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The best canal routes in the UK

By Jasper Winn

The best canal routes in the UK

For 200 years, more than 2,000 miles of British waterways and towpaths made up the busy ‘water machine’ that serviced the Industrial Revolution. Since then they’ve been brought back from abandonment and repurposed as an incredible countrywide network, offering the fastest way to slow down, whether on or off the water. For when we can holiday in the UK , here are six of the best canal routes in the UK, with some tips to make the most of a canal boat holiday.

1. Kennet and Avon Canal     Route87 miles from Bristol to Reading   Number of locks105   Best for family dawdling      ...

  • Kennet and Avon Canal

**Route:**87 miles from Bristol to Reading **Number of locks:**105 Best for: family dawdling

Built as a link between Bristol and London , The Kennet and Avon was always a slow rural canal. With tranquil waters and quiet towpaths, it’s perfect for family cruising, especially if you add bicycles for side trips to Avebury or to find the eight White Horses cut into Wiltshire’s surrounding chalk downs. A favourite stretch is the landscape of woods, meadows and market towns between Caen Hill’s flight of 29 locks and Hungerford. The massive boilers and steam engines of Crofton Pumping Station, once used to keep the canal’s summit in water, are still regularly fired up. Pubs with waterside beer gardens are a Kennet and Avon highlight, with the historic Barge Inn at Honeystreet particularly renowned for its food and live music.

2. Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal     Route36 miles between Brecon and Pontymoile   Number of locks 6   Best for peace...

  • Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal

**Route:**36 miles between Brecon and Pontymoile Number of locks: 6 Best for: peace and quiet

Running through the Brecon Beacons National Park and unconnected to the rest of the British waterways network, the ‘Mon and Brec’ is one of the quietest canals. Dog-friendly hire fleets, including electric narrowboats and static houseboats, make it ideal for relaxed short breaks and long weekends. Small villages and ancient trees are scattered alongside traditional infrastructure including an aqueduct, a long and eerie tunnel, lifting bridges and the relief of a 25-mile lock-free pound. The energetic can take to the surrounding hills to walk, while the River Usk, which runs parallel to the canal, has provided me with happy days of wild swimming. Source hampers of locally produced provisions and Brecon Brewing’s beers from the Georgian town of Crickhowell.

3. Leeds and Liverpool Canal     Route127 miles between Leeds and Liverpool   Number of locks91   Best forepic northern...

  • Leeds and Liverpool Canal

**Route:**127 miles between Leeds and Liverpool **Number of locks:**91 **Best for:**epic northern landscapes

The Leeds and Liverpool is Britain’s longest canal built as a single waterway – continue for another 34 miles on the Aire and Calder Navigation and you’ve crossed England from coast to coast. Its route is dictated by the contours of the landscape and the historic transport needs of manufacturing towns such as Wigan, home of Orwell’s Pier, where a flight of 21 locks carries boats up into the Pennines to cruise across the moors. The curlews, blustery air, farms and wide views of the high ground remain unchanged, but gritty factory towns including Burnley, Blackburn and Saltaire have been transformed with restaurants, art galleries and cafés – a favourite is Skipton’s ‘record shop in a café’, the Sound Bar.

4. Forth and Clyde Canal     Route35 miles between the Firth of Clyde and the Firth of Forth   Number of locks39   Best...

  • Forth and Clyde Canal

**Route:**35 miles between the Firth of Clyde and the Firth of Forth **Number of locks:**39 Best for: Scotland’s greatest hits

Built with dimensions roomy enough for seafaring boats and the Scottish fishing fleet to transit between the east and west coasts, in modern times the Forth and Clyde provides for leisurely voyages. To the west the canal is within easy reach of Glasgow’s streets, restaurants and galleries, before running through tree-shaded valleys between bleak hills until it meets the Firth of Forth, marked by the surreal bulk of the 100ft-high Kelpies horse-head sculptures. There’s more oversize art, as well as 21st-century mechanics, in the Falkirk Wheel, which lifts boats 79 feet up to join the Union Canal and its 30 lock-free miles to Edinburgh .

5. Trent and Mersey Canal     Route 93 miles between Preston Brook Cheshire and Derwent Mouth Derbyshire   Number of...

  • Trent and Mersey Canal

Route: 93 miles between Preston Brook, Cheshire and Derwent Mouth, Derbyshire Number of locks: 76 **Best for:**a sense of history and a pub crawl

Engineered in the 1770s by ‘the father of English canals’, James Brindley, the Trent and Mersey was the first long-distance industrial canal, moving not just coal to power factories but distributing finished products, such as Josiah Wedgwood’s pottery. Boating on this route gives a feel for the days of working canals, whether you’re going up the 21 locks squeezed into the two miles of Heartbreak Hill, chugging through a mile-and-a-half of haunted tunnel at Harecastle or rising via the massive Meccano-style Victorian Anderton lift. And although the many rural waterside pubs no longer provide stabling for canal horses, they still offer food and drink to boaters as in the past.

6. Warwickshire Ring     Route 104 miles on the Grand Union Oxford Coventry and Birmingham canals   Number of locks 121 ...

  • Warwickshire Ring

Route: 104 miles on the Grand Union, Oxford, Coventry and Birmingham canals Number of locks: 121 (or more) **Best for:**the sheer variety

Many of the best cruising routes link several canals together into long loops and the Warwickshire Ring is one of the most rewarding. Though some aim to do this circuit in a week of hard boating, allow twice that to really take in its variety. Enjoy the pastoral peace of the Oxford narrow canal, take a side trip from Hawkesbury Junction and its early industrial heritage into Coventry or escape into pre-canal times through the pageants and jousting held at Warwick’s medieval castle. Perhaps best of all, explore Birmingham’s ‘wet streets’ by boat to discover a fantasy metropolis that mixes Venice with Gotham City. Connecting Britain’s urban and rural landscapes is the canal system’s great living legacy, so moor up in Gas Street Basin in the heart of Birmingham to soak up the bright lights and buzz of a city after starlit countryside nights soundtracked by the hoots of owls.

The Dos and Donts of canal holidays in the UK

The Dos and Don’ts of canal holidays in the UK

**1.**There are almost no barges on Britain’s waterways, but there’s a confusing number of traditional craft types including narrowboats – what most people mean when they talk of ‘barges’ – butties, scows, short boats, widebeams, wherries, keels, trows and flats. Just call anything that’s afloat a boat and you’ll sound as if you know what you’re talking about.

2. Remember that towpaths are as much a part of the British waterways network as the canals themselves, and walking and cycling – with or without a boat – are great for traffic-free outings.

**3.**Go slow. The dimensions of the canals were based on the weight of a boat that a horse could pull, which was 40 times more on water than in a cart. The historic shallowness of the waterways keeps even modern engined boats to a 4mph horse-plod maximum speed. Which is wonderful.

4. Go slower still. The formula of three miles an hour and 15 minutes a lock is often used to calculate speed over a...

4. Go slower still. The formula of three miles an hour, and 15 minutes a lock, is often used to calculate speed over a route, but canal travel is far more enjoyable if you plan less rather than more mileage in a day.

5. Many canal boats are dog-friendly, and towpaths can mean miles of walks at boat speed. However, counter-intuitively, breeds that like water can cause mayhem: beware swims followed by drenching shakes or gallops through cabins and across beds.

**6.**Enjoy retro pastimes and slow fun – card games, birdwatching, jigsaws, charades, reading, music and grumbling about the weather. Bring woolly jumpers, rain gear, sun hats, walking shoes, binoculars, thick books and musical instruments.

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7. Onboard kitchen space is limited so selfcatering can go either way. Some favour the joys of Seventies classics of...

7. On-board kitchen space is limited, so self-catering can go either way. Some favour the joys of Seventies classics of beans on toast, full-fry breakfasts, tinned basics and Angel Delight. Others produce foodie miracles on two burners with ingredients sourced from local cheese shops, traditional butchers, farmers’ markets, waterside honesty-box stalls and hedgerow foraging.

8. Don’t be afraid of locks, the engineering miracles that lift heavy boats uphill. They might seem baffling at first, but take it slowly and accept help and advice from more experienced boaters and volunteers, and soon you’ll be ‘lock wheeling’ like a pro. Bear in mind, too, that the physicality of operating locks is an ideal way of tiring out younger members of the crew.

