Our Top 11 Wonderful Waterside Pubs

There are hundreds of historic pubs alongside the inland waterways of the UK, that offer perfect spots for canal boat holiday-makers to moor up, relax and enjoy some great food and drink.

In fact, many who enjoy a narrowboat staycation say that visiting canalside pubs is one of the best things about a holiday afloat on Britain’s beautiful inland waterways!

You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to charming canalside pubs and restaurants. So, to celebrate the start of the 2022 canal boat holiday season, we’ve put together a guide to our Top 11:

1. The Barge Inn at Seend – this beautiful pub on the Kennet & Avon Canal in Wiltshire has a large waterside beer garden offers classic pub favourites, including great Sunday roasts. The Barge Inn is next to Seend Lock no.18. It takes around seven hours to reach this pub from our canal boat hire base at Bath.  The journey travels 17 miles, through 4 locks and passes over the magnificent Bath stone aqueducts at Dundas and Avoncliff.
2. The Bay Horse at Snaygill – on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal near Skipton, this popular country pub dates back to 1822. It’s a Vintage Inn serving country pub classics and cask ales.  From our boat yard at Silsden, it takes just under three hours to reach The Bay Horse.
3. The Crown Inn at Alvechurch – this country pub on the Worcestershire & Birmingham Canal close to the village of Alvechurch offers great food and drink, rustic charm and a lovely pub garden. The Crown Inn is just three miles from our boat yard at Tardebigge.  Just an hour and a half away, it’s a good first night stopping point when heading towards Birmingham.
4. The Bridge Inn at Chirk Bank – also known as the last pub in England, this traditional pub on the Llangollen Canal in the village of Chirk Bank offers visitors fantastic views of Chirk Aqueduct. The Bridge Inn is just a two-and-a half hour cruise from our canal boat rental base at Trevor so it’s a great place to stop on the first night of your canal boat holiday, if you are heading to Ellesmere or beyond.
5. The Blue Lias at Stockton – this historic pub on the Grand Union Canal at Stockton in Warwickshire is well known for its great beer and canalside garden. It was named after the limestone and clay quarried locally. This is derived from material laid down in the early Jurassic seas, when dinosaurs roamed the earth.  The Blue Lias is less than a mile away from our canal boat hire base at Stockton, but you need to go through eight locks, so it takes around one hour and forty minutes to cruise there.
6. The Fleur De Lys at Lowsonford – this pretty 17^th century country pub in the Warwickshire village of Lowsonford is famous for its pies and beer garden on the banks of the Stratford Canal. Choose from eleven different types of pie, accompanied by seasonal vegetables, chunky chips and gravy. The Fleur De Lys just over three hours from our narrow boat centre at Wootton Wawen.
7. The Nag’s Head in Abingdon – this award-winning pub on the River Thames offers drinkers and diners a peaceful retreat in its riverside gardens. The Nag’s Head serves gourmet cuisine and wood fired pizzas.  It takes around five hours to reach the Nag’s Head from canal barge base on the Thames at Oxford.  Along the way, you’ll travel 15 miles, passing through six locks.
8. The Horse & Jockey at Grindley Brook – this family owned pub on the Llangollen Canal at the bottom of Grindley Brook Locks near Whitchurch offers great food, drink and service. It takes around four and a half hours to reach The Horse & Jockey from our canal boat rental base at Whixall Marina.  The journey travels seven miles and passes through five locks.
9. The Plume of Feathers at Barlaston – this popular pub on the Trent & Mersey Canal in Staffordshire is part-owned by the actor, Neil Morrissey. Sample some of Neil’s beers and ales, and choose from a menu of homemade dishes made from fresh local ingredients.  It takes just over seven hours to reach The Plume of Feathers from our Great Haywood base.  The journey travels 12 miles through the Staffordshire countryside, passing through 12 locks and the town of Stone.
10. The Olde Barbridge Inn near Nantwich – this historic pub on the Shropshire Union Canal sells local ales brewed at its own local brewery and serves classic British food made with local produce. The Olde Barbridge Inn is an hour’s cruise from our narrow boat hire base at Bunbury.
11. The Cross Guns at Avoncliff – this 17^th century Wiltshire inn has riverside pub gardens with panoramic views of the foothills of the Cotswolds. It’s next to the Kennet & Avon Canal’s beautiful Bath stone Avoncliff Aqueduct. The Cross Guns serves a selection of British pub favourite food, local ales, cider and craft beer and it’s less than an hour away from our narrow boat hire base at Monkton Combe.