Last month, Elaine Wilson of Eccentric England enjoyed a weekend away on the Grand Union Canal.
Travelling with her friend Julie, she set off from our Stockton base, and travelled to Napton and Braunston. She talks about the people they met, the places they ate and the features aboard their boat.
To read Elaine’s review, go to https://eccentricengland.co.uk/home/canal-boat-kateboats/
With spooky tunnels, misty towpaths and plenty of ghosts, Britain’s 200-year old canal network provides the perfect backdrop for a haunting Halloween. Drifters’ narrow boat hire prices for boats for up to four people over Halloween start at £560 for a weekend break, £740 for a week.
Here’s a guide to our spookiest destinations for Halloween 2021:
Drifters offers winter cruising* on the canals from a number of its bases, with boats ranging from snug narrowboats for two, to larger vessels for twelve.
It’s free to moor almost anywhere on the network, so a narrowboat could provide the perfect base for a self-catering rural retreat with stops at historic waterside pubs and visits to Christmas markets and fairs at canal and riverside towns and cities.
All our boats have central heating, hot water, televisions and DVD players. Some also have multi-fuel stoves and Wifi. So, whatever the weather, it’s always nice and cosy on board. We also offers boats for hire over Christmas and New Year.
Drifters’ winter 2021-22 cruising prices start at £560 for a short break (three or four nights) on a boat for four, £775 for a week. Here are our Top 5 Christmas markets and fairs to visit afloat:
This award-winning event is scheduled to be held 9-12 December. Stall holders dress in Victorian costumes and there’s a range of entertainment planned throughout the town, including live performances. From Drifters’ canal boat hire base on the Stratford Canal at Wootton Wawen, it’s a six-hour cruise to Stratford upon Avon. The journey takes boaters through the Warwickshire countryside, passing through 17 locks along the way.
From 4 November to 23 December, Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market will fill New Street and Victoria Square, with stalls offering a variety of tempting food and drink, traditional toys, ornaments and gifts. Departing from our narrow boat hire base at Tardebigge on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal, it takes around five hours to reach Gas Street Basin in the heart of Birmingham. There are no locks to pass through along the way.
On Sunday 21 November Royal Leamington Spa’s Christmas Market will offer over 60 stalls with goodies, unusual gifts, stocking fillers, decorations and artisan food and drink. From Drifters’ canal boat hire base at Warwick on the Grand Union Canal, it takes just under an hour to reach moorings close to Leamington Spa town centre.
On 4 and 5 December, the Whitchurch Silk Mill will host a weekend Christmas Fair with a variety of stalls in the Mill grounds. From Drifters’ narrowboat hire centre on the Llangollen Canal at Blackwater Meadow, it takes around five hours to reach the historic market town of Whitchurch. The journey travels 12 waterway miles through the Shropshire Lake District.
Bath’s Christmas programme this year includes festive stalls in Kingston Parade and Abbey Green and an artisan market in Queen Square. There will also be an illumination trail of historic buildings and traditional Christmas celebrations around the Abbey Quarter. From our canal boat hire base on the Kennet & Avon Canal at Monkton Combe, it takes around four hours to reach moorings in Bath City, passing through six locks along the way.
*Some routes are affected by the Canal & River Trust’s winter stoppage programme https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/media/report/winter-notices.pdf
Towpath Talk editor Janet Richardson recently enjoyed a four-night family break on a Drifters boat, hired from our Stockton base. Here’s what Janet had to say about her ‘Far from the madding crowd’ multi-generational narrowboat holiday:
In these days of staycations, families have taken to the British countryside for all sorts of different experiences.
We decided to take a three-generation narrowboat break – myself, my son-in-law and two grandsons.
So on August Bank Holiday Monday 2021, we arrived at Drifters operator Kate Boats’ Stockton base in Warwickshire. Instructions had been emailed to us prior to arrival, so we knew what sort of procedures to expect.
There were already three cars ahead of us on the roadway down to the boatyard, but we were soon greeted by Mandy and shown where to park.
We quickly shipped all our luggage onto our floating home for the next four days – the 58ft Caroline Mary. Then we let the boys – Oliver 13 and Lewis 10 – explore inside, while Neil and I did the boat handover and tuition with Andrew from Kate Boats.
