With a 250-year old history, Britain’s canals and rivers have some fascinating destinations and stories to tell.
To celebrate, we’ve listed some of the most interesting, quirky and unusual stories on our waterways:
1. Enjoy the most heart-stopping boat trip in Britain
The World Heritage Status Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is a stone’s throw away from our canal boat hire base at Trevor in North Wales. This magnificent feat of engineering was built over 200 years by canal engineers Thomas Telford and William Jessop. Incredibly, ox blood was added to the lime mortar which binds the structure’s masonry together (forming 18 titanic brick pillars), following an ancient superstition that the blood of a strong animal would strengthen a structure. And sugar was boiled with Welsh flannel then mixed with tar to seal the cast joints of the structure’s cast iron trough, which carries the Llangollen Canal 38 metres above the Dee Valley. With not even a handrail on the north side, when travelling across by canal boat, it’s probably the most heart-stopping and exhilarating experience on the canal network! On a short break from Trevor, you can glide across the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and travel on to Ellesmere and back. On a week’s break, you can continue on to the historic market town of Whitchurch, cruising for a total of 24 hours and passing through two locks each way.
2. Spot the mysterious barrel roofed lock cottages on the Stratford Canal
The southern section of the pretty Stratford Canal, running from Bancroft Basin in the centre of Stratford-upon-Avon up to the village of Lapworth, is characterised by split bridges with gaps for the tow ropes of boat horses and a series of curious barrel roofed lock cottages. The reason for these quirky structures is actually purely practical. Engineers building the canal knew more about building bridges than houses so when they turned their hand to building dwellings for the lock keepers, they adapted their skills, producing barrel-shaped roofs. On a short break from our canal boat hire base at Wootton Wawen on the Stratford Canal near Henley-in-Arden, you can travel to Stratford and back, cruising for a total of 12 hours and passing through 17 locks each way. On a week’s break you can travel the Birmingham Mini-Ring, cruising for 35 hours and negotiating 83 locks.
3. Look out for World War II pill boxes on the K&A
Following the British Expeditionary Forces’ evacuation from Dunkirk, and the prospect of imminent German invasion, General Sir Edmund Ironside, Commander-in-chief of the Home Forces created a series of static defence lines. One was the Kennet & Avon Canal from Reading to Bristol, named GHQ Stop Line Blue. Pill boxes and tank traps designed by the War Office were built along the canal and manned by the home guard. Today there are still a large number of pillboxes lining the canal, including one at next to Avoncliff Aqueduct, one at Rotherstone in Devizes, one at Freewarren Bridge at Crofton and two between the canal and the railway line at Hungerford Common. From our base in Bath, it takes just over three hours to reach Avoncliff Aqueduct, great for a short break. From Bath, it takes around 29 hours to reach Hungerford, passing through 61 locks along the way – perfect for a 10-day or two-week break.
4. Visit the birthplace of the canal restoration movement
At the top of the mighty 30-lock Tardebigge Flight on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal near Bromsgrove, a plaque commemorates the famous meeting between Tom Rolt and Robert Aickman, which took place aboard Rolt’s Narrowboat ‘Cressy’, moored just above Tardebigge Top Lock. Rolt and Aickman were the passion and brains behind the formation of the Inland Waterways (IWA) in 1946. Their aim was to keep Britain’s canal network navigable and it is thanks to this incredible movement that the canals are in the fantastic shape that they are today, with over 3,000 miles of navigable waterways available to explore. You can reach the top of the Tardebigge flight on a week’s break from Wootton Wawen.
5. Navigate the Harecastle Tunnel
The Harecastle Tunnel on the Trent & Mersey Canal in Staffordshire links Kidsgrove and Tunstall. But there are actually two tunnels here built 40 years apart by two famous canal engineers – James Brindley and Thomas Telford. The earlier Brindley tunnel fell into disrepair is long closed, but the Telford tunnel is still used to this day. At 1.5 miles long, it is one of the longest canal tunnels in Britain and takes around 40 minutes to navigate. There is only space for one boat to pass through at one time, so you may have to wait to enter. The tunnel keeper instructs boaters when to go through and what to do. Back when the tunnel was first built it didn’t have a towpath and so boats had to be ‘legged’ through. This involves laying a plank of wood across the bows and having people lying across it to literally walk the walls. From Great Haywood it takes around 12 hours, travelling 22 miles and passing through 18 locks to reach the south end of the Harecastle Tunnel. From there, on a week or more away, you can continue on to complete the Four Counties Ring, travelling a total of 110 miles and travelling through 94 locks.
