The Coventry Canal takes canal boat holiday-makers through the Midlands countryside
It runs for 38 miles from Coventry Basin to Fradley Junction where it meets the Trent & Mersey Canal.
It also connects to the Oxford, Ashby and Birmingham & Fazeley canals. The canal opened in 1769 and was a vital trade artery for many years.
The waterway forms part of the Warwickshire Ring. It passes the towns of Bedworth, Nuneaton, Atherstone, Polesworth and Tamworth.
It’s a narrow canal with 13 locks. A 5.5-mile stretch between Coventry Basin and Hawkesbury Junction is designated a conservation area.
Most of the canal is rural and home to many types of animals, birds, fish and insects, including kingfishers, dragonflies and bats.
There are many canalside pubs to enjoy along its route, including The Greyhound at Hawkesbury Junction and the Tame Otter at Hopwas.
You can reach the Coventry Canal on a week’s holiday from our base at Great Haywood.
Ellesmere Port Boat Museum
You can visit the Ellesmere Port Boat Museum on a canal holiday from our Bunbury base
Ellesmere Port in Cheshire is at the end of the Shropshire Union Canal, where it meets the Manchester Ship Canal.
Once a thriving transhipment hub, it’s now home to the Canal & River Trust’s National Waterways Museum, Ellesmere Port.
The Museum is housed in a conservation area with 19 Grade II listed buildings to explore. There are locks, docks, warehouses, stables, a forge, workers cottages and gardens all brought back vividly to life with the help of costumed characters and interactive displays. There are indoor and outdoor displays across the 7.5-acre site.
The Museum is also home to the National Waterways Archive and national collection of historic working boats. These include Mossdale, the only remaining wooden Mersey Flat in the world. And
You can reach Ellesmere Port on a four-night mid-week break or week away from our Bunbury base. You can pre-book a mooring withinthe Museum, that includes access to the Museum.
The National Waterways Museum, Ellesmere Port is pet-friendly.
Take a boat trip across the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
Across the summer our ‘Little Star’ trip boat will be operating five Pontcysyllte Aqueduct boat trips a day
Our Little Star trip boat offers families the chance to enjoy skippered cruises across the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct.
At 300 metres long and 38 metres high, the awesome Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is the longest and highest aqueduct in Britain.
Described by Sir Walter Scott as a ‘stream in the sky’ where fish swim above birds, in 2009 it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. This puts it on a par with the pyramids in Egypt and the Taj Mahal in India.
Our ‘Little Star’ daily boat trips offer the chance to cruise across this incredible structure, experience amazing views across the Dee Valley, and make some fantastic family memories.
Our knowledgeable team provides commentary on board about the Aqueduct and the Llangollen Canal. It’s a great way to learn more about the fascinating history of the site as you cruise gently along.
Trips depart daily at 11am, 12 noon, 1.30pm, 2.30pm and 3.30pm from Canal Wharf, Trevor, Llangollen LL20 7TT.
Little Star’ (‘Seren Fach’ in Welsh) offers space for up to 48 passengers.
Adult tickets are priced at £10 each, children (aged under 16) are priced at £6. Family tickets for two adults and two children are priced at £25 each.
Refreshments are available to purchase on board, including hot and cold drinks, and ice creams.
For more information and to book in advance, visit www.anglowelsh.co.uk/little-star, or call the bookings team on 0117 304 1122.
We’ve got some great short break canal holiday destinations perfect for beginners
You don’t need a licence to steer a canal boat and it’s easy for first-timers to learn to operate our boats.
As part of our narrowboat hire, we provide you with expert boat steering tuition. And our series of ‘How to’ videos give step by step instruction on everything from switching the boat engine on to the best way to tie your ropes when mooring up. We’ve also published guides to ‘What to pack on your narrowboat holiday’, and ‘Tips for narrowboat holiday beginners’.
When you arrive at one of our boat yards, we’ll take you through our nationally accredited handover. And we’ll make sure you’re comfortable and in control before you set off. As well as our Youtube videos, there’s a manual on board every boat if you need to check on anything. And our engineering teams are on hand 24 hours a day to help over the phone, or come out to you if you need them.
So, if you’ve thought about taking a canal boat holiday, but you’re not sure where to begin, here’s a guide to our top 7 short breaks for beginners:
1. Learn the ropes on the Llangollen
Passing through stunning North Wales landscapes, the Llangollen Canal is one of the most popular on the network. With just two locks along the way, the seven-hour journey from Trevor to Ellesmere offers a fantastic short break holiday for beginners. The route includes the experience of travelling across the incredible UNESCO World Heritage Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, with jaw-dropping panoramic views of the Dee Valley 38 metres below.
2. Dip your toe in the water at Bath
From our base at Bradford on Avon on the Kennet & Avon Canal in Wiltshire, it takes around six hours to cruise to Bath. There’s just one lock to pass through and two stunning Bath stone aqueducts to glide across. And there are popular canalside pubs to visit, including The George at Bathampton, Cross Guns at Avoncliff and Barge Inn at Bradford on Avon.
