Bristol Post, 13 October 2022
‘Autumn Breaks – Boating to Bath’
Tag Archive for: Kennet & Avon Canal
Huddersfield Examiner, 13 October 2022
‘Autumn Breaks – Boating to Bath’
Leicester Mercury, 13 October 2022
‘Autumn Breaks – Boating to Bath’
Birmingham Post, 13 October 2022
‘Autumn Breaks – Boating to Bath’
Derby Telegraph, 12 October 2022
‘Autumn Breaks – Boating to Bath’
Top 8 canalside events to visit by boat in 2023
Britain’s canals and rivers host hundreds of exciting events each year, bringing people to the waterways and celebrating the things that make them special.
These events make great destinations for canal boat holiday-makers, so we’ve put together our top eight events for 2023, along with information about our nearest canal boat hire bases:
1. Easter Boat Gathering, Friday 7 to Monday 10 April
The annual Easter Boat Gathering at the National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port marks the official start of the cruising season. Over the weekend, dozens of boats will moor up across the Museum’s seven-acre site and visitors can enjoy live music, children’s activities, workshop tours and historic boats. Drifters’ nearest narrowboat hire base is 10 cruising hours away at Bunbury.
2. IWA Canalway Cavalcade, Saturday 29 April
This annual event at Little Venice celebrating the best in life on the waterways in London, will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2023. The event includes live music, a real ale bar, food stalls, an illuminated boats procession and kids’ entertainment. Drifters’ nearest base is 34 cruising hours away at Aldermaston.
3. St Richard’s Canal Festival, Friday 28 April to Monday 1 May
This annual event organised by the Worcester & Birmingham Canal Society takes place in Vines Park alongside the Droitwich Barge Canal. Visitors can enjoy live music, boats, classic cars, art workshops, community stalls, a real ale bar and the annual ‘Great Droitwich Duck Race’ with over 1,000 plastic ducks competing. Drifters’ nearest canal boat rental base is three cruising hours away at Stoke Prior.
4. Rickmansworth Canal Festival, Saturday 20 to Sunday 21 May
Celebrating canals, the community and the environment, the annual Rickmansworth Canal Festival attracts over 100 canal boats from across the country. Occupying part of the Aquadrome and the Grand Union Canal towpath between Stockers Lock and Batchworth Lock, the event hosts a range of music, performing arts, displays, presentations, traders and catering. Drifters’ nearest canal boat hire base is 42 cruising hours away at Braunston.
5. Crick Boat Show, Saturday 27 to Monday 29 May
Three hundred exhibitors will gather at Crick Marina on the Leicester Line of the Grand Union Canal near Daventry, to showcase thousands of inland waterways products and services. Now Britain’s biggest inland waterways festival, Crick Boat Show offers visitors free boat trips, over 50 boats to look around, live music and a wide variety of food and drink stalls. Drifters’ nearest narrow boat hire base is five cruising hours away at Braunston.
6. Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, Tuesday 4 to Sunday 9 July
Every year thousands of people descend on the pretty town of Llangollen on the Llangollen Canal to celebrate dance, music, costume and culture. 2023 events will include ‘The White Flower: Into the Light’ on 5 July when massed choral and orchestral forces will come together in a concert of remembrance for the fallen of Sarajevo and Ukraine. Drifters’ nearest base is a two-hour cruise away at Trevor.
7. Stone Food & Drink Festival, Friday 15 to Saturday 16 July 2022
Staffordshire’s biggest celebration of all things gastronomic takes place at the Georgian market town of Stone on the Trent & Mersey Canal. The festival will host cookery demonstrations, talks and tastings, licensed bars, street food, live music and family fun. Drifters’ nearest base is five cruising hours away at Great Haywood.
8. Fairport Convention at Cropredy, Thursday 10 to Saturday 12 August
This annual festival of folk and rock music is held in the village of Cropredy, next to the Oxford Canal. The event is run by the Fairport Convention, often credited with being the first English electric folk band. Drifters nearest narrowboat hire base is 10 cruising hours away at Napton.
Visit a Christmas Market by canal boat
Winter cruising* on the canals offers the chance to enjoy a narrowboat holiday, visiting a Christmas market in a waterside town or city.
All our boats have central heating and hot water, and some also have multi-fuel stoves. So, whatever the weather, it’s always nice and cosy on board.
Here’s a guide to our Top 5 Christmas markets to visit afloat in 2022:
1. Visit Stratford-upon-Avon’s Victorian Christmas Market
This award-winning event is scheduled to be held 8-11 December 2022. There are hundreds of stalls selling a host of seasonal products, with traders decked out in their finest Victorian costumes. There’s also a programme of live entertainment planned throughout the town. From our base on the Stratford Canal at Wootton Wawen, it’s a six-hour cruise to moorings in the centre of Stratford upon Avon.
