Tag Archive for: Trent & Mersey Canal

Guide to the Four Counties Ring

Guide to the Four Counties Ring

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Love Travelling’s guide to cruising round the Four Counties Ring on a narrowboat

Last autumn Marion Collinson of Love Travelling travelled round the Four Counties Ring on a narrowboat holiday with her family, and has since published a Guide to the Four Counties Ring.

Marion departed from Drifters’ canal boat hire base at Stoke-on-Trent aboard a 62ft Princess Signature Class narrowboat.

The journey covered 110 miles, passed through 94 locks and took two weeks. It is possible to complete the Four Counties Ring on a 10-day holiday, but Marion and her family wanted time to visit local attractions along the way.

With such an epic journey to review, Marion’s detailed Guide to Narrowboating on the Four Counties Ring is a four-part series:

Part 1 Staffordshire

The Staffordshire guide covers the first few days heading north on the Trent & Mersey Canal, including visiting Middleport Pottery and travelling through the Harecastle Tunnel.

Part 2 Cheshire

The Cheshire guide covers the 31 locks at Heartbreak Hill, boating through the leafy Cheshire Plains and visiting Wheelock and Sandbach. This section of the journey includes transferring onto the Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal at Middlewich and a visit to Nantwich.

Part 3 Cheshire, Shropshire & The West Midlands

This third guide covers a section of the Shropshire Union Canal in Cheshire and then into Shropshire at Audlem and on to the outskirts of the Wolverhampton. Stops included The Shroppie Fly pub at Audlem Wharf, Market Drayton, The Bridge Inn at Brewood (offering a laundry service for boaters) and Autherley Junction.

Part 4 Completing the circle

This final guide covers the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal, Gailey Wharf, Penkridge, the Tixall Wide Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), transferring onto the Trent & Mersey Canal at Great Haywood Junction, the village of Stone and a stop at the Plume of Feathers at Barlaston.

Marion has also reviewed a Drifters narrowboat holidays on the Kennet & Avon Canal.

The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in North Wales

Canal boat holiday ‘bucket list’

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The most iconic sites to experience on a canal boat holiday

Our canal boat holiday ‘bucket list’ guide is based on Robert Aickman’s ‘Seven Wonders of the Waterways’ list, compiled over 70 years ago.

Aickman co-founded the Inland Waterways Association.

We’ve added the Falkirk Wheel in Scotland (which opened in 2002) to create the perfect Canal Boat Holiday ‘Bucket List’ guide for 2025:

1. The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct

Carrying the Llangollen Canal 38 metres (126ft) high above the River Dee, the awesome World Heritage Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is the highest and longest aqueduct in Britain. Built between 1795 and 1805, it has 18 magnificent stone piers, supporting a 307-metre (1007ft) long canal trough. With not even a hand rail on the south side of the aqueduct to obscure the views of the breath-taking Dee Valley below, boaters literally feel like they are floating above the earth! Our nearest bases are at Trevor, Chirk and Blackwater Meadow.

2. The Anderton Boat Lift

Also known as ‘The Cathedral of the Canals’, this extraordinary structure, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year, raises boats 15 metres (50ft) from the River Weaver to the Trent & Mersey Canal. Designed by Edwin Clark and opened in 1875, it consists of two caissons, each large enough to take a barge or pair of narrowboats. In 1983 problems with the mechanism caused the lift to close but after a Heritage Lottery Funded restoration, it reopened in 2002. Our nearest bases are at Anderton and Acton Bridge. Please note, the Lift will be closed for a major refurbishment project from autumn 2025 for 12-18 months.

3. The Caen Hill Flight

With 16 of its 29 locks falling in a straight line, the Caen Hill flight of locks on the Kennet & Avon Canal at Devizes in Wiltshire is visually the most impressive in the country. The locks were the final link in the Kennet & Avon Canal’s construction, opening in 1810. By 1950 they had become derelict but after a major restoration effort, they were reopened by HM The Queen in 1990. Our nearest bases are at Devizes, Hilperton and Bradford on Avon.

4. The Bingley Five-Rise Locks

Completed in 1774, this spectacular staircase of locks on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal 17 miles from Leeds, raises (or lowers) boats 18 metres (60ft) in five cavernous chambers. The locks open directly from one to another, with the top gate of one forming the bottom gate of the next. Our nearest canal boat hire base is on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal at Silsden, a distance of six miles away. With five locks to pass through along the way, the journey to Bingley takes around four-and-a-half hours.

