Tag Archive for: canal boat hire

Celebrate Mother’s Day Afloat

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Day boat hire on Britain’s peaceful network of inland waterways is a great way to celebrate Mother’s Day.

You can enjoy slow time together, watching out for Spring wildlife and blossom on the trees.  And you can pack a picnic or stop off for lunch at a canalside pub along the way.

Drifters offers day boat hire from 17 boat yards across England and Wales.  Prices start from less than £10 per person.

Full tuition is included, so it’s a great way to get the hang of navigating the canals.  All our day boats are equipped with cutlery, crockery and a kettle.  Most also have a toilet, cooker and fridge.

Here’s a guide to our Top 11 day boat destinations for Mums in 2020:

  1. Cruise through the Staffordshire countryside for a pub lunch at Hopwas. From our new day boat hire centre at Kings Orchard, you can cruise through the countryside to Bonehill Bridge. The route takes you through the villages of Huddlesford, Whittington and Hopwas.  At Hopwas there are two pubs to choose from, the Tame Otter and the Red Lion.  The journey to Bonehill and back takes five and a half hours and there are no locks. 
    ***Day boat ‘Happy Days’ can take up to 10 people.  2021 prices start at £137.

  2. Boat through the Berkshire countryside to The Spring Inn. From our day boat hire base at Aldermaston, you can cruise to Tyle Mill Lock and back. The journey travels two miles and passes through three locks. It takes around one and a half hours.  From there, it’s a short walk to the popular Spring Inn gastropub in Sulhamstead.
    ***‘Hey Day’ can carry up to 10 people.  2021 prices start at £129 per day.

  3. Explore Shakespeare’s country. From Wootton Wawen on the Stratford Canal, you can head south to the pretty village of Wilmcote. Here you can enjoy lunch at The Mary Arden Inn or visit the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust’s Mary Arden’s Farm.  The journey takes two-and-a-half hours each way.  It takes you across the impressive Edstone Aqueduct, with beautiful views of the Warwickshire countryside. ***Day boats ‘Dolly’ and ‘Charlie’ take up to 10 people each.  2021 prices per boat are £99 weekdays, £150 on weekends and bank holidays.

  4. Cruise through the countryside to Hillmorton.  From our day boat hire base at Braunston, it takes three hours to reach the canalside village of Hillmorton. The journey travels seven miles of the North Oxford Canal.  There are lovely views of the countryside to enjoy along the way.  At Hillmorton there’s a choice of pubs – the canalside Old Royal Oak or the Stag & Pheasant in the village. 
    ***Day boat ‘Ouzel II’ can carry up to 12 people.  Weekday hire is £140, and £175 on weekends and bank holidays.

  5. Travel across ‘The Stream in the Sky’ in North Wales. From our base at Trevor on the Llangollen Canal, it takes 20 minutes to reach the World Heritage Status Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. Standing at over 38 metres high, this incredible structure offers boaters stunning views of the Dee Valley below.  After cruising over the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, there are two tunnels to pass through.  Plus another magnificent aqueduct at Chirk.  In total, it takes around two-and-a-half hours to reach the Poacher’s Pocket pub at Glendrid. 
    ***Day boats ‘Jacob’, ‘Daniel’ and ‘Lotty’ take up to 10 people each.  2021 prices per boat are £120 weekdays, £180 on weekends and bank holidays.

  6. Cruise along the Grand Union Canal to Stoke Bruerne. From our day boat centre at Gayton near Northampton, it takes an hour to reach the pretty village of Stoke Bruerne. Along the way, you’ll pass through the 2,795-metre long Blisworth Tunnel.  Stoke Bruerne is home to Canal Museum, where stories, films and collections provide a fascinating look at the history of our canals.  And there are plenty of places to eat, including the Boat Inn, Navigation Inn and the Museum’s Waterside Café.
    ***‘Daylark’ can carry up to 12 people.  2021 prices start at £129.

