Mail on Sunday, 9 July 2023
‘My narrow escape (at 4mph)’
Caroline Hendrie reviewed her Drifters canal boat holiday on the Oxford Canal
Tag Archive for: narrowboat holiday
Woman & Home, 1 July 2023
‘Messing about on the River’
Chris Morley describes a leisurely trip on the Kennet & Avon Canal
Worcester Now, 4 April 2023
‘Free canal boat sessions’ at ‘Tardebigge and Alvechurch’
Top 8 canal boat holidays for wellbeing this summer
It’s well known that spending time in green space connecting with nature is good for our mental health and wellbeing. Recent research by the Canal & River Trust confirms the combination of green and blue space with wildlife experienced by visitors to the inland waterways gives an extra wellbeing boost*.
Britain’s 3,000-mile network of inland waterways flow through some of our most beautiful and unspoilt countryside, including National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs).
Here’s a guide to Drifters’ Top 8 wellbeing destinations for narrowboat holidays in Summer 2023:
1. Navigate the Peak Forest Canal to Whaley Bridge
On a week’s holiday from our narrowboat hire base at Stoke on Trent, you can travel along the Trent & Mersey and Macclesfield canals to connect to the Peak Forest Canal and Whaley Bridge. The Peak Forest Canal is said to be one of Britain’s most scenic waterways, running through beautiful countryside on the edge of the Peak District National Park. The journey to Whaley Bridge travels 39 miles, passes through the Harecastle Tunnel and 13 locks, and takes around 20 cruising hours.
2. Explore the Staffordshire countryside & Cannock Chase
On a short break from Kings Orchard on the Coventry Canal in Staffordshire, you can cruise to the beautiful waters at Tixall Wide and back, passing through the Cannock Chase AONB along the way. The journey there and back travels 32 miles, passes through 10 locks (five each way) and takes around 16 hours.
3. Drift through the prehistoric Vale of Pewsey to Hungerford
On a week away from our base on the Kennet & Avon Canal at Devizes, you can cruise to the historic town of Hungerford, passing through the Vale of Pewsey, in the North Wessex Downs AONB. The journey there and back takes around 40 hours, travelling 54 miles through 106 locks.
4. Glide around the Breacon Beacons
The beautiful Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal runs through the Brecon Beacons National Park. Stretching 35 miles from Brecon to Cwmbran, this peaceful waterway offers canal boat holiday-makers incredible mountain views. On a week’s break from our base at Goytre Wharf, near Abergavenny, you can cruise to Brecon and back. The journey takes you through Georgian Crickhowell, with its fascinating 13th century castle. And Talybont-on-Usk, with wonderful walks to the waterfalls at Blaen y Glyn. Brecon is home to a cathedral, theatre, cinema, castle ruins and stunning Georgian architecture. And you can enjoy some of the best views of the Brecon Beacons from Pen y Fan, the highest point in Southern Britain at 886 metres.
5. Cruise to the Aylesbury Vale
On a week’s break from Gayton Marina you can travel south to the Aylesbury Arm and into the Vale of Aylesbury, part of the Chilterns AONB. The journey to Aylesbury passes through a series of canalside towns and villages, including Stoke Bruerne with its Canal Museum. And Marsworth next to Tring Reservoirs, a nature reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The route travels 44 miles, passes through 41 locks and takes around 22 hours.
6. Float through the Dee Valley in North Wales
On a short break from Chirk on the Llangollen Canal, you can float through the Dee Valley AONB to the pretty Eisteddfod town of Llangollen. You’ll pass over the UNESCO World Heritage Status Pontcysyllte Aqueduct along the way. And you’ll cruise across the Chirk Aqueduct and through Whitehouses Tunnel. The journey to Llangollen and back takes around eight hours, travelling 14 miles, with no locks.
7. Take a Thames boating holiday to the edge of the Cotswolds
On a four-night mid-week break from Oxford, you can travel west along the River Thames to the pretty market town of Lechlade, in an AONG on the edge of the Cotswolds. The route passes through 22 miles of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire countryside. You’ll pass close-by to Kelmscott Manor, once the Cotswold retreat of William Morris. It takes around 17 hours to cruise there and back, passing through seven locks each way.
8. Travel through the Yorkshire Dales to Skipton
On a short break from Barnoldswick, you can head north-east along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal to historic Skipton. The journey travels 13 miles through the Yorkshire Dales, passing through 15 locks in around 10 hours. This breath-taking route winds along the contours of the side of Airedale, with extensive views of the Yorkshire Dales. You see sheep, farmhouses, barns, stone walls and the occasional village or town. Once in Skipton, you can moor up to visit shops and restaurants. And explore the 900-year old Skipton Castle, one of the most complete and best preserved medieval castles in England.