9. Nicholson’s and Pearson’s guidebooks both cover Britain’s waterways. Boaters tend to have their own favourite series – they’re the ‘Bible’ vs ‘Shakespeare’ in some people’s view – but both contain the information and maps needed for route planning, navigation and sightseeing, as well as pinpointing moorings, services and waterside pubs.

The best canalboat hire companies in the UK    Anglo Welsh covers various waterways across England and Wales...

The best canal-boat hire companies in the UK

Anglo Welsh covers various waterways across England and Wales anglowelsh.co.uk .

Black Prince Holidays covers several locations across England, Wales and Scotland. black-prince.com

Pennine Cruisers covers the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. penninecruisers.com

Beacon Park Boats covers the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal. beaconparkboats.com

Drifters Waterways Holidays has about 45 bases around the country. drifters.co.uk

Pictured: Drifters Waterways Holiday

For more useful information visit Canal and River Trust for information on English and Welsh waterways and Scottish...

For more useful information, visit Canal and River Trust for information on English and Welsh waterways, and Scottish Canals for information on canals in Scotland.

‘Water Ways: a thousand miles along Britain’s canals’ by Jasper Winn is out now (£10.99; Profile Books)

Pictured: Liverpool

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21 best canal boat trips in the UK

Canal boat trips

Watching the world go by from a narrowboat or barge may not be the fastest way to travel, but it’s a wonderful way to discover some of the UK’s most beautiful and interesting landscapes. Rolling countryside, quaint market towns, historic mill villages and UNESCO-listed industrial heritage – along with some truly cutting-edge modern additions to the canal network; you can see it all when you take these canal boat trips on Britain’s amazing inland waterways.

  • Northern England
  • Central England
  • Southern England

Canal boat holidays

This post contains affiliate links – all that means is that if you buy something as a result of clicking on a link in the post, I’ll receive a small commission that helps me with the costs of running this site. Thanks!

Canal boat trips in northern England

Standedge tunnel, west yorkshire.

Let’s start this list of the best canal trips with something truly extraordinary. Standedge Tunnel, on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal is the longest, highest, deepest canal tunnel in the UK, and you can take a guided canal boat trip inside its astonishing depths.

Boat trips into the Standedge Tunnel start from Tunnel End near the village of Marsden in West Yorkshire. They’re operated, like a few of the boat tours on this list, by the Canal and River Trust , a charity which looks after 2000 miles of inland waterways in England and Wales.

After your 30-minute journey into the tunnel, you can explore a small museum which describes the arduous building of the tunnel in the late 18th century, its decline when the railways came, how it was abandoned for decades and was finally brought back to life in 2001 thanks to a dedicated team of volunteers.

Read more about visiting Standedge Tunnel

Skipton, North Yorkshire

Skipton is a gorgeous market town at the gateway to the Yorkshire Dales. The Leeds and Liverpool canal arrived in Skipton in 1773, carrying coal, cloth and other cargo across the country from the ports at Liverpool and Hull (via the Aire and Calder Navigation).

Skipton is surrounded by beautiful rolling countryside, and gliding through it on a canal boat trip is the perfect way to see it. From Skipton’s pretty marina in the centre of town, you can take a 1 hour trip to discover the canal, or 2 hour trips to enjoy an afternoon tea on the water.

If you’re thinking you might like to skipper your own boat for a canal boat holiday, a day cruise on the wide, lock-free stretch of the Leeds and Liverpool canal south of Skipton is a good place to perfect your skills. There’s even a handily-placed canalside pub for lunch.

The team at Skipton Boat Trips will give you all the tuition you need to take the helm of your hire boat with confidence, even if you’re a complete novice. If you love it, you can hire a boat for a short break canal holiday or a full week or more, depending on how many miles of waterways you want to explore.

Saltaire, West Yorkshire

15 miles south east of Skipton on the Leeds and Liverpool canal, you’ll find Saltaire. Saltaire is a picturesque model village built by Sir Titus Salt to house the workers from his enormous mill in hygienic, morally sound and intellectually improving surroundings.

Salts Mill and the village surrounding it are a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of my favourite places to visit; the mill now holds an art gallery, interesting shops (including the most amazing bookshop) and cafes. Across the river, there’s a lovely park, and down on the canal you can buy ice creams from a barge and take 30-minute boat trips on the narrowboat Titus . Trips run from the end of March to the end of October.

Read more: visiting Salts Mill and Saltaire

Manchester owes a lot of its existence to canals. Canals allowed Manchester’s industrialists to bring raw materials into the city, along with coal to power the machines that would turn raw cotton into finished cloth.

At first, products were transported out of Manchester by barge on the Bridgewater Canal or later by rail, but this didn’t provide enough capacity for Manchester’s factories and mills.

This all changed when the Manchester Ship Canal opened in 1894, providing a wide channel all the way to the sea at Liverpool. Manchester became Britain’s 3rd busiest port, despite being 40 miles from the sea.

Taking a guided canal boat trip is a great way to understand the history of Manchester. Boat trips run along the Manchester Ship Canal and the navigable parts of the River Irwell, passing Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium, Imperial War Museum North and the Lowry, plus the old Pomona docks. You can book your Manchester river and canal tour here .

Burscough, Lancashire

After the drama of the route across the Pennines, the Leeds and Liverpool canal spends its last few miles before arriving in Liverpool meandering across the west Lancashire landscape. This part of northern England is full of small towns and huge skies, and spending a couple of hours on the water is the perfect way to see it.

Lancashire Canal Cruises operate two cruises from Burscough, a small town near Ormskirk and Southport.

Ashton under Lyne, Greater Manchester

Ashton under Lyne is just to the east of Manchester, and the town’s Portland canal basin marks the point where the Huddersfield Narrow Canal and the Peak Forest Canal meet and the Ashton Canal begins its journey to Manchester city centre.

The 1800s canal warehouse at Portland Basin has been turned into a lively family museum with recreations of a 1920s street and the interior of a normal family home. There are also exhibitions on the history of Ashton’s three canals. Outside the museum, the Tameside Canal Boat Trust operate seasonal trips on the Ashton Canal on their narrowboat Still Waters .

Northwich, Cheshire

Together with the Falkirk Wheel in Scotland, the Anderton Boat Lift is one of the most impressive sights on Britain’s canal network and is the world’s oldest working boat lift. The boat lift was built in 1875 to lift cargo boats 15 metres up in the air from the River Weaver to the Trent and Mersey Canal and is still operational today.

You can experience the “cathedral of the canals” for yourself with a canal boat trip on the Edwin Clark , named after the engineer who built this amazing structure. The Anderton Boat Lift is having some refurbishment work done at the moment but boat trips are expected to resume after Easter 2023.

Ellesmere Port, Cheshire

The transhipment dock at Ellesmere Port, where the River Mersey, Manchester Ship Canal and Shropshire Union Canal all meet, used to be a noisy, bustling spot at the height of the Industrial Revolution, but it’s now a peaceful spot for a family day out. The warehouse is now home to one of the Canal and River Trust’s three museums. The museum is a fascinating place to visit, with regularly-changing exhibitions, special events and themed “Canal Sundays” during the summer months.

Wirral Community Narrowboat Trust run occasional canal boat trips from the National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port. If there’s a group of you, you might want to hire one of their barges and skippers for a longer trip – they have a range of full day and short day options from £125, some of which stop off at canalside pubs for lunch.

Canal boat trips in central England

Cromford, derbyshire.

Cromford is a village on the edge of the Peak District and home to one of the great wonders of the industrial revolution, the huge Cromford Mills complex. Built in 1771 by the inventor and industrialist Sir Richard Arkwright, Cromford Mills was the first successful water-powered cotton spinning mill.

Like Sir Titus Salt in Saltaire, Arkwright built a village to house his workers, and today Cromford is a lovely place to visit, with shops, cafes, a large mill pond and quaint streets. The UNESCO-listed mill has a museum about the mills, plus craft workshops and more shops and cafes.

The 14.5 mile long Cromford Canal was critical to the success of Arkwright’s mills, but it also carried people! An enterprising man named Nathaniel Wheatcroft started the first “fly” boat service from here, carrying passengers to Nottingham twice a week.