2. Moor up for a festive break in Bath
Bath’s Christmas Market is on from 24 November to 11 December 2022, with 150 twinkling chalets lining the picturesque streets of Bath. There will be stylish homeware, handmade jewellery and personalised presents, as well as festive food and drink. From our base on the Kennet & Avon Canal at Devizes, it takes around 10 hours to reach moorings alongside Sydney Gardens. From there, it’s a 15 minute walk to Bath City Centre. The route travels nearly 20 miles and passes through 10 locks along the way.
3. Cruise to the famous Frankfurt Christmas Market in Birmingham
From 3 November to 23 December 2022, Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market will fill New Street and Victoria Square. Over 80 stalls will offer a variety of tempting food and drink, traditional toys, ornaments and gifts. There will also be live music and carol singers. From our base at Tardebigge on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal, it takes around five hours to reach moorings in Gas Street Basin in the heart of Birmingham. There are no locks to pass through along the way.
4. Experience the magical Chester Christmas Market
From 18 November to 21 December, Chester’s Town Hall Square will be filled with over 70 stalls. Vendors will be selling everything from handmade gifts and stocking fillers, to fudge, vodka and mulled wine. From our base at Bunbury on the Shropshire Union Canal near Tarporley in Cheshire, it takes seven hours to cruise to Chester. There are nine locks to pass through along the way.
5. Navigate to the Whitchurch Silk Mill Christmas Fair
On 3 and 4 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 Whitchurch. The journey travels 12 miles through the beautiful Shropshire Lake District.
*Please note that winter maintenance on the canals will affect some of our routes for part of the winter
Top 6 winter canal boat holiday destinations
We offer winter cruising from eight of our canal boat hire bases, with boats ranging from snug narrowboats for two, to larger boats for up to 12 people.
It’s free to moor almost anywhere on the network, so a narrowboat provides a base for a floating self-catering holiday, with the choice of dozens of historic canalside pubs with roaring log fires to stop off at along the way.
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. Drifters’ also offers narrowboats for hire over Christmas and New Year.
Our winter 2022 to 2023 narrow boat hire prices start at £645 for a short break (three or four nights) on a boat for four, £1,023 for a week.
Here are our top 6 winter cruising destinations this winter*:
1. Wend your way to Warwick Castle
On a mid-week break from our base at Stockton on the Grand Union Canal in Warwickshire, you can cruise to Warwick to explore its stunning medieval castle on the banks of the River Avon. Canalside pubs to enjoy along the way include: the Blue Lias pub at the bottom of the Stockton Flight; and the Cuttle Inn at Long Itchington.
2. Visit Georgian Bath afloat
Enjoying a four-night mid-week break from our base on the Kennet & Avon Canal in Wiltshire, you can travel to the World Heritage Status City of Bath. The journey takes around 10 hours, travelling across two magnificent aqueducts and passing through 10 locks. There’s a choice of canalside pubs, including: the Barge Inn at Seend; and the Cross Guns at Avoncliff. Once at Bath, you can moor up below Sydney Wharf, a short walk away from the centre of Bath.
3. Travel across the UNESCO World Heritage Pontcysyllte Aqueduct to Llangollen
Taking a short break from our base on the Llangollen Canal at Blackwater Meadow, you can cruise to Llangollen and back, travelling across the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct along the way. The journey to Llangollen and back travels 37 miles, passes through four locks (two each way) and takes around 16 hours. On arrival in Llangollen, you can moor up in Llangollen Basin and enjoy visiting this beautiful town nestled in the Berwyn Mountains.
4. Visit Birmingham for festive fun afloat
From our base at Alvechurch on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal near Bromsgrove, it takes around five hours to cruise into the centre of Birmingham. Once there, you can moor up in Gas Street Basin, close to Brindleyplace to enjoy visiting city centre attractions, including the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, home to one of the largest pre-Raphaelite collections in the world.
5. Cruise gently through the countryside to Fradley Pool Nature Reserve
From our base at Great Haywood on the Trent & Mersey Canal in Staffordshire, you can reach Fradley Junction and Fradley Pool Nature Reserve in around five hours. The journey passes through 12 peaceful miles of countryside and five locks. Canalside pubs to enjoy along the way include: the Wolseley Arms at Wolseley Bridge; Mossley Tavern in Rugeley; and the Swan Inn at Fradley.
6. Moor up in Stratford upon Avon
It’s a picturesque six-hour cruise to Shakespeare’s Stratford from our boat yard on the Stratford Canal at Wootton Wawen in Warwickshire. The route crosses over the Edstone Aqueduct, with lovely views of the surrounding Warwickshire countryside, and passes through 17 locks. Once in Stratford, you can moor up in Bancroft Basin to enjoy exploring the town’s theatres, museums, shops, markets and restaurants.
