The East Anglian Fen District

The East Anglian Fen District

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For a totally different experience, Drifters are offering boating holidays from a brand new base this year in the East Anglian Fens. At Ely, on the River Great Ouse, there is now the chance to sample some new waters.

The River Great Ouse is navigable from Bedford to Denver, and passes many delightful towns and villages. For example, Godmanchester with its exquisite Chinese Bridge, Ely with its unique and wonderful cathedral, and Hemingford Grey church has a story to tell involving hurricanes.

The tributaries of the Great Ouse are also wonderful places to visit.

Brandon Creek passes through completely unspoilt countryside, far from any roads, and the wildlife is correspondingly special.

Cambridge has a wonderful array of old colleges and other buildings to see and is easily accessible by way of the River Cam.

These are all quiet cruises, with few other boats to be seen, but travelling through lovely pristine countryside punctuated by lovely old water mills and historic villages.

Bedford is a bustling town at the head of navigation, and well worth a visit, as are St. Neots and Huntingdon.

As these waters are all rivers rather than canals, locks are less frequent, but there are pubs and villages scattered along the banks at regular intervals.

At Ely, the unique wooden lantern tower of the cathedral is not to be missed at the start or end of your holiday.

Public transport is available to Ely, which is on a direct line from London, despite being at the heart of the Fens.

Ely, who name mean ‘Isle’, stands out from the surrounding landscape and was once home to the Fen Tigers, fiercely independent residents of this part of East Anglia. Now, the locals are much more friendly.

Canal and River Trust

Canal and River Trust

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Creating a new waterways charity

The calm waters of our inland waterways are currently experiencing their biggest shake-up for 60 years, as the UK Government prepares to entrust the waterways of England and Wales to the nation.

From April 2012, a new charity, the Canal & River Trust will take on the guardianship of not just British Waterways’ 2,200 miles of canals, rivers, docks and reservoirs, but also the waterways, museums and archives of The Waterways Trust.  Subject to funding the Government intends to transfer a further 600 miles of rivers from the Environment Agency to the new Trust in 2015.

The Canal & River Trust will be a new, independent guardian of the historic waterways of England and Wales and will hold the waterways in trust for the nation in perpetuity.  The new body is backed by waterway supporters and businesses.  It will give local people a greater role in the running of their local canal or river, and a chance to put the funding of the network on a more stable footing.  This can only be a good thing for the many millions of people who enjoy holidaying on our inland waterways, live on or next to a canal or river or regularly walk or run on a towpath..

The Canal & River Trust will be backed through a long-term contract with Government and a major property endowment.  Excitingly it will also be able to grow new sources of income such as donations and legacies, with 100% of voluntary income being ploughed back into improvements on the canal bank.

There is still much to be done between now and April next year, and the Transition Trustees are deep in negotiation with Government to ensure the new Trust is given a viable funding package from the start.  All in all, these are exciting times for the waterways and a chance to build a really bright future.

In the last century the hire boat industry was at the forefront of the rehabilitation of our wonderful waterways, from national disgrace to national treasure.  The countless individuals and families who have discovered canal boating – the ‘fastest way of slowing down’ – have helped to give the waterways a new lease of life and made them what they are today.  We all look forward to the playing our part in the next chapter of the waterways remarkable history.

 

Cruise the canals over Christmas

Cruise the canals over Christmas

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…frosty towpaths, cosy fires and traditional pubs make the canals a festive destination

Britain’s canals can offer a great antidote to the hustle and bustle of Christmas.  A number of Drifters’ (www.drifters.co.uk) canal boat hire bases offer winter cruising giving people the chance to crank-up the on-board heating, light the stove, stop-off at cosy country pubs with roaring log fires and wake up to frosty towpaths and crisp clean air.

Today’s canals boats are fully equipped with all the essential mod cons, including central heating, hot water, TV, DVD players, showers and flushing toilets, so whatever the weather, it’s always nice and cosy on board.

As its low season, not only are the canals even more peaceful than usual, but boat hire prices are cheaper than in the summer.

Whether it’s a cosy boat for two or jolly boat for six, celebrating Christmas or New Year afloat offers a great getaway.  And it’s free to moor almost anywhere on the network, so a canal boat could provide the perfect place to lay your head after enjoying new year celebrations in waterside towns and villages like Bath, Chester, Devizes, Bradford on Avon, Stratford upon Avon, Braunston, Banbury and Ellesmere.