Boat trips from Cromford Basin run on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays and take a 2 hour route from Cromford Wharf to Leawood Pumphouse and back on board the narrowboat Birdswood . There’s also an occasional option for a premium cruise which includes refreshments and a guided tour of the historic places to visit along the route, including Leawood Pumphouse and High Peak Junction, where you can see the oldest extant railway workshop in the world. You can book both the regular and the premium tour on the Friends of Cromford Canal’s website .

Lincoln, Lincolnshire

The oldest canal in Britain is the Fosse Dyke Canal, which was built by the Romans to link Lincoln to the River Trent, and from there to the North Sea. Lincoln is a beautiful cathedral city, and spending a relaxing hour on this historic canal is a lovely way to see the wider area.

You can take a guided boat trip along the Fosse Dyke on the Brayford Belle which operates between Easter and October each year. The Brayford Belle has two decks, the lower one with central heating and the upper one with outside seating and a fantastic view.

Birmingham famously has more miles of canals than Venice or Amsterdam – over 35 miles of them. The canals arrived in Birmingham in 1768, and grew to a peak of 160 miles of canal across the city. Canals were essential to fuel Birmingham’s growth during the industrial revolution, bringing in raw materials and coal, and sending out finished goods.

You can explore Birmingham’s history by taking a canal boat trip with Brindley Cruises or Sherborne Wharf . Routes cover part of the original James Brindley Canal, a section of Telford’s New Main Line (revolutionary for its time) and Gas Street Basin. If you’re visiting Birmingham at Christmas, you can even take a “Search for Santa” canal trip.

Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire

The Stratford-upon-Avon canal runs from the outskirts of Birmingham to the heart of historic Stratford, Shakespeare’s home town. The canal was built to transport coal from the Midlands down to Oxford and London, without needing to use the network through Birmingham. The route was near-derelict by the 1930s, but was rescued thanks to the efforts of the Inland Waterways Association, the National Trust and local volunteers.

Today, the 25 miles of the Stratford-upon-Avon canal is navigable again and visitors to Stratford can take 40 minute canal boat tours along the canal and the River Avon . Stratford’s resident swans often follow the boat, and there’s a good chance you’ll also see tufted ducks, herons, coots and perhaps a kingfisher too.

Dudley, West Midlands

Just as at Standedge, the main attraction for canal boat trips in Dudley is going underground. The Dudley Tunnel is the UK’s second-longest tunnel, but unlike Standedge, it isn’t continuous and instead emerges at points into canal basins.

The rock in this area is particularly rich in fossils and other geological features. The area was once heavily mined for its limestone, creating amazing caverns that the boat trip passes through. One of these, named the Singing Cavern, is even available for weddings!

Canal boat trips into Dudley Tunnel are run by the Dudley Canal and Tunnel Trust . You can just turn up for the regular 45 minute trips or book online for longer trips. While you’re in the area, don’t miss a visit to the nearby Black Country Living Museum , which has a canal area featuring a collection of historic boats.

Banbury, Oxfordshire

The Oxford Canal meanders 78 miles from just north of Coventry, down through Rugby and Banbury and on until it meets the River Thames at Oxford.

While there are lots of river cruises on offer in Oxford itself, you’ll need to go to Banbury for canal boat trips on the Oxford Canal, unless you want a self-drive boat. Tooleys Boatyard Trust in Banbury offer regular, 40-minute canal boat trips on their day boat the Dancing Duck . Their Facebook page is the best place to check for boat trip times and dates.

Cotswolds, Gloucestershire

The Cotswolds are more famous these days for picturesque villages and trickling streams in a rolling, rural landscape, but there are canals here too. The Stroudwater Navigation opened in 1779 to link Stroud to the River Severn and from there to the sea. Ten years later, the Thames and Severn Canal opened, extending the route to the River Thames at Lechlade and providing a cross-country route.

The restored Ebley Wharf on the Stroudwater Navigation

Both the Stroudwater Navigation and the Thames and Severn Canal fell into decline, with sections being filled in, but the Cotswolds Canal Trust have worked tirelessly to bring parts back into use. It’s expected that the Stroudwater Navigation will join up with the national waterways network again in 2025.

The Cotswolds Canal Trust run canal boat trips on the navigable parts of the Stroudwater Navigation at the Saul visitor centre, Ebley Wharf and the Wallbridge Lock visitor centre. At Lechlade, you can take a boat trip on the River Thames from St John’s Lock to see the start of the old Thames and Severn Canal.

Canal boat trips in southern England

The Regent’s Canal in London is an 8.6-mile link between the Grand Union Canal near Paddington Station to the Limehouse Basin and River Thames near Canary Wharf.

The canal weaves its way prettily through some of North London’s most attractive and interesting areas, including Little Venice, Regent’s Park, Camden Town and the Coal Drops Yard area of Kings Cross.

Canal boat trips on the Regent’s Canal tend to run between Little Venice and Camden Town. On a tour with the London Waterbus Company you’ll be entertained by a commentary, which points out key sights along the route, including London Zoo, Maida Hill Tunnel and the homes of the rich and famous.

Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire

The Kennet and Avon Canal is one of the UK canal network’s most popular waterways. Stretching from the Bristol channel, through the beautiful city of Bath then on through Devizes, Hungerford, Newbury to the Thames at Reading, it’s an outstanding route, passing through quintessentially English countryside.

One of the most beautiful towns on the Kennet and Avon is Bradford-on-Avon. Bradford-on-Avon is 10 miles from Bath and the tow paths are a popular walk between the two. At Bradford-on-Avon you can take a canal boat trip on the impressively large Barbara McLellan , a 65ft wide-beam boat that seats 40 and is operated by the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust.

From Bradford-on-Avon, the Barbara McLellan sails west to Avoncliff Aqueduct and east to Widbrook winding hole. There are also a range of themed cruises throughout the season.

The Kennet and Avon Canal Trust have four other boats along the canal and also offer canal boat trips in Devizes , Hungerford , Newbury and Reading .

Canal boat trips in Wales

Llangollen, denbighshire.

The Llangollen Canal in North Wales is one of the most scenic canal trips in the UK, but you’ll need a good head for heights! The amazing Pontcysyllte Aqueduct soars over the valley of the River Dee and is the longest and highest canal aqueduct in the world. It was designed by the famous engineer Thomas Telford, who was also involved in building Standedge Tunnel.

You can walk along the tow path to see the view from the aqueduct, but for the full Pontcysyllte experience, complete with checking out the sheer drop from the side of the boat on the canal side, Llangollen Wharf offer both motor and horse-drawn canal trips over the aqueduct.

The 5 mile route can be done in either direction, starting at Llangollen or Froncysyllte (near the aqueduct). The journey takes two hours; for an extra cost you can enjoy afternoon tea onboard. At the end of the trip, a courtesy bus will take you back to where you started.

Brecon, Powys

The peaceful Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal (also known as the Mon and Brec) is one of the UK’s most scenic routes. 35 miles are currently navigable, and many of those are within the Brecon Beacons National Park.

Things weren’t always so quiet and serene around here though; the canal transported coal, stone and iron ore from the Welsh hillsides down to the iron works at Blaenavon (now a museum and UNESCO World Heritage site ) and other industrial sites in the area. Cruising along the canal today you can still see traces of its heritage including wharves and lime kilns.

If you’re visiting this lovely part of Wales, Dragonfly Cruises have public canal boat trips departing from Brecon canal basin and including a journey over the Brynich Aqueduct which takes the Mon and Brec over the River Usk. They can also provide a skipper and guide for a canal trip through the area’s picturesque villages.

Canal boat trips in Scotland

Inverness, highlands.

The Caledonian Canal runs for 60 miles across Scotland, from Inverness to Corpach near Fort William, connecting the lochs of the Great Glen; Loch Dochfour, Loch Ness, Loch Oich and Loch Lochy. The man-made connections between the lochs were built by Thomas Telford and opened in the early 19th century.

You can take a combined cruise of the Caledonian Canal and Loch Ness by joining a boat trip at Dochgarroch Lock. The trip will take you through the locks and on to Loch Douchfour, past the old Bona Lighthouse and into Loch Ness as far as Urquhart Castle. You can book online through online ticket seller Get Your Guide .

The Falkirk Wheel is one of the most impressive feats of engineering on the whole UK canal network. Opened in 2002, the Wheel is a rotating boat lift, the only one of its kind in the world. It connects the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal.