After a brief introduction, he gave us a checklist of everything to be aware of, such as location of the gas bottles, mooring pins, windlasses and electrical equipment. He then gave us time to find everything and prepare any questions.
Andrew then showed us the daily checks and how to access the weed hatch if necessary. He checked we had previous experience of going through locks before winding the boat for us so we were facing in the right direction. He then accompanied us through the first bridge, where we dropped him off on the towpath.
We were then on our own with 58ft of narrowboat to steer – being sure to remain on tick-over when passing moored boats.
As we went through the three locks at Calcutt, I was very grateful to two female crew members from Eliana who reminded me how to operate the paddles.
We followed Eliana down to Napton Junction where they turned right to head south down the Oxford Canal, while we went left towards Braunston.
After a cheery wave goodbye, we started to look for a suitable spot to moor along the towpath, and soon found an ideal spot about 50 yards below a moored widebeam.
Preparing for our first night afloat, we soon became aware of what we had forgotten to bring! Neil and boys hadn’t got any towels, but I had bought a bath towel and a hand towel – something we were going to have to share! We also didn’t have much food as we had been anticipating eating at a pub, so we ended up with a scratch meal of sausage rolls and pot noodles. At least I had brought a bottle of wine to wash it down!
Having had a pleasant evening playing a board game, and then watching a movie we prepared to settle down for the night. Neil and Lewis occupied the two single bunks in the fore-end, Oliver the converted dinette in the middle and I slept on a single bunk in the saloon.
Away from any street lighting, it seemed very dark but very quiet – a restful end to a busy first day.
It was lovely waking up in compete quiet – no traffic noise or the usual buzz from people going about their daily business.
Our first ‘visitors’ were a family of swans – cob, pen and four cygnets almost as big as their parents, but still with most of their ‘ugly duckling’ plumage. The boys wanted to give them some bread but I explained it wasn’t good for them, and we could try to pick up some duck feed somewhere along the route.
With no time constraints and just a leisurely cruise up to Braunston ahead, we enjoyed a breakfast which Neil conjured up from the contents of the fridge – bacon, egg, beans, tomatoes and bread – almost a full English! Then we got underway.
The first point to show us exactly where we were on the map in the Nicholson’s ‘Birmingham & Heart of England’ guide, was the fairly sharp right-hand bend under Nimrod Bridge No 108, followed by a left-hander.
We were cruising through some lovely countryside, with cattle and sheep grazing and the only traffic we were aware of was going under the A475 at Bridge No 107. We passed the village of Lower Shuckburgh on the right, and then cruised along a straighter stretch of canal towards Flecknoe.
Some of the older oncoming boats we passed had the great ‘chug chug’ noise. We discovered later there had been a Russell Newbery Register gathering at Braunston over the Bank Holiday weekend.
There was another sequence of bends before the canal straightened up again after Bridge No 100. We knew then that we were approaching ‘civilisation’ as there were more moored boats, and the landmark spire of All Saints’ Church showed us we were nearing the historic canal village of Braunston.
I had been invited by Tim Coghlan to moor for the night at Braunston Marina so we could catch up on the latest news and features for Towpath Talk. As we turned in under its famous Horseley Iron Bridge, we were met by Tim and directed to a pontoon.
Neil and the boys walked up into the village to visit the butcher’s and supermarket to stock up on supplies. We then enjoyed a relaxing afternoon – taking the opportunity to pop into Tradline Ropes and Fenders and we also saw the bags of coal ready for loading on to Raymond and Sculptor for the annual Narrow Boat Trust Coal Run.
It was soon time to walk along the towpath up to Lock 3 of the Braunston flight as I had booked a table at the Admiral Nelson. We enjoyed a very tasty evening meal and walked back to our boat as dusk fell on the second day of our trip.
After a leisurely breakfast, the boys went up the hill into the village for more supplies, while we prepared to head off on the next leg of our cruise.
After some manoeuvring between the moored boats along the pontoon, we were under the bridge and on our way to the Braunston Turn.
