Canal boat holiday destinations from Barnoldswick, Lancashire

Our narrowboat hire base on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal at Barnoldswick, is on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. From the peace and open space of the moorlands at the canal’s summit, to the vibrant city centre of Leeds, there’s a great choice of destinations from Barnoldswick. And you can reach two of the Sevon Wonders of the Waterways – the famous Bingley Five Rise Locks near Bradford, and the awesome Burnley Embankment.

The 127-mile-long Leeds & Liverpool Canal is the longest single canal in the country. It takes boaters across the Pennines and links the wide waterways of Yorkshire with those of Lancashire and the River Mersey. The Leeds & Liverpool main line has 93 locks and two tunnels.

3-night destinations from Barnoldswick

Foulridge Tunnel and back (20 miles, 6 locks, 8 hours)

Head east across the Pennines and go through the 3 locks at Greenberfield. You can stop at the Cross Keys pub at East Marton. Continue through remote countryside and turn before Bank Newton. Go back past the boatyard and on to Salterforth, home of the Anchor Inn. Just before the entrance to the 1.49-kilometre long Foulridge Tunnel, you’ll reach Foulridge Wharf. Passage through the tunnel works on a traffic light system which allows each boat 20 minutes to get to the other end. Turn around after the tunnel, just after Wanless Bridge No.145 and return to Barnoldswick.

Gargrave and back (16 miles, 26 locks, 12 hours)

Enjoy stunning scenery as you head east across the Pennines and go through the 3 locks at Greenberfield. You can stop at the Cross Keys pub at East Marton. Continue on through remote countryside and then go down 7 locks at Bank Newton. These locks take you down into the village of Gargrave, where there are shops and places to eat, including the Masons Arms. From Gargrave you can easily access the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Turn and moor above Higherland Lock before heading back to Barnoldswick.

4-night destinations from Barnoldswick

Skipton and back (26 miles, 30 locks, 24 hours)

Follow the 3-night route to Gargrave and continue heading east along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. You’ll go through a series of swing bridges before you reach the ancient market town of Skipton, you can moor up to visit Skipton Castle and explore the town’s shops and places to eat. Turn the boat around and head back to Barnoldswick.

7-night destinations from Barnoldswick

Bingley and back (58 miles, 30 locks, 32 hours)

Follow the 4-night route to Skipton and continue cruising through beautiful Airedale. Pass through the villages of Bradley with its Slaters Arms and Kildwick, home of the White Lion pub. There’s a series of swing bridges along the way, including one an interesting memorial to the Polish crew of a WW2 bomber that crashed nearby. When you reach Silsden, moor up to explore the town’s shops and places to eat. Cruising on, when you reach Bridge 197A you can moor up and walk down to the National Trust’s East Riddlesden Hall. Or take the bus to Keighley Station, then travel by steam train (of Railway Children fame) to Haworth, and walk up the steep hill to the Bronte Parsonage. Turn at the top of the Five Rise and return to Barnoldswick.

Adlington and back (90 miles, 40 locks, 40 hours)

Head west towards Liverpool and you’ll soon reach Salterforth, home of the Anchor Inn. Just before the entrance to the 1.49-kilometre long Foulridge Tunnel, you’ll reach Foulridge Wharf. Passage through the tunnel works on a traffic light system which allows each boat 20 minutes to get to the other end. Continue cruising through the beautiful Yorkshire countryside.

You’ll go through 7 locks at Barrowford, where there are shops, fish & chips, restaurants and pubs, including The White Bear Inn. You’ll see Pendle Hill in the distance and in Barrowford you’ll find the Pendle Heritage Centre, with a fascinating exhibition on the famous Pendle Witches. There’s a tea room overlooking the restored 18th century walled garden, the Pendle Art Gallery, and the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Four miles later you’ll reach the famous mile-long Burnley Embankment which carries the canal over the town and includes an aqueduct at its middle. Burnley Embankment is considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the Waterways. At the end of the Embankment the canal turns to the right to the Weaver’s Triangle. Here you’ll find tall brick chimneys, old loading wharves and historic canalside warehouses, engine houses and spinning mills, making it one of the best-preserved 19th century industrial districts in the UK. You can visit The Weaver’s Triangle visitor centre and walk into the town centre.