5. The Standedge Tunnel

Tunnelling for over three miles beneath the Pennines, this incredible feat of 18 and 19th century engineering is the longest, highest and deepest tunnel on the canal system. Cutting through solid rock, it took the navvies 16 years to build, opening in 1811. In the 20th century, the Huddersfield Canal fell into disrepair, becoming un-navigable by 1948, but after a long restoration programme, both the canal and tunnel were reopened in 2001. Today you need to book your passage though the tunnel with the Canal & River Trust. There’s also a trip boat operating from the Marsden end. Our nearest base is at Sowerby Bridge, on the junction of the Calder & Hebble Navigation and Rochdale Canal, 20 miles and 65 locks away. The journey to Standedge takes around 21 hours (three days).

6. Barton Swing Aqueduct

Originally built in 1761 by James Brindley to take the Bridgewater Canal across the River Irwell, the Barton Aqueduct was considered a marvel at the time of its opening. But when the Manchester Ship Canal company decided to use the course of the Irwell at Barton as part of its navigation channel, Brindley’s Aqueduct was replaced by the Barton Swing Aqueduct in 1893. The 1,450 tonne, 100-metre long aqueduct swings open, full of water, to allow the passage of ships along the Manchester Ship Canal. Our nearest base is at Acton Bridge, on the Trent & Mersey Canal near Northwich in Cheshire. From there, it takes around nine hours, travelling 26 miles and through just one lock, to reach the Barton Swing Aqueduct.

7. The Burnley Embankment

Also known as ‘The Straight Mile’, the mile-long Burnley Embankment carries the Leeds & Liverpool Canal over 18 metres (60ft) high across part of the town, offering boaters breath-taking panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. Though costly and difficult to build, the Burnley Embankment, which spans the Calder Valley, avoided the need for a series of locks which would have slowed cargo-carrying boats down. Designed by Robert Whitworth, the embankment was built between 1796 and 1801 and involved the mammoth task of transporting (by horse and cart) around half a million tons of earth from the nearby canal cutting at Whittlefield and tunnel at Gannow. Our nearest base is at Barnoldswick is just 11 miles and seven locks away from Burnley.

8. The Falkirk Wheel

Built as part of the Millennium Link project to restore the canals linking the east and west coasts of Scotland, The Falkirk Wheel is the world’s first and only rotating boat lift. Standing at a height of 35 metres, it moves boats between the Union Canal and Forth & Clyde Canal, replacing a flight of 11 locks which had been dismantled in 1933. It can carry up to 600 tonnes (eight or more boats) and uses just 1.5KWh of energy to turn – the same amount it takes to boil eight kettles. We offer canal boat rental at Falkirk, right next to the Wheel.

Drifters top 6 new narrowboats for 2025

Top 6 new narrowboats for 2025

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Every year we add dozens of new canal boats to our hire fleet

Drifters offers the choice of over 500 canal boats for hire from 40 locations across England, Wales and Scotland, and every year dozens of new boats are added to our fleet.

There are over 35,000 canal boats on Britain’s 3,000-mile inland waterways network, and around 1,000 of these are holiday hire narrowboats.

Here’s a guide to our top 6 new boats for hire in 2025:

1. ‘Willow’ will be available at Napton

The 61.5ft ‘Willow’ Regency Class semi-traditional stern* narrowboat for up to six people, will be available to hire from Napton, on the Oxford Canal in Northamptonshire.

‘Willow’ will have two king-sized double bed cabins and two bathrooms. The headroom is 6ft 4in throughout. There are TV’s and DVD players in both cabins and an extra large TV in the Saloon. There’s an extra outside table for alfresco dining and a bike rack is available for the front deck.  ‘Willow’ 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.

***2025 prices for ‘Willow’ start at £1,392 for a week.  Price includes up to four adults and two children, fuel, parking, tuition, towels, bed linen and welcome pack.  There’s a compulsory extra £70 damage waiver, pets are charged at £45 each per week and extra adults are charged at £50 each.

2. ‘Hill Partridge’ will cruise from Anderton

The 66ft ‘Hill Partridge’ semi-traditional stern* narrowboat for up to six people will arrive at Anderton on the Trent & Mersey Canal in Cheshire.

‘Hill Partridge’ will have two double cabins that can be made up as singles or doubles (with optional wider beds), and the seating/dining area can be converted into a double bed. She will have two shower/toilet rooms, a front deck table, LED lighting, two televisions and WiFi.

***2025 prices for ‘Hill Partridge’ currently start at £999 for a short break, £1,299 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 £60 deposit is taken for a short break, £110 for a week’s holiday.  Actual cost based on use, circa £15 per day.

3. The ‘Little Swift’ will navigate from Gayton

The 49ft ‘Little Swift’ cruiser stern* narrowboat for up to four people will be available to hire from Gayton on the Grand Union Canal near Northampton.

The ‘Little Swift’ will have one cabin, which can be configured either as a double or twins (with optional wider beds), and a seating/dining area which can be converted into a double bed.  She will have a shower/toilet room, a front deck table, LED lighting, two televisions and WiFi.