We decided not to try and push on further north up the Oxford Canal, which would put us under pressure when it was time to turn back. So we turned left back the way we had come, and headed back towards Napton Junction.
We had been following another boat most of the way and they pulled in for a stop along a beautiful stretch of countryside just after Bridge 103. The boys were getting hungry so we decided to do likewise a little further along.
It was beautiful; all you could see was the rolling countryside to the east with fields of grazing sheep and cattle. Apart from the occasional boat coming past, there was no sound or sign of human life!
Much to Oliver’s delight, having bought a bag of duck feed from the dispenser at the lock beside the Admiral Nelson the previous evening, the family of three swans we had passed preening their feathers on the towpath swam into view.
The parents and well-grown cygnet stopped for a snack before heading on their way. Then the boys and I went for a walk along the towpath, while our skipper had a power nap!
We were soon under way again and instead of turning right at Napton Junction, carried on up the Oxford Canal, aiming to wind before the Napton Flight and find a mooring for the night.
Having spotted some space along the moorings before Bridge 111, we decided to take advantage of the winding hole there. It proved quite a challenge with our 58ft boat getting its fore-end stuck in the silt, and the stern almost jammed up against the towpath. Neil had to use the boat pole to push us back.
Luckily a lovely couple from a moored narrowboat we had just passed came to our rescue with instructions from the bank. This enabled us to complete the manoeuvre while a couple of boats behind us pulled in to wait.
They then helped us to moor just in front of their narrowboat Moondancer. The next morning they went on their way before we had chance to thank them again for their friendliness and help.
Opposite our mooring was a large stubble field with lots of ducks and geese feeding. We also watched what we thought was either a kestrel or a sparrowhawk hovering over the field, and swooping down for its prey several times.
As darkness fell we could see the lights from the village across the field and car headlights on the road leading up to it.
As we prepared to set off on our return journey, another Kate Boats narrowboat Kate Elizabeth came past. I asked them if they were heading towards Stockton and asked if we could share the locks.
We turned left back onto the Grand Union Canal at Napton junction. Then cruised up to the Calcutt Locks where the Kate Elizabeth was waiting for a boat coming up the top lock. We pulled in behind. The occupants were also three generations of a family – grandparents, parents and two children from Gloucester. They had decided on a week’s holiday boating after a planned trip to Florida had been cancelled.
We stopped at lunchtime and took a walk, then decided to head back to Kate Boat’s base for our last night, so we were handy for the check-in the following morning.
We were lucky to get a space at the front of the moorings, and as the sun showed itself for the first time during the week we went across to the pub for a welcome drink in the garden and booked a table for an evening meal.
It was early to rise ready to return the boat by 9.30am. We had the bedding stripped and placed in the laundry bag provided and all our bags packed by 7am. So we pulled over to a vacant space and transported all our luggage to the car.
It wasn’t too long before Mandy arrived and said they were expecting 14 boats in with 11 to go out – so a busy day ahead.
We said our goodbyes and headed home reflecting on what had been a most enjoyable break. Lewis said he liked stopping in a different place every night, while Oliver also said the travelling was the best bit. They had both also enjoyed seeing the wildlife – especially the ducks and swans.
The best part for Neil was steering the narrowboat, although he said he could do with a bit more practice at reversing. And me – the friendliness of everyone we came across, whether seasoned boaters or fellow holidaymakers, and the feeling of being far from the madding crowd.
This year’s City of Culture – Coventry – is a key destination on the midlands canal network, so it’s a great place to visit on a canal boat holiday.
The city, which led the way in the cloth and textiles trade, has its own canal. The Coventry Canal runs 38 miles from Coventry Basin, up to the Trent & Mersey Canal at Fradley. The first five and a half miles of the Coventry Canal between Coventry Basin and Hawkesbury Junction was designated a conservation area in 2012.
Special City of Culture events include a three-day music festival in July and the BBC spoken word festival in September. The City’s many permanent attractions, include its famous Cathedral, St Mary’s Guildhall and Coventry Transport Museum.
To celebrate this year’s UK City of Culture, we’ve listed our Top 4 narrowboat holidays to Coventry:
From our new canal boat hire base at Kings Orchard it takes 16 hours to reach Coventry Basin. The journey travels 34 miles of the Coventry Canal and passes through 13 locks. The route takes you through the Staffordshire countryside. And it passes a series of canalside pubs, including The Greyhound Inn at Hawkesbury Junction.
