reservoirs. Most were built over 200 years ago and have fascinating stories to tell. And feature many historic feats of engineering which still wow visitors today.
This is part of what makes a canal boat holiday so magical – a narrowboat takes you on a journey through history and human endeavor.
If you’e considering a canal boat holiday, why not first have a read of these amazing canal facts which will only add to the wonder of your experience.
1. The oldest working canal in the UK is about 1,900 years old
The Fossdyke Navigation, which runs between Lincoln and the River Trent at Torksey, was built by the Romans in around AD 120. Still in use today, it extends 11.3 miles, with one lock and formed part of a key transport route from Peterborough to York.
It is said to have been used by the invading Danes and the Normans to carry stone to build Lincoln Cathedral in the 11th century. The canal was revamped under King Henry I in 1121, but then fell into disrepair and silted up. By the 17th century, it was virtually impassable. In 1744 a proper channel was restored and maintained and the canal has remained navigable ever since.
2. The longest canal tunnel in the UK runs for more than 5,000 metres/3.5 miles
The Standedge Tunnel on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal is the longest, deepest and highest canal tunnel in Britain. Built over 16 years from 1794 to 1811, it stands at 196 metres above sea level, at a depth of 194 metres beneath the Pennines. The canal was closed to traffic in 1943 and re-opened in May 2001. You can learn more about this 19th century wonder of engineering at the Standedge Tunnel Visitor Centre.
3. Britain’s longest aqueduct extends more than 300 metres/1,000 ft
Deservedly described as the jewel in the crown of Britain’s canals, the awe-inspiring Pontcysyllte Aqueduct carries narrowboats on the Llangollen Canal at a soaring 38 metres – 126 ft – above the River Dee, offering stunning views of the valley and surrounding hills. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999, the 18-arch aqueduct was designed by legendary civil engineer Thomas Telford and built between 1795 and 1805.
Located right next to our narrowboat hire base at Trevor, this is a spectacular way to start or finish a canal boat holiday from this idyllic location.
4. The longest lock flight in the UK is 30 locks long
The Tardebigge lock flight enables the Worcester & Birmingham Canal to ascend 67 metres (220 feet) over a 2.25 mile stretch. Built between 1808 and 1815, the lock flight enabled an extension of the canal from Birmingham to the River Severn at Worcester to be completed. Until the lock ladder was constructed, originally with a boat lift in place of the 3.4-metre (11 feet) top lock, the canal only travelled as far the Old Wharf next to Tardebigge Tunnel.
5. The longest UK canal runs for 137 miles
The Grand Union Canal links London with Birmingham via Milton Keynes, Northampton and Leamington Spa. It would take about 74 hours to cruise the whole length non-stop. The canal winds its way through rolling countryside, idyllic towns and villages with 158 locks and striking historic features including the Iron Trunk Aqueduct, the steep Hatton Lock Flight and The Canal Museum at Stoke Bruerne.
The name of the canal offers a clue as to its origins, for it was not built as one waterway but was the result of connecting existing waterways to create an uninterrupted link between the industrial heartlands of Birmingham and the west midlands with the capital.
The longest canal in Britain built as a single waterway is the Leeds & Liverpool Canal at 127 miles long.
6. The newest canal in the UK was completed in 2002
The Ribble Link was built to connect the previously isolated Lancaster Canal with the rest of the national inland waterways network. It runs for just four miles from Preston to the River Ribble which then connects to the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.
With nine locks, the Ribble Link is tidal so only navigable at certain times with advance booking needed as all boats must be helped through. A link between the Lancaster Canal and the wider canal network was first discussed 200 years ago. This new canal finally came to fruition in 2002 with the help of a grant from the Millennium Commission.
7. Britain’s shortest canal is just 22 metres – or 72 feet – long
The Wardle Lock Branch of the Trent & Mersey Canal consists of just one 72ft-long lock and a few yards of canal on either side. It was built in 1829 to link the Trent & Mersey Canal with the Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal.
8. A cow once swam the whole length of the Foulridge Tunnel
In 1912 a cow named Buttercup fell into the Leeds & Liverpool Canal near the southern end of the tunnel, carrying the waterway for a mile under the Lancashire countryside. Rather than climb out of the canal as normal, Buttercup swam all 1,500 metres to Foulridge at the northern end. On arrival, Buttercup was revived with brandy by locals drinking at the nearby Hole in the Wall pub.
9. Canals have plugs, literally
In 1978, a group of British Waterways workers who were dredging the Chesterfield Canal pulled up a chain which had a heavy lump of wood attached to the end. As the entire canal between Whitsunday Pie Lock and Retford Town Lock began to empty away into the River Idle, they realised they had pulled out a long forgotten canal plug. There’s also a plug in the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct.
10. There are more boats now on the UK canals than at any other time in history
While Britain’s industrial heydays of 18th and 19th century are generally viewed as the golden age of canals, there are actually more craft on our waterways today. Despite the canals being used by far less commercial traffic, they have become a mecca for pleasure craft and a growing number of people opting for floating homes. There are now around 35,000 boats on Britain’s canals and rivers, providing homes, workplaces and holidays for millions of people.
We’ve published more information about the history of the canals in England and Wales here.
Britain’s beautiful canal network passes through some of our most exciting towns and cities
In many of our canalside cities, waterfronts have been transformed into vibrant destinations, with shops, bars, restaurants and top attractions. Canal boat moorings are often close by so a canal boat can provide accommodation for a city break celebration!
Our narrowboats can accommodate up to 12 people – perfect for getting family or friends together for a celebration afloat.
Here are our top 3 celebration destinations:
1. Experience the hot springs and nighlife in Georgian Bath
Famous for its beautiful Georgian architecture and Roman Baths, Bath on the banks of the River Avon, remains one of Britain’s top tourist destinations. From our base at Monkton Combe, it takes just two hours (passing through six locks), to reach moorings in the centre of Bath. Georgian Bath is famous for its thermal hot springs which you can experience at Thermae Bath Spa. There’s a fantastic choice of places to eat and drink in this UNESCO World Heritage city. And popular night time destinations include Komedia’s Krater Comedy Club, live music at the Green Park Brassie and cocktails at the Circo Bar & Lounge.
2. Celebrate in Shakespeare’s Stratford
From Wootton Wawen, on the Stratford Canal near Henley-in-Arden, you can cruise to this famous town on the banks of the River Avon in just six hours. Once there, you can moor up in Bancroft Basin in the centre of Stratford, close to waterside restaurants and the Royal Shakespeare theatre with its star-studded productions. Stratford has a great choice of bars, pubs and clubs, including the Royal Shakespeare Theatre Rooftop Restaurant, All Bar One and the Shakespeare Street Cocktail Bar & Nightclub.
3. Shop, eat and party in historic Chester
Renowned for its Roman city walls, cobbled streets, medieval shopping rows and racecourse, the historic City of Chester on the River Dee is just seven hours by boat from Bunbury. As well as amazing shopping, Chester has some fantastic bars and restaurants. For example, the Opera Grill housed in an impressive Grade II listed building with a neoclassical Greek façade (which also offers live music on Friday nights). The Alchemist cocktail bar and restaurant where exciting experimental drinks and food are served. And the lively Barlounge Chester with great outdoor and indoor space for celebrating.
To book a holiday or break on any of Anglo Welsh’s fleet, call our friendly booking team on 0117 304 1122.
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.
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.
