Anglo Welsh recommends – we look forward to the best Waterways Events of 2018
Spring is just around the corner and that sound you can hear in the background is the nation’s canal enthusiasts champing at the bit as they look forward to getting back on their boats to enjoy Britain’s spectacular waterways!
As any good narrowboat skipper will tell you ‘forewarned is forearmed’, so in that spirit of being exceptionally well prepared, Anglo Welsh has put together a schedule of the very best waterway events taking place in 2018. As you will see, you really are spoilt for choice.
Easter Boat Gathering (March 30th to April 2nd), National Waterways Museum Ellesmere Port. Building on the success of last year’s 40th anniversary celebration, the 2018 gathering on the Shropshire Union Canal promises a richly varied and exciting line-up of music, workshops and boat activity for all ages. Over the weekend there will be opportunities for visitors to enjoy behind-the-scenes explorations of the Lime Shed and the boat store in Rossfield Road where vessels raised from the top basin are stored and worked on
Drifters National Open Day (April 15th), five Anglo Welsh locations. Drifters Waterways Holidays and the Canal & River Trust are offering people the chance to try canal boating for free at various locations across England and Wales this year, including Anglo Welsh bases at Wootton Wawen, Great Haywood, Trevor, Tardebigge and Bunbury. The taster sessions will include free short trips on skippered narrowboats as well as boat tours and holiday discounts. People of all ages are encouraged to take part and no advanced booking is required.
St Richard’s Canal Festival (May 4th to May 7th). This annual festival in the Worcestershire town of Droitwich Spa includes boats moored either at Netherwich Basin or alongside the path in Vines Park on the recently restored Droitwich Canal. The event has grown rapidly through the addition of street markets and the Classic and Vintage Car Rally and provides visitors with a great day out in the heart of this historic salt town.
Skipton Waterways Festival (May 5th and May 6th). The gateway to the Yorkshire Dales, Skipton is a beautiful market town with an award-winning high street and market, as well as a 12th century castle. This much- loved event takes place around Skipton and on the Canal Basin. Dozens of narrowboats and other craft will line the Basin and the surrounding towpaths and there will be a full programme of entertainment. A brilliant destination to soak up some history and sit and people-watch at the many eateries overlooking the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.
Crick Show 2018 (May 26th to May 28th). As well as being the canal world’s biggest marketplace, showcasing the inland waterways sector with 300 exhibitors, this annual show on the Grand Union Canal in Northamptonshire offers a fantastic day out for all the family with dozens of boats to look round, free boat trips, live music, children’s activities, a real ale marquee, and a huge variety of food and drink stalls. Last year was the busiest one yet with over 27,000 visitors, so it’s worth securing tickets to the 2018 event early.
Leicester Riverside Festival (June 2nd and June 3rd). Now in its 21st year, this free two-day festival is spread over four areas and promises fun on and off the water. Canal enthusiasts should head for the River Soar area for a narrowboat rally, boat trips, canoe and small boat rides and hires. Nearby Bede Park has family activities galore and the Piazza area has a large stage featuring live bands.
Stratford-upon-Avon Festival (June 30th and July 1st). This is Stratford’s tenth annual river festival and it goes from strength to strength, winning the prestigious Tourism Initiative for the Pride of Stratford Award in 2016! Enjoy two days of fun celebrating Stratford’s beautiful River Avon and the Bard’s wonderful home town. There will be a large display of static narrowboats – including one of Anglo Welsh’s high-end boats – and world class live music, all capped off by a spectacular firework display on Saturday evening. It’s a quintessentially English Summer festival and it’s free!
Audlem Festival of Transport (July 29th). A record number of vintage canal boats are expected at the Audlem Wharf next to Audlem Mill and the Shroppie Fly on the Shropshire Union Canal. A huge range of vintage cars, vans, trucks and buses will also join the 2018 parade.
Black Country Boating Festival(September 14th to September 16th).
Last but not least, the 31st edition of this friendly annual boat gathering and community festival held in the Bumble-Hole Nature Reserve, Windmill End, Netherton. Between 60 and 80 narrowboats are expected in Netherton for the weekend, plus live music, tasty food and a fine selection of local ales.