  7. Glide through the Brecon Beacons. Cruise from Goytre Wharf on the Monmouth & Brecon Canal to enjoy incredible mountain views. From there, it takes two-and-a-half-hours to reach the village of Mamhillad.  You’ll find the popular Star pub a short walk from bridge 62.
    ***‘Rooster’ can carry up to eight people. 2021 day boat hire prices start at £139.

  8. Travel along the Kennet & Avon Canal to Bradford on Avon. From Hilperton Marina near Trowbridge, you can head west to the picturesque town of Bradford on Avon. This historic town on the edge of the Cotswolds has a great choice of pubs, independent cafes and restaurants, including the canalside Barge Inn.
    ***‘Cheers’ can carry up to 10 people.  2021 day hire starts at £122.

  9. Travel through leafy rural Worcestershire. From Tardebigge near Bromsgrove, you can cruise north to Kings Norton Junction, passing through the remains of the Forest of Arden. Historic pubs along the way include the family-friendly Hopwood House at Hopwood.  There are no locks, but there are two tunnels to pass through, including the 2493-metre long Wast Hill Tunnel.
    ***Day boat ‘Emma’ can carry up to 10 people.  2021 weekday hire is £99, weekends & bank holidays are £150.

  10. Cruise through the Shropshire countryside to Whitchurch. On a day afloat from our day boat hire base at Whixall in Shropshire, you can reach the historic market town of Whitchurch. The lock-free journey, which takes just under two hours, travels six miles of the Llangollen Canal. Once at Whitchurch, you can moor up to explore the town.  Here there are independent shops, way-marked circular walks and a choice of places to eat. 
    ***Day boat ‘Julia’ can take up to 10 people.  2021 prices are £99 on a weekday, £150 on weekends and bank holidays.

  11. Travel along the Trent & Mersey Canal to Rugeley. From Drifters’ boat yard at Great Haywood near Stafford, you can cruise to the market town of Rugeley. This four mile journey passes through two locks, and takes around two hours. Along the way, you’ll pass the National Trust’s Shugborough Estate.  Plus the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust’s Wolseley Centre and Cannock Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. 
    ***Day boats ‘Daphne’ and ‘Abi’ can carry up to 10 people each.  Weekday hire from Great Haywood is £99, £150 on weekends and bank holidays.

Travel round the Droitwich Ring on a narrowboat

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The Droitwich Ring is one of a small number of mini-rings on Britain’s canal network.

It re-opened in 2011 when the restoration of the Droitwich Canals was completed.

The route takes canal boat holiday-makers on a 20 mile circuit, passing through 33 locks along the way.  You’ll need around 16 hours to cruise this ring, perfect for a short break.

To complete the circuit you can set off from our narrowboat hire base at Worcester Marina.  The marina is on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal.

Travelling anti-clockwise the journey begins climbing up out of the Severn Valley.  A series of locks take you out of the City, reaching open countryside at Tolladine.

The pretty hamlet of Oddingley with an ancient half-timbered manor house is worth a visit.

Another good place to stop is at the country pub close to the south entrance of Dunhampstead Tunnel.

At Hanbury Junction, you need to transfer onto the Droitwich Junction Canal.  Consider at stop at the popular Eagle & Sun pub close to the turn.

The Droitwich Junction Canal is just two miles long with seven locks.  It joins the Droitwich Barge Canal at Barge Lock.

Soon after you’ll reach picturesque Vines Park in the ancient salt town of Droitwich.  You can moor up and take time to explore its half-timbered buildings, shops, restaurants and tea rooms.

Continuing along you’ll soon leave the suburbs of Droitwich and be back out into the countryside.  The waterway is lined with reed beds here, so look out for little reed bunting birds.

The ancient village of Salwarpe is another good place to stop and explore.

From there the route starts heading downhill again to the Severn Valley, including five locks at Ladywood and two at Hawford.

At Hawford Junction, you turn left onto the River Severn for the final leg of the journey.

Soon after Bevere Lock you’ll start to travel through the outskirts of Worcester, with views of the magnificent Cathedral.

Turn at Diglis Junction to get back onto the Worcester & Birmingham Canal and return to Worcester Marina.

You can also complete the Droitwich Ring departing from our base at Stoke Prior.  But you’ll need to allow an extra hour-and-a-half each way to connect with the ring at Hanbury Junction.

