Best waterside pubs to visit on a narrowboat holiday

Waterside pubs are popular destinations for canal boat holiday-makers, and there are hundreds to choose from.

We’ve published a guide to some of the best waterside pubs to visit on a narrowboat holiday this summer.

It’s great to be beside water, especially in the summer. Canal and riverside pubs are popular destinations, and there are hundreds to choose from across Britain’s 3,000-mile network of navigable inland waterways.

With names like The Lock Inn, The Navigation Inn, The Narrowboat, The Tunnel and The Bridge, canalside pubs often date back to the days when canals were the transport network of the industrial revolution.  Canalside inns provided refreshment for working boat families, their horses, and professional leggers who propelled boats through tunnels.

Today they are popular destinations for narrowboat holiday-makers, as well as people wanting to sit in a canalside pub garden, watching the boats go by.

1. The Bridge Inn, Chirk Bank in Shropshire

You can reach this popular watering hole on the Llangollen Canal on a short break from Chirk, Trevor or Blackwater Meadow.  Also known as The Trap, the historic Bridge Inn is on the 11-mile stretch of the Llangollen Canal designated a UNESCO World Heritage site and has views of the magnificent Chirk Aqueduct.

2. The Hollybush Inn at Denford in Staffordshire

Housed in an old flour mill on the Caldon Canal, the Hollybush Inn is surrounded by Staffordshire Moorlands.  The pub offers award winning ales and delicious homemade food.  It has a large canalside beer garden and is both family and dog friendly.  From Stoke on Trent it takes around 7 hours to reach The Hollybush.

3. The Stubbing Wharf at Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire

The Stubbing Wharf on the Rochdale Canal offers home cooked food, including Sunday lunch roasts. It has a choice of real ales and a canalside beer garden. The pub was built soon after the completion of the Rochdale Canal in 1789.  It served travellers on both the canal and the turnpike road.  Its curious name derives from the ancient settlement of Stubbing, an Anglo-Saxon word for clearing where the tree stumps have been left.  From Sowerby Bridge it takes around 5.5 hours to reach Hebden Bridge.

4. The Swan at Fradley Junction in Staffordshire

At the junction of the Trent & Mersey and Coventry canals at Alrewas, the historic Swan pub is known locally as the ‘Mucky Duck’.  The pub offers traditional home cooked meals and a choice of cask ales.  The Swan’s bar area is decorated with Roses & Castles narrowboat art. The Swan at Fradley is a 1.5-hour cruise from Kings Orchard and a 6-hour cruise from Great Haywood.

5. The Blue Lias Inn at Stockton in Warwickshire

Located on the Grand Union Canal, this historic rural pub was named after the limestone and clay that is quarried locally.  The clay is derived from material laid down in the early Jurassic seas, when dinosaurs roamed the earth.  The Blue Lias is around 2.5 hours by boat from Stockton.

6. The Plume of Feathers at Barlaston in Staffordshire

This popular pub on the Trent & Mersey Canal is part owned by the actor Neil Morrissey.  Visitors can sample some of Neil’s own beers and ales, and choose from a menu of homemade dishes made from fresh local ingredients.  It takes just over 3 hours to reach Barlastan from Stoke on Trent, and 7 hours from Great Haywood.

7. The Crown Inn at Alvechurch in Worcestershire

This historic country pub next to the Worcester & Birmingham Canal has a rustic charm, a good selection of ales and lagers and great value food.  Our nearest base is just 15 minutes away at Alvechurch.

8. The Olde Barbridge Inn at Nantwich in Cheshire

This historic pub on the Shropshire Union Canal near Nantwich sells a selection of local ales brewed at its own local brewery. The pub serves classic British food made with local produce.  Our nearest bases are at Nantwich and Bunbury.

9. The Boat Inn, Gnosall in Staffordshire

This traditional family run pub on the banks of the Shropshire Union Canal can be reached on a short break from Brewood.  It has a patio area overlooking the canal and is renowned for its homemade pies and fish and chips.

10. The Fleur De Lys at Lowsonford in Warwickshire

This pretty 17th century country pub on the banks of the Stratford Canal has a lovely beer garden.  The Fleur De Lys has been famous for its pies since the 1950’s, all served with seasonal vegetables, chunky chips and gravy.  Our nearest base is just 3 hours away at Wootton Wawen.