***2025 prices for ‘Little Swift’ currently start at £699 for short break, £899 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 £60 deposit is taken for a short break, £110 for a week’s holiday.  Actual cost based on use, circa £15 per day.

4. The ‘Blackpoll Warbler’ will be bookable from Aldermaston

The new 69ft ‘Blackpoll Warbler’ semi-traditional stern* narrowboat for up to eight people will arrive at Aldermaston on the Kennet & Avon Canal in Berkshire.

The boat will have three cabins: one fixed as double; and two which can be configured as doubles or singles. The ‘Blackpoll Warbler’ will have LED lighting, a front deck table, optional wider beds, two shower/toilet rooms, WiFi and two TV’s.

***2025 prices aboard ‘Blackpoll Warbler’ currently start at £1,299 for a short break, £1,799 for a week.  Price includes bedding, towels, collision damage waiver, two pets, car parking and tuition.  Fuel is extra: a £60 deposit is taken for a short break, £110 for a week’s holiday.  Actual cost based on use, circa £10-15 per day.

5. ‘Coral’ will be found at Trevor

The 60ft ‘Coral’ Gem Class cruiser stern* narrowboat for up to six people will be available to hire from Trevor on the Llangollen Canal in North Wales.

The boat will feature: two double cabins that can be configured either as a doubles or singles; a dinette double; and two toilet/shower rooms.  ‘Coral’ will have a reverse layout, meaning the galley is at the rear and the main sleeping areas are at the front and middle of the boat.

***2025 ‘Gem’ Class prices start at £1,265 for short break, £1,720 for a week.  Price includes bed linen, towels, up to three pets, parking and tuition on arrival.  A fuel deposit (£70 for a short break, £110 for a week) is extra. Fuel charges are based on use, circa £15 per day.

6. ‘Drake’ will be available at Bradford on Avon

The 67ft ‘Drake’ Admiral Class cruiser stern* narrowboat for up to six people will be available to hire from Bradford on Avon on the Kennet & Avon Canal in Wiltshire.

The boat will feature: two double cabins that can be configured either as a doubles or singles; a dinette double; and two toilet/shower rooms.  As well as central heating throughout, ‘Drake’ will have a multi-fuel stove.

***2025 prices for ‘Drake’ start at £1,370 for short break, £1,870 for a week.  Price includes bed linen, towels, up to three pets, parking and tuition on arrival.  A fuel deposit (£70 for a short break, £110 for a week) is extra. Fuel charges are based on use, circa £15 per day.

For more information about visiting the canals go to www.canalrivertrust.org.uk

 

Autumn canal boat holiday in Cheshire

Exploring Cheshire’s waterways

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Navigating Cheshire’s waterways on an autumn narrowboat holiday

Ashley Gibbin and Ann Mealor of the International Travel Writers Alliance recently reviewed their canal boat holiday exploring Cheshire’s waterways.

Setting off from our canal boat hire base at Anderton on the Trent & Mersey Canal, they cruised to Lymm and back.

Their journey took them along sections of the Trent & Mersey and the Bridgewater canals. They navigated their way through three tunnels: Barnton Tunnel; Saltersford Tunnel; and Preston Brook Tunnel.

Ashley and Ann cruised Cheshire’s canals in October and said: “While it might get a little chilly at this time of year, the narrowboat heats up very effectively, and the crisp clear autumnal mornings provide stunning cruising.”

Their review includes some suggestions for the trip, including making time to visit the Canal & River Trust’s Anderton Boat Lift Visitor Centre. They also recommend places to eat, including Eighteen The Cross in Lymm.

Ashley says: “One of the joys of the narrowboat is that on can moor up in the proverbial ‘middle of nowhere’ and have everything one needs for an enjoyable evening in. Music playing gently on the Bluetooth player, wine chilled in the fridge and, for us cheese and ‘nibbles’.”

You can read Ashley’s full review here.

Ashley and Ann also reviewed a Drifters narrowboat holiday on the Grand Union Canal in Northamptonshire.

To find out more about cruising the canals of the North West you can read Mark Nicholls review of his journey to Manchester and back.

 

 

Spend Christmas or New Year on a narrow boat

Spend Christmas or New Year on a narrow boat

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Drifters offers Christmas and New Year holidays from six narrow boat hire bases

You can spend Christmas or New Year on a narrow boat with the choice of six departure points.

All our boats have central heating and hot water, and some of our boats also come with multi-fuel stoves.

Prices start at £635 for a short break (three or four nights) on a boat for up to four people. £875 for a week.

Please note, some routes are affected at times by the Canal & River Trust’s winter maintenance programme.