*The Canal & River Trust’s research was carried out by King’s College London, Nomad Projects and J&L Gibbons using Urban Mind, a smartphone based app to collect thousands of real time audits about participants’ location and mental wellbeing. Proof that time by water helps boost your mood | Canal & River Trust (canalrivertrust.org.uk)
Life is good on the Grand Union Canal
Ashley Gibbins and Ann Mealor of the International Travel Writers Alliance recently enjoyed a Drifters narrowboat holiday press trip on the Grand Union Canal.
They set off on a four-night mid-week break from Braunston in Northamptonshire, aboard a Union Canal Carriers boat.
After their tuition and boat handover, Tim from the Braunston boat yard took them through the first two locks for a trial run.
They moored up for their first night close the poplur Admiral Nelson pub. And met some other narrowboaters, who the following day helped them through the next set of locks.
On their canal boat holiday short break, they also travelled through the mile-long Braunston Tunnel, and enjoyed waking up to “loud” and “thrilling” birdsong.
Describing their first trip on a narrowboat as a “truly memorable and really enjoyable”, Ashley’s AllWays Traveller article lists some advice for first timers.
To read the full review, go to https://www.allwaystraveller.com/continents/europe/life-is-good-on-the-grand-union-canal
Cruising across ‘The Stream in the Sky’
Setting off from our Whitchurch canal boat hire base in Shropshire, Gareth Butterfield recently enjoyed a mid-week break with Drifters on the Llangollen Canal.
Accompanied by his wife and their two dogs, they cruised through the Shrophshire countryside and into Wales.
The highlight of their trip was crossing the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, 126ft high above the River Dee.
They also enjoyed visiting the historic town of Ellesmere, which Gareth describes as “a charming town with a wonderful mix of shops”.
Another highlight Gareth describes was the wildlife they saw along the canal, as it took them through the Marches Mosses, the third largest area of lowland-raised peat bog in the UK.
You can read Gareth’s full review at WalesOnline: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/reviews/drifters-llangollen-canal-holiday-review-26898188
Leicester Mercury, 8 February 2023
‘Tunnel Vision’ Nigel Thompson of the Daily Star navigates his way around British canals including the Standedge Tunnel in West Yorkshire
95% of holiday-makers say canal boat holidays are value for money
According to research carried out by the Canal & River Trust, the charity that works to protect and preserve the nation’s historic canals, 86 per cent of people who took a hire boat holiday would definitely recommend it to others, while an impressive 95 per cent felt their holiday was value for money.
Once people have discovered the delights of spending time on the water, they are very likely to come back, with 80 per cent of respondents to the Trust’s ‘Hire Boat Customer Survey 2022’ being return visitors.
Matthew Symonds, national boating manager at Canal & River Trust, says:
“Our unique British canals are enjoying a second golden age. Still navigated by boats just as they were hundreds of years ago, these days people recognise that spending time on the water is a tonic for mind and body.
“Boating holidays are a way people can step back in time and connect with our nation’s living heritage, and it’s fantastic to see that people find them so rewarding.
“At a time where we’re becoming more aware of our impact on the world, exploring the varied landscapes of Britain aboard a narrowboat is a holiday that is great for our wonderful historic canals and better for the environment than jetting overseas.”
Drifters’ 2023 hire prices start at £590 for a short break (three or four nights), £815 for a week on a boat for up to four people.
To check availability go to www.drifters.co.uk or call 0344 984 0322.
For more information about the work of the Canal & River Trust, including how you can volunteer or donate visit canalrivertrust.org.uk.
Top 9 New Narrowboats for 2023
Every year we add dozens of new boats to our fleet.
All our narrowboats have the essential mod cons, including central heating, hot water, televisions, fully-equipped kitchens, showers and flushing toilets.
Some offer extras like king-sized beds, drinks fridges, larger showers, baths, deck tables, solid-fuel stoves, underfloor heating and WiFi.
Here’s a run-down of our Top 9 new boats for hire in 2023:
1. ‘Lyra’ will be available from Falkirk
The 47ft ‘Lyra’ Princess Signature Class canal boat for up to four people, will be available to hire from our Falkirk base on the Scottish Lowland canals from March 2023. She will have a permanent double bed in the forward cabin, and an option to convert the dining area into a double or single bed. The kitchen areas are larger in the new Signature Class fleet, with more worktop space, a microwave, multiple USB charging points. She’ll have black-out blinds and bespoke mattresses to ensure a good night’s sleep.