So much to see and do

After going through the 559-yard-long Gannow Tunnel, you’ll be cruising through the Calder Valley. Next you’ll pass the village of Hapton with its popular Hapton Inn. Then you’ll go through 3 more swing bridges before you reach Clayton-le-Moors, a suburb of Accrington. When you reach Rishton, you’ll find a choice of places to eat. Two miles on at Eanam, you’ll enter the suburbs of Blackburn, where there’s plenty to do, including visiting the Museum & Art Gallery where there’s a series of rooms demonstrating the development of the textile industry.

There’s a flight of 6 locks at Blackburn, once thought of as ‘the weaving capital of the world’. As the canal leaves Blackburn, it crosses a high embankment before reaching the village of Riley Green and the Royal Oak pub. Carry on from Riley Green and you’ll soon pass through Withnell Fold and then you’ll reach the flight of 7 locks at Johnson’s Hill and the Top Lock pub. There are pubs and shops at Chorley and at Adlington you’ll find The (Bottom) Spinners Arms and the White Bear Marina café. You can turn your boat around in the marina and return to Barnoldswick.

Saltaire and back (57 miles, 52 locks, 40 hours)

Follow the 7-night route to Bingley and navigate through the Bingley Five Rise Locks, one of the Seven Wonders of the Waterways. Built in 1774, they are all joined together without ‘pounds’ in between them, making them the steepest staircase locks in the UK with a gradient of about 1:5 (a rise of 59ft 2in over a distance of 320ft). A Canal & River Trust volunteer lock keepers are normally on hand to help. The Bingley 5-Rise are followed by the lesser known 3-Rise locks. Two miles later you’ll reach UNESCO World Heritage Saltaire, named after Sir Titus Salt who built the village to house and employ the workers in his textile mill. Saltaire is located on the outskirts of the town of Shipley where you can turn around (just after Junction Bridge 208) and return to Barnoldswick.

10/11-night destinations from Barnoldswick

Selby and back (140 miles, 108 locks, 65 hours)

Follow the 7-night route to Saltaire and navigate through 5 more locks and 5 more swing bridges to reach Apperley Bridge. There you can moor up to explore the town, where there’s a fish and chip shop and choice of pubs, including The Stansfield and Dog & Gun. Continue to follow the Aire Valley and when you reach Rodley, you’ll find 3 pubs – the canalside Rodley Barge and the Railway Inn and Owl Inn in the village. At Newlay there are 3 more locks and the canalside Abbey Inn.

Then you’ll go through the Forge Three Locks before reaching Kirkstall with its Cistercian Abbey ruins and Abbey House Museum. When you reach Leeds, you can moor up in Leeds Dock to explore the city’s museums, Victorian shopping arcades and excellent choice of places to eat. Join the Aire & Calder Navigation and at Castleford Junction, turn left onto the Main Line towards Goole. At Bank Dole, turn off the Main Line and follow the winding River Aire. Transfer onto the Selby Canal and journey through farmland and pretty brick-built villages to Selby. Moor up to explore the ancient Abbey, market and riverside before returning to Barnoldswick.

14-night destinations from Barnoldswick

Liverpool and back (170 miles, 104 locks, 80 hours)

Follow the 7-night route to Adlington and continue west along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. Travel down the Wigan flight enjoying splendid views across the town. Visit Trencherfield Mill, which has one of the largest surviving steam engines (open Sundays). Now following the River Douglas, the canal takes you through Parbold and on to the Wirrall. You’ll pass Aintree Racecourse and then you’ll go through a series of swing bridges, bringing you to the top of Stanley Locks. The passage down into Liverpool Docks, culminating in the magnificence of Albert Dock, where you can moor up to visit Tate North, the Maritime Museum and walk into the city centre. Return to Barnoldswick.