Beginners narrowboat holiday on the Llangollen Canal

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Elaine Wilson of Eccentric England took her first canal boat holiday in October.

She and her friend Julie set off from our narrowboat hire base at Whixall Marina.  This is on the Prees Branch of the Llangollen Canal.

They pottered slowly along, getting the hang of the steering.

Elaine describes the wildlife they saw, and the places where they moored up.

They visited Ellesmere, in the heart of the Shropshire Lake District. They also visited the historic town of Whitchurch.

You can read Elaine’s blog here https://eccentricengland.co.uk/home/canal-boat-holidays/

Visit an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty by canal boat

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Britain’s 3,000-mile network of inland waterways flow through some of our most beautiful and unspoilt countryside.  This includes many Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs).  So a canal boat holiday is a great way to explore the countryside.

From gliding through the Vale of Pewsey, to cruising through Cannock Chase, here’s our Top 6 AONB cruises:

  1. Explore the Staffordshire countryside & Cannock Chase

    On a short break from our new narrowboat hire base at Kings Orchard on the Coventry Canal, you can cruise to the wildlife rich Tixall Wide and back.  Along the way you’ll pass through Cannock Chase AONB. The journey there and back travels 32 miles, passes through 10 locks (five each way) and takes around 16 hours.

  2. Drift through the prehistoric Vale of Pewsey to Hungerford

    From our canal boat hire base on the Kennet & Avon Canal at Devizes, on a week away, you can cruise to the historic town of Hungerford.  You’ll pass through the beautiful Vale of Pewsey, part of the North Wessex Downs AONB. The journey there and back takes around 40 hours, travelling 54 miles through 106 locks.

  3. Navigate along the Pennine Summit to Barrowford

    From our narrowboat hire base at Barnoldwick on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal you can travel Barrowford.  This is close to Pendle Hill and the Forest of Bowland AONB. The journey there and back covers 20 miles, passes through six locks and takes around eight hours.

  4. Cruise to the Aylesbury Vale

    On a week’s break from our canal boat hire base at Gayton Marina on the Grand Union Canal in Northamptonshire, you can travel south to the Aylesbury Arm. This will take you into the Vale of Aylesbury, part of the Chilterns AONB. The journey to Aylesbury, which passes through Stoke Bruerne, travels 44 miles, passes through 41 locks and takes around 22 hours.

  5. Float through the Dee Valley in North Wales

    From our canal boat rental base at Chirk on the Llangollen Canal, you can float through the Dee Valley AONB.  On a short break, you can reach the pretty Eisteddfod town of Llangollen. Along the way the route passes over the UNESCO World Heritage Status Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. The journey to Llangollen and back takes around eight hours, travelling 14 miles, with no locks.

  6. Take a Thames boating holiday to the edge of the Cotswolds

    On a four-night break from our narrowboat rental base on the River Thames at Oxford, you can reach the pretty market town of Lechlade. This is in an AONB on the edge of the Cotswolds. The route passes through 22 miles of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire countryside.  It takes you past Kelmscott Manor, once the Cotswold retreat of William Morris.  It passes through 14 locks (seven each way) , and takes around 17 hours.

 

 

Day boat hire on the Grand Union Canal

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Travel blogger Katya describes her family day out on the Grand Union Canal in Northamptonshire.  She and her family travelled aboard our self-drive day boat ‘Day Lark’.

Narrowboat ‘Day Lark’ can take up to 10 people.  She is based at our Gayton canal boat hire base, near Northampton.

Like many families this summer, they were looking for different ways to spend time outdoors.  And they wanted to explore the countryside.

In her blog, Katya describes their boat and the facilities on board.  She also describes the tuition they had before they set off and their journey.

Katya says hiring a boat for the day was a great way to try out this activity.  She also says “a boat holiday is a great solution in the time of the pandemic”.  She explains it is “hired by a single household and you are able to enjoy a bit of exploration without depending on other people.”