Britain’s wonderful canal and river network takes canal boat holiday-makers through some of our nation’s most beautiful countryside, including many woodland areas.
Our woodlands are havens for wildlife – mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, insects, wildflowers and fungi – and ancient woodlands are particularly precious, supporting over 200 of our rarest and most threatened species.
With Spring, and the promise of carpets of bluebells just around the corner, we thought it’s the perfect time to celebrate the best woodland walk destinations afloat:
Explore the ancient woods at Skipton Castle – From our canal boat hire base at Silsden on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal in West Yorkshire, it takes just over three hours to reach Skipton with its medieval fortress and acres of woodland trails to explore. For nearly a thousand years Skipton Castle Woods provided fuel, food and building materials for castle inhabitants. There are at least 18 species of trees flourishing here, including Ash, Oak, Hornbeam, Lime, Chestnut, Rowan and Sloe. A combination of standing dead trees, rock fissures for roosting and water for insect-breeding make these woods a fantastic haven for bats and there are hundreds of flowering plants, including wild orchids and bluebells.
Follow the woodland trail at Kinver Edge – From our Tardebigge base on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal near Bromsgrove, it’s a 20-hour, 37-mile, 32-lock journey to Kinver on the Staffordshire & Worcester Canal. At Kinver Edge, managed by the National Trust and home to the famous Holy Austin Rock Houses, there’s an excellent woodland trail perfect for families, with natural play areas along the way and magnificent views across several counties from the Iron Age Hill Fort. Kinver is on the route of the Stourport Ring, which can be tackled on a week’s holiday from Tardebigge, travelling a total of 76 miles via Birmingham, Kidderminster, Stourport and Worcester.
See the ancient Yew at Pendeford Mill Nature Reserve – From our boat yard at Bunbury on the Shropshire Union Canal near Tarporley, it takes 20 hours, travelling 43 miles and passing through 28 locks, to reach Pendeford Visitor Moorings, just outside Wolverhampton. Pendeford Mill Nature Reserve is next to the canal here, offering 60 acres of astonishingly beautiful English countryside to explore, including ancient woodland, home to a Yew tree believed to be over 2,000 years old, as well as oak trees and, in the Spring, snowdrops and bluebells.
Walk up to Bathampton Woods – From Claverton, on the Kennet & Avon Canal near Bath, canal boat holiday-makers can moor close to Claverton Pumping Station and walk across the road bridge into the village of Claverton. From here, lanes and footpaths take walkers up past the American Museum to Bathampton Woods and on to Bathampton Down. With stunning views over Bath and the hills beyond, this route is part of the National Trust’s Bath Skyline Walk. Claverton is just three miles away from our canal boat hire base at Bath.
Discover the woodland sculpture trail at Stoke Bruerne – From our narrowboat hire base at Stockton on the Grand Union Canal in Northamptonshire, it takes 12 hours, travelling 28 miles and passing through 16 locks, to reach the pretty canal village of Stoke Bruerne. Here, as well as choice of canalside pubs and the Canal Museum to visit, there’s a charming woodland walk and sculpture trail to follow.
Explore Hay Wood at Baddesley Clinton – From our base at Wootton Wawen on the Stratford Canal in Henley in Arden, an 18-mile, 43-lock, 15-hour journey to the Navigation pub at Kingswood Bridge no 65, close to Baddesley Clinton. Here the Heart of England Way takes walker past the National Trust’s remarkable medieval moated manor house and on to the Midland Link walking trail through the Forestry Commission’s Hay Wood, home to a great diversity of wildlife, including bluebells, foxgloves, Muntjac deer and many woodland birds.
Enjoy a woodland walk at Chirk Castle – From our narrowboat hire base at Trevor on the Llangollen Canal in North Wales, it takes just over an hour to reach Chirk, passing over the incredible World Heritage Status Pontcysyllte Aqueduct along the way. There are moorings at the north side of Chirk Tunnel close to where a footpath take walkers up through a series of woods to the National Trust’s Chirk Castle, with spectacular views along the Ceiriog Valley.