The best way to see the Falkirk Wheel is to take a spin on it. Canal boat trips on the Falkirk Wheel take around 50 minutes. First you’ll go into the canal basin, then enter the Wheel’s gondola, ready to be lifted into the air as the Wheel rotates.

At the top, you’ll sail along the aqueduct, through the Roughcastle Tunnel and to the start of the Union Canal. The boat will turn round and take you back to the Wheel for another spin, this time back down to the canal basin.

If day trips aren’t enough for you, there are lots of companies offering canal boat hire, either to stay put and use the boat as a base, or to explore the UK’s miles of navigable waterways at your own pace on a narrow boat holiday.

VRBO has narrow boats, house boats and barges for rent with all the comforts of home, while specialist hire firms like Waterways Holidays have canal boat hire across the country. There are lots of local companies as well; if you’re interested in a particular starting point, you might like to talk to a local specialist who can advise you on canal routes and the best places of interest to see along the way.

Have you taken one of these canal boat trips, or have I missed out your favourite? Let me know in the comments.

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2 thoughts on “21 best canal boat trips in the UK”

A Great shame you did not include The Horse-Drawn Barge in Tiverton Devon as it is now one of the last Horse-Drawn Barges in Great Britain and operates Trips along the very beautiful Grand Western Canal.

Thanks Philip, that sounds amazing, I’ll have to check it out next time I’m in the south west 🙂

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9 fun things to do in Ischia (plus 5 amazing day trips)

7 of the best holidays in italy in september.

best canal boat trip in uk

Canal Boat Itineraries on England’s Prettiest Waterways

31 March, 2022

best canal boat trip in uk

Explore England’s prettiest waterways on a narrowboat adventure this summer, taking inspiration from our guide to the country’s best canal routes.

Staffordshire Canal, England

A ll All aboard the Rosie Lee! Perhaps we’ve been swayed by a childhood spent watching Rosie and Jim , but life upon a narrowboat has always appealed. Slipping along sun-dappled stretches, a few moorhens for company, travelling on a canal boat lets you take life at a leisurely pace as market towns, half-timbered hamlets and the industrial edges of the country’s big cities roll by.

Over 4,400km of waterways make up Britain’s canal network. The slow-flowing web once acted as the life-support system for the country’s industry. Having stoically shouldered years of abandonment, it has, in the last decade, been brought back to life by the houseboat communities – and slow-travel cruisers – reimagining life on the water.

Connecting the country along willow-brushed sections and urban stretches, the system offers a way to traverse England from Bristol to Burnley, only stepping foot on land to operate locks, or enjoy a late-afternoon pint in the balmy summer hazes so particular to English canals. And with sun-dappled tearoom patios, low-key restaurants (looking at you, Towpath Café ) and plenty of historic lock pubs throwing open their doors, there’s never been a better time to take to the water. We’ve navigated the locks and moored up across the country to create four narrowboat itineraries on England’s prettiest canals.

Cruise control: four narrowboat trips on England’s most beautiful canals

A weekend in wiltshire.

Kick-start your waterways weekender by jumping aboard near Devizes. You’ll be navigating the tranquil Kennet and Avon canal as it follows the meandering Avon through urban Georgian splendour and Jane Austen-esque pastoral plains en route to Bath. First anchorage? The Seend locks, for a well-deserved pint at the Barge Inn Pub . Come morning, slip the moorings and nose your way through overhanging greenery, verdant woods and Wiltshire’s rolling chalk downs, towards the quaint Bradford-on-Avon.

Start with a boatman’s breakfast at the The Weaving Shed (sautéed wild mushrooms on toast with an egg for us, please), then head into the medieval heart of the city for a wander through the higgledy-piggledy maze of streets known as the Shambles. After an al fresco lunch at the herb-fringed Timbrell’s Yard , return to the water to glide across the impressive 100m Avoncliff Aqueduct. We’d pick up a bottle from Bradford-on-Avon’s Cru Wines and some cheese from The Cheese Shop before setting off, both of which will perfectly complement your Cotswolds sunset cruise across this jaw-dropping architectural achievement, which carries the canal over the Avon.

A canal passes a building in Bradford-On-Avon, Wiltshire

Once on the other side, moor up for the night in preparation for an early departure to Bath. Drop down onto the Avon for breathtaking views of the city’s honey-hued abbey; you’ll find mooring points throughout the city. Bridgerton fans should stroll down the Royal Crescent, then duck into the Fashion Museum to peruse structured empire lines and impeccably tailored tailcoats. Come sundown, book a table at townhouse restaurant OAK , to savour delicate vegetarian dishes and a glass of lightly bubbled Pet Nat. It’s then up to you whether you choose to call it a weekend, staying put for a soak in Thermae Bath Spa’s mineral-rich rooftop pool, or journey on to Bristol for a final day’s adventure.

Who to hire from: Foxhangers Canal Holidays

A two-week pootle around the Cheshire Ring

Welcome to the Staffordshire Potteries, the industrial heart of England’s historic ceramics production. Chugging around the six canals that connect into the Cheshire Ring, you’ll encounter cloud-tickling Peak District scenery contrasted with the North’s much-quoted “grit”. The ring’s 156km and 92 locks will take at least a week to navigate if you’re speedy – two if you’re dawdling (and we’d recommend the latter).

A canal boat gliding down a green Staffordshire canal in England

Gliding under a bridge in Staffordshire

Jump on board at Acton Bridge to cruise Britain’s first man-made waterway, the Bridgewater Canal, towards Manchester. Gliding between green Lancashire hills, sights set on the city’s industrial waterways, you’ll be ducking under rusting Victorian bridges and easing through narrow red-brick passageways lined by the blind walls of old cotton mills to find a city-centre mooring. You’re a quick walk from the canalside Ancoats neighbourhood, home to wood-fired pizza at the original Rudy’s , modern British fare at Elnecot and stylish small plates at Erst , a chic wine bar that’s been adopted by the city’s creative crowd. Take time to explore the eclectic neighbourhood – you’ll want to swing by Ancoats General Store for onboard food supplies, too.

After taking in Manchester’s urbane interior, get back to the rudder and switch factories for far-reaching crags as you edge into the Peak District, on the Macclesfield Canal. Stop over in Middlewich to stroll around one of the many regular farmers’ markets, then stretch out your arm muscles in preparation for a day of lock operations on Heartbreak Hill, so named for the 31 locks between you and your final berth, in Stoke-On-Trent. The tow paths are dotted with weeping willows and old inns, once used to rest the waterway horses, but now popular watering holes for thirsty boaters.

Who to hire from: Black Prince Holidays

A long weekend along the Liverpool-Leeds stretch

Prepare for lofty Northern landscapes and edgy factory towns along all 204km of England’s longest canal, the Leeds and Liverpool . This waterway – built to connect the North’s manufacturing satellites – offers unparalleled views of the cragged contours of the Pennines as it slinks towards Merseyside. It’s do-able in 45 hours – but we’d tack on extra time to explore the two majestic industrial cities. You’ll likely have to start at a midpoint, rather than in the cities themselves.

A narrowboat on the Leeds-Liverpool Canal waterway

A narrowboat cruising on the Leeds-Liverpool canal

If embarking at the Yorkshire end, scope out Leeds’ industrial bones. Once soot-stained, the Victorian beauty of this Yorkshire city is shining again. Peruse the stalls of Kirkgate Market for an on-the-go lunch (the vast covered market was the original home of Marks & Spencer), then head to the ornate Victoria Quarter. With its stained-glass panels and ceramic detailing, it’s prime post-prandial stroll territory.

Boat hire done and dusted and voyage underway, you’ll be heading straight into the rural Yorkshire Dales. From here, the route alternates between epic natural vistas and canalside factory towns. Make time to moor up in Wigan if you’re interested in tracing George Orwell’s inspiration for his 1937-published The Road to Wigan Pier, or jump off at Saltaire to explore the Victorian model village’s terraces, independent stores and art galleries (the ex-industrial Salts Mill now houses Hockneys).

The Albert Dock, Liverpool

The Royal Albert Dock in Liverpool, and Mexican-inspired fare from Madre

Other points of interest along the way include charming Skipton and the grittier edges of Burnley and Blackburn. For those keen to scope out Liverpool, a cruise through the haunting Tobacco Docks and under the iconic Three Graces will take you to the end of the canal in the Royal Albert Dock. Gone are the ships and stevedores that once carried the goods of industry out onto the Irish high tides: Scouseland’s red-toned dock buildings now house an outpost of the Tate Gallery and relaxed dining spots, including the taco-tastic Madre – our choice for a final dinner.