Here’s a list of Drifters bases offering winter cruising:

  • Visit historic Stratford Upon Avon…Short breaks from Drifters’ base at Wootton Wawen on the Stratford Canal in Warwickshire, not far from Henley-in-Arden, can take you to historic Stratford and back, with its famous theatre and pubs a plenty.  While a week’s cruise can easily take you on to Warwick and back, cruising through the heart of rural England and Shakespeare’s country.  Or head north into the cosmopolitan City of Birmingham with its fantastic shops and restaurants.  Take a boat for four from Wootton Wawen for Christmas week for £895 (23-30 Dec) or for just the weekend for £575 (24-27 Dec).  Take a boat for six for Christmas week for £1,195 (23-30 Dec) or a boat for six for £837 (23-26 Dec).  Take a romantic boat for two for £895 for a week (24-31 Dec) or £627 for short break (24-27 Dec).  A boat for four over New Year starts at £895 (26 Dec to 2 Jan) and a boat for six is £1,195 (26 Dec to 2 Jan).  A boat for two is £895 (27 Dec to 3 Jan).  Mid week breaks are also available.
  • Travel to Bath along the Kennet & Avon Canal...stretching 86 miles from Bath to Reading, the beautiful Kennet & Avon Canal travels through the southern tip of the Cotswolds, the stunning Wiltshire countryside and West Berkshire’s Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.  Drifters’ base in the historic town of Bradford on Avon is currently offering 20% off winter cruising.  A short break could take you east to the bottom of the Caen Hill Flight at Devizes and back, while a week’s cruise gives time to navigate the marathon of locks!  Or head west to the World Heritage City of Bath with lovely country pubs to enjoy along the way, including the George Inn at Bathampton.  Once a 12th-century monastery, this watering hole is packed with character and boasts priest holes, low ceilings, creaking beams and real fires to snuggle up to.  The Cross Guns at Avoncliffe, one of Wiltshire’s oldest and most popular pubs, has panoramic views of the foothills of the Cotswolds and John Rennie’s Avoncliffe Aqueduct, plus a large central inglenook fireplace in the same style as those at Hampton Court.  Take a week’s cruise over Christmas on a boat for six from Bradford on Avon for £1,120 (23-30 December) or a short break for £800 (23-26 Dec).  Or take a boat for four for a week for £796 (24-31 Dec) or a short break for £560 (24-27 Dec).  Take a boat for six over New Year for £1,120 (26 Dec to 2 Jan) or a boat for four for £856 (26 Dec to 2 Jan).
  • Wending through Worcestershire…A week’s cruise from Tardebigge on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal near Bromsgrove can take you to Warwick and its fascinating castle or to Worcester and its magnificent cathedral.  Or cruise the Stourport Ring, one of the most popular circular routes and mix rural idyll with city lights.  The journey will take you to three cities – the newly recognised City of Wolverhampton, industrial Birmingham, including Brindley Place, Gas Street Basin and Broad Street at the heart of its rejuvenated waterfront and the ancient City of Worcester.  On a short break, take a lock free journey to the City of Birmingham and back or keep it rural and head to the pretty village of Lapworth with its highly recommended Navigation Inn.  Take a short Christmas break on a romantic boat for two from Tardebigge for £627 or a boat for four for a week for £975 (24-31 Dec).  A short break on a boat for four over Christmas is £683 (24-27 Dec), a week on a boat for six is £1,195 (24-31 Dec).  A boat for four over New Year is £975 (27 Dec to 3 Jan) and a boat for six is £1,195 (27 Dec to 3 Jan).  Mid week breaks are also available.