Climb to the Wittenham Clumps – From Day’s Lock on the River Thames at Dorchester there’s a footpath to Wittenham Clumps Nature Reserve, made of two chalk hills, upon which sit two clumps of beech trees planted more than 300 years ago. This beautiful reserve has wildflower meadows as well as woodlands, and here are spectacular panoramic views of Oxfordshire from the summit. Connecting footpaths take walkers back down to the River through Little Wittenham Wood and it takes seven hours to reach Day’s Lock from our narrowboat hire base at Oxford on the River Thames, travelling 22 miles and passing through eight locks.
Visit the ancient ‘Big Belly Oak’ at Savernake Forest – At over 4500 acres in size and well over 1,000 years old, Savernake Forest is home to over 7,000 ‘Ancient’, ‘Veteran’ and ‘Notable’ trees, including the Big Belly Oak believed to be over 1,100 years old. The Forest runs close to the Kennet & Avon Canal in Wiltshire and the pretty canal village of Wootton Rivers, makes an excellent starting point for a variety of walks around the Forest. From our narrowboat hire base at Monkton Combe, Wootton Rivers is 35 miles away, a journey which takes 19 hours, passing through 37 locks, including the mighty Caen Hill Flight of 29 locks at Devizes.
Wonder round Deep Hayes Country Park – At Deep Hayes Country Park near the Caldon Canal at Cheddleton in Staffordshire, three large scenic pools are surrounded by way-marked woodland walks criss-crossing a 143-acre area. And there are some lovely pubs to take refreshment at nearby, including the Hollybush at Denford and the Black Lion at Cheddleton. From our boat yard at Great Haywood on the Trent & Mersey Canal in Staffordshire, it takes 18 hours, travelling 29 miles and passing through 30 locks to reach Cheddleton.
To book a holiday or break on any of Anglo Welsh’s fleet, call our friendly booking team on 0117 304 1122.
Top 5 Valentine’s Day Romantic Narrowboat Holiday Destinations Afloat on the UK Canals
Anglo Welsh The Narrowboat Company offer winter cruising from a number of bases, so why not treat your loved one to a love boat this Valentine’s Day?! Cuddle up together on a cosy boat for two, stop off at country pubs along the way, take romantic strolls along frosty towpaths and visit exciting waterside destinations for candlelit dinners for two. All our boats have central heating and some also have their own multi-fuel stoves, so it’s always warm and toasty on board.
Here are our top five romantic destinations for this Valentine’s Day:
Pop the question 40 metres up! Our Trevor base is close to the incredible World Heritage Status Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, which carries canal boats 40 metres high above the River Dee to enjoy spectacular views. From Trevor, on a short romantic break canal boat holiday-makers can reach the pretty town of Llangollen, dining at the popular Corn Mill or travel to Ellesmere to explore the beautiful Vale of Llangollen and Shropshire Lake District. On a week’s break out of Trevor, boaters can travel on to Wrenbury or Barbridge.
Wine & dine in Birmingham. Our Tardebigge base is a five-hour lock-free journey from the centre of Birmingham, where lovers can moor up at Gas Street Basin and saunter into town for theatre, museums and fine dining.
Read Shakespeare’s Sonnets in Stratford. From our base at Wootton Wawen on the Stratford Canal, Stratford upon Avon, birthplace of Shakespeare, is a six-hour cruise away. Once there, boaters can moor up in Bancroft Basin and visit the Swan Theatre and the town’s many eateries. On a week’s break, narrowboat holiday-makers can travel the Birmingham Mini Ring.
Find rural retreats in Staffordshire. On a short break from our base at Great Haywood on the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal, boaters can enjoy mile-upon-mile of rural seclusion and head to the pretty canalside village of Fradley, with quiet country pubs and Fradley Pool Nature Reserve, a site of special importance for its biodiversity.