From Drifters’ narrowboat hire base at Braunston, it takes 12 hours to reach Coventry Basin. You’ll cruise 28 miles of waterway and pass through just four locks. You’ll journey through the Northamptonshire countryside and past a series of canalside towns and villages, including Hillmorton and Rugby.
From our boat yard at Napton on the Oxford Canal, it takes 14 hours to reach Coventry Basin. The route navigates 33 miles of canals and passes through four locks. You’ll travel through the countryside and past a series of canalside pubs, including the Royal Oak at Hillmorton.
From Stockton on the Grand Union Canal it takes 15 hours to reach Coventry. You’ll travel along 36 miles of waterway, and pass through seven locks. The route transfers onto the Oxford Canal at Napton Junction, and takes you through the countryside to Coventry.
For more information about Coventry UK City of Culture events, go to https://coventry2021.co.uk/
To book a mooring space in Coventry Basin, go to https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/boating/planning-your-boat-trip/booking-your-passage-online or call The Canal & River Trust on 0303 040 4040.
From rural retreats to vibrant city centres, narrowboat holiday-makers can use their boat as a floating holiday home.
You can explore Britain’s beautiful 3,000-mile network of inland waterways, with the choice of hundreds of waterside destinations to visit along the way.
It’s free to moor almost anywhere on the network, so you can plan your journey around your chosen mooring sites. These can include canalside pubs, beauty spots and places to relax and enjoy a sundowner on deck.
To help you plan your next narrowboat holiday adventure, we’ve listed the top five places to watch the sunset afloat:
From our canal boat holiday hire base at Great Haywood on the Trent & Mersey Canal in Staffordshire, it takes just half an hour to cruise to Tixall Wide. This beautiful lake on the Staffordshire & Worcester Canal was created at the time of the construction of the canal. It was designed to mitigate objections of the residents of Tixall Hall, who didn’t want the new canal to spoil their view. Today it’s a peaceful haven for wildlife and the perfect place to watch the sun go down.
From our narrowboat yard at Sowerby Bridge is at the junction of the Calder & Hebble Navigation and the Rochdale Canal. From there, it takes around 13 hours (travelling 13 miles and passing through 35 locks) to reach West Summit Lock 37 on the Rochdale Canal. This takes you high up in the Pennines. Here you can moor up before the lock to watch the sun go down. And then take a short walk to the village of Summit and The Summit Inn.
From our narrowboat hire base at Stockton Top Marina on the Grand Union Canal in Warwickshire, it takes just half an hour to reach the bottom of Calcutt Locks. This is a great place to view the sunset over Stockton. From there, on a short break you can continue on to the pretty canal village of Braunston with a choice of pubs. On a week away, you can continue on up the North Oxford Canal and on to the Ashby Canal. From there, you can enjoy 23 miles of lock free cruising through the countryside.
From our narrowboat hire base at Chirk on the Llangollen Canal, it takes half an hour to reach Chirk Aqueduct. This carries boaters 21 metres high across the River Ceiriog and the English/Welsh border. There are moorings on the north side, perfect for looking out across the valley beyond. On a short break from Chirk, you can continue on to cross the World Heritage Status Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. It stands 38 metres high across the Dee Valley. Then you can cruise on to the Eisteddfod town of Llangollen, on the edge of the Berwyn Mountains.
From Sowerby Bridge, it takes around 15 hours to reach Castleford Flood Lock No.9 on the Aire & Calder Navigation. The journey travels 29 miles and passes through 31 locks. Along the way, you’ll travel along the Calder & Hebble Navigation through Elland, Brighouse, Mirfield and Wakefield. Then you cane transferg onto the Wakefield section of the Aire & Calder Navigation. Then cruise on to Castleford, the birthplace of the sculptor Henry Moore.
There are many engaging pieces of sculpture and public art to look out for along our waterways. Many of them celebrate their historic past and the wildlife that lives on the canals today.