To read her full review, go to http://katyaandkids.com/2020/09/30/family-day-out-with-narrow-boat/

For more information about Drifters’ day boat hire, go to https://www.drifters.co.uk/day-boats/

A weekend narrowboating on the Grand Union Canal

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The October Half Term break gave our little family – Mum, Dad, 12-year old son and Patch the Fox Terrier – the chance to spend the weekend away in the Warwickshire countryside.

We picked up our beautiful boat for up to six people, ‘Isabella’, from Drifters’ canal boat hire base at Stockton.  This hire boat yard is on the Grand Union Canal near Leamington Spa.  Drifters’ operators Kate Boats and Anglo Welsh both hire canal boats out of Stockton.

Boat Handover

We were sent a video in advance giving us information about how to operate the boat: https://www.kateboats.co.uk/sendout-video/

On the day we were given a handover in person and the opportunity to be taken through a lock.  We’ve been boating before.  So after going through the safety and operation procedures on board, we set off down the Grand Union Canal towards Napton.

Lock sharing at Calcutt Locks

Everyone had a go at steering during the two miles of cruising through the countryside before we reached our first lock.  Another hire boat joined us in the locks, so we shared the work between our two crews.  Our lock companions were seasoned boaters and were heading off for a two week break around the Warwickshire Ring.

Dinner at the Kings Head

Soon after the locks, we reached Napton Junction, where the Grand Union Canal merges with the Oxford Canal.  Here we moored up for the night just as dusk was approaching.  We walked along the towpath and into the village of Napton to enjoy dinner at the Kings Head pub.  We enjoyed pizza, a burger and a sizzling Thai chicken dish, followed by cheesecake and chocolate pudding.

We’d brought a torch to help us find our way back to our boat in the dark.  There’s no WiFi on board Isabella and the mobile phone signal in rural Warwickshire comes and goes.  While that’s alarming for a 12-year old, for us parents it was a great escape and a good excuse to play card games and chat instead.

A visit to the canal village of Braunston

The next morning we cruised on to the pretty canal village of Braunston in the heart of the canal network.  The journey was lock free and took us about two hours.  The wind was quite strong, especially in the more open stretches of the canal.  But we managed to keep the boat going in the right direction!  We passed fields with cows and sheep, and we saw lots of swans, ducks, moorhens and coots on the water.

At the junction where the main line of the Grand Union Canal meets the Oxford Canal, we turned right towards London.  A left turn would have taken us towards Rugby on the North Oxford Canal.

We turned the boat around at the entrance to Braunston Marina and then moored up for a coffee at the Gongoozler’s rest café boat.  We also topped up our boat with water from the water point close to the Marina entrance.

Then we set off on foot to explore the village of Braunston, including the High Street at the top of the hill.  Here there’s a village shop, pub and fish & chip shop.  Then we walked back down to the canal to have lunch at the Admiral Nelson pub, next to Lock 3.  This was perfect for gongoozling, the canal term for watching people and boats go through locks.  The food and service were excellent, with some great vegetarian choices, and well as burgers.

The return journey

As we only had two nights afloat, we cruised back the way we came and moored up north of Calcutt Locks.  The wind was strong, but the sun was shining and we went through the locks with another boat again.

We returned the boat to the boat yard the next morning and headed home feeling revitalised from all the fresh countryside air.  We have some lovely memories of the sights and sounds of canal environment and a family adventure afloat.

Wanderlust Magazine, November 2020

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Sarah Baxter & Paul Bloomfield explore ‘Travel in a Brave New World’ in their ‘Travel Bubbles’ article.  This includes ‘Hope floats’ domestic holidays on the canals.

Wanderlust Magazine, November 2020

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Debbie Walker lists the ‘Top 10 Canal Boat adventures for beginners’

Daily Telegraph online, 28 October 2020

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Emma Cooke and Paul Miles explore ‘Canal boat holidays: the best UK routes, from the Avon Ring to Welsh waterways’

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/cruises/river-cruises/best-canal-boat-holidays-uk-yorkshire-wales-norfolk-broads-scotland/

OK! Magazine, 27 October 2020

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‘Ghostly goings on’ lists the spookiest places along the canals