Spotlight on the Canals – The Oxford Canal

Meandering waterways, peaceful villages and scenes from Harry Potter

The picturesque 77-mile long Oxford Canal was completed in 1790, linking the university City of Oxford and the River Thames, with the Cathedral City of Coventry at Hawkesbury Junction.

Following the contours around hills, rather than using cuttings and embankments like later canals, this largely rural waterway meanders gently through the countryside, dotted with pretty villages, rural pubs, black-and-white lift bridges and nature reserves.

Once the main transport route from the Midlands to the south of England, it’s now one of the most popular and beautiful canal boat holidays routes.

Best for beginners

From our Oxford base, a trip to Lower Heyford and back is the perfect mid-week or week-long break for beginners.

Setting out from our boatyard on the River Thames at Eynsham, near Witney, it’s a delightful three-hour cruise along the River Thames to Oxford.

At Isis Lock, transfer onto the Oxford Canal, moor up for the night near Hythe Bridge, and it’s a short walk to many of this historic city’s famous landmarks, including the Ashmolean Museum and Carfax Tower.

If you are a Harry Potter fan, several scenes from the movies were shot in Oxford, including the Hogwarts Sanatorium in Oxford University’s stunning Bodleian Library, and Hogwarts dining hall in Christ Church College’s dining hall, still used for meals by students today.

Travelling up the southern section of the Oxford Canal, boaters first pass through the historic suburb of Jericho, once an industrial area and now one of Oxford’s most sought-after residential areas.

Three miles later, the canal passes the Plough pub, and soon after travelling through Wolvercote Lock and Perry’s Lift Bridge, boaters can stop off to explore Oxey Mead nature reserve, an ancient floodplain meadow which dates back to before the Domesday Book.

The historic village of Kidlington is two miles further along, with shops, a post office, several pubs, including the canalside Highwayman, and the Grade I Listed St Mary’s Church with its striking 67-metre high spire.

A mile further along, boaters reach the pretty canalside hamlet of Thrupp, with its Jolly Boatman and Boat Inn, both serving good food and real ales. Soon after the waterway widens for a short time (Thrupp Wide), when it merges with the River Cherwell for a short while, before continuing to once again run closely by.

From Thrupp, it’s eight miles to Lower Heyford, passing through five locks, and a the villages of Shipton-on-Cherwell with its SSSI former quarry, known for its crocodile fossils, and Enslow, with its Rock of Gibraltar pub and Satellite Earth Station.

There are visitor moorings at Lower Heyford and a choice of places to turn. The Bell Inn offers good food and beer on tap, and the beautifully preserved 18^th century gardens at nearby Rousham House include cascades, a walled garden, parterre and pigeon house.

This journey, there and back, takes a total of 18 hours and travels through 28 locks

Best for experienced boaters

On a week’s break, experienced boaters can continue north a further 12 miles and eight locks to Banbury, passing through Upper Heyford with its popular Barley Mow pub, and Anyho with its Great Western Arms country pub, nestled between the canal and the railway and serving excellent food.

The medieval market town of Banbury with its famous neo-Gothic Cross has plenty of visitor moorings, many fine old pubs and Tooley’s Boatyard, the oldest working dry dock on the inland waterways, with a blacksmith’s forge and restored workshops open to visitors.

This journey takes a total of 29 hours, travelling through 32 locks

On a 10-day or two-week break, narrowboat holiday-makers can explore the rest of the Oxford Canal, reaching the village of Cropredy after a further five miles and three locks. The English Civil War Battle of Cropredy Bridge took place here in 1644, but today the village is best known for its annual music festival and historic country pubs, including the 17^th century Brasenose Arms.

Two miles further north, the canal passes close to the village of Claydon with its fascinating Museum of Bygones at Butlin Farm, and the Claydon Flight of five locks.

Next, it’s Fenny Compton with its tunnel, marina, Wharf Inn and Fenny Compton Tunnels nature reserve, with rare grasslands important for a range of wildlife, including the endangered Grizzled Skipper butterfly.

Eleven miles and nine locks later, the canal reaches its junction with the Grand Union Canal, at Napton on the Hill, with stunning views of Napton Windmill and the surrounding countryside, plus the Folly, Crown and King’s Head pubs for refreshment.

Joined for the next five miles with the Grand Union, here the Oxford Canal becomes a broad waterway. At the Braunston Turn, the Grand Union Canal splits away from the Oxford, heading south to London. For boaters continuing north along the Oxford Canal, there are places to moor for a visit to Braunston’s pubs, marina and fish and chip shop.