1. Travel along the Stratford Canal to Stratford upon Avon

From Wootton Wawen on the Stratford Canal at Wootton Wawen in Warwickshire, it’s a six-hour cruise to Stratford-upon-Avon. The journey takes you through the Warwickshire countryside, passing through 17 locks along the way. Christmas in Stratford-upon-Avon is magical with Christmas lights adorning ancient streets, picturesque pubs and restaurants with festive decorations, and the Stratford Town Walk which runs all year round, including Christmas Day.

2. Cruise the Trent & Mersey Canal to Fradley Junction

Heading south from our base at Great Haywood, boaters can reach Fradley Junction in around five hours. The journey passes through five locks and 12 miles of Staffordshire countryside, including the Cannock Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. At Fradley you’ll find a choice of places to eat, including The Swan pub, and woodland walks around Fradley Pool Nature Reserve.

3. Boat along the Llangollen Canal to Ellesmere

From our base at Whixall in Shropshire, it takes around four hours to reach the historic town of Ellesmere. The journey travels through the Shropshire Lake District, past Whixall Moss Nature Reserve, Lyneal Moss and Colemere Country Park. The pretty town of Ellesmere has a great choice of independent shops, cafes and restaurants, woodland walks around the Mere, sculpture trail, cycle paths and hire, a castle and Victorian gardens.

4. Navigate the Shropshire Union Canal to Chester

From Bunbury near Tarporley, you can cruise through the Cheshire countryside to Chester. This ancient city has so much to offer visitors, including Roman city walls to walk, shopping at the Chester Rows, many historic pubs and vibrant restaurants and an award winning Zoo. The journey to Chester and back takes 14 hours and passes through 18 locks (nine each way).

5. Travel along the Llangollen Canal to Llangollen

From Trevor in North Wales, it takes around two hours to cruise to Llangollen. There you can moor up in Llangollen Basin and enjoy visiting this historic town nestled in the Berwyn Mountains. Llangollen has great places to visit, including the magnificent Horseshoe Falls and the National Trust’s Plas Newydd House.

6. Cruise the Kennet & Avon Canal to Devizes and the Caen Hill flight

Beginning your journey at Bradford on Avon in Wiltshire, it takes around eight hours to cruise through the Wiltshire countryside to Foxhangers Wharf at the base of the Caen Hill flight. There you can moor up and walk up the flight and into the vibrant market town of Devizes. The journey from Bradford on Avon to Foxhangers passes through seven locks.

 

Downie Live Travels by Boat series two

Downie Live Travels by Boat

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Canadian Youtuber Michael Downie has published another series of Downie Live Travels By Boat

This summer Michael took three Drifters holidays for Downie Live Travels by Boat:

  1. From Devizes on the Kennet & Avon Canal in Wiltshire where he travelled up and down the Caen Hill flight Narrowboating the LONGEST canal locks in the UK (youtube.com);
  2. From Alvechurch on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal in Worcestershire from where he boated into Birmingham City Centre Boating the city with MORE CANAL than VENICE (youtube.com); and
  3. From Falkirk on the Scottish lowland canals where he travelled up the Falkirk Wheel boat lift and along the Union Canal Riding the World’s ONLY ROTATING BOAT LIFT (youtube.com).

Michael’s videos offer a great insight into what it’s like to take a canal boat holiday in Britain and what the facilities are like on board our boats. Michael explains the history of the canals, locks, tunnels and other historic engineering structures.  He tells you about places to moor, pubs to visit and places to stock up on supplies.

Here are links to Michael’s films about his four trips on the canals in 2022:

  1. From Goytre on the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGcGMcj2dWM
  2. Acton Bridge on the Trent & Mersey Canal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERH0zbSxL4g
  3. Trevor on the Llangollen Canal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evulu9dXzec
  4. Sowerby Bridge on the Rochdale Canal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmBBnaRHkik
Norbury Junction where the Shrewsbury Canal meets the Shropshire Union Canal on Four Counties Ring intinerary

Marion’s Four Counties Ring Itinerary

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Love Travelling’s Four Counties Ring Itinerary

Marion Collinson from Love Travelling recently cruised the Four Counties Ring and has shared her Four Counties Ring Itinerary.

Setting off from our base at Stoke on Trent, in total the Four Counties Ring journey covered 111 miles, 94 locks and took close to 63 cruising hours.

Marion and her family took their time and did the journey in two weeks. You can do it in a week when the days are longer, but it’s more relaxing to do this journey on a 10-day or two-week holiday.