Enjoy a history trail in Chester. Our base at Bunbury on the Shropshire Union Canal is just seven hours by boat from the medieval City of Chester. Once there, boaters can moor up and walk the two-mile circular Eastgate Clock Treasure Trail, visiting ‘The Cross’ in the centre of Chester, quaint streets, the Roman walls, the River Dee, the iconic Eastgate Clock, Cathedral and The Rows. On a week’s break from Bunbury, boaters can cruise to Llangollen and back.
Our team of helpful and friendly canal holiday experts are available to take your booking. Please call us 0117 304 1122.
From Royal weddings, state apartments and banqueting halls to siege towers, murder holes and dungeons, Britain’s beautiful castles bring history to life and make fantastic narrowboat holiday destinations.
Here are our top five castles to visit afloat in 2018:
Explore the magnificent State Apartments at Windsor Castle– from our canal boat hire base on the River Thames near Oxford, it takes three days (travelling 74 miles through 27 locks), to reach Windsor Castle, the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world and home to The Queen. With over 900 years of Royal history to discover, including Charles II’s magnificent State Apartments with painted ceilings by Antonio Verrio and paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens and Canaletto, Windsor Castle is packed with treasures from the Royal Collection. On 20 November 1992 a fire destroyed or damaged more than 100 rooms at the Castle. Its restoration, particularly the Grand Reception Room and St George’s Hall, is a testament to the incredible skills of some of the finest crafts people in Europe. Today Windsor’s State Apartments are frequently used by members of the Royal Family for events in support of their charities, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are set to marry in St George’s Chapel in May.
Wonder at Warwick Castle with over 1,000 years of history to explore – from our Stockton boat yard on the Grand Union Canal in Warwickshire, it’s a seven-hour journey, passing through 20 locks, to reach the beautiful historic town of Warwick with its jaw-dropping medieval castle on the banks of the River Avon. Dating back to William the Conqueror, Warwick Castle offers a fantastic day out with ramparts to climb, the Castle Dungeon, Great Hall and Staterooms to explore, the sights, sounds and smells of the medieval period to experience in the Kingmaker exhibition, soaring birds of prey and trebuchet firing displays to watch, the Horrible Histories Maze to navigate and landscaped gardens to tour.
Find out about the siege at Skipton Castle – from our canal boat hire base at Silsden on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal in West Yorkshire, it takes just over three hours to reach Skipton with its 900-year old fortress, one of the most complete and best preserved medieval castles in England. The journey takes canal boat holiday-makers through the typical Yorkshire stone built villages of Kildwick and Farnhill and a dense wooded area famous for its bluebells and deer. Once at Skipton, visitors to the castle can explore every corner of this impressive fortress which withstood a three-year siege during the Civil War. Climbing from the depths of the Dungeon to the top of the Watch Tower, with the magnificent Banqueting Hall, Kitchen, Bedchamber and Privy in between, Skipton Castle is certainly a national treasure.
Discover the impenetrable medieval fortress at Chirk – from our narrowboat hire base at Trevor on the Llangollen Canal in North Wales, it takes just over an hour to reach Chirk, passing over the incredible World Heritage Status Pontcysyllte Aqueduct along the way. Once safely moored, it’s a half-hour walk up to the National Trust’s Chirk Castle, one of several medieval marcher fortresses built on the Welsh-English border to keep the Welsh under English rule. Started in 1295, Chirk Castle had the most up-to-date defences of the time, with round ‘drum’ towers that allowed archers a wide firing field and created a ‘killing zone’ where the fields of fire overlapped. The towers are wider at ground level and with their five-metre thick walls, were designed to splay outwards – making it difficult for siege towers and battering rams to get close. Today it’s the only one of Edward I’s marcher fortresses still inhabited, with lavishly furnished rooms to explore, as well as the Adam Tower, complete with its two-level dungeons, medieval toilets and murder holes.