Now travelling along the North Oxford Canal, the waterway once again becomes a narrow canal and passes underneath the busy M45 motorway before reaching the village of Hillmorton, with its flight of three locks, plus Old Royal Oak and Stag & Pheasant pubs.

The canal next passes through the outskirts of Rugby, with a Tesco store and Cineworld nearby at Brownsover. The 186-metre long Newbold Tunnel, with Barley Mow and Boat pubs just before, takes boaters back out into the countryside.

Three miles later, it’s worth stopping at Brinklow to visit the remains of Brinklow Castle, a Norman earthwork motte and bailey fortress, and one of the village pubs – The Raven or White Lion.

Soon after, the canal passes beneath the M6 motorway before reaching the pretty canal village of Ansty with moorings and Rose & Castle pub. From here, it’s only another three miles to Hawkesbury Junction on the edge of Coventry, where the Oxford Canal meets its terminus at the Coventry Canal. There is a winding hole here, visitor moorings with a sanitary station and water point, plus The Greyhound and Elephant & Castle pubs.

This journey, there and back, takes a total of 77 hours, travelling through 84 locks

To make a booking or to get friendly advice on canal holidays, please call our Booking Office on 0117 304 1122.

All hands on deck for Anglo Welsh’s winter maintenance

Midwinter calm may reign on the nation’s waterways but behind the scenes at Anglo Welsh it’s all hands on deck as our fleet of 160 narrowboats undergo their annual makeover – ranging from major refurbishing and mechanical services to minor maintenance and cosmetic TLC.

The winter maintenance process at our eleven bases across England and Wales starts in November as trees shed their final leaves and continues right through to March as the dawn chorus springs into song. Jonathan Nowell, Anglo Welsh’s base manager at Tardebigge in Worcester, took a break from his maintenance chores to provide an overview of the nationwide refurbishment programme.

“The Anglo Welsh fleet has a diverse variety of narrowboats,” says Jonathan, “but whether it’s a luxury 12-berth Constellation Class or a cosy two-berth, they all go through the same well-tested maintenance process to make sure they are mechanically sound and immaculately presented for the new season.”

“We begin by draining the water tanks and blowing the water out of the water system to prevent winter freezing. Then all electrical items are removed and electrics isolated. As you would expect, the engine on every Anglo Welsh boat gets a thorough service – that involves straightforward tasks like changing oil and filters to bigger jobs like checking the rudder bearings and cleaning the bottom of the diesel tank.”

“When it comes to dry docking, work can involve replacing stern gears, propellers, and hull blacking. Anglo Welsh also does private work at our bases with covered dry docks like the one here at Tardebigge. We offer boat owners professional painting, engine servicing/replacements, welding, hull blacking, gas/diesel pump outs, electric works, plumbing, stern gear repairs, and gas works.”

“People who hire Anglo Welsh narrowboats rightly expect handsome, well-equipped boats for their canal holiday, so the winter maintenance is as much about creature comforts as the technical stuff. Sometimes we do a full repaint of the cabin, decks, roof and doorways, and vent holes. If a boat needs stripping back to steel, the painting alone can take up to 12 days!”

“Below deck, we’ll install new cookers, fridges, carpets, curtains, upholstery or mattresses where needed, and we’ll replace damaged cabin panels, doors, trims and steps. Not forgetting the all-important gas safety checks by our gas accredited engineers.

Last but not least, is the deep cleaning – washing curtains, bedding and upholstery; hoovering carpets, cleaning windows and shining the cutlery. It’s a bit like spring cleaning the house before guests arrive!”

In a nutshell, Anglo Welsh’s maintenance team does all the hard work in winter so you can enjoy a relaxing canal holiday on a comfortable narrowboat that is fine-tuned on the inside and spick and span on the outside.

To make a booking or to get friendly advice on canal holidays, please call our Booking Office on 0117 304 1122.

If you are a private boater and would like to find out about Anglo Welsh’s private maintenance service, call 0117 304 1122 for base contact information.

From Rio de Janeiro to Great Haywood – Olympian Nick Beighton’s canal adventures

What do you do after spending three years training six days a week in order to compete in the Paralympics? The answer, according to Nick Beighton, is “Go on a narrowboat holiday!!”

Former Royal Engineers captain Nick first took up rowing as part of his rehabilitation programme after losing both legs to a Taliban landmine in Afghanistan in 2009. He competed in the mixed scull at the 2012 Paralympics and won the bronze medal in the Men’s KL2 canoe sprint at the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro.