Day one: Etruria to Westport Lake 3 miles, 0 locks, 1 hour 20 minutes

  • Festival Park Marina, Etruria, Trent & Mersey Canal, Stafforshire (Black Prince base).
  • Morrisons supermarket at Festival Park for supplies to take on board
  • Middleport Pottery on right with moorings. Arranged a tour for the final day after returning boat.
  • Moor on left bank at Westport Lake, after Bridge 127.
  • Westport Lake is within walking distance of Harecastle Tunnel.
  • Westport Lake Visitor Centre closes 4.00 p.m.
  • Evening meal on board boat.

Day two: Longport to Rode Heath 1 tunnel, 5 miles, 12 locks, 5 hours

  • Harecastle tunnel. Open passage 8am to 12 noon. Bookings only pm and can be booked online the previous day.
  • The water at both ends of the tunnel is stained orange by iron ore.
  • Lidl available beside the canal just beyond the tunnel exit.
  • Red Bull pub overlooking Lock 43 at Church Lawton (Robinsons).
  • This is the upper section of what is known as the ‘Cheshire locks’ or ‘heartbreak hill’.
  • Locks x 6 (Nos.41 to 46) – Red Bull.
  • Locks x 2 (Nos. 47 to 48) – Church.
  • Lock x 1 (No. 49) – Hall’s.
  • Locks x 3 (Nos. 50 to 52) – Lawton Treble.
  • Moor at Rode Heath, between Bridge 140 and Lock 53.
  • Dinner at The Broughton Arms beside the canal just after bridge 140.

Day three of Marion’s Four Counties Ring Itinerary: Rode Heath to Wheelock 3 miles, 14 locks, 3 hours 50 minutes

  • This is the lower section of what is known as the ‘Cheshire locks’ or ‘heartbreak hill’.
  • Locks x 2 (Nos. 53 to 54) – Thurlwood.
  • Locks x 2 (Nos.55 to 56) – Pierpoint.
  • Locks x 2 (Nos. 57 to 58) – Hassall Green.
  • Locks x 8 (Nos. 59 to 66) – Wheelock.
  • Moor in Wheelock on left by Bridge 152.
  • Centre of Sandback a 1 mile walk from Wheelock. Dinner at The George Inn.
  • The Cheshire Cheese Inn at Wheelock looks attractive inside but just serves a snack menu.

Day four: Wheelock to Middlewich 6 miles, 6 locks, 3 hours 40 minutes

  • Locks x 3 at Booth lane (Nos. 67 to 69).
  • Rumps Lock (No 70) one mile south of Middlewich centre.
  • Middlewich centre – Locks x 2. Through Kings Lock then turn onto Shropshire Union Canal (SUC) – Middlewich branch, followed immediately by Wardle Lock.
  • Moor on the right between Bridges 28 and 31.
  • Lidl & Morrisons supermarkets in town centre.
  • Dined on board the boat.

Day five: Middlewich to Nantwich 13 miles, 3 locks, 5 hours 45 minutes

  • 3 locks at Stanthorne, Cholmondeston, and Minshull, then enter Shropshire Union Canal (SUC) – Mainline, at Barbridge Junction.
  • Possible lunch stop at The Badger at Church Minshull – Bridge 14.5 miles from Middlewich (10 minute walk).
  • 2 miles, 1 hour, past Hurlstone Junction, to Nantwich.
  • Moorings on left bank after Basin and before aqueduct.
  • Walk into Nantwich from aqueduct / bridge 92.
  • Nantwich museum free to visit, closes at 4pm.
  • Aldi & Morrisons supermarkets.
  • Dinner: Navio Lounge, Nantwich but there are also several attractive pubs in the town.

Day six: Nantwich to Audlem 5 miles, 6 locks, 3 hours 10 minutes

  • Short day to accommodate late start from Nantwich. To continue requires climbing a flight of 9 locks out of Audlem.
  • Locks x 2 at Hack Green.
  • Can visit the Secret Nuclear Bunker after Hack Green locks by Bridge 85.
  • Locks x 4 (Nos. 12 to 15) at start of Audlem.
  • Moorings on left at Audlem Wharf, bridge 78 between locks 12 and 13. Look for old wharf crane.
  • Dinner at the Shroppie Fly – canalside pub with food at Lock 13.

Day seven: Audlem to Market Drayton 5 miles, 16 locks, 4 hours 30 minutes

  • Locks x 11. Upper portion of Audlem flight of locks (Nos. 1 to 11).
  • Panda’s Pantry honesty mini farm shop at Lock 1.
  • Locks x 5. Adderley flight.
  • Moorings on right: below Bridge 62; between Bridges 63 & 64; between Bridges 64 & 65.
  • Bridge 62 gives direct access to Market Drayton centre.
  • Aldi, Lidl, and Asda supermarkets.
  • Dinner at The Hipperdrome in Market Drayton, but there are several other pubs to choose from in the town.