6. Have a pint at the Shroppie Fly
Originally a canalside cheese warehouse, the popular Shroppie Fly pub on the Shropshire Union Canal in the picturesque village of Audlem, has a narrowboat as a bar. The name of the pub pays tribute to a type of narrowboat designed for speed in the early days of the canal – particularly important when transporting cheese and fresh farm produce to town and city markets. Fly-boats were the Amazon Prime of their day, with fine lines to help them to glide easily through water and specially selected elite boatmen and horses to maximise speed, they ran non-stop, day and night. From Bunbury it takes around five hours to reach Audlem, passing through seven locks to the wharf and passing Nantwich along the way – perfect for a short break. On a week’s holiday from Bunbury, you can continue on to the Caldon Canal, cruising a total of 48 hours and travelling through 104 locks.
7. Cruise through a lake on the Staffs & Worcs Canal
Tixall Wide is a beautiful wide stretch of waterway close to the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal’s junction with the Trent & Mersey. Permission to build the canal was granted by the local landowner Thomas Clifford, on condition that the canal was made wide enough to look like a lake so that it didn’t spoil the view from his house. Today, over 250 years later, Tixall Wide is home to an abundance of wildlife and is a great place to moor up for the night. It’s just over a mile away from our base at Great Haywood. On a short break, you can cruise on from Tixall Wide to the village of Gailey and back, travelling a total of 26 miles and passing through 12 locks each way. On a week’s break, you can travel on to Market Drayton, home of the gingerbread man or complete the Black Country Ring. This circuit takes narrowboat holiday-makers on a 45-hour waterway odyssey, cruising a total of 75 miles and passing through 79 locks.
8. Float under the Double Arch on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal
On the Leeds & Liverpool Canal at East Marton near Skipton, you’ll encounter the quirky Double Arch bridge. The lower original packhorse bridge near the Cross Keys Inn had another arch added above to maintain the level of the newer A59 from Liverpool to York. You can reach East Marton on a four-night break from Silsden.
Click here to check availability and book, or call us on 0117 463 3419.
Amazing canal facts worth reading ahead of your narrowboat holiday
There are over 2,000 miles of navigable canals and rivers throughout England and Wales. This intricate network enables boats to travel the length and breadth of the country.
Across the network, there are 1,569 locks, 53 tunnels, 3112 bridges, 370 aqueducts and 74 reservoirs. Most were built over 200 years ago and have fascinating stories to tell. And feature many historic feats of engineering which still wow visitors today.
This is part of what makes a canal boat holiday so magical – a narrowboat takes you on a journey through history and human endeavor.
If you’e considering a canal boat holiday, why not first have a read of these amazing canal facts which will only add to the wonder of your experience.
1. The oldest working canal in the UK is about 1,900 years old
The Fossdyke Navigation, which runs between Lincoln and the River Trent at Torksey, was built by the Romans in around AD 120. Still in use today, it extends 11.3 miles, with one lock and formed part of a key transport route from Peterborough to York.
It is said to have been used by the invading Danes and the Normans to carry stone to build Lincoln Cathedral in the 11th century. The canal was revamped under King Henry I in 1121, but then fell into disrepair and silted up. By the 17th century, it was virtually impassable. In 1744 a proper channel was restored and maintained and the canal has remained navigable ever since.
2. The longest canal tunnel in the UK runs for more than 5,000 metres/3.5 miles
The Standedge Tunnel on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal is the longest, deepest and highest canal tunnel in Britain. Built over 16 years from 1794 to 1811, it stands at 196 metres above sea level, at a depth of 194 metres beneath the Pennines. The canal was closed to traffic in 1943 and re-opened in May 2001. You can learn more about this 19th century wonder of engineering at the Standedge Tunnel Visitor Centre.
3. Britain’s longest aqueduct extends more than 300 metres/1,000 ft
Deservedly described as the jewel in the crown of Britain’s canals, the awe-inspiring Pontcysyllte Aqueduct carries narrowboats on the Llangollen Canal at a soaring 38 metres – 126 ft – above the River Dee, offering stunning views of the valley and surrounding hills. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999, the 18-arch aqueduct was designed by legendary civil engineer Thomas Telford and built between 1795 and 1805.
Located right next to our narrowboat hire base at Trevor, this is a spectacular way to start or finish a canal boat holiday from this idyllic location.
4. The longest lock flight in the UK is 30 locks long
The Tardebigge lock flight enables the Worcester & Birmingham Canal to ascend 67 metres (220 feet) over a 2.25 mile stretch. Built between 1808 and 1815, the lock flight enabled an extension of the canal from Birmingham to the River Severn at Worcester to be completed. Until the lock ladder was constructed, originally with a boat lift in place of the 3.4-metre (11 feet) top lock, the canal only travelled as far the Old Wharf next to Tardebigge Tunnel.