  • The Llangollen Canal in North Wales…the beautiful 46-mile Llangollen Canal is one of the most popular on the inland waterway network, and navigating the awe-inspiring 1000ft, 19-arch long World Heritage Status Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, soaring 126ft high above the rushing waters of the River Dee is tantamount to free flight.  From Drifters’ hire base at Trevor, right next to the aqueduct, a short break to Ellesmere and back, offers the chance to explore the Vale of Llangollen and the Shropshire Lake District.  Pubs to enjoy along the way include The Bridge Inn at Chirk, AKA ‘The last pub in England’ with glorious views and numerous fire places, and The Narrow Boat Inn at Whittington, visited by Hollywood legends Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart, as part of their canal boat holiday on the Llangollen in 2004.  Take a boat for four over the Christmas week for £895 (24-31 Dec) or just for the weekend for £627 (24-27 Dec).  Take a boat for six over the Christmas week for £1,060 (24-31 Dec) or just for the weekend for £742 (24-27 Dec). Take a boat for four over New Year for £895 (27 Dec to 3 Jan) or a boat for six for £1,195 (26 Dec to 2 Jan).
  • Cruise the Shropshire Union Canal from Bunbury…offers a number of routes, including a short break to the ancient City of Chester and back along the Shropshire Union Canal.  Alternatively, head south to the Llangollen Canal and historic Whitchurch.  A week’s cruise could take you to Llangollen and back, via the awesome Pontcysyllte Aqueduct or tackle the Four Counties Ring, including 96 locks and the world famous 2670 metre long Harecastle Tunnel. Take a boat for six from Bunbury for Christmas week for £1,100 (23-30 Dec) or just for the weekend for £770 (23-26 Dec).  Or hire a romantic boat for two for a week for £820 (24-31 Dec) or just for the weekend for £574 (24-27 Dec).  Take a boat for six over New Year for £1,100 (26 Dec to 2 Jan) or a boat for two for £820 (27 Dec to 3 Jan).  A short Christmas break on a boat for six is £770 (24-27 Dec).  Take a boat for four over New Year for £975 (26 Dec to 2 Jan) or a boat for two for £895 (27 Dec to 3 Jan).  A boat for six over New Year is £1,100 (27 Dec to 3 Jan).
  • Explore the Potteries in Staffordshire…Drifters’ base at Great Haywood at the junction of the Staffs & Worcs and Trent & Mersey canals in Staffordshire offers a huge array of routes.  On a week’s cruise, head north on the Trent & Mersey and join the pretty Caldon Canal to Froghall or travel to historic Market Drayton, home of the gingerbread man along the Shropshire Union.  For a cruising challenge, tackle the Four Counties Ring, taking in 94 locks and the world famous 2670 metre long Harecastle Tunnel along the way.  On a short break, head to historic Stone or to pretty Fradley at the junction of the Trent & Mersey and Coventry canals.  Take a short break over Christmas on a boat for four for £683 (23-26 Dec) or a week for £975 (23-30 Dec).  Take a romantic boat for two for £627 (24-27 Dec) or a jolly boat for six for £1,100 (24-31 Dec).
  • The Oxford Canal at Rugby…A week’s break from Drifters’ base at Stretton-under-Fosse near Rugby could take you to historic Warwick and back along the Grand Union Canal, via Braunston and Napton Junctions, with plenty of time to visit the Regency centre of Lemington Spa and Warwick with its castle and lovely antique shops.  The journey takes a total of 30 hours cruising, with 26 locks along the way.  Or head south along the beautiful Oxford Canal, one of England’s most peaceful waterways which meanders slowly through classic scenery, much of which hasn’t changed for centuries.  A week can easily take you as far as the historic town of Banbury and back, cruising a total of 40 hours and negotiating 25 locks.  Take a romantic boat for two for a week for £715, a boat for four for £1,145 or a boat for six for £1,295 (24-31 Dec).