Take a guided tour of Oxford Castle – from our Oxford base at Eynsham near Witney, it’s a tranquil three-hour cruise along the River Thames to City Centre moorings at Hythe Bridge, perfect for exploring Oxford and the City’s 11th century earthwork motte-and-bailey castle. Founded by the Norman baron Robert D’Oilly the elder in 1071, most of the fortress was destroyed in the English Civil War and by the 18th century, the remaining buildings had become Oxford’s local prison. Today, tours of the Castle are led by costumed character guides who lead guests up the Saxon St George’s Tower for panoramic views of the city of Oxford, deep underground to the 900-year old crypt, through the austere confines of the 18th century Debtor’s Tower and Prison D-Wing and up the Mound of the castle.
To book a holiday or break on any of Anglo Welsh’s fleet, call our friendly booking team on 0117 304 1122.
Festive frolics on the Canals – Christmas jumpers are optional, having fun is a must!
If like everybody here at Anglo Welsh you can never get enough of the UK’s fantastic waterways, why not take a break from the Christmas shopping to attend one of the many festive events on the canals this December?
The Trent and Mersey Canal Open Weekend (December 2nd and 3rd) at Derwent Mouth Lock is a great place to start. There will be a heritage trail for adults and children alike, old photographs of the lock that show how it has changed over the years, plus Christmas carols and the chance to enjoy a tipple from the local micro pub. You also get to see the historic boats, ‘Trout’ and ‘Dove’, and watch Shrek the workhorse demonstrating how to pull a narrowboat.
Also on the Trent and Mersey Canal, Santa swaps his sleigh for a trip boat as the iconic Anderton Boat Lift plays host to a series of seasonal cruises along the River Weaver (every weekend in December, plus Thursday 21st and Friday 22nd). There will be festive stories and songs and a place to play in the new boat lift inspired play area. You will also get a chance to take ‘elfies’ with Father Christmas and best of all, Santa will make sure every child gets a seasonal gift.
Returning for a second year, the Bradford on Avon Market is getting festive (December 2nd and 3rd) on the Kennet and Avon Canal. Come along to the Christmas themed Floating Market for mulled wine and carols, with many of your favourite traders and some exciting new faces.
Further east in Wiltshire, the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust is organising Christmas Boat trips on the Swindon-based narrowboat ‘Dragonfly’ throughout December. Come and meet Santa every weekend from December 2nd and 3rd to December 16th and 17th, and then daily up to and including Saturday 23rd December – and yes, there will be Christmas presents for all the children!
This year the Roving Canal Traders Association are holding their first Christmas Floating Market in Berkhamsted on the Grand Union Canal near Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. Pop along and find your favourite traders to buy some ‘not on the High Street’ unique Christmas gifts for friends & family. The market will run from 10am to 5pm on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th December, and weather permitting there will be illuminated boats trading in the early evening on Friday 8th.
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a concert from the Wirral Singers and Ringers at the National Waterways Museum in Ellesmere Port. This year’s annual celebration takes place on December 9th. Enjoy the singers who sing because they love it and have fun, and the ringers who also call themselves the humdingers – because most of their members are taken from the choir and therefore both hum and ding! Boom Boom! Performance starts at 7.30 pm and the £7 ticket includes tea/coffee and a mince pie.
The iconic Foxton Locks in Leicestershire once again plays host to a very special Christmas event – the Foxton Illuminated Festival (December 16th and 17th). This year a huge water fountain forms the centre piece of activities including bars, food stalls, music, theatre performances, fair ground and of course stunning illuminated canal boats. The best dressed boat will win the prestigious Foxton Illuminated Cup! Due to the overwhelming success of last year, this year’s event is being held over two days and entry is by ticket only.
For more information on festive events on and around the canals, plus confirmation of dates and times, visit canalrivertrust.org.uk. All together now, “Ding dong merrily on high…”
This winter Anglo Welsh is offering winter cruising* from four bases, giving narrowboat holiday-makers the chance to celebrate Christmas or New Year afloat, joining-in the festive celebrations at exciting waterside towns and cities, and stopping off at historic rural pubs with roaring log fires.
From a cosy boat for two to a family boat for 12, all our boats have central heating, hot water, WiFi**, TV and DVD players, so it’s always warm and cosy on board. Christmas prices start at £470 for a short break, £670 for a week.