5. The longest UK canal runs for 137 miles
The Grand Union Canal links London with Birmingham via Milton Keynes, Northampton and Leamington Spa. It would take about 74 hours to cruise the whole length non-stop. The canal winds its way through rolling countryside, idyllic towns and villages with 158 locks and striking historic features including the Iron Trunk Aqueduct, the steep Hatton Lock Flight and The Canal Museum at Stoke Bruerne.
The name of the canal offers a clue as to its origins, for it was not built as one waterway but was the result of connecting existing waterways to create an uninterrupted link between the industrial heartlands of Birmingham and the west midlands with the capital.
The longest canal in Britain built as a single waterway is the Leeds & Liverpool Canal at 127 miles long.
6. The newest canal in the UK was completed in 2002
The Ribble Link was built to connect the previously isolated Lancaster Canal with the rest of the national inland waterways network. It runs for just four miles from Preston to the River Ribble which then connects to the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.
With nine locks, the Ribble Link is tidal so only navigable at certain times with advance booking needed as all boats must be helped through. A link between the Lancaster Canal and the wider canal network was first discussed 200 years ago. This new canal finally came to fruition in 2002 with the help of a grant from the Millennium Commission.
7. Britain’s shortest canal is just 22 metres – or 72 feet – long
The Wardle Lock Branch of the Trent & Mersey Canal consists of just one 72ft-long lock and a few yards of canal on either side. It was built in 1829 to link the Trent & Mersey Canal with the Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal.
8. A cow once swan the whole length of the Foulridge Tunnel
In 1912 a cow named Buttercup fell into the Leeds & Liverpool Canal near the southern end of the tunnel, carrying the waterway for a mile under the Lancashire countryside. Rather than climb out of the canal as normal, Buttercup swam all 1,500 metres to Foulridge at the northern end. On arrival, Buttercup was revived with brandy by locals drinking at the nearby Hole in the Wall pub.
9. Canals have plugs, literally
In 1978, a group of British Waterways workers who were dredging the Chesterfield Canal pulled up a chain which had a heavy lump of wood attached to the end. As the entire canal between Whitsunday Pie Lock and Retford Town Lock began to empty away into the River Idle, they realised they had pulled out a long forgotten canal plug. There’s also a plug in the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct.
10. There are more boats now on the UK canals than at any other time in history
While Britain’s industrial heydays of 18th and 19th century are generally viewed as the golden age of canals, there are actually more craft on our waterways today. Despite the canals being used by far less commercial traffic, they have become a mecca for pleasure craft and a growing number of people opting for floating homes. There are now around 35,000 boats on Britain’s canals and rivers, providing homes, workplaces and holidays for millions of people.
We’ve published more information about the history of the canals in England and Wales here.
To help you plan your next narrowboat holiday, we’ve listed the most impressive canal aqueducts to look out for in England and Wales
There are few things as magical as drifting on a canal boat high above another waterway, road or railway, waving to the world below.
Aqueducts offer some of the most incredible moments of any canal boat holiday. You can experience sweeping views across verdant countryside and admire these incredible feats of historic engineering. As your narrowboat crosses an aqueduct, you can calmly watch the world passing below, and feel transported in body and mind.
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
Arguably the most awe-inspiring aqueduct in Britain, the Pontcysyllte carries the Llangollen canal a jaw-dropping 38 metres above the River Dee. It offers traversing canal boats and towpath walkers incredible views across the stunning river valley. Located at Trevor in North Wales, this Grade I* listed aqueduct achieved UNESCO World Heritage status in 2009. And it’s one of the Sevon Wonders of the Waterways.
Situated on a stunning stretch of the Kennet & Avon Canal between Bath and Bradford upon Avon, this beautiful stone structure was completed in 1810 by John Rennie. It carries narrowboats across the River Avon as well as Brunel’s Great Western Railway. It’s now designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
Another of the Seven Wonders of the Waterways, this is the only swing aqueduct in the world. It carries the Bridgewater Canal across the much larger Manchester Ship Canal. Now a Grade II* listed building, this feat of Victorian civil engineering opened in 1893. It consists of a channel that can be sealed off at each end to form a 235-feet long and 18 feet wide tank. Holding 800 tons of water, it swings on a pivot on an island in the middle of the Ship Canal.
The highest canal aqueduct in England, this incredible triple arched structure carries the Peak Forest Canal 90-feet above the River Goyt. Designed by Benjamin Outram and opened in 1800, this Grade I listed construction and ancient monument sits at the bottom of one of the steepest lock flights in Britain.
Also known as the Seven Arches Aqueduct, this beautiful Grade II edifice takes the Leeds & Liverpool Canal across the River Aire, between Saltaire and Bingley. Designed by the famous engineer James Brindley, the 245-year-old aqueduct runs for 131 yards over seven stone arches.
