Winter canal boat holidays

Winter cruising on Britain’s beautiful canal network offers the chance to enjoy the quiet calm of the countryside, cosy evenings afloat, waterside pubs with roaring log fires, frosty towpaths and crisp clean air.

All our boats have central heating, hot water, televisions and DVD players. Some also have multi-fuel stoves. So, whatever the weather, it’s always nice and cosy on board.

Prices start at £385 for a short break (three or four nights) on a boat for four people, weekly breaks from £575.

Here’s a list of our canal boat hire bases offering winter narrowboat holidays:

Chug through rural Warwickshire…a week’s break from our base at Stretton-under-Fosse near Rugby could take you to historic Warwick and back along the Grand Union Canal, via Braunston and Napton Junctions, with plenty of time to visit Medieval Warwick Castle. The journey takes a total of 30 hours cruising, with 26 locks along the way.  On a short break, head south along the beautiful Oxford Canal to Braunston, winding through classic scenery, much of which hasn’t changed for centuries.

Travel to Bath along the Kennet & Avon Canal…our base in the historic town of Bradford on Avon in Wiltshire, offers the chance to cruise to the World Heritage Status City of Bath and back.  Cosy country pubs to enjoy along the way include the George Inn at Bathampton, once a 12th-century monastery, and the Cross Guns at Avoncliffe, with panoramic views of the foothills of the Cotswolds.

Take a lock-free journey to Birmingham…boaters can reach central Birmingham in just a five hours from our  base at Tardebigge on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal – with no locks to negotiate. City centre moorings are available at Gas Street Basin, close to the bars, restaurants, shops and museums at Brindley Place and the Mailbox and Bullring shopping centres.

Navigate ‘The Stream in the Sky’…the awesome 300-metre long World Heritage Status Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, carries the Llangollen Canal 40 metres above the rushing waters of the River Dee.  From our base at Trevor, right next to the aqueduct, a short break to Ellesmere and back offers the chance to navigate the aqueduct and to explore the beautiful Vale of Llangollen.

Visit the Medieval City of Chester…from our base at Bunbury on the Shropshire Union Canal, the ancient City of Chester is just a seven-hour journey through the Cheshire countryside. Medieval Chester boasts Roman tours, a vibrant market hall, an award-winning zoo, busy racecourse, trendy bars, shopping malls and restaurants. Or head south from Bunbury to the historic market town of Middlewich in Cheshire, on the junction of the Trent & Mersey and Shropshire Union Canals.

Explore the Potteries in Staffordshire…Our base at Great Haywood, at the junction of the Staffs & Worcs and Trent & Mersey canals in Staffordshire, offers a variety of routes. On a week’s cruise boaters can travel along the Shropshire Union Canal to historic Market Drayton, home of the gingerbread man. On a short break, head through quiet countryside to the South Staffordshire village of Coven on the Staffs & Worcs Canal.