Here are our top 4 festive destinations for 2017:
Visit Birmingham’s famous German Christmas Market. From our narrowboat hire base at Tardebigge on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal near Bromsgrove, it’s a five-hour, lock-free cruise to city centre moorings in Gas Street, perfect for exploring Britain’s exciting second city. This Christmas, an exciting range of festive events are planned in Birmingham, including the famous Frankfurt Christmas Market, with great food, warming drinks, traditional gifts and live music – at Victoria Square from 16 November to 24 December. And on the way to Birmingham City Centre, boaters can moor up at Edgbaston to visit the City’s beautiful Botanical Gardens and enjoy their special Illuminated Trail event, on from 29 November to 1 January.
Travel through Shakespeare country to Stratford upon Avon. It’s a picturesque six-hour cruise to Shakespeare’s Stratford from our narrowboat hire base at Wootton Wawen, near Henley-in-Arden in Warwickshire. Once there, boaters can moor up in Bancroft Basin, just a stone’s throw from the Swan Theatre to enjoy the town’s festive celebrations – Christmas lights, markets, grottos, carol singers, and ghost walks, as well as historic pubs, shops, the Swan Theatre, museums and waterside restaurants offering fabulous Christmas Dining opportunities, including The Arden Hotel Waterside Brasserie.
Soar across ‘The Stream in the Sky’ to Ellesmere. From our canal boat hire base at Trevor on the Llangollen Canal in North Wales, on a short break narrowboat holiday-makers can travel to Ellesmere and back, passing over the awesome World Heritage Status Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. This magnificent feat of Victorian engineering carries the canal 300 metres above the Dee Valley, with incredible panoramic views. Once at Ellesmere, boaters can moor up to explore the Mere, teaming with wildlife, and tuck into festive food at one of the town’s many eateries, like the popular Mereside Boat House restaurant and café.
Cruise along the peaceful Caldon Canal to Froghall Basin. From our boat yard at Great Haywood in Staffordshire, on a week’s break boaters can travel north up the Trent & Mersey Canal to connect with the Caldon Canal at Stoke on Trent. From there, it’s a gentle 12-hour cruise along this peaceful 17-mile long waterway to Froghall Basin and back, travelling through a variety of landscapes. From the urban Potteries to the dense woodlands of the Churnet Valley and windy moorlands near Denford, the scenery is ever-changing. And there are plenty of pubs to enjoy along the way, including the Hollybush Inn at Denford and The Sportsman at Stockton Brook, as well as The Etruria Industrial Museum and Deep Hayes Country Park.
*Winter cruising routes can be affected by stoppages and closures as a result of winter maintenance work.**Wifi subject to signal strength.
To book a holiday or break on any of Anglo Welsh’s fleet, call our friendly Booking Team on 0117 304 1122.
Visit the Rock Houses at Kinver Edge. From our Tardebigge base on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal near Bromsgrove, it’s a 20-hour, 37-mile, 32-lock journey to Kinver on the Staffordshire & Worcester Canal, close to the National Trust’s Holy Austin Rock Houses. Said to be the last occupied cave-dwellings in England, these houses dug into the base of the sandstone escarpment were inhabited until the 1960s. Kinver is on the route of the Stourport Ring, which can be tackled on a week’s holiday from Tardebigge, travelling a total of 76 miles via Birmingham, Kidderminster, Stourport and Worcester.
Explore creatures of the night at the Pitt Rivers Museum. From our Oxford base, it’s a tranquil three-hour cruise along the River Thames to moorings at Hythe Bridge, perfect for a short break exploring Oxford, including the extraordinary Pitt Rivers Museum. This Museum is 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’. From Monday 23 to Wednesday 25 October, 1-4pm the Pitt Rivers will be hosting special October Half Term activities ‘Bats, Cats, Witches and Charms’, exploring creatures of the night, magic charms and solving mysteries.