This 70-ft high aqueduct was built between 1796 and 1801 by Thomas Telford and William Jessop. It carries the Llangollen Canal across the Ceiriog Valley straddling England and Wales. Despite its scale and beauty with 10 masonry arches, the Chirk Aqueduct is often overshadowed by its near neighbour the Pontcysyllte. But it is also included within the World Heritage Site which stretches for 11 miles from Chirk to the Horseshoe Falls in Llangollen.
This cast iron aqueduct built in 1811 carries the Grand Union Canal 40-ft above the River Great Ouse at Cosgrove. Originally known as the Iron Trunk, the aqueduct was built in iron to replace a previous stone aqueduct that had failed.
The longest cast iron aqueduct in England, the Edstone is one of three aqueducts on a four mile stretch of the Stratford Canal in Warwickshire. Stretching for 475-ft, the Edstone crosses a road, a busy railway line and the track of another former railway near Bearley. Opened in 1816, the aqueduct’s towpath is at the level of the canal bottom so walkers crossing it can watch the narrowboats motor past at waist height.
If you’d like further advice on the best routes for a canal boat holiday with aqueducts and other marvels of our canal network, please call us on 0117 304 1122.
A brief history of the canals of England and Wales
A canal boat holiday takes you back in time. It is a journey through history as you float along waterways constructed in a bygone era of horse-drawn transport.
The vast majority of the canals in England and Wales were built at the dawn of industrialisation as the most efficient way of transporting the raw materials and goods going in and out the new factories.
This makes a narrowboat holiday a history lover’s dream come true as they can admire the antique engineering and the many sights, towns and cities along the routes which have all played notable roles in creating the modern Britain we know today.
To get you started, here we take you on a brief history of the canals of England and Wales.
Early history
While the UK was the first country to develop a nationwide canal network, the Chinese claim the title of being the earlier pioneers of inland waterways, constructing the Grand Canal of China in the 10th century. Most early canals were extensions of natural rivers.
The first canals of England and Wales were built by the Romans who dug the Fossdyke connecting Lincoln to the River Trent around AD50 and the nearby Car Dyke which ran southwards towards Cambridge.
Other early waterways of the medieval and post medieval period were constructed during to shorten, extend or link river routes such as the Exeter Canal, built in 1566 which featured the first pond locks in Britain.
But the golden age of canal building began as the Industrial Revolution took hold during the second half of the 18th century, with the construction of the Bridgewater Canal.
Golden age of canal building
Completed in 1776 under the watchful eye of engineer James Brindley, the Bridgewater Canal connects Runcorn, Manchester and Leigh. It was created in order to carry coal from the Duke of Bridgewater’s mines at Worsley into the industrial heart of Manchester where demand for coal to power the mills was soaring.
The Bridgewater Canal sparked a flurry of canal building during the half century that followed its construction. During an age of horse drawn transport and antiquated mud tracks for roads, the canals provided a highly efficient way to transport large quantities of goods. One horse could pull a canal boat carrying around 30 tonnes of cargo – more than ten times the amount that could be transport via a one horse cart.
The efficiency of the Bridgewater Canal meant the price of coal in Manchester dropped by nearly two thirds within a year of its opening. The waterway repaid the cost of its construction within a few years, proving the viability of canals.
Other industrialists began to follow suit and James Brindley suddenly found himself constantly in demand. He is largely responsible for the ‘Grand Cross’, the two thousand miles of canals linking the four great rivers of England – the Severn, Mersey, Humber and Thames.
There were two key canal building periods, from 1759 to the early 1770s and from 1789 to around 1800 when trains began to dominate.
The famous potter Josiah Wedgewood commissioned the construction of canals to transport his goods from the Staffordshire factories to Manchester and Birmingham. He was instrumental in the building of the Trent and Mersey Canal which was completed in 1777.
The Oxford Canal was completed in 1790, linking the coal mines and factories of the Midlands with London via the Thames while the Ellesmere Canal completed in 1805 and later incorporated into the Chester, Montgomery, Shropshire Union and Llangollen canals, helped link the Mersey and the Severn.
Thomas Telford took over from Brindley as the leading canal engineer of the late 18th century designing incredible landmarks including the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct which soars over the River Dee.
The epicenter of canal building was in the industrial West Midlands and North West. Birmingham and the Black Country boasted an intricate network of 160 miles of canals, known as the Birmingham Canal Navigations, most of which survive today.
Funding for the canals was raised largely through private investors keen to reap the promised high returns. But by the end of the 18th century the flurry of canal building was over. Virtually all Britain’s canals were completed by 1815 when attention began to turn to the development of steam powered railway locomotives.