ROUTES: On a weekend break from Falkirk you can cruise to Ratho, Linlithgow or the Kelpies. On a mid-week or week-long break, you can reach Edinburgh or Glasgow.
***Lyra’s 2023 prices start at £849 for a short break, £1,249 for a week. Price includes boat hire, damage waiver, gas, car parking, tuition, buoyancy aids, bed linen and towels. Diesel is extra, charged based on use on return, circa £15-20 per day. An additional licence is required to cruise from Falkirk, priced at £15 for three days, or £25 for longer.
2. ‘Rebecca’ will be available at Autherley
From next Spring, the new 60ft Discovery Class narrowboat for up to eight people, ‘Rebecca’ will be available to hire from Drifters’ narrowboat hire base at Autherley near Wolverhampton. She has three double cabins (which can also be made up as twins), two full bathrooms, and an extra outside table for alfresco dining. She has a reverse layout, so the galley is at the back of the boat. The interior dining area can be converted into a double bed.
ROUTES: On a short break from Autherley, you can travel to Norbury, Market Drayton, Kinver or Tixall Wide. On a week’s break, you can reach the National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port, Stourport-on-Severn or complete the Black Country or Stourport rings.
***Rebecca’s 2023 prices start at £995 for a short break, £1,495 for a week. Price includes up to six adults, fuel, diesel, parking, tuition and bed linen. There’s a compulsory extra £60 damage waiver, pets are charged at £45 each per week and extra adults are charged at £50 each.
3. ‘Hemplow’ will navigate from Braunston
The new 69ft narrowboat for up to eight people ‘Hemplow’ will be available to hire from Drifters’ canal boat hire base at Braunston on the Grand Union Canal in Northamptonshire from May 2022. ‘Hemplow’ will have three double bedrooms (which can also be made up as twins), two toilets, two bathrooms and a large saloon area where the dining area can be converted into an extra double bed. She will have a Semi Trad rear deck with seating.
ROUTES: On a short break from Braunston, you can cruise to Hawesbury Junction, Bugbrooke Wharf, Fenny Compton or Stoke Bruerne. On a week’s holiday, you can reach Milton Keynes, Shakerstone, Drayton Manor, Linslade or Market Harborough.
***Hemplow’s 2023 prices start at £950 for a short break (three or four nights), £1,360 for a week. Price includes diesel, gas, damage waiver, cancellation protection, parking, tuition and first pet. Second pet is charged at £25 per week.
4. The ‘Fairy Tern’ will depart from Anderton
The 70ft ‘Little Tern’ cruiser stern narrowboat for up to 10 people will be available to hire from our narrow boat hire base at Anderton in Cheshire. She will have a front cabin that can be configured as one double or two singles. The rear cabin will have two single beds, with a bunk above each. The two seating areas can be converted into a double or two single beds. She will have two shower/toilet rooms, LED lighting, two televisions, WiFi, a front deck table and wider beds.
ROUTES: On a short break from Anderton, you can travel to Lymm or Anderton. On a week’s break you can travel on to Manchester, Chester or Marple.
***Fairy Tern’s 2023 prices start at £1,399 for a short break, £1,999 for a week. Price includes bedding, towels, non-refundable accidental damage waiver, two pets, car parking, tuition, buoyancy aids, helmsman’s waterproofs and a welcome pack with cleaning materials. Fuel is extra: a £50 deposit is taken for a short break, £90 for a week’s holiday. Actual cost based on use, circa £15 per day.
5. The ‘Terek Sandpiper’ will depart from Hilperton
The new 66ft ‘Terek Sandpiper’ narrow boat will offer flexible accommodation for up to six people, from our base at Hilperton on the Kennet & Avon Canal in Wiltshire. The boat will have two cabins, which can be configured either as doubles or twins (with optional wider beds), and a seating/dining area in the saloon which can be converted into a double bed. She will have two shower/toilet rooms, a front deck table, LED lighting, two televisions and WiFi.
ROUTES: on a short break from Hilperton, you can travel to Bath and back, and on a week’s break you can reach Hungerford.
***Terek Sandpiper’s 2023 prices start at £1,399 for a short break, £1,999 for a week. Price includes bedding, towels, non-refundable accidental damage waiver, two pets, car parking, tuition, buoyancy aids, helmsman’s waterproofs and a welcome pack with cleaning materials. Fuel is extra: a £50 deposit is taken for a short break, £90 for a week’s holiday. Actual cost based on use, circa £15 per day.
6. The ‘Sedge Warbler’ will cruise from Alvechurch
The new 69ft ‘Sedge Warbler’ narrowboat for up to eight people will be available to hire from Drifters’ base at Alvechurch on the Worcestershire & Birmingham Canal. The boat will have three cabins, two of which can be configured as one double or two singles. The mid cabin next to the second bathroom will have a fixed double bed. She will have LED lighting, a front deck table, optional wider beds, two shower/toilet rooms, WiFi and two TV’s.
ROUTES: on a short break from Alvechurch, you can travel into central Birmingham in just five hours. On a week’s break, you can tackle the popular Stourport Ring, cruising a total of 74 miles and passing through 118 locks.
***Knot Sandpiper’s 2023 prices start at £1,599 for a short break, £2,299 for a week. Price includes bedding, towels, non-refundable accidental damage waiver, two pets, car parking, tuition, buoyancy aids, helmsman’s waterproofs and a welcome pack with cleaning materials. Fuel is extra: a £50 deposit is taken for a short break, £90 for a week’s holiday. Actual cost based on use, circa £15 per day.
7. The ‘Arabian Lark’ will navigate from Aldermaston
The 66ft ‘Arabian Lark’ for up to six people will be available to hire from Drifters’ narrow boat hire base at Aldermaston on the Kennet & Avon Canal in West Berkshire. She will have two cabins, which can be configured either as doubles or twins (with optional wider beds), and a seating/dining area in the saloon which can be converted into a double bed. She will have two shower/toilet rooms, a front deck table, LED lighting, two televisions and WiFi.
ROUTES: on a short break from Aldermaston, you can travel to Newbury or Hungerford. On a week’s holiday you can reach Oxford, Pewsey or Windsor.
***Arabian Lark’s 2023 prices start at £1,399 for short break, £1,999 for a week. Price includes bedding, towels, non-refundable accidental damage waiver, two pets, car parking, tuition, buoyancy aids, helmsman’s waterproofs and a welcome pack with cleaning materials. Fuel is extra: a £50 deposit is taken for a short break, £90 for a week’s holiday. Actual cost based on use, circa £15 per day.
8. ‘Onyx’ arrives at Whixall
From 3 April 2023, the new 60ft Gem Class ‘Onyx’ narrowboat for up to six people will be available to hire from Drifters’ canal boat rental base at Whixall, on the Prees Branch of the Llangollen Canal in Shropshire. The cruiser stern ‘Onyx’ will have a reverse layout – with the galley at the rear and main sleeping areas in the middle and at the front of the boat. ‘Onyx’ will feature two shower/toilet rooms, full central heating, a well-equipped galley and flexible accommodation in two cabins, ranging from two doubles to four singles. And the dinette area can be converted into a double bed.
ROUTES: On a short break from Whixall, you can travel to Ellesmere or Chirk. On a week’s holiday, you can continue on to Llangollen, crossing the UNESCO World Heritage Pontcysyllte Aqueduct along the way. Or head the other way to Nantwich, Market Drayton or Chester.
***Onyx’s 2023 prices start at £865 for short break, £1,200 for a week. Price includes bed linen, towels, first pet, parking and tuition on arrival. A £50 non-refundable damage waiver and fuel deposit (£70 for a short break, £110 for a week) are extra. Fuel charges are based on use, circa £15 per day.
9. ‘Citrine’ arrives at Oxford
From 27 May 2023, the new 60ft Gem Class ‘Citrine’ narrowboat for up to six people will be available to hire from our base on the River Thames at Oxford. The cruiser stern ‘Citrine’ will have a reverse layout – with the galley at the rear and main sleeping areas in the middle and at the front of the boat. ‘Citrine’ will feature two shower/toilet rooms, full central heating, a well-equipped galley and flexible accommodation in two cabins, ranging from two doubles to four singles. And the dinette area can be converted into a double bed.
ROUTES: On a short break from Oxford, you can travel to Lechlade or Wallingford. On a week’s holiday, you can reach Henley or Banbury.
***Citrine’s 2023 prices start at £865 for short break, £1,200 for a week. Price includes bed linen, towels, first pet, parking and tuition on arrival. A £50 non-refundable damage waiver and fuel deposit (£70 for a short break, £110 for a week) are extra. Fuel charges are based on use, circa £15 per day.
Top 9 canal boat holidays for 2023
From rural retreats to vibrant city centres, narrowboat holiday-makers can use their boat as a floating holiday home to explore Britain’s beautiful 3,000-mile network of inland waterways. There’s a choice of hundreds of waterside destinations and historic canalside pubs to stop-off at along the way.
Drifters offers over 550 boats for hire from 45 locations across England, Scotland and Wales. 2023 hire prices start at £590 for a short break (three or four nights) on a boat for four, £815 for a week. Tuition is included in the price of all our holiday hires, and many of our operators are currently offering early-bird booking discounts.
Here are Drifters’ Top 9 narrowboat holidays for 2023:
1. Cruise through the Cheshire countryside to Wrenbury Mill
From our base at Bunbury on the Shropshire Union Canal, it’s a peaceful 10-mile cruise through the Cheshire countryside to Wrenbury Mill. The route, which passes through 11 locks and takes around six hours, starts on the Shropshire Union Canal and transfers onto the Llangollen Canal at Hurleston Junction. At Wrenbury Mill, you can moor up for country walks and a choice of pubs, including the popular Dusty Miller.
2. Navigate the Black Country Ring
On a week’s holiday from our base at Kings Orchard in Staffordshire, you can navigate the Black Country Ring. The journey takes in a mixture of urban and rural scenery, and travels sections of the Coventry, Trent & Mersey, Staffordshire & Worcestershire, New Birmingham Main Line and Birmingham & Fazeley canals. Travelling 75 miles, and passing through 79 locks, the route takes around 43 cruising hours. Highlights include: the quiet waters at Tixall Wide; Gas Street Basin in the centre of Birmingham; and Fradley Pool Nature Reserve at Fradley Junction.
3. Visit the UNESCO World Heritage City of Bath
On a mid-week break from our base at Devizes in Wiltshire, you can travel along the Kennet & Avon Canal to reach moorings at Sydney Wharf, on the edge of Bath City Centre. The journey travels 19 miles, passes through eight locks and takes around nine hours. On the way, the route passes through the village of Seend with its popular canalside Barge Inn, and the historic town of Bradford on Avon, with a choice of independent shops and restaurants. Once at Sydney Wharf, you can moor up and take a 15-minute walk into Bath City Centre.
4. Explore the Llangollen Canal UNESCO World Heritage site
Setting off on a week’s holiday from our base at Whitchurch in Shropshire, you can travel to Llangollen and back, navigating along the 11-mile section of the Llangollen Canal designated a World Heritage site. Beginning at Gledrid, the World Heritage Site comprises a series of embankments, tunnels, viaducts and aqueducts, including the stunning Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. The whole length, described by UNESCO as ‘a masterpiece of creative genius’, has also been designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument of National Importance, and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The journey from Whitchurch to Llangollen and back travels 61 miles, passes through four locks and takes around 27 hours.
5. Complete the Stourport Ring
On a week’s break from our base at Stoke Prior in Worcestershire, you can complete the Stourport Ring. The route includes sections of the Worcestershire & Birmingham Canal, River Severn and the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal. It travels 84 miles, passes through 117 locks and takes around 51 cruising hours. Highlights include: the Tardebigge Flight of 30 locks; Gas Street Basin in the centre of Birmingham; and the Cathedral City of Worcester.
6. Cruise to Fenny Compton and back
Departing on a weekend break from our base at Stockton in Warwickshire, you can cruise to the pretty village of Fenny Compton. The journey begins on the Grand Union Canal, transferring onto the Oxford Canal at Napton Junction. Winding gently through 15 miles of countryside, the route passes through 12 locks, and takes around eight hours. Pubs to stop-off at along the way include the King’s Arms at Napton-on-the-Hill, and The Wharf Inn at Fenny Compton.
7. Visit Skipton and its medieval castle
Enjoying a weekend break from our Barnoldswick base, you can head east along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal to Skipton. The journey there and back travels 26 miles, passes through 30 locks (15 each way) and takes around 20 cruising hours. This breath-taking route winds along the contours of the side of Airedale, with extensive views of sheep country. Once in Skipton, you can moor in the centre of the town, visit shops and restaurants and explore the 900-year old Skipton Castle.
8. Travel slowly through the countryside to Hawkesbury Junction
On a weekend break from our base at Braunston, you can cruise slowly through the Northamptonshire countryside to Hawkesbury Junction. The route begins on the Grand Union Canal, transferring onto the North Oxford Canal at the Braunston Turn. Travelling 23 miles to Hawkesbury, passing through four locks and Newbold Tunnel along the way, the journey takes around seven hours. Pubs to stop off at include: the Bell Inn at Hillmorton; the Barley Mow at Newbold; and the Greyhound at Hawkesbury Junction.
9. Cruise along the Shropshire Union Canal to Market Drayton
From our base at Autherley in Staffordshire, on a mid-week break you can cruise to the historic town of Market Drayton and back. This rural route, perfect for beginners, takes you along the Shropshire Union Canal through over 26 miles of peaceful countryside. It passes through seven locks and a series of pretty villages with canalside pubs, including the Bridge Inn at Brewood and the Hartley Arms at Wheaton Ashton.