Travel across ‘The Stream in the Sky’ to the Shropshire Lake District. Just five minutes from our canal boat hire base on the Llangollen Canal at Trevor in North Wales, the incredible Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is truly one of the ‘Seven Wonders of the Waterways’. Its cast iron trough is carried 38 metres high above the Dee Valley on 19 hollow pillars and in 2009 it was granted World Heritage status, putting it on an equal footing with the Taj Mahal. On a short break from Trevor, boaters can cross the aqueduct and head east to the Ellesmere Lakes, also known as the Shropshire Lake District.
Enjoy 1,000 years of history at Warwick Castle. From our Stockton base on the Grand Union Canal in Warwickshire, Warwick and its magnificent medieval castle is a day’s cruise away. Developed from the original castle built by William the Conqueror in 1068, Warwick Castle offers visitors ‘flight of the eagle’ shows, trebuchet firing displays, Horrible Histories Maze, Kingmaker exhibition, Castle Dungeon tour, Princess Tour and ramparts to climb. Over the October Half Term holiday (21-31 October), special Haunted Castle activities include the spectacular Fire Joust, spooktacular shows at the Dead Centre Stage, the search for magic potions at The Witches Tower and a Halloween Trail.
Cruise to the spectacular flight of locks at Devizes. From our base on the Kennet & Avon Canal at 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 historic Bear Hotel. Along the way, narrowboat holiday-makers can stop off to explore the beautiful river and canalside town of Bradford on Avon, home to the magnificent 14th monastic stone Tithe Barn, with its amazing timber cruck roof.
Visit Shakespeare’s Birthplace. From our base at Wootton Wawen on the Stratford Canal in Henley in Arden, 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 here, it’s a short walk to a range of shops, restaurants, pubs, cafes and museum’s, including Shakespeare’s Birthplace on Henley Street. Visitors to the Museum can walk in Shakespeare’s footsteps and explore the house where he was born, grew up and spent the first five years of his marriage, hearing tales of Shakespeare’s family life and enjoying live theatre on demand.
Discover the World of Wedgwood. From our hire boat yard at Great Haywood on the Trent & Mersey Canal in Staffordshire, it’s a 14-mile, 12-lock journey to the wonderful ‘World of Wedgwood’ at Trentham Lock. Here an interactive visitor centre celebrates British craftsmanship with the Wedgewood Museum, Factory Tour, shopping, food and special family activities, including ‘Spooky Pottery Painting’ over the October Half Term holiday (23-29 October).
See David Hockney’s paintings at Salts Mill. From our base at Silsden on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal in West Yorkshire, it takes seven hours to reach Sir Titus Salt’s model town at Saltaire, now a World Heritage Site. Here, the Yorkshire industrialist Sir Titus Salt built a textile mill and village to house his workers by the River Aire. Today, the ‘1853 Gallery’ at Salts Mill is houses a permanent exhibition of over 300 works by the Bradford born artist David Hockney, including his ‘Arrival of Spring’ series.
Experience the ‘Enchantment of Chester Zoo’. From our base at Bunbury, Chester Zoo is an eight-hour journey, travelling 15 miles through the rolling Cheshire landscape and the centre of the historic city of Chester, and passing through 10 locks. Over the October Half Term holiday (21-31 October) ‘The Enchantment at Chester Zoo’ event encourages families to help break the sorcerer’s spell to send the zoo to sleep, seeking out moths, sloths, giraffes and orangutans to gather clues and save the Zoo!
To book a holiday or break on any of Anglo Welsh’s fleet, call our friendly Booking Team on 0117 304 1122.
Share your canal pics with Anglo Welsh and you could win great prizes in our ‘Canal Adventures 2017’ Instagram Photo Challenge.
The waterways of England and Wales are nothing if not a photographer’s dream. Picturesque canals, enchanting towpaths, handsome narrowboats and panoramic landscapes – we’re talking one great big visual adventure crying out to be captured on film.
Now Anglo Welsh is offering every canal lover the chance to share their own best photos of this unique natural world as we launch a visual gallery of the UK’s most stunning waterways. Best of all, by entering our ‘Canal Adventures 2017’ Challenge* you could win our outstanding first prize, a Canon EOS 1300D digital camera worth £300, or in the case of three lucky runners-up, an HP Sprocket Photo Printer worth £100.