Decline
In the early 19th century the canals continued to be the preferred method for transporting bulky heavy goods while the new railway lines focused on passengers and lighter cargo. But as the century progressed the railways were developed into a national network, out competing the canals in both cargo volumes and speed, forcing tolls down so that the canal companies went into terminal decline.
The emergence of the motorcar in the early 20th century and development of an improved reliable road system was another blow to the commercial appeal of the canals.
As most of the canals fell out of commercial use and the companies that had maintained them shut down or were bought out, the waterways themselves were left to wreck and ruin.
Reinvention
In 1947 under the post-World War II Labour government, Britain’s canal and railway systems were nationalised. In the decades that followed, the canals were gradually restored and reopened, primarily for leisure purposes. Restoration projects have been largely undertaken by enthusiastic volunteer groups and local canal societies and trusts.
The canals are now managed by the Canal and River Trust, the successor to British Waterways, which actively supports many of the ongoing restoration projects. The Inland Waterways Association is a charity which also promotes the ongoing protection and conservation of the canals.
Commercial traffic is still permitted on a few key canal routes but the vast majority of waterways are now enjoyed by pleasure craft such as our own Anglo Welsh narrowboats.
There are said to be more boats using the British canals today than at any other point in their history.
Key sights of historic interest and engineering on the canals
Here are a few of the key sights which represented historic feats of engineering during the golden age of canal building and worth a visit during a canal boat holiday today:
This winter we offering winter cruising* from six of our narrowboat hire bases, giving you the chance to celebrate Christmas or New Year on the canals.
Whether you want to head to a festive waterfront destination or escape from it all in a quiet rural backwater, Christmas on the canals offers a very special experience. All our winter canal boat hire bases offer a choice of routes, and plenty of historic rural pubs with roaring log fires to stop off at along the way.
From a cosy narrowboat for two to a family canal boat for 12, all our boats have central heating, hot water, WiFi, TV and DVD players, so it’s always nice and warm and cosy on board. Some of our boats also come with multi-fuel stoves for some extra special winter warmth.
Our prices over Christmas and New Year start at start at £495 for a short break (three or four nights) on a boat for four people, weekly hire from £705.
Here are our Top 6 Christmas and New Year breaks afloat for 2019:
Cross ‘The Stream in the Sky’ to the Shropshire Lake District – from our canal boat rental base at Trevor on the Llangollen Canal in North Wales, you can travel through the Welsh Mountains by canal boat to Ellesmere and back, passing over the incredible World Heritage Status Pontcysyllte Aqueduct along the way. This magnificent feat of Victorian engineering carries the canal 30 metres high above the Dee Valley, with amazing views to enjoy. Historic pubs to enjoy along the way include The Poacher’s Pocket pub at Gledrid and the Aqueduct Inn at Froncysyllte. Once at Ellesmere, at the centre of the Shropshire Lake District, you can moor up to visit the Mere created 10,000 years ago by the retreating ice age, now home to an abundance of wildlife.
Cruise through the Staffordshire countryside to Fradley – heading south from our narrowboat holiday hire base at Great Haywood on the Trent & Mersey Canal in Staffordshire, you’ll reach Fradley Junction in five hours. Here the Trent & Mersey Canal meets the Coventry Canal. The journey to Fradley passes through 12 peaceful miles of Staffordshire countryside, and just five locks. Places to enjoy along the way include The Wolseley Centre run by the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, the Wolseley Arms, Cannock Chase Forest and the village of Rugeley with its canalside Mossley Tavern. Once at Fradley, you’ll find refreshments at the Canalside Café or The Swan Inn and walking trails at the Fradley Pool Nature Reserve.
Float to through the Warwickshire countryside to Shakespeare’s Stratford – from our narrowboat rental base at on the Stratford Canal at Wootton Wawen, near Henley-in-Arden in Warwickshire, it’s a picturesque six-hour cruise through the Warwickshire countryside to Shakespeare’s Stratford. Once there, you can moor up in Bancroft Basin in the centre of Stratford-upon-Avon to enjoy festive fun in the home of Bard, including twinkling Christmas lights, regular markets, carol singers, Christmas menus at a wide range of restaurants and performances of Shakespeare’s ‘King John’ at the Swan Theatre.
Travel into Birmingham for festive fun afloat – from our canal barge holiday hire base at Tardebigge on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal near Bromsgrove, it takes just five hours to cruise into the centre of Birmingham. With no locks to pass through along the way, it’s a great route for canal boat holiday beginners. Once there, you can moor up in Gas Street Basin, close to Brindleyplace to enjoy Christmas in Britain’s Second City, including ‘Snow White’ at the Hippodrome, ‘Grandpa’s Great Escape Live’ at the Birmingham Arena (23, 24 & 26 Dec), The Big Wheel and Ice Rink at Centenary Square and the Frankfurt Christmas Market at Victoria Square (until 23 Dec).