For more information about Drifters boating holidays call 0844 984 0322 or visit www.drifters.co.uk

 

Take a Canal Boat Holiday this Halloween

Take a Canal Boat Holiday this Halloween

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Reputedly playing host to hundreds of ghosts, with bats and frogs aplenty, creepy tunnels, spooky locks, misty towpaths and thousands of historic buildings along the way, Britain’s 200-year old canal network provides the perfect backdrop for a haunting Halloween afloat.

Drifters Waterway Holidays offers over 500 boats from 35 bases across the country (www.drifters.co.uk).

Here are a few of the spookiest places to go:

  • The Shropshire Union Canal is said to be Britain’s most haunted canal with five ghosts along its length, including ‘The Monkey Man’ at Bridge 39 near Norbury.  The hideous black, shaggy coated being is said to be the ghost of a boatman drowned there in the 19th century.  And at Betton Cutting near Market Drayton a shrieking spectre has been seen and heard.  See if you can spot them by heading north from Drifters’ base at Brewood on the Shropshire Union Canal in Staffordshire near Stafford.  A short break for four costs £454 (28-31 October).
  • Get the chills in Chester by visiting the city’s old Northgate where the canal was dug into part of the town’s moat and a Roman centurion can sometimes be seen guarding the entrance to the city.  You can also visit Chester’s The King’s Inn, an old coaching inn believed to be haunted by three separate spirits. Hire a boat from Drifters’ base at Bunbury on the Shropshire Union Canal in Cheshire and you can easily make it to Chester and back on a short break, cruising for a total of 14 hours and negotiating 18 locks.  Try a boat for four from just £396 or a boat for six for £487 (28-31 October).
  • Blisworth Tunnel on the Grand Union Canal in Northamptonshire has spooked a number of boaters over the years.  At 3,076 yards (2.81km) it’s one of the longest on the canal system.  When construction began in 1793, the tunnel was a major feat of engineering.  Teams of navvies worked with picks and shovels for three years until they hit quicksand and the tunnel collapsed, killing 14 men.  A new route for the tunnel was found and it finally opened on 25 March 1805.  Over the years, a number of boaters travelling through the tunnel have reported seeing lights and a fork in the waterways.  But the tunnel runs straight through the hill so people have seen the flicker of candlelight at the spot where the first tunnel would have intersected with the main canal tunnel, showing the ghostly navvies are still working there!  Hire a boat from Drifters’ popular base at Gayton on the Grand Union Canal close to the Blisworth Tunnel and travel to Crick and back on a short break, which includes a trip through the tunnel.  A boat for six for the Halloween weekend costs £665 (28-31 October).
  • At the Union Canal tunnel at Falkirk in Scotland, two walkers and their dogs were terrified by an apparition of a man who had been lured to the tunnel in the 1940s and viciously murdered after he had been unable to pay his gambling debt.  And there are plenty of ghostly goings on in the historic city of Edinburgh, including the ghost of the Great Lafayette at Edinburgh Festival Theatre, a magician who was killed in fire there.  From the Drifters hire boat base at Falkirk, you can travel the 32 rural and peaceful miles to Edinburgh along the Union Canal in just two leisurely days, arriving at Edinburgh Quay, just five minutes walk from Princes Street.  Take a boat for four from Falkirk for £536 (28-31 Oct) or a boat for six for £665 (28-31 Oct).
  • The Trent & Mersey Canal’s Harecastle Tunnel at Kidsgrove is said to be home to a shrieking boggart – the ghost of Kit Crewbucket who was murdered and whose headless corpse was dumped in the canal.  Hire a boat for four from Drifter’s base at Stoke on Trent on the Trent & Mersey Canal in Staffordshire for £523 (28-31 Oct).
  • The Llangollen Canal in Wrexham is haunted by an eerie figure that can sometimes be seen on moonlit nights gliding along the towpath by the incredible Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, a UNESCO World Heritage site.  Hire a boat for four for a week from Drifters’ base at Trevor, right next to the Aqueduct for £670 (28 Oct to 4 Nov) or £469 for short break (28-31 Oct).
  • At 3.25 miles long, The spooky Standedge Tunnel in Yorkshire is the longest, highest and deepest canal on the UK canal system and certainly not for the feint hearted!  Take a boat for a week from Drifters’ base at Sowerby Bridge on the leafy Calder & Hebble Navigation in West Yorkshire and cruise through the stunning Calder Valley, then onto the Huddersfield Broad Canal to Huddersfield. There you can moor the boat and switch to a train for a scenic rail trip to Marsden and the Standedge Tunnel Visitor Centre which is running special haunted Halloween boat trips (22-30 October). A boat for six for a week from Sowerby Bridge costs £890 (28 Oct to 3 Nov).