Taking part in Anglo Welsh’s 2017 Instagram Photo Challenge couldn’t be easier! All you have to do is:
1) ‘follow’ Anglo Welsh on Instagram and Facebook.
2) upload your photos to these platforms using the hashtag #canaladventures2017.
To give yourself the best chance of winning a prize your photo should capture the essence of UK canals. We’re looking for stunning views from and of narrowboats, towpaths and waterways, not to mention canal-side landscapes, fauna and flora.
Before you grab your camera – or mobile phone – and set off on your great canal adventure, here are a few photographic tips from Anglo Welsh’s in-house snappers.
Lateral thinking. You’re not taking a posed picture in a portrait studio with a nondescript background behind your subject; you’re capturing the beauty of a natural setting. Whether it’s a canal detail, a narrowboat or the skipper, put the subject of your photo off-centre for dramatic effect.
Capture the moment. The latest mobile phone cameras are so good you can take spontaneous photos without sacrificing quality. Remember, that kingfisher or otter won’t wait for you to take light readings and set up your tripod!
Explore different angles. Photograph those water voles or water lilies down at eye level. Crouch down to get a new perspective on these little living things.
Shoot in the shade. Direct sunlight is harsh and makes your subject squint. When shooting in the shade, there are no more harsh shadows, only smooth patterns created by your subject’s natural features.
Take lots of photos. Here’s a secret that professional snappers prefer to keep to themselves – the best pictures are the select few that a photographer actually got right. For every perfect image of reflections in the water, sunset behind a canal lock or vintage narrowboats in harmony with their surroundings, there are dozens of blurry, dull photos that never made it off the cutting room floor.
Enjoy your canal adventures and remember, by sharing your photos on Instagram and Facebook using the hashtag #canaladventures2017 you could win a Canon EOS 1300D, a top-notch Digital SLR for anyone who loves taking photos of the UK’s beautiful waterways.
If you have any questions about Anglo Welsh’s ‘Canal Adventure 2017’ Challenge, please contact our friendly customer team on 0117 304 1122.
Terms and conditions. – Competition begins 1st May 2017 and closes on 31st August 2017.
– To enter the competition, you must be following Anglo Welsh on Instagram and Facebook and must upload photos to these platforms using the hashtag #canaladventures2017.
– Entrants can be all ages. Under 16s must seek permission from a parent or guardian.
– Entrants can submit as many photos as they like during the competition period.
– Photographs must show typical scenery of UK canals which can be seen whilst aboard a canal boat or on a towpath e.g waterways, canals, narrowboats, landscapes, wildlife, canal-side countryside, etc.
– Photos must be taken and uploaded in 2017, between the above dates.
– The winner will be selected by the judging panel. The judges’ decision is final.
– Prize winners will be announced via Instagram and Facebook on 8th September, 2017.
– First prize is a Canon EOS 1300D worth approx. £300. Three runners-up prizes are an HP Sprocket worth approx. £100 each. The prizes cannot be exchanged or returned. There is no cash equivalent.
– Winner(s) may be contacted by Anglo Welsh if they want to use the images for any advertisement or publication.
– The organiser reserves the right to change or cancel the competition at any time.
– By entering you agree by the rules and are happy for your imagery to be used for marketing purposes by Anglo Welsh Waterway Holidays and their associated companies.
– Members of Anglo Welsh staff plus staff of associated companies are not permitted to enter this competition.
We offer a range of different types of holidays such as City Breaks, Relaxation Cruises and Popular Destinations
So why choose Anglo Welsh?
Over 55 years providing unique canal boat holidays in England and Wales.
Modern and spacious narrowboat and wide beam barge hire – from 2 to 12 berths.
Wide choice of narrowboat hire locations and canal boat holiday destinations.
Canal boat holiday routes for novices & experienced boaters.
Flexible holiday booking, no hidden costs.
Family friendly and pet friendly holidays.
Great days out on the water.
Luxury canal boat hire and Thames boating holidays.
Anglo Welsh. So much more than narrowboats
...but don't just take our word for it
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