Visit historic Chester for some Christmas sparkle – from our narrowboat hire base at Bunbury on the Shropshire Union Canal near Tarporley in Cheshire, it takes around seven hours, passing through nine locks, to reach the historic city of Chester. Along the way, the route passes through 12 miles of beautiful Cheshire countryside and the popular Ring O’Bells canalside pub at Christleton. Once moored up at Northgate visitor moorings next to the Roman City Walls, special festive events to enjoy in Chester include performances of Peter Pan at the Storyhouse Theatre, the Christmas Tree Festival at Chester Cathedral, the Lantern Parade at Chester Zoo (until 23 Dec), the Chester Christmas Market (until 22 Dec) as well as fabulous City Centre Christmas lights and sparkling shops at the Grosvenor Shopping Centre.
Cruise through the Shropshire countryside to historic Whitchurch – from our barge holiay rental base at Whixall on the Prees Branch of the Llangollen Canal in Shropshire, it takes around four hours to reach the pretty historic town of Whitchurch. Along the way, the route passes Whixall Moss, a Mecca for wildlife, and Pan Castle just outside Whitchurch. Special Christmas events in Whitchurch include performances of Aladdin in the Civic Centre (26-30 Dec), the Crib Festival at St Alkmund’s Church, sparkling Christmas lights and festive menus at many of the town’s eateries, including the Wheatsheaf Hotel and Black Bear pub.
*NB some of our routes will be affected by winter maintenance work on the canal network.
Anglo Welsh Heritage Class – Supporting the Chelsea Pensioners
Anglo Welsh Heritage Class – the best of both worlds
Anglo Welsh now offers two luxury four-berth ‘Heritage Class’ boats for hire: ‘Poppy’ on the Stratford Canal at Wootton Wawen; and ‘Lily’ on the Llangollen Canal at Trevor.
These beautiful luxury canal boats offer all the very best in modern narrowboat facilities, as well as some extra special heritage features.
Facilities on board these spacious boats with semi-traditional sterns include: central heating; LED lighting; two full-size shower rooms; spacious beds with sprung mattresses; a fully fitted galley; TV; DVD; and WiFi.
Heritage features include: port holes; side doors; a Belfast sink; brass fittings; tongue and grove dark stained woodwork; ivory coloured ceilings; and a cratch cover above the front deck for extra protection against the elements when needed.
In partnership with our Sponsor ‘Panda Sanctuaries’ we will continue to expand the Heritage fleet over the coming years.
Proud to support the Chelsea Pensioners
Anglo Welsh is supporting the Chelsea Pensioners by pledging to give £10 to The Royal Hospital Chelsea and Chelsea Pensioner’s Active Ageing Appeal for every booking made on ‘Poppy’ between 1 November 2019 and 1 November 2020.
Allan McLaren of The Chelsea Pensioners explains: “War and conflict take their toll on a soldier’s body and mind. Mental and physical scars often only surface in later years.
“The Royal Hospital Chelsea and the Chelsea Pensioners are delighted Anglo Welsh have chosen to support our Active Aging Appeal. Your support will help The Royal Hospital Chelsea provide the best possible care for those willing to risk their lives yesterday to give us the freedom we enjoy today. Our new activity centre will enable more Pensioners to stay active, pursue hobbies and interests every day to enhance their mental and physical well-being and combat isolation.”
Wonderful canalside pubs worth a visit during any narrowboat holiday
One of the joys of any holiday is whiling away languid hours in the sun with a beer, glass of wine or whatever is your preferred tipple – and canal boat holidays are no exception. Luckily the historic waterways of England and Wales – once main transport thoroughfares – are dotted with welcoming pubs, many of which used to cater for the canal workers of bygone years as they travelled up and down transporting coal and other materials to fuel the industrial revolution. Now of course they cater to a more pleasure-seeking crowd, including those fortunate enough to be enjoying a narrowboat holiday. There are literally dozens of charming pubs where you can stop on your canal trip, but here we list just some of our favourites:
Nearest Anglo Welsh canal boat bases: Bath and Monkton Combe
This 16th century inn overlooking a picture perfect stretch of the Kennet and Avon Canal as it snakes its way through a green Cotswold valley is the stuff pub dreams are made of. Stop off enroute to the historic market town of Bradford-upon-Avon and enjoy a refreshing pint in their canalside garden which has lots of outdoor seating meaning you can find space even in the height of summer.
Nearest Anglo Welsh canal boat bases: Great Haywood
A lovely traditional Staffordshire pub located at the heart of the idyllic Churnet Valley next to the rushing water of a weir. Sitting in the pub garden, watching the narrowboats floating past and steam trains coming and going on the Churnet Valley Railway Line surrounded by the green valley sides, you could be forgiven for thinking you’d been transported back 100 years in time.