*Please note the Canal & River Trust’s winter maintenance programme will affect some of our routes for part of the winter
Hire a canal boat for a family day out on the water this October Half Term
Day boat hire on Britain’s peaceful network of inland waterways offers the chance to explore the autumn countryside – and with prices starting from just £10 per person, it’s a great way to get the family together for a day out.
Drifters offers day boat hire from 15 boat yards across England and Wales, with boats offering space for between eight and 12 people. Full tuition is included so if you are new to narrow boating, it’s a great opportunity 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 lunch afloat or stop off at a canalside pub along the way.
Here’s a guide to our Top 15 Day Boat Destinations for October Half Term 2022:
Berkshire
Cruise through the West Berkshire countryside to the Spring Inn
From our day boat hire centre at Aldermaston on the Kennet & Avon Canal near Reading, you can cruise to Theale and back, stopping off to enjoy lunch at the Spring Inn, a 10-minute walk from the canal. The total journey takes just over four hours and passes through two locks each way.
*Day boat ‘Heyday’ can carry up to 8 people. Prices start from £129.
Cheshire
Boat along ‘The Shroppie’ to Nantwich Aqueduct
From our canal boat hire base at Bunbury Wharf on the Shropshire Union Canal near Tarporley, you can cruise south for six miles to Nantwich. There you can 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 woodlands of Marbury Country Park to Middlewich
From our day boat hire centre at Anderton Marina, next to the incredible Anderton Boat Lift, day boaters can travel to Middlewich and back. The journey passes through Marbury Country Park and Marston Flash. There’s a choice of pubs to stop at, including the Broken Cross at Rudheath. The journey to Middlewich and back takes around six hours. There are no locks.
*Day boat ‘Daydream’ can carry up to 12 people. Prices start at £139.
Monmouthshire
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, you can cruise to Mamhillad. The journey takes around two-and-a-half hours and along the way, you’ll enjoy incredible mountain views. At Mamhillad you can moor up to visit the popular Star pub, a short walk from bridge 62.
*Day boats ‘Robin’ and Rooster’ can carry up to eight people each. Prices start from £137.
Northamptonshire
Navigate through Blisworth Tunnel to Stoke Bruerne Canal Museum
From our base at Gayton on the Grand Union Canal near Northampton, you can navigate to the pretty village of Stoke Bruerne, home of the Canal Museum. The route travels through the Blisworth Tunnel, which at 3,076 yards long is the third longest on the canal network. It takes around one-and-a-half hours to cruise to Stoke Bruerne, including 30 minutes to cruise through the tunnel.
*Day boat ‘Day Lark’ can carry up to 12 people. Prices start at £129.
Cruise to the picturesque village of Napton-on-the-Hill
From our day boat hire centre at Braunston on the Grand Union Canal, you can cruise to the historic village of Napton-on-the-Hill. The journey, which takes around three hours, takes you through the Northamptonshire countryside and into Warwickshire. Once at Napton, day you can moor up and walk into the village where there’s a choice of pubs, including the Kings Head.
*Day boat ‘Ouzel II’ can carry up to 12 people. Weekday prices are £150, £195 for weekends and bank holidays.
Shropshire
Cruise through the Shropshire countryside to Oswestry
From our 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.
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, you can 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. You’ll pass 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.
Staffordshire
Navigate through the countryside for a pub lunch at Hopwas
From Kings Orchard Marina, on the Coventry Canal near Lichfield, you can cruise through the Staffordshire countryside to Bonehill Bridge and back. The route takes you through the villages 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. Prices start at £139.
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. It also passes 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.
Warwickshire
Cruise to the Mary Arden Inn at Wilmcote in Warwickshire
From our narrow boat hire base Wootton Wawen on the Stratford Canal, you can head south to the pretty village of Wilmcote, a short walk from the canal. Here you can enjoy lunch at The Mary Arden Inn. The journey takes two-and-a-half hours each way, and crosses over the impressive Edstone Aqueduct with beautiful views across the Warwickshire countryside.
*Day boats ‘Dolly’ and ‘Charlie’ can carry up to 10 people each. Prices start at £99 weekdays, £150 on weekends and bank holidays.
Wiltshire
Travel to Avoncliff Aqueduct and the Cross Guns pub
From our base at Hilperton Marina on the Kennet & Avon Canal near Trowbridge, you can head west past the picturesque town of Bradford on Avon and on to Avoncliff Aqueduct for lunch at the Cross Guns. The return journey to Avoncliff and back 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.
Worcestershire
Boat past the Bittell Reservoirs to Hopwood
On a day out from Alvechurch on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal near Bromsgrove, you can cruise to the Hopwood House Inn and back. The return journey takes around four-and-a-half hours and passes through the 2,726 yard long Wast Hill Tunnel. It also passes by close to the Bittell Reservoirs, a haven for wildlife.
*Day boat ‘Away Day’ can carry up to 10 people. Prices start at £137.
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.
*Day boat ‘Emma’ can carry up to 10 people. Weekday hire is £99, weekends & bank holidays £150.
Wrexham
Travel across ‘The Stream in the Sky’
From our canal boat hire base at Trevor on the Llangollen Canal in North Wales, it takes less than 20 minutes to reach the World Heritage status Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. Standing at over 38 metres high above the Dee Valley, this incredible structure offers boaters stunning views of the Dee Valley below. After cruising over the Aqueduct, there are two tunnels and another aqueduct to cross, before reaching the Bridge Inn at Chirk.
*Day boats ‘Jacob’, ‘Daniel’ and ‘Lotty’ can carry up to 10 people each. Weekday hire starts at £120, £180 on weekends and bank holidays.
For more information about Drifters day boat hire, go to http://www.drifters.co.uk/day-boats
For more information about visiting the canals go to www.canalrivertrust.org.uk
Experience an October Half Term canal boat holiday
Narrowboats are like floating holiday cottages, with everything you need on board for a self-catering adventure afloat. All our boats equipped with essential home comforts, including central heating, hot water, TV, showers, flushing toilets, and most now have WiFi too.
October Half Term narrowboat hire prices start at £642 for a short break (three or four nights) on a boat for four people, £1,010 for a week.
A licence isn’t required to steer a canal boat and all our operators provide boat steering tuition as part of their holiday packages.
Here are Drifters’ top six canal boat holiday destinations for October Half Term 2022:
1. Explore the ancient abbey at Selby
On a week’s holiday from our base at Sowerby Bridge, narrow boat holiday-makers can cruise to along the Calder & Hebble and the Aire & Calder navigations to Selby. The journey there and back travels 96 miles, passes through 68 locks (34 each way) and takes around 40 hours. The route passes through Wakefield, Stanley Ferry, Castleford and Knottingley. Scenery ranges from leafy cuttings on the Calder & Hebble and farmland along the Aire, to industrial hinterland on the Aire & Calder. At Selby, you can moor up to explore the ancient Abbey and market. Selby also has a good choice of pubs and restaurants.
2. Boat along the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal to Brecon
From our base at Goytre Wharf near Abergavenny, on a week’s break you can navigate through the wooded Usk Valley to Brecon. Situated in the heart of the Brecon Beacons National Park, Brecon offers theatre, cinema, cafes and restaurants. This historic town also offers easy access to the National Park, with walking routes, cycle hire and pony trekking. Along the way, boaters can stop off at Llanfoist to take the old tramway into the Black Mountains. Or visit the 13th century castle at Crickhowell. The journey there and back travels 51 miles, passing through 12 locks (six each way) and takes around 25 hours.
3. Glide along the Kennet & Avon Canal to Georgian Bath
On a mid-week break from our Devizes base in Wiltshire, you can travel to the World Heritage Status City of Bath and back. The journey to overnight moorings at Sydney Wharf travels nearly 20 miles along the Kennet & Avon Canal, and takes around 10 hours. From there, it’s a 15 minute walk to the centre of Bath. Along the way, you’ll travel across two magnificent aqueducts and pass through 10 locks. There’s a choice of canalside pubs to visit, including the Barge Inn at Seend and the Cross Guns at Avoncliff.
4. Cruise to Coventry to visit the Cathedral
From our narrowboat hire base at Braunston, it takes 12 hours to reach Coventry Basin, The route travels along 28 miles of mostly rural waterways and passes through just four locks. The journey takes boaters along sections of the North Oxford and Coventry canals. It passes a series of towns and villages with canalside pubs, including the Royal Oak at Hillmorton and the Greyhound Inn at Hawkesbury Junction.
5. Glide across the UNESCO World Heritage Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
On a short break from our base at Trevor in North Wales, you can cruise along the Llangollen Canal to the beautiful Shropshire town of Ellesmere. Along the way, you’ll travel across the UNESCO World Heritage Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. This enormous structure carries the canal 38 metres high above the Dee Valley, supported by 19 vast stone pillars. Once in Ellesmere, you can moor up and spend time exploring the Mere with its Victorian gardens, woodland paths and historic castle. The journey to Ellesmere and back takes around 14 hours and passes through four locks (two each way).
6. Navigate to Market Drayton, home of the gingerbread man
On a week’s break from our base on the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal at Gailey, you can travel to the historic market town of Market Drayton. The route takes you through the pretty village of Brewood with a choice of pubs. It also passes Belvide Reservoir and through a series of deep wooded cuttings. At Market Drayton there’s a Wednesday market and choice of places to eat, many offering the town’s famous gingerbread. References to people making gingerbread in Market Drayton date back to the late 1700’s. The journey to Market Drayton and back cruises 68 miles, passes through 14 locks and takes around 30 hours.