A canal boat holiday is a great way to enjoy the splendid colours of autumn in the hedgerows and trees that line our waterways. These colours are dramatically mirrored in the water and there’s plenty of wildlife to spot along the way, including the arrival of flocks of birds in search of berries. There are […]
To celebrate Yorkshire Day (1 August), we’ve put together our Top 5 Yorkshire Canal Boat Holidays for 2017. Prices from our Yorkshire bases start at £405 for a short break (three or four nights), £620 for a week on a boat for two people. 1. Travel one-way across the Pennines…Starting from Drifters’ base at Barnoldswick […]
Taking a canal boat holiday is a great way to explore some of Britain’s most beautiful countryside, including a number of our National Parks. Pottering along at just four mph, it’s easy to unwind and take in the scenery. To celebrate National Parks Week (24-30 July), we’ve put together our Top 3 National Park canal boat holidays: […]
Narrowboat holidays are great for families – giving the chance to set off together on a micro-adventure afloat, learning how to work the locks and speak the boating lingo, as well as spot wildlife and explore waterside attractions along the way. It’s easy to learn how to steer a narrowboat and you don’t need a […]
VisitEngland has declared 2017 as the “Year of Literary Heroes” – recognising the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen’s death, 20 years since the first Harry Potter book, and other publishing phenomena that have helped put England on the map. To celebrate, we’ve put together our Top 5 Literary escapes afloat: Explore Ted Hughes’ Calderdale by […]
Britain’s 2,000 mile network of navigable inland waterways transports canal boat holiday-makers through rural idylls with wooded glades, sweeping farmland and sleepy villages to exciting towns and cities with world-class waterside attractions. Here’s a list of our Top 8 waterside destinations for 2017: 1. Warwick Castle – said to be Britain’s greatest medieval experience, the […]
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 & […]
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 […]
A canal boat holiday is a great way to enjoy the splendid colours of autumn in the hedgerows and trees that line our waterways, where the colours are dramatically mirrored in the water. There’s plenty of wildlife to spot along the way during the autumn months, including the arrival of flocks of fieldfare and redwing […]
Cruising rings are popular with canal boat holiday-makers, offering journeys along several different waterways, taking in a huge variety of landscapes. Some are seriously challenging with steep flights of locks and long dark tunnels to negotiate. While others, like the Droitwich Ring, are easier and more suitable for narrowboat holiday beginners. Here are our Top […]