Nearest Anglo Welsh canal boat bases: Wootton Wawen and Tardebigge
This 17th century pub, with its own onsite brew house, has a snug rustic interior where you can warm up while sipping one of their delicious ciders or ales or in summer sit in the canalside garden and admire the gorgeous Warwickshire countryside that surrounds you.
This tiny historic pub, which also runs a camping site, has been run by the same family for more than 100 years. It still boasts the same tables and settles that were in situ when the family took over, with beer often brought up in a jug from the cellar to this day. The multi-award-winning pub was recently given heritage status for its historic importance.
Nearest Anglo Welsh canal boat bases: Bath and Monkton Combe
Located in a beautiful 12th century stone building that was originally a monastery, the George Inn has been carefully refurbished by Chef and Brewer to create a stylish welcoming interior with open fires keeping things cosy in winter. Once the sun is shining, enjoy some canalside al fresco beers or sit in the sheltered sun trap of a courtyard.
Nearest Anglo Welsh canal boat bases: Great Haywood
This 18th century pub, located on the famous Fradley junction of two key canals with a ye olde world charm, offers good beer, fine wine and proper pub grub. It is a great place to sit outside and watch the narrowboats navigating their way between the two historic waterways. And, you’re guaranteed a warm welcome from the owners.
In a charming thatched building, owned and run by the Woodward family since 1877, the Boat Inn offers as warm a welcome now as it did 130 or so years ago, with same open fires still burning through the winter. With ales, ciders and wines to suit every palette, the pub also boasts two eateries with a more informal bistro and Woodwards Restaurant with its gorgeous canalside views.
Sitting on the banks of the Severn with great views of the nearby lock and weir, this rustic pub is a wonderful spot to sit and watch life on the river. The large garden is enlivened by the resident peacocks, chickens, ducks, geese and Sandy the turkey. A small mooring spot is available for passing boats to stop off for some refreshment.
With a history stretching back 800 years when it was originally built as an almshouse, the Trout Inn could reasonably claim to be one of the oldest pubs in the country. It became an inn in 1472 and has continued in that guise, being renamed The Trout Inn in 1704 in recognition of the ancient fishery rights bestowed upon the pub by Royal Charter – it still controls two miles of trout and coarse fishing waters. The pub has been owned and run by Penny Warren for nearly three decades and she has worked hard to preserve its traditional charm, with roaring log fires in winter and a gorgeous riverside garden to enjoy in summer.
This beautiful waterside free house deep in the Shropshire countryside is surrounded by three acres of park-like gardens next to the famous Llangollen Canal. With its tap room and cosy snug warmed by a fire in winter, the Jack Mytton also boasts a sheltered courtyard with seating and a Mediterranean style al fresco bar for hot summer days. There is private mooring space for up to six boats.
The Bay Horse dates back to 1822 and grew in popularity as the industrial revolution saw the local population working the mills soar. Today it remains an idyllic traditional inn with cask ales and hearty food, surrounded by the breath-taking landscapes of the Yorkshire Dales, with a sheltered garden overlooking the canal.
Nearest Anglo Welsh canal boat bases: Whixhall and Bunbury
This lock keeper’s cottage turned pub on the Cheshire-Shropshire border sits right beside a working lock on the Llangollen canal, making it an ideal spot to watch the narrowboats coming and going. The family run pub has a large beer garden and playground and great cask ales often sourced from local breweries, making it popular with boaters, walkers and locals alike.
Plan your Easter canal boat holiday: The best waterway routes for kids
It’s finally getting a little bit lighter and there is hope that winter may not last forever.
In fact, it is the perfect time to cheer yourself out of any winter blues by planning your next narrowboat trip. With the school Easter break now just a few weeks away, why not treat the whole family to a canal boat holiday this year. Kids love the novelty of being on the water just as much as adults and all our narrowboats are designed to be family friendly. You could even bring your pets!
To help, we’ve had a think about the best canal boat holiday routes to do with children.
We’ve chosen varied waterway journeys that combine rural beauty and tranquility with more urban settings that are packed with family friendly activities to keep the kids entertained throughout. No more of those, ‘Mum/Dad, I’m boooored,’ comments.
Tardebigge to Birmingham
Set in the heart of rural Worcestershire, Tardebigge offers an idyllic starting point for any canal boat cruise. The base sits at the top of an impressive lock ladder climbing 220 feet, offering wonderful views over the surrounding countryside.
If you are heading towards Birmingham you have a relaxing lock free five-hour cruise north along the Worcester & Birmingham Canal through rolling fields, woodland and quiet villages with welcoming pubs.