Back home after his Brazilian exploits, Nick decided it was time for some quality time with wife Alexis and son Jonah. “After Rio I was after a way to wind down with my family on a proper British holiday,” says the 35-year-old from Stockport. “Spending a week on a narrowboat seemed like the ideal solution! We were slightly apprehensive when we arrived at Great Haywood Marina, not really knowing what to expect as I’m a double above knee amputee and we have a 2-year-old son. What could go possibly wrong??!”

Happily, the answer to that latter question was ‘nothing at all’. “The Anglo Welsh staff were brilliant,” continues Nick. “After getting our kit on board and having a briefing it was straight off for a practice and a demo of how to navigate a lock. Having never helmed a narrowboat before it took a little getting used to, especially as we’d hired a 67ft barge called Oracle. Luckily, I’ve sailed a bit so it didn’t take too long to get familiar with the tiller. After being under way for about 20 minutes we were on our own!”

“Over the next five days we had a fabulous family holiday. First, we travelled down the Trent and Mersey Canal and a day-out at the National Memorial Arboretum. Then it was on to the Birmingham and Fazeley and a day at Drayton Manor Park to keep our son happy. We chose a route without too many locks to navigate and plenty of good canal side pubs to enjoy!”

“All in all it was a very enjoyable week,” concludes Nick. “We left relaxed and full of appreciation for the great service offered by everybody at Anglo Welsh.”

Our commitment… as a member of the Armed Forces you can benefit from 15% off an Anglo Welsh Holiday. Simply call 0117 3041122 and ask about our Armed Forces Discount.

End the canal season in perfect style with Anglo Welsh’s fantastic Autumn Sale

Book any Anglo Welsh canal holiday departing between 23rd September and 28th October 2016 and save 25%, a saving of up to £465.

The nights are drawing in, Strictly Come Dancing is on the telly, and the leaves are changing colour. It can only mean one thing; autumn is here! And to help you celebrate nature’s golden brown season in style, Anglo Welsh is slashing 25% off the price of holiday bookings* from its 11 narrowboat bases across England and Wales.

Autumn is the perfect season for cruising the waterways of England and Wales. As summer exits stage left, so do the masses. Tranquil, tree-lined canals are at their prettiest as leaves change from green, to yellow, to orange, to red. And even if leaf-crunching is not your thing, the sight of excited doggies battling with autumn leaves will bring a smile to your face (well-behaved pets are always welcome on Anglo Welsh holidays). Oh, and did we mention conkers?

Autumn also provides a great excuse to cook hearty stews and broths in one of Anglo Welsh’s fully-equipped narrowboat kitchens. Celebrate the game season with slow-cooked pheasant, wild mushrooms and root vegetables or grab a pumpkin before the Halloween rush.

Feeling bloated after all that stew? Fear not, as the days grow crisper wrap up in your favourite seasonal scarves, jumpers and beanies. Or get new ones?! Anglo Welsh pit stops at Birmingham, Oxford, Bath and Stratford-upon-Avon afford plenty of opportunities for retail therapy, not to mention pub lunches in cosy canal side pubs.

Tired from the exertions of towpath walks and shopping? No problem, autumn heralds the return of Strictly Come Dancing, Poldark and Match of The Day, all of which you can enjoy below deck on an Anglo Welsh flat-screen TV as the perfect autumn day comes to a relaxing end.

Whether it’s a week’s holiday in a 12-berth narrowboat, a romantic long weekend for two, or a day boat hire with the kids, treat yourself to an Anglo Welsh experience this autumn … and save up to £465 on your booking.

To save 25% in Anglo Welsh’s End of Season Sale, please call our Booking Team on 0117 304 1122 and quote ‘Autumn Sale’

Moor your Anglo Welsh narrowboat for canal side walks

One of the joys of a canal boat journey is the relaxing sensation that comes from being on the water, but even canal-faring stalwarts have to occasionally venture on dry land if they want to stretch their legs.

“The unfolding scenery of a canal stroll really takes some beating and the waterways of England and Wales are full of picturesque and accessible walking routes,” says Kev Yarwood, Anglo Welsh base manager at Great Haywood. “Whether it’s a gentle morning stroll or an energetic all-day hike, walking along a towpath is the perfect way to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life.”

Where else can you experience such a timeless medley of pastoral views, indigenous wildlife and architectural heritage? Not to mention your vessel of choice, a handsome Anglo Welsh narrowboat. “As for people whose more energetic days are behind them,” notes Kev, “canal paths have the added bonus of being flat!”

A canal boat holiday certainly gives you the freedom to roam. Anglo Welsh narrowboats can be hired from eleven different bases in England and Wales, and every single circuit is blessed with walks galore.

From Wootton Wawen, you can moor on the River Avon beside the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and take a relaxing stroll around Stratford-upon-Avon. And for those who do enjoy steep walks, crossing the spectacular Pontcysyllte Aqueduct from Trevor to the pretty mountainside town of Llangollen is a memorable experience.

From Anglo Welsh’s base at Sydney Wharf in historic Bath there’s a lovely circular route along the Kennet and Avon Canal that takes walkers past the elaborately decorated pump house chimney on the towpath at Abbey View lock and across the world-famous Pulteney Bridge. Elsewhere on the Kennet and Avon, the flight of 16 locks at Devizes is the perfect starting point to discover the 87-mile canal’s industrial heritage.

On the Grand Union Canal near Stockton, the historic Hatton Lock Flight is known as the ‘Stairway to Heaven’ because of the stunning views across to Warwick Cathedral. Nearby, the Staffordshire & Worcester Canal around Great Haywood is a haven for wildlife where you can spot herons and kingfishers on your walk. There’s every chance you will also witness the hullabaloo of a mass flight of geese flapping and honking through the sky.

Anglo Welsh’s knowledgeable staff at our well-located eleven bases will be delighted to point you towards the best canal-hugging walks on their local patch. Watch this space in the coming months for some of their favourite itineraries!

To make a booking please call our friendly Booking Office on 0117 304 1122. They will be delighted to recommend some great canal walks.

Enjoy the Olympics on board a stylish canal boat

Balmy summer nights. Drama, passion, joy, tears. Sir Ben Ainslie, Hannah Mills & Saskia Clark, Sir Chris Hoy, Mo Farah, Victoria Pendleton. Is it really four years since Great Britain ruled the waves (or so it seemed) at the 2012 London Olympics?

Navigating through canal locks may not be an Olympic event (yet) but that won’t stop the Anglo Welsh team getting behind our sporting heroes at this summer’s games in Rio. “We all remember special moments from London 2102, like when Ben Ainslie took his fifth consecutive sailing medal, and his fourth consecutive gold. However there was a heavy battle with Jonas Høgh Christensen of Denmark that was only decided at the last mark of the medal race, nail biting times!” says Steve Harrison, who has worked for Anglo Welsh since early 2016.

“Whether it was cruising along the Llangollen canal watching the spectacular opening ceremony on TV or moored alongside a canal side pub to cheer Mo Farah across the finishing line on what has come to be know as ‘Super Saturday’, described by Sebastian Coe as sport’s greatest ever day.”

“We’ve all got high hopes for Team GB in Brazil,” continues Steve, “let’s just hope they do better than England’s footballers at the 2014 World Cup in the same country!

At the London Olympics, Great Britain won 65 medals, our biggest haul since 1908.

In 1976, the year Anglo Welsh was founded, Britain managed just 13 medals at the Olympics in Canada. Then again, we started with approximately 90 boats and now we’ve got 160. Everybody’s moved onwards and upwards in 40 years.”

Forty years ago, sports fans who took to the waterways during the Olympics had to make do with dodgy transistor radios to follow the action from their canal boats. Luckily, that’s another thing that has changed for the better. These days all Anglo Welsh narrowboats have an LCD television aboard, not to mention wi-fi connections*.

Some canal boaters will relax below deck and watch the Games on TV; others will follow the action on their laptops while lounging on deck. Those who enjoy a more boisterous atmosphere will join the crowds in the traditional pubs that line the waterways. Fresh air, beautiful canals, sporting heroics, a celebratory drink or two: unless you’ve bagged a ticket to Rio de Janeiro, a stylish narrowboat seems like the perfect Olympic venue.

Even better, Anglo Welsh’s exclusive summer 2016 promotion offers 20% off all Constellation and Bond class bookings for holidays taken before September 4th. The only thing you need to do to secure this Olympian class offer is to book your narrowboat hire before the end of July**. On your marks, get set, go!

To get your 20% discount, call the Booking Office now on 0117 304 1122 and quote ‘reach for the stars’.

*TV and wi-fi connections are subject to signal

**For new bookings only, subject to availability. This offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers. Only available on Anglo Welsh Boats until September 3rd.
Offer expires 31st July. Terms and conditions apply.