For more information about Drifters boating holidays call 0844 984 0322 or visit www.drifters.co.uk

 

SUMMER HOLIDAY BOATING

SUMMER HOLIDAY BOATING

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…take to the water this Summer for some holiday fun afloat with www.drifters.co.uk. From lazing on the Llangollen to cruising through the Capital, Britain’s canals offer the fastest way to slow down and a great family holiday.
With Britain’s 2,000-mile canal network in better shape than ever and hundreds of top quality boats available for hire, Drifters Waterway Holidays is offering some fantastic breaks on our peaceful inland waterway network this Summer.
Canal boat holidays are fantastic for families, offering the chance:
***to work together as a team to master navigation skills and operate the locks;
***to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life and the school run and slow right down to four miles per hour;
***learn the boating lingo – ‘windlass’, ‘winding hole’ and ’tiller’, to name but a few;
***spot wildlife, including the flashing blue of the kingfisher and ‘plop’ of the watervole;
***dust-off long neglected cards and board games for cosy onboard evening entertainment;
***explore mile upon mile of traffic-free towpaths by foot or by bike; and
***and breathe in plenty of fresh air to aid a peaceful night’s sleep.
Drifters canal boat holidays offer the choice of over 500 boats from 35 bases across the country. Here are some ideas for Summer cruising.
Cruise through the scenic heartland of Worcestershire…a short break from Drifters’ base in the beautiful city of Worcester where the River Severn meets the Worcester & Birmingham Canal is the perfect place to start a cruise of the brand new 21-mile Mid-Worcestershire Ring. The newly restored Droitwich Junction and Barge canals are due to reopen in July, creating the only loop in Europe that can be completed in a long weekend.
Holiday breaks from Worcester in July start at £582 for a short break on a four berth boat. NB to celebrate the opening of the Droitwich Canals, Worcester is offering 20% off bookings taken by the end of July.
Visit London by boat and cruise through the heart of the Capital…a short break from Drifters’ new base at Willow Tree Marina, near Greenford in West London could take you along the Grand Union Paddington Arm and on to the Regent’s Canal at Little Venice. This historic canal takes you right through the Capital, past London Zoo and Regent’s Park, through Camden and on to Limehouse Basin. Here boaters can take the to Thames and complete the London Ring or stick to the canals and cruise past the Olympic Park on the River Lee.
Trips from Willow Tree Marina start at £686 in July.
Explore crags and historic towns in Yorkshire…a short break from Sowerby Bridge could take you along the leafy Calder & Hebble Navigation to Hebden Bridge and Todmorden, navigating 20 miles and 32 locks. Hebden Bridge is an historic mill town nestled in a fork in the hills, with house piled tier upon tier. Visit its excellent shops and take a walk up the valley to crags, trees and stunning views of the moors above. Todmorden boasts fine Victorian buildings, including the Town Hall and a lively market. It offers many places to eat and drink.
Trips from Sowerby Bridge start at £415 in July.
Enjoy a trip to the theatre in historic Stratford-Upon-Avon…running from Birmingham’s suburbia to Shakespeare’s Stratford in 25 picturesque miles, the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal is a delightful waterway. Drifters’ base at Wootton Wawen is just a six-hour cruise from Shakespeare’s birthplace at Stratford, with 17 locks to negotiate along the way. Town centre moorings offer the ideal base for exploring the town’s pubs, restaurants, historic sites and the chance to take in a show at the famous Swan Theatre.
Cruises from Wootton Wawen start at £683 in July.
Chocolate, shopping & the bright lights of Birmingham…a short break from Tardebigge could take you along the Worcester & Birmingham Canal to Birmingham and back, with just ten hours cruising and no locks to negotiate. Stop off at the delicious Cadbury World then travel on to moorings in Gas Street Basin and explore the shoppers’ paradise of the Bullring and Mailbox.
Cruises from Tardebigge start at £574 in July.
Visit the “Stream in the Sky”…Drifters’ base at Trevor on the Llangollen Canal offers the chance to experience one of the UK’s most stunning stretches of waterway and to navigate the awesome World Heritage Status Pontcysyllte Aqueduct – an incredible feat of engineering standing at over 38 metres high above the Dee Valley.
Trips from Trevor start at £574 in July.
For more information about Drifters boating holidays call 0844 984 0322 or visit www.drifters.co.uk
For more information about Britain’s inland waterways visit www.waterscape.com
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For Drifters press enquiries contact Debbie Walker on 01628 635831/077486 40577 walker.debbie@sky.com