On the outskirts of the ‘City of canals’ as Birmingham is romantically labelled, you’ll pass through Bourneville where the canal takes you within touching distance of the old Cadbury chocolate factory. Now Cadbury World, this celebration of all things chocolate is a guaranteed hit with the kids.
Continue to the historic Gas Street Basin right in the city centre, from where you can access all Birmingham’s most famous attractions including the National Sea Life Centre, which is a great day out for the whole family.
Great Haywood to Froghall
Jump aboard a narrowboat at Great Haywood and head north west on the Trent and Mersey canal, following the River Trent valley.
To ease you into boating life gently there is a long stretch with no locks, passing through tranquil meadows and the pretty villages of Weston, Salt and Sandon which boast good pubs for a pit stop. After a few more miles, you reach your first lock at Aston, then proceed through more luscious countryside to the historic market town of Stone, which has some great canalside pubs, restaurants and a monthly farmers market.
It is then just seven miles until you reach the towns that make up Stoke on Trent and The Potteries. At Barlaston, you pass the Wedgewood factory with its World of Wedgewood visitor centre offering factory tours, a museum and craft and decorating studios where visitors can test out their talent on the pottery wheel.
The last few miles before you branch off east on the Caldon Canal in Stoke on Trent are dominated by old factories and warehouses, brick furnaces alongside more modern buildings. The Caldon Canal will take you into the picturesque Churnet Valley to Froghall. Here the kids are in for a real treat for it is just a short bus ride to Alton Towers, the UK’s biggest theme park, just make sure you book your tickets in advance to avoid disappointment!
Bunbury to Chester
The Shropshire Union Canal is renowned to be one of the most unspoilt scenic of canals, making it a favourite with narrowboaters from all over the UK.
From Bunbury, cruise north across the expansive open country of the Cheshire Plain past the medieval ruins of Beeston Castle looking down from its rocky crag which offers views all the way to the Pennines. Run by English Heritage and surrounded by a 40-acre woodland park, this is a great place to take the kids. Stop off for refreshment at the canal side Shady Oak Pub, next to Bate’s Mill Bridge, before heading north again.
The canal snakes its way through more green and pleasant farmland until reaching Christleton, a charming village on the edge of Chester with a traditional green surrounded by historic houses.
But most people will be impatient to get to Chester itself, one of the most beautiful cities in the UK, steeped in history. The canal takes you right into the centre of the city, with its cluster of 700-year-old buildings, great shops, restaurants and cafes, and stunning sandstone cathedral all encircled by the imposing medieval city walls.
Take the children to Chester Zoo where you can admire more than 21,000 endangered and exotic animals in the 125 acres of beautiful gardens. This is said to be the most visited tourist attraction in the UK outside of London.
Stockton to Warwick
Leaving our Stockton base, the Grand Union Canal descends through the Stockton Locks to reach the village of Long Itchington where you can reward your hard work at one of the two canalside pub, the Two Boats Inn and The Cuttle Inn.
The canal proceeds through gentle Warwickshire countryside until reaching elegant Royal Leamington Spa with its fine examples of Regency and Victorian architecture and ornate parks like Jephson Gardens. The Leamington Spa Spy Mission Trail is a great way to keep the kids entertained while you explore the town.
From here it is a stone’s throw to Warwick itself, with its unique combination of medieval, Queen Anne and Victorian buildings, all overlooked by the enormity of Warwick Castle. Taking you back in time more than 1000 years with its castle ruins, gruesome dungeons, live bird of prey displays and Horrible Histories maze, you could easily spend the whole day at the castle. But make sure you leave time to explore the historic delights of the town itself including the 14th century Lord Leicester Hospital, St Mary’s Church and The Mill Garden on the banks of the River Avon.
*Monkton Combe to Bristol
From Monkton Combe on the Kennet & Avon Canal you skirt the tail end of the Cotswold Hills to reach the famously beautiful city of Bath which, as a tourist honeypot, has plenty of family friendly activities from mini golf to glass making.
In Bath, you leave the canal to join the wider flowing waters of the River Avon which winds its way through gorgeous countryside first to Saltford, where the riverside Jolly Sailor Pub makes a good stop off, then on towards Bristol.
On the outskirts of the city you will pass Beese’s Riverside Bar and Tea Gardens with its idyllic secretive setting on the riverbank hemmed in by woodland. Try and ensure you’re hungry – or thirsty – so you have an excuse to stop.
After this the city begins to close in upon the river as you enter the old industrial area before turning off at Feeder Road to lock into the historic floating harbor. You can then cruise right into Bristol’s vibrant centre where you are within easy walking distance of the hugely popular We The Curious (formerly At-Bristol) science centre, the incredible SS Great Britain or M Shed with its varied exhibits, all designed to appeal to the little ones.
*This route is only recommended for experienced boaters due to the tidal River.
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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