Some of the most famous sculptures that have appeared on our waterways have been temporary installations. For example, Antony Gormley’s striking cast-iron cube figure that watched over Ned’s Lock on the Stratford Canal at Lowsonford in 2015.
Here we’ve gathered together a list of sculptures permanently at home on Britain’s canal network, to watch out for on your next canal boat holiday:
Sculpted by artist Richard Burnett in 2009, these two bronze life-size figures celebrate the industrial heritage of Sowerby Bridge, once the centre of the textile industry boom. One of the figures is Richard Tiffany, the town’s lock keeper for many years. By his side, helping him to push a lock gate is a young boy, modelled on Tiffany’s great grandson.
Drifters has a narrowboat hire base at Sowerby Bridge wharf, which lies at the junction of the Rochdale Canal and Calder & Hebble Navigation.
Standing at 30-metres high, the magnificent Kelpies are the largest pair of equine statues in the world. Based on the heavy horses that once plied the canal towpaths, these mythical water horses stand at the gateway to the new extension to the Forth & Clyde Canal, taking it to Grangemouth.
Narrowboat holiday-makers can reach the Kelpies in around four hours from Drifters’ canal boat hire base at Falkirk.
Sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley has been commissioned to create three bronze sculptures for the 250 City Road development, next to London’s Regent’s Canal. Rank-Broadley is famous for his effigy of the Queen, which has appeared on all Commonwealth coins since 1998. The first installation at City Road, which depicts two canal workers opening a lock gate, was unveiled at the entrance to the central plaza in March 2020. It will be followed by a barge lady this summer, and a boat horse and his handler in 2023.
Drifters nearest canal boat rental base is on the Kennet & Avon Canal at Aldermaston, around 37 cruising hours away.
Often referred to as the ‘father of English canals’, canal engineer James Brindley is commemorated at Coventry Basin with a 7ft bronze statue. Created by renowned sculptor James Butler, the sculpture portrays Brindley dressed in 18th century clothing, poring over canal plans at a desk. The statue is one of 39 artworks by local artists along the Canal Art Trail, which runs for 5.5 miles from Coventry Basin to Hawkesbury Junction.
The nearest Drifters canal boat hire yard is on the North Oxford Canal at Rugby, around seven cruising hours away.
This eye-catching stainless steel sculpture of a dragonfly has landed on a side pond above Lock 42, on the Hatton Flight of the Grand Union Canal. The sculpture, which measures 6ft across, was created by the Welsh sculptor Gideon Peterson. Early in his career, Peterson worked for Sir Anthony Caro. The sculpture, which was commissioned by British Waterways in 2006, celebrates the wildlife of the waterways.
Canal boat holiday-makers can reach Lock 42 from Drifters narrowboat rental base at Warwick in around three and a half cruising hours.
Sculpted by the artist Kenny Hunter in 2013, a cast iron hawk can be seen next to the Rochdale Canal at Mytholmroyd. The work was inspired by the poem ‘Hawk Roosting’ by the former Poet Laureate Ted Hughes. Born in Mytholmroyd, Hughes spent his childhood years wandering the local fields and woods.
The nearest Drifters base is at Sowerby Bridge, around three cruising hours away.
There are over 1,800 locks on the 2,000 miles of navigable waterways in England and Wales. Locks allow boats to travel up and down hills, and have been around for hundreds of years.
With around 35,000 boats licenced to cruise the canals, there are approximately 3.85 million lockages (uses of a lock) each year.
A lock is simply a chamber with gates at either end, and canal boat holiday-makers follow a series of step-by-step tasks to use them. By emptying or filling the chamber with water, boats can move up or down onto a new section of waterway.
From narrow and broad, to staircase and double, there are many different kinds of locks. But they all on work on a similar principle. With the lock gates closed, boaters should open the sluices (paddles) to let the water in or out. When the water level under the boat is the same as the level it’s moving to, the boat can move in or out of the lock.
Some locks are operated by boaters, others by lock-keepers. Tuition is included in all Drifters’ canal boat holiday packages, and during the handover boat yard staff will usually guide hirers through their first lock.