Where to hire from: bearBoating

An art-focused odyssey along the Warwickshire Loop

Joining the dots between Birmingham’s urban edges and the rural reaches of Oxfordshire and Warwickshire, this mid-England loop can take a week to navigate, or two if you’re wanting to explore. Begin in Warwick’s historic centre, browsing the mom-and-pop shops concealed behind wonky facades. Need some reading material for the lazy afternoons ahead? The staff at Warwick Books are always flush with suggestions. Giggling Squid , on the High Street, is the Thai group of restaurants’ original branch, and the place to linger over a lunch of sizzling platters. When you slip the moorings, you’ll be heading west. For those cruisers who wish to meander, we’d add in an excursion to the Shakespearean-soaked Stratford-upon-Avon here. Catch the RSC onstage, then head to The Dirty Duck , the 18th-century inn frequented by thespians through the ages.

The Ikon Gallery in Birmingham, England

The Ikon Gallery and canalside scenes | Image credit: Handover Agency

Returning to the Grand Union Canal, you’ll be passing through wheat-filled agricultural idylls on your way to Birmingham. The city’s “wet streets” take you into the Gas Street Basin; moor up and hop ashore. Stop for coffee and contemporary photography at Ikon Gallery (the brunch menu includes decadent Arabian buttered eggs), then take an afternoon stroll towards Birmingham University. There, under the “Old Joe” clock tower, you’ll find the Barber Institute of Fine Arts , an art deco temple to lesser-known works by artists including Monet and Turner. Beyond the city, the canal network joins the Coventry vein, taking you in a slow curve towards Rugby and a return to Warwick.

Where to hire: Drifters

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Cruise the canals around London, moor in historic Bath, Oxford or Chester. Travel from Edinburgh via the stunning Falkirk Wheel. Cross the amazing Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in Wales.

The narrowboat is the modern version of the cargo vessels that travelled the canals before the railways.

Now these boats contain every creature comfort and are available for hire across the UK and in Ireland.

These canal boats have modern kitchens, beds which can be left made up, heating, showers and toilets. They can sleep from 2 to 12 people.

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Discover a new way to recharge. From a relaxing holiday afloat to a day trip with friends or family, exploring our beautiful canals and rivers by boat is the fastest way to slow down.

If you're looking for a self-catering staycation this year, away from busy tourist areas, step aboard a canal boat. Canal boat holidays are a great opportunity to get back to what matters: spending time with family or friends, spotting wildlife and being as active as you like. Walking , cycling , fishing , canoeing and even paddle boarding are on offer.

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Drifters is made up of nine professional canal boat holiday operators, handpicked because they uphold the highest standards .

With over 550 narrowboats for hire from 45 bases across England, Scotland and Wales, Drifters offers the choice of hundreds of narrowboat holiday routes and destinations.

Our operators invest more in new canal boats each year than all the other UK operators put together, ensuring we offer high quality holidays afloat.  We are all independently assessed and accredited by the trade federation for the boating industry British Marine, so you can embark on your canal adventure with confidence.

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Use this website to help you to unlock the secret world of Britain’s inland waterways and find the perfect location for a canal boating holiday. Cast off and leave normal life behind as you explore the hidden world of canals and rivers. Your beautifully appointed narrowboat can take you soaring over valleys or delving under hills. Your inland waterway  will visit hidden parts of a countryside you thought had been lost for ever – or go right to the heart of cities buzzing with waterside life.

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Debbie Walker | 10 August 2021

Top ten canal boat adventures for beginners.

If you’re one of the many travellers considering a UK narrowboat adventure for the first time, Debbie Walker gives her tips for the best routes for newbies

1. Glide through the Brecon Beacons

Isolated from the main canal network, the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal runs through the Brecon Beacons National Park. This quiet waterway, with very few locks is nice and easy for beginners and offers canal boat holiday-makers incredible mountain views, dark night skies for star gazing, plenty of wildlife to watch out for and a series of village pubs to enjoy along the way. You can hire an electric boat at Beacon Park Boats at Llangattock. 

2. Navigate to the bright lights of Birmingham

Boasting more kilometres of canals than Venice, Birmingham has to be visited by water. Between the city centre and ABC Boat Hire’s narrowboat hire base at Alvechurch on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal, there are 18km of waterway but zero locks. The first part of the journey take boaters through fields, woods and Wast Hills Tunnel, past Bournville, home of Cadbury World, then through the ’burbs of Birmingham and Edgbaston Tunnel, reaching moorings in the central Gas Street Basin in around 4.5 hours.

3. Float across ‘The Stream in the Sky’

Passing through North Wales, the Llangollen Canal is one of the most popular routes on the network. On a short break from Chirk Marina, canal boaters can travel across the UNESCO-listed Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, soaring 38m above the Dee Valley, to the town of Llangollen, nestled in the Berwyn Mountains. crestnarrowboats.co.uk

4. Cruise along the leafy Calder & Hebble Navigation

From Sowerby Bridge in West Yorkshire boaters on a getaway can cruise along the Calder & Hebble Navigation to the historic town of Brighouse and back. The return journey travels 19km of waterway, passes through 20 locks and takes around eight hours. The route takes boaters through the historic market town of Elland and – a little beyond Brighouse – the village of Mirfield, with medieval stocks and ducking stool. Once moored up, there are Pennines walks to enjoy.

5. Bob gently along to Fradley

On a short break from Great Haywood in Staffordshire, you can head south along the Trent & Mersey Canal to Fradley Junction. The journey takes around five hours, travelling through 19km of Staffordshire countryside, including Cannock Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and passing through just five locks. At Fradley, boaters can moor up to visit the Canalside Café or The Swan Inn and take a wander around the Fradley Pool Nature Reserve. Visit anglowelsh.co.uk  for more details. 

6. Saunter up to Stoke Bruerne

From Linslade on the Grand Union Canal in Bedfordshire, it takes around 10 peaceful cruising hours to reach the canal village of Stoke Bruerne, home to the Canal Museum and a choice of canalside eateries. Along the way, the route travels along 41km of waterway, through seven locks and across two aqueducts, including the Iron Trunk Aqueduct at Cosgrove. Visit  canalholidays.co.uk   for more details.

7. Potter through the Peak District

The Caldon Canal offers a fine way to experience the Peak District NP. Starting from Etruria in Stoke-on-Trent, it’s a chilled eight-hour cruise through the countryside to Cheddleton Flint Mill, with its popular Black Lion pub and Old School Tearooms. The route passes through 12 locks, past moorlands, water meadows, woodlands and the village of Denford with its popular Hollybush Inn. Visit black-prince.com  for more details.

8. Travel to Bradford on Avon & back

Heading out from Devizes on the Kennet & Avon Canal in Wiltshire, it takes around five-and-a-half hours to reach the Wiltshire town of Bradford on Avon. The route takes boaters through 16km of countryside, through seven locks and past a series of canalside pubs, including the Barge Inn at Seend. Once moored up at Bradford on Avon, take time to explore the town’s Georgian architecture, 14th-century Tithe Barn and range of independent shops, restaurants and cafes.Visit foxhangers.co.uk for more details. 

9. Watch out for wildlife on the Ashby Canal 

On a week’s trip from Braunston in the heart of the canal network, boaters can cruise to the village of Snarestone and back, travelling a total of 75km, passing through just eight locks (four there and four back) in around 32 hours. This largely rural route follows a section of the North Oxford Canal, Coventry Canal and the lock-free Ashby Canal, which winds through countryside for 35km and passes close to the site of the Battle of Bosworth Field. Visit unioncanalcarriers.co.uk for more details.

10. Cruise to Market Drayton

From Brewood on the Shropshire Union Canal in Staffordshire, it takes around 10 hours to reach the historic market town of Market Drayton, home of the gingerbread man. Along the way, boaters pass through unspoilt countryside, and a series of deep wooded cuttings where time seems to stand still. Bonus: there are just six locks to pass through each way. Visit countrywide-cruisers.co.uk  for more details.

This list was put together with help from the Canal & River Trust, the charity which cares for 3,200km of canals and rivers across England and Wales. For more info, including the Boater’s Handbook video giving an introduction to navigating the canals, go to canalrivertrust.org.uk

Read more on narrowboating...

The 9 things You Need to Know before narrowboating

Tales from the riverbank - first time narrowboating

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Canoing the Caledonian Canal, part of Scotland’s Great Glen Trail.

10 great UK boat trips, chosen by readers

The waters of Scotland and the West Country offer great sightseeing, but tipsters also love stirring journeys in urban settings

Winning tip: Great Glen paddle, Scottish Highlands

The best boating experience we had was paddling an open Canadian canoe with friends across the lochs and canals that make up Scotland’s Great Glen Trail. We were amazed by the breathtaking scenery and much-appreciated tranquillity of this wonderful route. If you catch the wind in the right direction, like we did, you can even try a spot of canoe sailing with a spare paddle and a group shelter put to good use! You can paddle part or all of the trail, with plenty of hire and guided options available from this helpful trail website . Ali O’Hora

Lundy life, from north Devon

A young grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) swimming at surface beneath cliffs of Lundy Island,

Sailing from north Devon to Lundy is (nearly) always a lovely trip. You pass along the north Devon coast before heading out the 20-odd miles to the small rocky island. Watch out for dolphins and, closer to the island, seals. Once we saw a submarine being towed but never found out why. It can occasionally be rough though. If you suffer from sea sickness, take a pill and stay on deck if you can – the bar can get busy. Book with the Landmark Trust , day returns £4 4 adult, £22.50 4-16 years Dianne

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So good we didn’t get off, Mull

Lismore Lighthouse, seen from the ferry between Oban and Mull.

We took a drive to Oban for the day with our two young daughters on a day when the weather wasn’t great. When we arrived there was a CalMac ferry about to leave for Mull and the kids wanted to go, so we bought return tickets. We didn’t get off the ferry in Mull: the boat trip alone was fantastic, and the kids saw dolphins. It may have been raining nonstop but we enjoyed the trip and the fantastic views. The skipper on the ferry laughed at us for not getting off, but it was a perfect way to spend the day in our UK weather. Annette Jamieson

Puffins and gannets, Yorkshire coast

The (pre-refurb) Yorkshire Belle enters Bridlington harbour.

The Yorkshire Belle has used the Covid closure for a spruce-up and has been back in action since 17 May. Last week our family enjoyed our annual family trip on this lovely vessel, sailing from Bridlington harbour out to the lighthouse in Flamborough Bay (adult £8, child £4), on surprisingly calm, sheltered waters. The local company offers a variety of cruises from an hour to half a day, and you can even hire it yourself. Our favourite is the afternoon tour to the Filey Bay heritage coast, where you can see magnificent groups of puffins and gannets on the clifftops and near the rocks. On evening ghost cruises in the summer holidays, onboard “ghouls” recount the adventures of ancient pirates. Great fun. Peter Riley

Over the sea – the best way to get to Skye

The Glenelg-Skye ferry.

The Glenelg-Skye ferry is a very short journey (five minutes, about three an hour) but has to be my favourite boat trip. There are very fast currents in the Kyle Rhea between Glenelg and Skye, which has affected the design of the MV Glenachulish. It is unique in that the deck is a turntable, and can only take six cars. But oh, the views and the wildlife. I’ve seen seals, otters, dolphins and a huge sea eagle. It costs £15 for a car – excellent value. Michael Dinneen

Du Maurier and D-day, Cornwall

Helford River at Helford Passage. Cornwall. England. UK.

Go back in time along the Helford River and Frenchman’s Creek on the Roseland peninsula with Helford River Cruises . This creek was the inspiration for Daphne du Maurier’s book. It’s also the spot where thousands of soldiers left for the D-day landings. See seals, birds and, if you’re very lucky, dolphins. End with a pint of Proper Job Cornish IPA at the Ferryboat Inn. The cruise is around two hours long and makes a perfect lazy afternoon. Rachel Brown

Fairy ferry, south Devon

The sea tractor carries passengers from the beach at South Sands to the ferry to Salcombe in South Hams, Devon, UK

Hopping aboard the cheery South Sands ferry is one of the pleasures of a trip to the South Hams resort of Salcombe. The “fairy”, as my daughters call it, sails regularly between the town centre and South Sands beach. As you chug along, there are glorious views across the estuary and of millionaires’ waterfront mansions. When you near South Sands, the famous ‘ea Tractor travels out to greet you, and delivers you to the beach. One-way adult £4.50, child £3.50 Hannah

Extraordinary Shetland island

Northern gannet (Sula bassana) flock in flight over nest colony site, Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK. 25 August

A boat tour with Shetland Seabird Tours from Lerwick, Shetland’s main town, to the uninhabited island of Noss provides extraordinary sights and sounds. As the boat nudges out of the harbour, an inquisitive Atlantic grey seal may watch you. Sailing beneath the imposing sandstone cliffs at Noss, armies of guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes and skuas occupy every available space. The cacophony of raucous cries and the smell of guano are unimaginable. Witness flotillas of more than 25,000 gannets in a feeding frenzy. Two experienced ecologists will guide you through memorable wildlife encounters. Jennifer Jones

Shaken and stirred, central London

The River Thames in London.

For my husband’s 40th birthday I wanted to do a James Bond-themed weekend in London and spotted a deal that fitted right in. A Thames Speedboat tour (from £43) got us a rib boat ride on the Thames and a vodka martini – perfect. Just wow! It certainly exceeded expectations. We ambled up the Thames having various sites pointed out to us before a call came through on the radio from the “police” to get us to help catch a criminal. The driver opened up the throttle, the James Bond theme played on the stereo, and off we went in pursuit at breakneck speed. So exhilarating. The addition of a martini opposite the MI6 building finished it off perfectly. Tania Compton

Pond life, east London

Hollow Pond, Epping Forest, London,

It may be a DIY job, but a rowing boat on Hollow Ponds in Leytonstone is a perfect way to spend a lazy summer afternoon. Scatter bird feed as you row and you’ll be surrounded by a variety of squarking gulls, quacking ducks, gaggling geese and serene swans – and if you’re lucky you might spot the rare black swan. Afterwards, visit the Log Cabin for a reviving cuppa or, if you’ve been scared by “The Birds” try the newly refurbished Hitchcock Hotel over the road for a Leading Lady cocktail. An hour’s boat rental costs £15 and parking is free. Helen Jackson

Power boat from Padstow, Cornwall

Power boating off the Cornish coast

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Home / Blog / 5 Best Scenic Canal Routes UK

5 Best scenic canal routes UK

18th July 2019

Whether you’re a serial boater or a canal boat holiday beginner looking for something new, finding out the most scenic canal routes to explore is a great way to ensure your trip will be perfect. From discovering the majestic sights of the Campsie Fells in Scotland to the picturesque Welsh countryside located near Llangollen, learn more about which scenic routes to explore on your narrowboat trip today.

What are the best scenic canal routes in the UK?

1. monmouthshire & brecon canal from goytre wharf.

best canal boat trip in uk

Looking for a boating escape? Discover this hidden gem in the Brecon Beacons – Monmouthshire and Brecon canal. Surrounded by extraordinary beauty from the Brecon Beacons National Park, admire the Black Mountains as a spectacular backdrop while discovering water trails – all in the company of mountains, sheep and open spaces, with the taste of fresh air.

This beautiful canal route has colours that change with the season under an intimate tree-lined route. For captivating countryside paired with wonderous wildlife to explore, this route is the perfect choice for a lover of grand scenery and nature.

2. Kennet & Avon Canal from Hilperton Marina

best canal boat trip in uk

Often considered one of the best for natural beauty and wildlife, the Kennet and Avon canal is a great place to start. This canal provides a series of routes which are perfect when you’re searching for scenic canal routes to explore on your next trip away.

Whether it’s travelling through the leafy landscape of Devizes, or exploring the ancient forest, Celtic mounds and mysterious crop circles of the Reading route, the Kennet and Avon canal offers something for everyone. All the routes from this canal offer a combination of character and countryside – providing the perfect blend for a holiday on the water.

3. Chester return from Gailey Wharf

best canal boat trip in uk

Starting out in the Midlands, Gailey Wharf can lead you up to the beautiful countryside route in Chester, or you have the option to stay local exploring areas of the West Midlands, Staffordshire and Shropshire.

On the Chester return route, enjoy the dramatic scenery of the Cheshire Plains – perfect for taking long walks or even hiring bikes, this relatively flat lowland spans throughout Chester. Take in the views from your canal boat on your trip away, or moor up and get exploring for yourself!

4. Llangollen Canal from Whitchurch Marina

best canal boat trip in uk

With wildlife and plant life teeming from the corners of the canal, to Britain’s third-largest lowland raised bog, (which is apparently large enough to be seen from space!), there’s plenty to see on this narrowboat route from Whitchurch Marina.

Upon entering Wales, you’re met with the distinct Welsh countryside scattered with mountains and nature that stretches as far as the eye can see. If you have enough time while you’re there, why not visit Horseshoe Falls? A weir on the River Dee which is the perfect place to take the family, admire the beauty of the falls or enjoy a mile and a half walk around the area exploring local landmarks and finding out about the surrounding wildlife.

5. Forth & Clyde Canal from Falkirk

best canal boat trip in uk

Explore the beauty of the Forth and Clyde canal routes from Falkirk on your next narrowboat holiday. The Forth and Clyde canal is much wider than your average English canal – and holds host to beautiful Scottish scenery waiting to be explored. One of the most significant monuments to ensure you visit is the Falkirk Wheel – a huge structural wonder, this attraction connects the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal.

And if you want to venture onto a specific route from Falkirk that really captures the Scottish scenery, the Glasgow and return route showcases the majestic Campsie Fells. This Scottish countryside area spans east to west from Denny Muir to Dumgoyne.

Now you’ve discovered our best canals in the UK to explore scenic views, it’s time to get going. Find out everything you need to know about boating from our ultimate canal boat guide . Alternatively, get in touch with a member of our helpful team for more information and advice on your next holiday on the water.

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Best Canal Holidays for Beginners: A Guide to the Top UK Destinations

Canal holidays can be a relaxing and unique way to explore the UK’s waterways , and they are becoming increasingly popular among beginners. A canal holiday is a great way to experience the beauty of the countryside while enjoying a slower pace of life. It’s also an opportunity to learn about the history of the canals and the communities that have grown up around them.

For beginners, it can be difficult to know where to start when planning a canal holiday. There are so many options to choose from, and it can be overwhelming to try and navigate the different routes and boats available. However, with a little research and some careful planning, it’s possible to find the perfect canal holiday for you. Whether you’re looking for a short break or a longer adventure, there are options to suit all budgets and preferences.

Choosing the Right Canal Holiday

When it comes to planning a canal boat holiday for beginners, it can be overwhelming to decide which holiday package and type of boat to choose. Here are some key factors to consider when choosing the right canal holiday:

The location of the canal boat hire base is an important factor to consider when planning a canal boat holiday. Some popular locations for beginners include the Midlands, Cheshire, and Shropshire. These areas offer a wide range of canal routes with plenty of opportunities to stop off at pubs, shops, and attractions along the way.

For beginners, a short break of 3-4 nights is a great way to experience a canal boat holiday without committing to a longer trip. This allows plenty of time to explore the canals and enjoy the scenery, but without feeling overwhelmed.

Type of Boat

Narrowboats are the most popular type of boat for canal boat holidays. They are easy to handle, have all the necessary amenities, and are perfect for couples or small families. However, if you have a larger group, a widebeam boat may be a better option.

When choosing a canal boat, it’s important to consider the level of experience required to handle the boat. Many canal boat hire companies offer training sessions for beginners to ensure you feel confident and comfortable on the water.

Overall, choosing the right canal holiday for beginners involves considering the location, duration, and type of boat. By taking these factors into account, you can ensure a memorable and enjoyable experience on the canals.

beginners

Preparing for Your Canal Holiday

Before embarking on a canal holiday, it is important to prepare adequately to ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience. Here are some key aspects to consider:

Safety should be a top priority when planning a canal holiday. It is essential to familiarize yourself with the safety guidelines and regulations of your chosen canal or waterway. Ensure that you have life jackets or buoyancy aids for everyone on board and that they are worn at all times when necessary.

Boat Steering Tuition

For beginners, it is advisable to take a boat steering tuition course before setting off on a canal holiday. This will help you to understand the basics of steering and handling a narrowboat and give you the confidence to navigate the waterways. Many canal boat hire companies offer this service, and it is well worth the investment.

Knowing how to moor up your narrowboat is crucial to ensure a safe and secure stop. It is important to choose a suitable mooring spot and to make sure that the boat is securely tied up. Always check the weather forecast and avoid mooring in exposed or hazardous areas.

Food and Provisions

When planning your canal holiday, it is important to consider your food and provisions. Narrowboats are equipped with basic cooking facilities, but it is advisable to plan your meals in advance and stock up on essential provisions. Don’t forget to bring along a cooler for perishable items.

In summary, preparing for a canal holiday involves taking safety precautions, getting boat steering tuition, knowing how to moor up safely, and planning your food and provisions. By taking these steps, you can ensure a safe and enjoyable experience on the waterways.

Best Canal Routes for Beginners

Canal holidays are a great way to enjoy a relaxing break in the UK. Beginners may feel overwhelmed with the variety of canal routes available. Here are some of the best canal routes for beginners:

Birmingham Canal Navigations

The Birmingham Canal Navigations is a network of canals that covers 100 miles and is perfect for beginners. The canals are well-maintained, and there are plenty of places to stop for food and drinks. The route is also relatively flat, making it easy for beginners to navigate.

Llangollen Canal

The Llangollen Canal is a scenic route that runs for 46 miles and is perfect for beginners. The route takes you through the Welsh countryside, and there are plenty of opportunities to stop and explore the local area. The canal also features the famous Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, which is a must-see for any beginner.

Oxford Canal

The Oxford Canal is a popular route for beginners, with its gentle curves and picturesque scenery. The route runs for 77 miles and takes you through some of the UK’s most beautiful countryside. There are plenty of places to stop and explore along the way, including the historic city of Oxford.

Caldon Canal

The Caldon Canal is a great route for beginners, with its gentle gradients and picturesque scenery. The route runs for 17 miles and takes you through some of the UK’s most beautiful countryside. There are plenty of places to stop and explore along the way, including the historic market town of Leek.

Shropshire Union Canal

The Shropshire Union Canal is a popular route for beginners, with its gentle gradients and picturesque scenery. The route runs for 66 miles and takes you through some of the UK’s most beautiful countryside. There are plenty of places to stop and explore along the way, including the historic city of Chester.

Kennet & Avon Canal

The Kennet & Avon Canal is a popular route for beginners, with its gentle gradients and picturesque scenery. The route runs for 87 miles and takes you through some of the UK’s most beautiful countryside. There are plenty of places to stop and explore along the way, including the historic city of Bath.

Overall, these canal routes are perfect for beginners and offer a great way to enjoy a relaxing break in the UK.

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Best UK canal boat holidays for families (and pets)

For many UK families, messing about in boats is in their island blood. Look up in the branches of most family trees and there’s a seafaring type tucked away somewhere. We’re never more than a few hours from the coast and even staunch UK landlubbers find the ocean’s siren call hard to resist.

But, unless you grew up splicing, tacking and bracing, sailing probably seems like a daunting prospect. It doesn’t have to be. Did you know you can sail a narrowboat, open locks and navigate the country’s inland waterways safely and easily without any experience at all? So if you’ve a hankering for a canal holiday this year, all you really need’s a boat, a route and a few willing kids to man the tow path from time to time.

monmouth-brecon-beacons-canal

1/5 Monmouth & Brecon Canal, Brecon Beacons National Park

The 56km long Monmouth & Brecon Canal runs right through Brecon Beacons National Park in South Wales. So it probably goes without saying that ‘impossibly lovely’ is included as standard in this holiday.

Apart from being an International Dark Skies Reserve, Brecon Beacons is home to working water mills, historic houses, outdoor activity centres, adventure playgrounds and almost endless stretches of wild, open countryside to explore. And 40km of the canal’s also lock-free, making it perfect for beginners or the truly, shamelessly idle.

