Enjoy a day afloat on the Jubilee bank holiday weekend
Day boat hire on Britain’s peaceful network of inland waterways is a great way to enjoy the countryside, and offers a great family day out over the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee long weekend, 2-5 June 2022.
Drifters’ offers day boat hire from 14 boat yards across England and Wales, with weekend and bank holiday prices starting from £15 per person. Full tuition is included so if you are new to narrow boating, it’s a great way to get the hang of steering, mooring up and working the locks.
All our day boats are equipped with cutlery, crockery and a kettle, and most also have a toilet, cooker and fridge. So you can plan a picnic afloat or stop off for lunch at a canalside pub along the way.
Here’s a guide to our Top 8 day boat destinations for the Jubilee bank holiday weekend:
- Cruise through the Shropshire countryside to Oswestry
From Drifters’ day boat hire base at Blackwater Meadow Marina on the Llangollen Canal, near Ellesmere, you can cruise to Oswestry and back. The route passes through farmland, glacial scenery and beautiful green countryside. The journey there and back takes around five hours and there are no locks.
Day boat ‘Lazy Days’ can carry up to 10 people. Prices start at £109.
- Glide through the remains of the Forest of Arden
From our day boat hire base at Tardebigge on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal near Bromsgrove, you can cruise north through the remains of the Forest of Arden to Kings Norton Junction. There’s a choice of pubs to moor at along the way, including the canalside Crown and Weighbridge pubs at Alvechurch. The route is lock-free but there are two tunnels to pass through, including Wast Hill Tunnel, which is nearly 2.5km long.
Day boat ‘Emma’ can carry up to 10 people. Weekday hire is £99, weekends & bank holidays £150.
- Navigate to The Star Inn at Mamhillad in the Brecon Beacons
From our day boat hire base at Goytre Wharf on the beautiful Monmouth & Brecon Canal near Abergavenny, boaters can enjoy incredible mountain views on the two-and-a-half-hour journey to the popular Star pub at Mamhillad, a short walk from bridge 62.
Day boats ‘Robin’ and Rooster’ can carry up to eight people each. Prices start from £137.
Day boats ‘Dolly’ and ‘Charlie’ can carry up to 10 people each. Prices start at £99 weekdays, £150 on weekends and bank holidays.
- Boat to Avoncliff Aqueduct and the Cross Guns pub
From our narrow boat hire base at Hilperton Marina on the Kennet & Avon Canal near Trowbridge, you can head west past the picturesque town of Bradford on Avon and its striking 14th century Tithe Barn and on to Avoncliff Aqueduct for lunch at the Cross Guns. The return journey to Avoncliff takes around six hours and there’s just one lock to pass through each way.
Day boat ‘Cheers’ can carry up to 10 people. Prices start at £119.
- Navigate through Cannock Chase to the Wolseley Arms
From our day boat hire base Great Haywood on the Trent & Mersey Canal near Stafford, you can cruise four miles, passing through two locks, to reach the historic market town of Rugeley. The journey, which takes around two hours, passes the through the Cannock Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the popular Wolseley Arms pub at Wolseley Bridge.
Day boats ‘Daphne’ and ‘Abi’ can carry up to 10 people each. Weekday hire starts at £99, £150 on weekends and bank holidays.
- Boat along ‘The Shroppie’ to Nantwich Aqueduct
From our canal boat hire base at Bunbury Wharf on the Shropshire Union Canal near Tarporley, day boaters can cruise south for six miles, and travel across the impressive Grade II* listed Nantwich Aqueduct, enjoying with panoramic views across the town. With no locks along the way, the journey to Nantwich takes around two hours.
Day boat ‘Bella’ can carry up to 10 people. Weekday hire is £99, weekends & bank holidays £150.
- Cruise through the Shropshire Lake District to Ellesmere
From our narrow boat hire centre at Whixall Marina, on the Prees Branch of the Llangollen Canal, day boaters travel to Ellesmere in the heart of the Shropshire Lake District. The journey takes around two-and-a-half hours, cruising through eight miles of beautiful countryside, and Lyneal Moss and Colemere Country Park along the way.
Day boat ‘Julia’ can carry up to 10 people. Weekday hire is £99, weekends & bank holidays £150.
For more information about Drifters’ day boats go to https://www.drifters.co.uk/day-boats/
