The prettiest canal boat holidays as UK

demand soars
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Canal holidays
are on the rise CREDIT: GETTY

  Emma Cooke, CONTENT EDITOR 

 Paul Miles

2 JULY 2020 • 12:00PM

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Canal holiday bookings have gone up by 150 per cent, reports one boat
operator
Opportunities to take to the water are plentiful within the UK, with more than 2,000
miles of navigable inland waterways on the island of Britain alone. As the lockdown
lifts, there seems to be a newfound appreciation for this: there’s been a 150 per cent
increase in canal holiday bookings since domestic travel in England was given the go
ahead for July 4.

The surge in interest was reported by Black Prince, a nationwide canal holiday
operator. According to the company, the majority of new enquiries are being driven
by family groups booking more than one boat for 'bubble' holidays. 

“Families are considering narrowboat breaks because they don’t want to fly abroad
but they’re not thrilled by camping, caravans or a seaside hotel in the UK,” said
Leighton Jones, head of Black Prince. “A narrowboat offers the perfect form of
socially distanced getaway and that is particularly appealing to grandparents who
have been separated from their family during lockdown.”

A flotilla of boats drifting down a liquid highway does sound an idyllic socially distant
alternative to the country houses that usually get commandeered for big family
gatherings – and waving at your grandmother from a rustic barge seems much nicer
than from a cramped tent. As such, here are nine of the prettiest canal boat holidays
to choose from this summer. 

1. The Avon Ring

There are centuries of English history to explore in the Avon Ring, a circuit of 109
miles and 131 locks. Start off with a little Shakespearean flait by mooring opposite the
Swan Theatre in Stratford upon Avon. Take in the picturesque mills on the River
Avon, visit Tewkesbury, cruise the majestic River Severn to Worcester, then ascend
the longest flight of locks in Britain on the Worcester & Birmingham canal.

Boats on the Avon Ring CREDIT: AP

The UK’s longest flight of locks can be found at Tardebigge, while the mile-long
tunnel on the Stratford upon Avon canal. Time your trip down the latter for when a
Shakespeare’s Express steam train is chugging through - trains start up again from
July 19 – to see passengers wave from cream and brown-liveried carriages.

2. The Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal

Those looking for a truly peaceful trip should know that you can find electric
narrowboats for hire on the isolated Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal in Wales.
Quieter and cleaner than diesel, your trip will be accompanied by a softer purring,
rather than the steady put-put associated with canal boats. There is a speed limit of
2mph, rather than 4mph on many canals due to shallow waters, so slow travel is
mandatory – which is no bad thing when going through the magical Brecon Beacons.

 The best hotels in Wales

3. The Llangollen Canal

A steam railway, horse-drawn narrowboat and, nearby, the “stream in the sky” that is
Telford’s famous aqueduct, makes this canal seem like a living heritage museum.
Spectacular sights abound: the Pontcysyllte viaduct looms 126ft above the River Dee
as it crosses the valley. It’s as terrifying as it is beautiful when you cruise over the top
of it. 

The canal runs in a steel trough that has no barriers to one side. There is just a short
steel lip between boat and a plummet to the valley floor.

The Pontcysyllte viaduct CREDIT: AP

4. The South Pennine Ring

Experienced narrowboaters looking for a challenge should take on the circular route
crossing the Pennines. Taking in over 197 locks over 71 miles, the South Pennine
Ring follows two of three trans-Pennine canals: the Huddersfield Narrow and the
Rochdale.

An unyielding climb up the Huddersfield Narrow brings you to an altitude of 645ft,

making it the highest canal in Britain – the closest you can get to mountain climbing
on water. The waterway then carves into a hillside for three miles, forming a dark
squeeze of a passage that takes two tense but exhilarating hours to get through. A
chaperone from the Canal & River Trust accompanies you on board.

5. Oxford to Abingdon
No repertoire of canal boat holidays would be complete without a trip down the
Thames. Start in Oxford and see the city’s famed architecture from the water before
you drift onwards to Abingdon, a historic, riverside market town in rural
Oxfordshire. Though a shorter journey at just 15 miles and five hours of boating time,
it’s ideal for those interested in planning a break at either side of the route. 

Extend the trip by lingering in the surrounding stretches of Oxfordshire countryside,

or continuing on past Abingdon into the North Wessex Downs towards Beale Park.
Once a private park owned by Gilbert Beale, an enthusiastic collector of peacocks,
today the attraction will delight younger visitors with its collection of rare birds. 

Abingdon CREDIT: GETTY

6. Gloucester docks
he best-preserved 19th-century docks in Britain are to be found in Gloucester.
Surrounded by listed warehouses, this inland harbour was once busy with ships
carrying timber and corn from around the world; cargo was transhipped on to the
Severn before carrying on down the canals. Outside the canals’ industrial history,
there’s easy stops at both Worcester Cathedral and the Norman abbey at Tewkesbury
to be made.

7. Lough Erne, Northern Ireland

There’s a folk song in Northern Ireland centered around meeting a ‘wonderful dame’
on the banks of Lough Erne: a plus for any hopeful singletons looking for love. A
maze of over 150 islands and sheltered bays, it may be hard to spot any potential
lovers however – visitors frequently find themselves the only ones around, and a
secluding mooring place is always easy to secure. The  “Lower” and “Upper” lakes are
connected by the winding River Erne, where the medieval walled castle and county
town of Enniskillen are set on an island.

This waterscape could have been designed specifically for cruising holidays. The
waters are full of fish and the skies sing with swooping birds every morning. Once a
trading route for the Vikings, there’s ruined monasteries and castles to explore, as
well as a wealth of national trust grounds. Ireland’s weather can be erratic, so be sure
to hire a solid boat that can take on any rough waters (or heavy rain). 

Lough Erne CREDIT: CATHERINE FALLS/CATHERINE FALLS COMMERCIAL

8. The Lancaster Canal

One of the country’s few coastal canals, this waterway hugs the seafront so closely
you can watch waders on the shore of Morecambe Bay. With the Lake District as a
backdrop, visitors will be spoilt for choice between countryside pursuits and seaside
fun. The longest stretch of lock-free cruising in the country (41 miles), there’s plenty
to do, including bobbing along the Lune Aqueduct. 

Created at the height of canal mania in 1792, the waterway links Lancashire’s Preston
and Cumbia’s Kendal. Tragically, construction of the M6 in the Sixties chopped the
waterway in two and the northernmost section has been abandoned. Only recently
connected to the national waterway network, boaters can now reach the broader
network of English canals via the 2002 Millennium Ribble Link. 

 The best hotels in the Lake District

9. Kennet & Avon Waterway
If you want something more luxurious than the standard canal experience, consider
the oxymoron of Topsy, a widebeam narrowboat. A generous 55ft long and 10ft wide,
this five-star cruiser launched in 2014 on the Kennet & Avon waterway in Bath; a
setting perfect for a long weekend spent drifting down the water towards Bradford on
Avon.

There’s a record player, wood-burner, side hatches from which to feed the ducks, a
full-sized spa bath, and a welcome hamper. The main bedroom opens to views of the
canal.