Here at Drifters’ we’ve put together our Top 8 flights of locks to celebrate these marvels of canal engineering:
One of the ‘Seven Wonders of the Waterways’ and a Scheduled Ancient Monument, the locks at Caen Hill are one of the most iconic sites on the waterway network. With 29 locks spread out over two miles, raising the canal by 72 metres, it takes around six hours to passage through. The 16-lock section clustered together up the hill is truly a magnificent site. Drifters’ narrowboat hire base at Devizes is at the base of the Flight at Foxhangers Marina.
One of the steepest flights on the system, the 16 locks at Marple raise boats by 64 metres over just one mile. The locks are built of local stone and are mostly tree-lined, giving the canal a lovely secluded feeling. In fact the Peak Forest Canals is said to be one of Britain’s most scenic waterways. It runs through beautiful countryside on the edge of the Peak District National Park. Drifters’ canal boat hire base at Stoke on Trent is 32 miles and 14 locks away.
With 30 locks spread out over two-and-a-quarter miles, this awesome flight of locks is the longest on the inland waterways system. In total, the locks raise and lower boats 67 metres, and it takes around five-and-a-half hours to travel through them. In recognition of the effort it takes, the Canal & River Trust issues certificates to boaters rising (or lowering) to the challenge. Drifters’ nearest canal boat hire base is at the top of the flight at Tardebigge Wharf, near Bromsgrove.
This spectacular staircase of five locks near Bradford is another of the ‘Seven Wonders of the Waterways’. The locks raise (or lower) boats 18 metres in five cavernous chambers. The locks open directly from one to another, with the top gate of one forming the bottom of the next. It takes around one-and-a-half hours to work through. The size of the chambers can be intimidating even for experienced boaters, but friendly lock-keepers are on hand to help. Drifters’ nearest canal boat rental base is 25 miles and 20 locks away at Barnoldswick.
This impressive flight of 21 locks was nicknamed ‘The Stairway to Heaven’ by the boaters who once carried cargos on the canals. The locks rise up 45 metres over two miles, and it takes boaters around four-and-a-half hours to travel through them. Just below the Top lock, Hatton Locks Café provides welcome refreshment for narrowboat holiday-makers and the “gongoozlers” watching them! Drifters’ nearest canal boat hire base is at Warwick, just two miles and two locks from Hatton Bottom Lock.
With countryside views all around, this flight of 10 locks raises boats up 23 metres in just a quarter-of-a-mile. Foxton Locks is the longest set of staircase locks in the UK and is designated a Grade II Listed structure. Staircase locks open directly one from another, so that the top gate of one forms the bottom of the next. It takes around 45 minutes to pass through the locks. Lock keepers are on hand to help, providing key advice when it comes to opening the paddles. Their mantra “Red before white, you’ll be alright. White before red, you’ll be dead” is helpful to keep in mind! Drifters’ nearest narrowboat boat hire base is a 14 hour cruise away, on the Grand Union Canal at Braunston.
This flight of 21 locks rises boats up by 40 metres over one-and-three-quarter miles. Travelling through these historic locks is one of the highlights for narrowboat holiday-makers travelling round the popular Stourport Ring. Drifters’ nearest canal boat hire base is just 12 minutes away at Autherley.
The Cheshire flight of 31 locks between Middlewich and Kidsgrove, raise the canal up 85 metres from the Cheshire Plains. The locks have been renamed ‘Heartbreak Hill’ by generations of leisure boaters. Because the locks are close enough for the crew to stay on the towpath, but far enough to require a lot of walking! Drifters’ nearest canal boat rental base is three cruising hours away at Stoke on Trent.
Narrowboat holidays provide a floating holiday home. Cruising along at just four miles per hour, watching out for wildlife along the way, you can take all the supplies you need for an adventure afloat.
Drifters offers over 550 boats for hire, operating from 45 bases across England, Scotland and Wales. Narrowboats range from 32ft to 70ft and can accommodate up to 12 people. All our boats are equipped with essential home comforts, including central heating, hot water, TV, showers and flushing toilets. Many now have WiFi too.
A licence isn’t required to steer a canal boat, and all our operators provide boat steering tuition as part of their holiday packages. To celebrate the two bank holidays in May, we’ve listed our top seven short break narrowboat holidays for beginners:
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: