With Britain’s inland waterways in better shape than ever, and a series of celebrities endorsing the relaxing benefits of a canal boat holiday on our TV screens, narrowboat holidays are becoming increasingly popular. You don’t have to be an expert and you don’t need a licence to steer a canal boat, so around a fifth […]
Drifters’ member Shire Cruisers is one of nearly 100 businesses – and the first ever canal boat holiday provider – to be shortlisted for Yorkshire Tourism’s White Rose Awards. Covering 16 categories, the White Rose Awards – the UK’s largest celebration of tourism – include the best Yorkshire attractions, hotels, B&Bs, restaurants and pubs. Colin […]
…Miranda Pennington and Helena Snowden recently Honeymooned on the Kennet & Avon Canal, travelling from Drifters’ base at Hilperton, near Trowbridge in Wiltshire, to Bath and back. Here’s their account: We’ve just returned from the most beautiful and relaxing honeymoon on the Kennet & Avon canal. What an incredible experience for a novice couple – […]
A canal boat holiday is a great way to enjoy the splendid colours of autumn in the hedgerows and trees that line our waterways. And there are plenty of foraging opportunities along the way – narrowboat holiday-makers can look out for apples, blackberries, elderberries, damsons and sloes and make freshly-picked fruit crumbles on board. Our […]
1. Visit Georgian Bath & find out what the Romans did for us!…on a short break from Drifters’ base at Bradford on Avon in Wiltshire, boaters can travel along the beautiful Kennet & Avon Canal and reach the centre of the World Heritage City of Bath in seven hours, with just seven locks to negotiate […]
Ratty’ from ‘Wind in the Willows’, famously pronounced ‘there is nothing half as much worth doing as simply messing about in boats’. Day boat hire on the canals offers the chance to treat Dads with a fun day out on the water, nourished by a pint and a pub lunch along the way. Drifters offers […]
To celebrate the May bank holiday, we’ve put together a list of our top 10 short breaks: 1. Visit the Giant Metal Spider…from our canal boat hire base at Anderton in Cheshire, boaters can travel along the Trent & Mersey Canal to medieval Nantwich, with its distinctive black and white architecture. At Anderton, the fascinating Victorian Boat Lift, […]
A is for Anderton Boat Lift – also known as the ‘Cathedral of the Canals’, this fascinating example of Victorian engineering, which looks like a giant iron spider, provides a 15-metre vertical link between the Trent & Mersey Canal and River Weaver Navigation. Designed by Edwin Clark and opened in 1875, it consists of two […]
Canal boat holidays are fantastic for families, offering the chance to set off on an adventure together – learn how to work the locks, navigate tunnels, speak the boating lingo, spot wildlife, explore traffic-free towpaths and visit waterside attractions along the way. Easter prices start at £495 for a short break (three or four nights) […]
…travel along this beautiful historic waterway, from the cathedral City of Worcester, through the green hills of Worcestershire to the vibrant centre of Birmingham In 2015 it will be 200 years since the Worcester & Birmingham Canal opened. This popular 29-mile long historic waterway starts in Worcester as an off-shoot of the River Severn, and […]