Day eight: Market Drayton to Norbury Junction 11 miles, 5 locks, 5 hours 20 minutes

  • Locks x 5 at Tyrley, a mile south of Market Drayton.
  • Start of 17 mile pound with embankments and cuttings: Woodseaves cutting; Shebden embankment; Grubb Street cutting.
  • Loynton Moss: floating bog managed by Staffordshire Wildlife Trust. Accessible from bridge 39.
  • Moor on the right above or below Bridge 38 at Norbury Junction.
  • Dinner on board the boat.

Day nine: Norwood Junction to Brewood 10 miles, 1 lock, 4 hours 25 minutes

  • More cuttings and embankments.
  • Deep cutting at Cowley Tunnel.
  • Lock x 1 at Wheaton Aston about 3 miles before Brewood.
  • Moor by Bridge 14 at Brewood (Pronounced Brood).
  • Dinner at The Bridge Inn canalside at Bridge 14. The pub also offers laundrette facilities for boaters if needed.

Day 10: Brewood to Gailey Wharf 12 miles, 1 lock, 5 hours 20 minutes

  • Enter Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal through stop lock at Autherley Junction.
  • Several narrow sections both approaching and leaving Autherley junction.
  • Morrisons supermarket in Pendeford, a short walk from the canal with mooring just prior to Autherley Junction.
  • Gailey Wharf (visitors moorings), with toll keeper’s watch-tower and canal shop.
  • Dinner at The Spread Eagle in Gailey, a 15 minute walk from the canal.

Day 11: Gailey Wharf to Radford Bridge 8 miles, 11 locks, 5 hours 30 minutes

  • Locks x 6 between Gailey Wharf and Penkridge: Gailey Top (No. 32); Brick Kiln (No. 33); Bogg’s (No. 34); Rodbaston (No. 35); Otherton (No 36); Filance (No 37).
  • Locks x 5 from Penkridge to Radford Bridge: Penkridge (No. 38) by Penkridge Bridge; Longford (No. 39); Park Gate (No. 40.); Shutt Hill (No. 41); Deptmore (No. 42).
  • Locks in this section are evenly spaced and are attractive, with some having bridges.
  • Radford Bridge (No. 98) visitor moorings on right above and below bridge.
  • Stafford is 1 mile west of Radford Bridge. Bus, walk or taxi.
  • Aldi supermarket for supplies, a 5 minute walk from the canal.
  • Evening meal at The Radford Bank Inn (Stonehouse), beside the canal. Excellent carvery.

Day 12: Radford Bridge to Stone 14 miles, 5 locks, 6 hours 40 minutes

  • 3 miles with 1 lock at Tixall (No43) followed by Tixall Wide.
  • To visit the National Trust’s Shugborough Estate. Moor on right bank before Great Haywood Junction.  Access on foot is from Haywood lock / Essex Bridge on Trent & Mersey south of junction.
  • Enter Trent & Mersey Canal at Great Haywood junction, turning north (left).
  • The Hollybush Inn at Salt accessed from Bridge 82. Renovated thatched pub.
  • 8 miles with 4 locks: Hoo Mill (No. 23); Weston (No. 24); Sandon (No. 25); Aston (No. 26).
  • Moorings above and below Lock 27 / Bridge 93.
  • If short of time could moor south of Stone after Sandon or Aston locks.
  • Stone supermarkets – M & S, Morrisons & Aldi.
  • Dinner in Stone centre at The Poste of Stone. The Star (Marstons) – canalside at Lock 27 is very attractive but no food served after 4pm weekdays and 5pm weekends.

Day 13: Stone to Barlaston 3 miles, 8 locks, 2 hours 50 minutes

  • Short day of boating so leisurely start with breakfast at The Poste of Stone 10 minutes walk from the boat.
  • Locks x 4 at Stone (27 to 30). Two above Stone centre and two below.
  • Locks x 4. Meaford flight (31 to 34) two miles south of Barlaston.
  • Moor by Bridge 103, Barlaston.
  • Evening meal at The Plume of Feathers – Neil Morrissey’s pub, by Bridge 103, moorings outside. Booked a table online as a busy, popular pub.  Definitely recommended.  Sunday roast superb.

Day 14: Barlaston to Longport 7 miles, 6 locks, 3 hours 30 minutes

  • Trentham Lock No. 35.
  • Locks x 5 (Nos. 36 to 40) South of Etruria Junction.
  • Factory Tour, World of Wedgewood accessible from Bridge 104 just south of Trentham.
  • Followed by Afternoon Tea and Pot Throwing.
  • Bottle kilns on right after Bridge 112 and on the left before bridge 115 (Lock 38).
  • Moored back at Black Prince base at Festival Park Marina, ready to return the boat at 9am the next morning.