3. Float gently along to Fradley
From Great Haywood, you can head south along the Trent & Mersey Canal to Fradley Junction, where the Coventry Canal meets the Trent & Mersey. The journey takes around five hours, travelling 12 peaceful miles through the Staffordshire countryside. There are just five locks to pass through, and you’ll pass canalside pubs at Wolseley and Rugeley. At Fradley, you can enjoy refreshments at the Canalside Café or The Swan Inn. And you can enjoy spotting wildlife along the woodland trail and boardwalk at Fradley Pool Nature Reserve.
4. Take to the tiller along the Thames
From our Oxford base at Eynsham, you can enjoy a Thames boating holiday. It takes just over three hours, passing through four locks to reach City centre moorings in Oxford. Many of the River Thames locks are manned, so there’s often help on hand for newcomers. Once in Oxford, you take time to explore the city, including the famous Bodleian Library, Carfax Tower and Ashmolean Museum.
5. Navigate the Shroppie to historic Chester
It’s a seven-hour, nine-lock journey to the ancient city of Chester from our Bunbury base on the Shropshire Union Canal. The route passes through the beautiful Cheshire countryside and villages. There are historic local pubs to enjoy along the way, including The Ring O’Bells at Christleton and The Shady Oak at Bates Mill Bridge. Once in Chester, you can take time to explore this cosmopolitan ancient city. Attractions include: a Roman Amphitheatre and city walls, Chester Rows shops, 1,000-year old cathedral, racecourse and award-winning Zoo.
6. Test the waters on the Leeds & Liverpool
Setting off from Silsden on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal in West Yorkshire, the journey to Gargrave and back is nice and easy for beginners. The route travels 12 miles through the Yorkshire countryside. It passes through just three locks, and takes around 6½ hours. Along the way, you’ll pass through Skipton, home to one of the best preserved medieval castles in England. At Gargrave, there are plenty of pubs, including The Mason’s Arms and Cross Keys Inn. Gargrave is on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, with over 680 square miles of some of England’s finest walking country to explore.
7. Cross the border into Wales surrounded by breath-taking scenery
From Whixall Marina on the Llangollen Canal in Shropshire, on a short break you can cruise to Chirk and back. The journey to Chirk takes around eight hours and passes through just two locks. The route passes Whixall Moss nature reserve and historic Ellesmere, in the heart of the Shropshire Lake District. At Chirk, where the Llangollen Canal crosses the Welsh border, there’s a choice of canalside pubs and the National Trust’s medieval Chirk Castle to visit.
To check availability and book click here or call us on 0117 463 3419.
Top canal boat holiday wildlife hotspots
Narrowboat holidays are like floating safaris, giving you the chance to spot a wide range of wildlife
The nation’s network of inland waterways have become an important place for biodiversity.
On your narrowboat holiday ou can look out for ducks, swans, herons, moorhens, coots, dragonflies, damselflies, bats, kingfishers, otters, water voles and many types of woodland birds.
To celebrate the biodiversity of the waterways, we’ve put together a list of our top 8 places to spot wildlife on a canal boat holiday:
1. Cruise along the Llangollen Canal to see herons at the Mere
On a short break from Trevor, you can cruise to the medieval market town of Ellesmere, home to the Mere. Formed thousands of years ago by the melting of the glaciers during the retreating ice age, the Mere is home to the Heron Watch Scheme, with cameras allowing visitors to watch the birds build nests and raise chicks. The journey to Ellesmere takes around seven hours, passes through two locks and crosses the UNESCO World Heritage status Pontcysyllte Aqueduct.
2. Go otter spotting on the Montgomery Canal
On a week’s break from Whixall Marina, you can cruise a seven-mile section of the Montgomery Canal to Gronwyn Wharf. Stretching 38 miles between England and Wales, the Montgomery Canal is designated a SSSI on both sides of the border. Look out for water birds, dragon flies, damselflies, green woodpeckers, peregrines, and if you are lucky you may spot an otter too. Over recent years, thanks to dedicated conservation efforts, otter populations are showing healthy signs of growth. They are timid and not often seen by humans, but they can be spotted hunting prey in quiet stretches of canal. From Whixall, the journey to Gronwyn Wharf takes around 10 hours, passing through eight locks along the way.
3. Listen out for the sound of song thrushes on the Kennet & Avon Canal at Crofton
On a week’s holiday from Monkton Combe, you can cruise along the Kennet & Avon Canal to Crofton. This beautiful stretch of waterway in Wiltshire, offers the chance to spot swans, ducks and moorhens on the water and to listen out for the sound of song thrushes. Living up to its common name, the song thrush has a loud song with repeating phrases. Crofton is also a place of history, as the Crofton Pumping Station there houses the world’s oldest working beam engines. It takes around 20 hours to cruise to Crofton, passing through 41 locks along the way, including the Caen Hill flight of 29 locks at Devizes.
