Britain’s canal network was built by hand more than 200 years ago, and the blood, sweat and tears of countless hours’ work, as well as many more grisly incidents, have left their ghostly mark on the waterways. Canal users often report strange occurrences along Britain’s 2,000 mile network of canals and rivers, so we’ve put together our a list of our top destinations.
Top 8 creepy canal Boat destinations ready for Halloween
Get the chills in Chester – at Chester’s old Northgate where the canal was dug into part of the town’s moat, a Roman centurion can sometimes be seen guarding the entrance to the city. From our boat yard on the Shropshire Union Canal at Bunbury near Tarporley, it’s a seven hour cruise to Chester, passing through nine locks along the way.
Meet ‘The Man Monkey’ – at Bridge 39 near Norbury, sightings of a hideous black, shaggy coated being are believed to be the ghost of a boatman drowned here in the 19th century. From our narrowboat hire base at Great Haywood, it’s a 36-mile, 14-lock journey to Norbury, which takes around 17 hours.
Watch out for the phantom at Blisworth – at Blisworth Tunnel, near Stoke Bruerne in Northamptonshire, a mysterious candlelit phantom appears at the spot where 14 navvies died in a rock fall during the construction of the tunnel in the late 18th century. From our canal boat hire base at Stockton on the Grand Union Canal, it’s a 13-hour, 17-lock cruise to Stoke Bruerne, passing through the 2,813-metre-long Blisworth Tunnel, the third longest navigable tunnel on the UK canal network.
Steer a course for an aqueduct apparition – on moonlit nights an eerie figure can sometimes be seen gliding along the towpath by the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, a UNESCO World Heritage site on the Llangollen Canal. From our narrowboat hire base at Trevor, the aqueduct is a 10-minute cruise away.
Head for horror at Harecastle Tunnel – a shrieking boggart – the ghost of Kit Crewbucket who was murdered and whose headless corpse was dumped in the canal – is said to inhabit Harecastle Tunnel at Kidsgrove. From our canal boat hire base at Great Haywood, on the Trent & Mersey Canal in Staffordshire, it’s a 22-mile, 18-lock journey to Harecastle Tunnel, which takes around 10 hours.
Listen to cries for help at Lapworth – the ghost of a boatman – who lost his footing on the bridge as he walked back from the Navigation Inn to his working boat in the 1940s, falling through the ice and drowning – can sometimes be heard shouting for help in cold weather. It takes seven hours to travel lock-free to Lapworth from our narrowboat hire base at Tardebigge, on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal near Bromsgrove.
Aim for Astley if you want to get spooked – at Astley on the Bridgewater Canal, a mysterious grey lady – thought to be the ghost of 18 year-old Ann Mort who died of a broken heart after her parents banished her suitor – appears to be searching for her lost love. From our canal boat hire base at Bunbury, it’s a 58-mile, 11-lock journey to Astley, which takes around 23 hours.
Be prepared for screaming at Betton – at Betton Cutting on the Shropshire Union Canal near Market Drayton, which has always had a dark reputation among boating people, a shrieking spectre has been seen and heard. From our boat yard at Great Haywood in Staffordshire, it’s a 19-hour, 19-lock journey to Market Drayton.
To book a holiday or break on any of Anglo Welsh’s fleet, call our friendly Booking Team on 0117 304 1122.
Christmas Canal Boat Holiday Recommendations from Anglo Welsh:
Anglo Welsh offers winter cruising* from six bases, giving narrowboat holidaymakers the chance to celebrate Christmas or New Year afloat, joining in the festive celebrations at exciting waterside towns and cities and stopping off at rural pubs with roaring log fires.
From a cosy boat for two to a party boat for 10, we’ve got a range of boats to choose from. Christmas prices start at £470 for a short break (three or four nights), weekly hire from £670.
All our boats have central heating, hot water, Wi-Fi, TV and DVD players and some also have multi-fuel stoves, so it’s always warm and cosy on board.
Here are our Top 6 festive destinations for 2016/17:
1. Wonder at the Animal Lanterns at Chester Zoo – from our Bunbury base on the Shropshire Union Canal in Cheshire, it’s a seven-hour, nine-lock journey to the historic walled city of Chester. With 3D Christmas Lights, Christmas parades, a sparkly Christmas Market with dozens of gift and festive-fare filled chalets, carol concerts at Chester Cathedral and the magical ‘Lanterns at Chester Zoo’ event, Chester is a great place to celebrate Christmas.
2. Visit the award-winning Christmas market in Bath – from our base in the historic town of Bradford on Avon on the edge of the Cotswolds, it’s a delightful six-hour cruise along the beautiful Kennet & Avon Canal to moorings close to the centre of World Heritage city Bath. With an award-winning Christmas market, carol services at Bath Abbey, stunning Georgian architecture, world class museums and top restaurants, Bath is a fantastic place to get Christmassy!
3. Watch a panto in Birmingham – With its famous German Christmas Market, ice rink and big wheel, excellent shopping, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, National Sea Life Centre, incredible new library and Christmas shows, including ‘Treasure Island’ at the Birmingham Rep and ‘Dick Whittington’ at the Hippodrome, Birmingham is a great place to visit at Christmas time. City centre moorings at Gas Street Basin, close to Brindleyplace, can be reached in just five hours from our narrowboat hire base at Tardebigge on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal.
4. Enjoy the Christmas Festival at Stratford upon Avon – from our base at Wootton Wawen near Warwick, it’s a picturesque six-hour cruise through the Warwickshire countryside to Shakespeare’s Stratford. Once there, boaters can moor up in the town’s canal basin to enjoy the marvellous Christmas lights, Christmas markets, Christmas grotto with the Real Father Christmas (from 24 Nov), intriguing Ebenezer Scrooge Grotto (from 28 Dec), carol singers, traditional pubs, ghost walks, museums, shops, Swan Theatre and cosy restaurants.
5. Experience a ‘Santa Special’ at the Llangollen Railway – our canal boat hire base at Trevor on the beautiful Llangollen Canal in North Wales is just minutes away from the incredible 40m high and 30m long Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. As a World Heritage designation, this incredible feat of Industrial Revolution engineering has been put on a par with the Taj Mahal, Great Wall of China and the Pyramids. On a short break from our narrowboat holiday base at Trevor, boaters can reach the pretty town of Llangollen, nestled in the hills, to enjoy Christmas celebrations at the Llangollen Railway, which is running ‘Santa Specials’ on 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 22, 23 and 24 December.
6. See an Outdoor Christmas Nativity in Market Drayton – from our Great Haywood base at the junction of the Staffordshire & Worcestershire and Trent & Mersey canals in Staffordshire, on a week’s cruise, canal boat holidaymakers can travel to Market Drayton in North Shropshire. Said to be home of the Gingerbread man, this historic market town offers visitors lively street markets, beautiful architecture and the ‘Buttercross to Bethlehem’ outdoor nativity acted by people and animals, to be held in the Buttercross stone portico in Cheshire Street, 18 December at 4.30pm.
To make a booking or to get friendly advice on canal holidays, please call our Booking Office on 0117 304 1122.
*Winter cruising routes can be affected by stoppages and closures as a result of winter maintenance work.
Anglo Welsh offers winter cruising from five bases, giving narrowboat holiday-makers the chance to celebrate Christmas or New Year afloat on Britain’s peaceful canal network.
From a cosy boat for two to a party boat for 12, we’ve got a range of boats to choose from. Christmas prices start at £490 for a short break and weekly hire is available from £695. All our boats have central heating, hot water, TV and DVD players – some also have multi-fuel stoves – so it’s always warm and toasty on board. Many of our boats have wifi too. Enjoy a canal boat holiday this Christmas and join in the festive celebrations at exciting waterside towns and cities, stopping off at rural retreats with traditional pubs and roaring log fires along the way.
Here are our Top 6 destinations this Christmas:
Cruise to Georgian Bath…from our base in the historic town of Bradford on Avon on the edge of the Cotswolds, it’s a delightful seven hour cruise along the beautiful Kennet & Avon Canal to the centre of the World Heritage Status City of Bath. With an award-winning Christmas market, carol services at Bath Abbey, stunning architecture, world class museums and top restaurants, Bath is fantastic place to celebrate Christmas.
Enjoy the Christmas spirit in Birmingham…With its famous German Christmas Market, ice rink and big wheel, fantastic shopping, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, National Sea Life Centre, incredible new library and Christmas shows, including The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe at the Birmingham Rep, Birmingham is a great place to visit at Christmas-time. City centre moorings are a five-hour, lock-free cruise away from our narrowboat hire base at Tardebigge on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal, which celebrates its 200th birthday this December.
Celebrate in Stratford upon Avon…from our base at Wootton Wawen near Warwick, it’s a picturesque six-hour cruise through the Warwickshire countryside to Shakespeare’s Stratford. Once there, boaters can moor up in the town’s canal basin to enjoy the Swan Theatre, marvellous Christmas lights, Christmas markets, carol singers, traditional pubs, museums, shops and the intriguing Ebenezer Scrooge Grotto on 26 December.
Float across ‘The Stream in the Sky’…our canal boat hire base at Trevor on the beautiful Llangollen Canal in North Wales is just minutes away from the incredible 40m high and 30m long Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, also known as ‘The Stream in the Sky’. With a World Heritage designation, this incredible feat of Industrial Revolution engineering has been put on a par with the Taj Mahal, Great Wall of China and the Pyramids. On a short break from Trevor, boaters can cruise west to the Eisteddfod town of Llangollen an enjoy Christmas celebrations at the Llangollen Railway, waterside pubs and restaurants and a walk along the Llangollen History Trail.
Head to Market Drayton, home of the Gingerbread man…from our Great Haywood base at the junction of the Staffordshire & Worcestershire and Trent & Mersey canals in Staffordshire, on a week’s cruise, canal boat holiday-makers can travel along the Staffs & Worcs and Shropshire Union canals to the historic town of Market Drayton, with its lively street markets, beautiful architecture and Christingle Carol service at St Mary’s Church.
Travel to Chester…from our Bunbury base on the Shropshire Union Canal in Cheshire, it’s a seven-hour, nine-lock journey to the historic walled City of Chester. With 3D Christmas Lights, annual Christmas Market with 70 chalets filled with gifts and festive fare, carol concerts at Chester Cathedral and the popular Lantern Magic Christmas event at Chester Zoo, 4-23 December, Chester is a great place to get Christmassy.
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