You can see all our bases are on the Four Counties Ring here.

Visit the Stratford Christmas Market on a canal boat holiday

Visit a Christmas market on a canal boat holiday

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Drifters offers winter cruising from five bases in England and Wales

You can visit a Christmas market on a canal boat holiday with Drifters winter cruising.

Our canal boats for hire range from snug narrowboats for two, to larger boats for seven.

All Drifters’ 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.

Prices start at £635 for a short break (three or four nights), £875 for a week.

Here’s a guide to the top Christmas markets and events to visit on a barge holiday in 2024:

1. Visit Stratford-upon-Avon’s Victorian Christmas Market

This award-winning event taking place 7-8 and 14-15 December 2024 features hundreds of stalls selling seasonal products, with traders decked out in Victorian costumes. From Wootton Wawen, it’s a six-hour cruise to moorings in Bancroft Basin in the centre of Stratford-upon-Avon. The journey passes through 17 locks each way.

2. Boat to the Bath Christmas market

From Thursday 28 November to Sunday 15 December, Bath Christmas market will return to the historic City of Bath. You can explore dozens of chalets nestled amongst iconic monuments, with a wide range of crafts, gifts, food and drink. You can cruise into Bath on a short break from our bases at Devizes, Hilperton, Bradford on Avon, Monkton Combe and Bath.

3. Navigate to the World of Wedgewood for some Christmas shopping

The World of Wedgewood is next to the Trent & Mersey Canal at Stoke on Trent. There you can browse the world famous pottery centre’s Festive Collection, including the Nutcracker Collection. From Great Haywood on the Trent & Mersey Canal in Staffordshire, you can reach the World of Wedgewood in around eight hours. You’ll pass through 12 locks along the way.

4. Experience Christmas at Warwick Castle

From Stockton on the Grand Union Canal in Warwickshire, you can cruise to Warwick and back to experience ‘Christmas at the Castle’ (23 November 2024 to 5 January 2025), including an open-air ice rink, Stories with Santa and winter food and drink village. The journey from Stockton to Warwick takes around seven hours, passing through 20 locks.

*NB some of our routes will be affected by winter maintenance work on the canal network.

Cruise into Manchester city centre on a canal boat holiday

Cruise into Manchester by boat

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On a canal boat holiday with Drifters you can cruise into Manchester city centre

Mark Nicholls recently cruised into Manchester by boat, setting off from Drifters base at Anderton in Cheshire.

The journey to Manchester’s Castle Quay and back travels 62 miles, passes through two locks (one each way) and takes around 21 hours.

It takes in sections of the Trent & Mersey Canal and the Bridgewater Canal.

Mark says the route offers “that unique blend of open countryside and urban sprawl, plus an insight into the engineering masterpieces from the heyday of the industrial revoluntion”.

Highlights of Mark’s cruise into Manchester by boat include:

  • the Anderton Boat Lift, also known as ‘The Cathedral of the Canals’;
  • the Leigh Arms pub at Acton Bridge;
  • Preston Brook Tunnel;
  • the village of Lymm with a choice of pubs, restaurants and cafes;
  • passing Old Trafford, home of Manchester United; and
  • Castle Quay moorings, a short walk from Manchester city centre.

To read Mark’s holiday review in full at Trip Reporter.

You can also reach Castle Quay on a four-night break from our base at Acton Bridge. The return route travels 54 miles, two locks (one each way) and takes around 18 hours.

There’s more information about other Drifters canal boat holidays in the north west of England here https://www.drifters.co.uk/canals-of-north-west-england/

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in North Wales Top 10 canal boat holidays 2025

Top 10 canal boat holidays for 2025

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The best boating breaks on Britain’s inland waterways in 2025

To help plan your next boating adventure, we’ve published a guide to our top 10 canal boat holidays for 2025.

With boats travelling at a maximum speed of 4mph, and over 3,000 miles of navigable inland waterways to explore across Britain, canal boat holidays really are the fastest way to slow down.

You can use your canal boat as a floating holiday home to set off on an adventure afloat. From rural retreats to vibrant city centres, there are hundreds of routes and destinations to choose from.

Drifters’ offers over 550 boats for hire from 45 locations across England, Scotland and Wales.

2025 hire prices start at £630 for a short break (three or four nights) on a boat for four, £875 for a week. Tuition is included in our holiday hire price.

There are hundreds of routes and destinations to choose from. :

1. Visit the iconic Piece Hall in Halifax

From Sowerby Bridge, Salterhebble Basin on the Halifax Branch of the Calder & Hebble Navigation is a two mile cruise away. From there, it’s a two mile walk to Piece Hall, one of the most iconic heritage buildings in Britain. Once the centre of the global woollen trade, this monumental Georgian structure has an immense open air piazza. At Piece Hall you’ll find a mix of independent bars, shops and cafes, and a seasonal programme of events.

2. Travel round the Droitwich Ring

At just 21 miles long, the Droitwich Ring is the smallest canal circuit and can be done on a short break from Worcester. The restoration of the Droitwich Canals was completed in 2011, reconnecting them to the Worcester & Birmingham Canal and the River Severn. To complete the circuit, you’ll pass through 33 locks and it takes around 16 cruising hours.

3. Marvel at the Caen Hill Flight at Devizes

The spectacular 16 locks in a row climbing Caen Hill on the Kennet & Avon Canal at Devizes is one of the most impressive sights on the canal network. It’s part of a flight of 29 locks stretching for two miles and raising the canal up by 237ft. The Caen Hill Locks were the final section of the canal to be completed in 1810. And they were one of the final sections to be restored before the re-opening of the Kennet & Avon Canal in 1990. It takes around five hours to go up or down the flight. Canal & River Trust volunteer lock keepers are on hand to help and there are restricted opening hours. Our Devizes boat yard is at the base of the Caen Hill flight and you can also reach it on a short break from Hilperton, Bradford on Avon, Monkton Combe and Bath.

4. Follow the Lime Kiln Trail on the Mon & Brec

Isolated from the main canal network, the beautiful Monmouth & Brecon Canal runs through the Brecon Beacons National Park. The canal is home to a series of historic lime kilns. Stretching 35 miles from Brecon to Cwmbran, this peaceful waterway offers canal boat holiday-makers incredible mountain views. It also offers a fascinating insight into the history of lime production with historic lime kilns to visit Goytre, Gilwern and Llangattock. On a short break from Goytre Wharf, near Abergavenny, you can cruise lock-free to Llangynidr and back. On a week’s break you can continue on the Brecon.

5. See the ancient topiary at Packwood House

From Wootton Wawen on the Stratford Canal, it’s a seven-mile, 31-lock and 10-hour journey through the Forest of Arden to Lapworth Lock No 6. From there it’s a half-mile walk to the National Trust’s beautiful Tudor manor house Packwood House. Here, according to legend, the famous 350-year old trees in Packwood’s iconic Yew Garden represent Christ’s ‘Sermon on the Mount’.

6. Float across ‘The Stream in the Sky’

From Chirk on the Llangollen Canal, the awesome World Heritage Pontcysyllte Aqueduct can be reached on a short break. Standing at 38 metres high above the Dee Valley, this incredible structure consists of a cast iron trough carried on 19 enormous hollow pillars. With not even a hand rail on the south side of the aqueduct, you’ll literally feel like they are floating above the earth!

7. Discover the story of the Staffordshire Hoard

From Alvechurch on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal near Bromsgrove, it takes five hours to reach Gas Street Basin in the centre of Birmingham. From there, it’s a short walk to the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. There you can see the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found and learn about its warrior history. Hundreds of pieces from the Hoard are on show, along with hands-on displays exploring how these intriguing items were used, before they were buried 1,400 years ago.

8. Cruise the Cheshire Ring for some stunning Pennine views

On a 10-day or two-week break from Anderton on the Trent & Mersey Canal, you can cruise the mighty Cheshire Ring. The journey travels 97 miles, passes through 92 locks and takes around 48 hours. You’ll travel along six different waterways. Highlights include: spectacular views of the Pennines from the Macclesfield Canal; gentle rolling Cheshire countryside on the Trent & Mersey Canal; and Manchester city centre on the Rochdale Canal.

9. Climb Edinburgh’s extinct volcano for stunning views of the city

From Falkirk, on a four-night or week-long break  you can travel through the Scottish Lowlands to Edinburgh and back. The journey starts with trip through the iconic Falkirk Wheel, the world’s first and only rotating boat lift. The wheel lifts boats 100ft from the Forth & Clyde Canal to the Union Canal above. The 32-mile journey along the Union Canal to Edinburgh passes through three locks and takes around 11 hours. Once at there, you can moor up at Edinburgh Quay, and walk through Holyrood Park to the top of Arthur’s Seat for stunning views of the city below.

10. Pass through Blisworth Tunnel to reach the Canal Museum at Stoke Bruerne

On a week’s break Stockton on the Grand Union Canal in Warwickshire, you can cruise through the countryside to Stoke Bruerne. The journey will include passing through the 2,813-metre long Blisworth Tunnel, the third longest on the network. Once in Stoke Bruerne, you can enjoy a choice of canalside pubs and woodland walks. And browsing the intriguing waterway history collections at the Canal & River Trust’s Canal Museum. The journey to Stoke Bruerne and back travels 57 miles, passing through 32 locks and takes around 24 hours.