4. Hear cuckoos calling on the River Thames at Abingdon
On a short break from our Oxford base, you can take a Thames boating holiday to Abingdon and listen for cuckoos calling from riverside meadows and woods at Abingdon. Considered to be an early sign of spring, cuckoos arrive from Africa in late March and April to spend the summer here. The song of the cuckoo sounds the same as its name: ‘cuck-oo’. The journey to Abingdon takes around five hours, passing through six locks.
5. See bats flying across the water atFradley Pool Nature Reserve
On a short break from Great Haywood, you can cruise to Fradley Junction, home of the Fradley Pool Nature Reserve. There are walking trails and sculpture trails at Fradley. Look out for water birds, terrapins basking in the sunshine and bats flying across the water if you are there at dusk in the spring and summer time. From Great Haywood, it takes around five hours to reach Fradley on the Trent & Mersey Canal, passing through five locks along the way.
6. See grey wagtails on the Grand Union Canal at Hatton
On a short break from Wootton Wawen, you can reach the bottom of flight of the 21 lock Hatton flight in the Warwickshire countryside. As well as ducks, moorhens and swans, you might see house sparrows and grey wagtails at the water’s edge. Grey wagtails have a long, black-and-white tail, a yellow rump and a yellow belly. They eat ants and midges that they find beside rivers and canals, and snails and tadpoles they find in shallow water. From Wootton Wawen, it takes around eight hours to reach the Hatton flight on the Grand Union Canal, passing through 17 locks along the way.
7. See and hear woodland birds on the Peak Forest Canal at Marple
On a 10-day or two-week break from Bunbury, you can complete the Cheshire Ring, which includes the flight of 16 locks on the Peak Forest Canal at Marple. Here you’ll be surrounded by beautiful countryside and stretches of ancient woodland – home to many types of woodland bird, including robins, jays and great tits. You can also enjoy fantastic views across the Peak District from here. From Bunbury, the Cheshire Ring takes around 60 hours, passing through 102 locks.
8. Watch out for water voles on the Kennet & Avon Canal at Caen Hill
On a short break from Bradford on Avon, you can reach the base of the Caen Hill flight, where water voles have been spotted in the side pounds. Best known as ‘Ratty’ from ‘Wind in the Willows’, sadly the water vole is now one of our most endangered species. They burrow into steep waterside banks to form a complicated system of tunnels. Look out for closely grazed ‘lawn’ areas with neat piles of chopped grass, which are often seen around burrow entrances. From Bradford on Avon, it takes around eight hours to reach Caen Hill, passing through seven locks along the way.
To check availability and book click here or call us on 0117 463 3419.
The Bristol Avon
The Bristol Avon links Bristol with the Kennet & Avon Canal at Bath
The Bristol Avon is navigable from Bath to Bristol. But this waterway is tidal so it’s recommended for experienced boaters only.
The route takes boaters through the outskirts of Bath and into the Somerset countryside. The waterway passes through Saltford with its Riverside Inn, Avon Valley Country Park and Keynsham.
Departing from our Bath base, it takes around eight hours, passing through 13 locks to reach Bristol Floating Harbour. The Harbour is home to a number of attractions, including Brunel’s SS Great Britain ship and Bristol Aquarium.
Hatton Locks
Hatton Locks on the Grand Union Canal in Warwickshire are one of the longest flight of locks in England
The 21 locks on the Grand Union Canal at Hatton are surrounded by Warwickshire countryside.
The canal was built to carry locally mined coal to the power stations and factories of the Black Country. And it was a vital transport link connecting London with the Midlands.
Also known as the ‘Stairway to Heaven’ the locks raise (or lower) boats 45 metres over two miles.
Two narrowboats can travel side-by-side through the locks, sharing the work. It takes around five hours to navigate the locks.
The Canal & River Trust’s Hatton Locks Cafe at the top of the flight is a popular place to stop for refreshment. The Hatton Arms pub is also next to the locks.
You can reach bottom of the Hatton flight of locks on a short break from Wootton Wawen.
The Rochdale Canal
The Rochdale Canal takes boaters across the Pennines with spectacular views
Stretching for 32 miles with 91 locks along its length, the Rochdale Canal runs from Manchester to Sowerby Bridge in West Yorkshire.
It was the first of the three trans-Pennine canals to open.
The canal connects the Bridgewater Canal at Castlefield Junction in Manchester to the Calder & Hebble Navigation at Sowerby Bridge. There are steep climbs and lots of locks, but canal boat holiday-makers are rewarded with spectacular views of the Pennine hills.
Places of interest to visit along the way include Rochdale, Littleborough, Todmorden and Hebden Bridge.
The vanal forms part of the South Pennine Cruising Ring which can be done on three-week break from our Bunbury base.
