With boats travelling at a maximum speed of 4mph, and over 3,000 miles of navigable peaceful inland waterways to explore across Britain, canal boat holidays really are the fastest way to slow down. From rural retreats to vibrant city centres, narrowboat holiday-makers can use their boat as a floating holiday home to explore. Drifters’ offers […]
A recent survey suggested that the pace and pressures of 21st-century living are taking their toll, with families, on average, now spending fewer than seven hours of quality time together each week. Heron Publications editor Mike Firth decided to do something to redress the balance by taking his family – and their dog – on […]
1. Don’t call it a barge – as its name suggests, a narrowboat is not a barge as they are just seven feet wide and designed to fit Britain’s canal locks, while barges are at least twice as wide 2. Size matters – narrowboats range in length from 32ft to 70ft, and provide accommodation for […]
With frosty towpaths, peaceful rural retreats and historic waterside pubs, a narrowboat holiday on Britain’s canal network can offer a great antidote to the hustle and bustle of Christmas. Drifters offers winter cruising* from a number of its bases, with boats ranging from snug craft for two to family vessels for twelve. It’s free to […]
There’s a lot to be said for messing about in boats. Living life beyond the river banks. It’s a wonderful way to slow down and unwind. Which is why Mrs Cullimore and I recently decided to spend a week slowly chugging up and down the River Thames to Wallingford and back. Setting off from Drifters’ […]
A is for Anderton Boat Lift – also known as the ‘Cathedral of the Canals’, this fascinating example of Victorian engineering provides a 15-metre vertical link between the Trent & Mersey Canal and River Weaver Navigation. B is for Bingley Five-Rise Locks – completed in 1774, this spectacular staircase of locks on the Leeds & […]
Each year, around one fifth of canal boat hirers are newcomers. A licence isn’t required to steer a narrowboat and all our operators provide boat steering tuition as part of their holiday packages. Here’s a list of our top eight canal boat holidays for beginners: 1. Discover the Breacon Beacons afloat – the beautiful Mon […]
Cruising gently through quiet countryside and stopping off at rural local pubs along the way, a holiday on Britain’s peaceful canal network can offer a great antidote to the hustle and bustle of Christmas. We offer winter breaks* from a number of our bases, giving you the chance to enjoy snug evenings afloat, visit waterside pubs […]
Reputedly playing host to hundreds of ghosts, with bats and frogs aplenty, creepy tunnels, spooky locks and misty towpaths, Britain’s 200-year old canal network provides the perfect backdrop for a haunting Halloween. From shaggy coated beings to shrieking boggarts, we’ve put together our Top 7 spookiest spots: 1. Be stunned at Standedge Tunnel…at 3.25 miles […]
Narrowboat holidays are often said to be the best way to relax – and parents with babies probably need the chance to do that more than most. Canal boats are like floating holiday cottages, with all the comforts of home on board. Drifters’ six-berth family boat ‘Lucy May’, which operates out of our Stockton canal […]