Beacon Park Boats build their own narrowboats and craft them from natural materials inside and out. This is the luxury end of the market and not one detail’s missed from log burning stoves and crisp, white bedlinen to solid wood kitchens and bathrooms. But all boats are family-friendly and Beacon Park couldn’t be more welcoming to kids and pets.

The 5-Star Condor narrowboat is 52ft long, sleeps six people and up to two pets. It’s one of seven boats in the Beacon Park fleet and sails the Monmouth & Brecon Canal from Llangattock.

Prices: From £2230 in mid-July for 7-days sailing on Condor.

Find out more about The Condor and Beacon Park Boats

Discover things to do with kids in the brecon beacons national park in south wales.

forth-and-cylde-union-falkirkcanal

Photo credit: Milosz Maslanka / Shutterstock

2/5 The Forth & Clyde and Union Canal, Scotland

Edinburgh International Festival’s a real family event in August. It’s also the one where city hotels are fully booked and room rates aren’t far from a shakedown. But, if you were thinking about a canal boat holiday this summer you could easily fit the world’s biggest  arts festival into the plan.

The co-joined Forth & Clyde and Union Canals meet at Falkirk and stretch for 47km in total. Making this the holiday to take in Loch Lomond, see the Trossachs, hit Glasgow for shops and museums, ‘do’ the Edinburgh Festival and still have some time left for meandering along at your own pace and doing nothing much at all.

Thanks to the huge and impressive Falkirk Wheel, the Union Canal’s lock-free and the 11-lock flight on the Forth & Clyde is easy going for even the greenest of sailors.

The 4-star Capercaillie Gosling narrowboat is 63ft long, sleeps eight and welcomes pets. It’s available year round and sails from Falkirk on the Forth & Clyde and Union Canals between Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Prices: from £1890 in August for seven days sailing on Capercaillie Gosling.

Find out more about Capercaillie Gosling and Waterways Holidays

See what’s on at the edinburgh international festival 2017.

bridgewater-canals-manchester

3/5 The Cheshire Ring, Manchester and Peak District

In canal terms, Manchester is to the UK what Venice is to Italy. Add the gorgeously wild and romantic Peak District into the equation and this holiday could be the start of a lifelong passion for narrowboat sailing.

It’s a perfect circle, launching at Acton Bridge along the Bridgewater Canal into Manchester, down Macclesfield Canal through the Peak District and onto the Trent & Mersey for a final stretch. Spread across seven days, there’s plenty of great outdoors to walk, hike and cycle. And, city in the mix, makes it a good choice for older kids and teenagers.

The Bridgewater Canal’s almost entirely lock-free so a nice, easy start for nervous sailors. And this year, you’ve a chance to be among the first to sail Manchester’s newly overhauled waterways and see them at their best, yet.

The Princess 4 narrowboat is 52ft long, sleeps six and welcomes pets. It’s available year round and sails from Acton Bridge on the Bridgewater, Peak Forest, Macclesfield and Trent & Mersey Canals.

Prices: from £1359 in July for seven days sailing on Princess 4.

Find out more about Princess 4 and Black Prince Holidays

Find out more about the cheshire ring.

fens-cambridgeshire

Photo credit: MK Jones / Shutterstock

4/5 The Fen Waterways, Cambridgeshire

Second only to the Norfolk Broads, the Fens are Britain’s most iconic, mysterious and downright enchanting waterways. And, depending on where your heart lies, the Fens might even have an edge thanks to the colleges and churches of Cambridge and Ely’s legendary cathedral.

This seven day narrowboat holiday includes sailing to historic Fotheringay, the charming Tudor town of St. Ives (not the one in Cornwall) and the city of Cambridge. Ferry Meadows Country Park and Ashton Dragonfly Reserve are fun day cruises. And Ely’s the city to bring bikes on board for a day out on the beautifully restored waterfront – don’t miss the Lantern Tower, you can see right across the Fens from the top.

The Ely narrowboat is 55ft long, sleeps six and welcomes pets. It’s available year round and sails from March on the Fen Waterways round Cambridgeshire all year round.

Prices: from £1375 in July for seven days sailing on The Ely.

Find out more about The Ely and Waterways Holidays

Find out more about the fen waterways.

canal boat holidays Llangollen-Canal-north-wales

5/5 Llangollen Canal, North Wales

Several of the UK’s canals are idyllic, but few have the 18km UNESCO World Heritage stretch which raises Llangollen in North Wales to such stellar heights in the opinion of seasoned narrowboat enthusiasts.

This week long holiday sails almost the entire length of the 125km canal from historic Chirk to the Dee Valley. Narrow ravines, lush countryside, a scattering of easy locks, spectacular waterfalls and mighty reservoirs are the sailing part. And that’s mixed in with a healthy sprinkling of ancient castles, stately homes, enormous aqueducts and more than enough towpath for cycling and horse riding.

The Saltash narrowboat is 52ft long, sleeps six and welcomes pets. It’s available year round and sails the full or part length of the Llangollen Canal from Chirk in North Wales.

Prices: from £1359 in July for seven days sailing on The Saltash.

Find out more about The Saltash and Bluewater Holidays

Find out more about llangollen canal, 7 good things to know about canal boat holidays.

  • Locks are the biggest worry for new sailors. They’re very simple and all holiday operators will show you the ropes before you sail away. The Thames and Scotland’s Great Glen have lockkeepers. And several canals like, the Union Canal and Monmouth & Brecon, have none or few locks.
  • You don’t need any experience to sail a narrowboat but recommended operators will include basic training which covers: how to steer, daily checks, lock technique and full safety instructions.
  • Boats are licensed for the canals included in your holiday, if you want to use other waterways you need additional licences.
  • On all UK canals you can moor overnight anywhere along the towpath free of charge but you have to be at least 50m away from locks.
  • The maximum speed on the UK’s inland waterways is 4mph (fast walking pace).
  • On a relaxing seven day holiday you should be covering about 15 miles a day.
  • Younger children should wear lifejackets on deck. Remember to take a pair of sturdy canvas or leather gardening gloves to protect hands at locks.

Now you’re in the mood for sailing forth, have a look at where to find more family adventure in 2017.

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  1. Five British canal and waterway trips with a wow factor

    87 miles, 104 locks, one tunnel and two aqueducts, from Reading to Bristol. This canal reopened in 1990 after an epic feat of restoration driven by volunteers. This canal-cum-river boasts a ...

  2. The best canal routes in the UK

    Forth and Clyde Canal **Route:**35 miles between the Firth of Clyde and the Firth of Forth **Number of locks:**39 Best for: Scotland's greatest hits. Built with dimensions roomy enough for seafaring boats and the Scottish fishing fleet to transit between the east and west coasts, in modern times the Forth and Clyde provides for leisurely voyages.

  3. 21 best canal boat trips in the UK

    At Bradford-on-Avon you can take a canal boat trip on the impressively large Barbara McLellan, a 65ft wide-beam boat that seats 40 and is operated by the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust. From Bradford-on-Avon, the Barbara McLellan sails west to Avoncliff Aqueduct and east to Widbrook winding hole.

  4. The best scenic canal routes in the UK

    The best scenic canal routes in the UK 28 January 2021 ... By 1810 canal boats could go from Reading in Berkshire to Bath in Somerset, but the 1841 opening of the Great Western Railway that ran from London to Bristol had a negative effect on the profitability of the canals. ... Canal holidays and trips: need to know. There are a few essential ...

  5. Great British Boating

    Our holidays. Great British Boating offers a range of canal boat holidays on the 2,000 miles of Britain's inland waterways, with all of the information you need to plan and make the most of your time. You can adventure at your own pace along our recommended routes, watching out for wildlife and stopping to enjoy traditional pubs, tea rooms ...

  6. Canal Boat Itineraries on England's Prettiest Waterways

    stretches, a few moorhens for company, travelling on a canal boat lets you take life at a leisurely pace as market towns, half-timbered hamlets and the industrial edges of the country's big cities roll by. Over 4,400km of waterways make up Britain's canal network. The slow-flowing web once acted as the life-support system for the country ...

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    Book 2024 and 2025 holidays now with amazing savings! We offer the widest range of canal narrow boats in the UK. Search over 2000 canal holiday options and book online at best prices any time. Cruise the canals around London, moor in historic Bath, Oxford or Chester. Travel from Edinburgh via the stunning Falkirk Wheel.

  8. Boat holidays and trips

    Canal boat holidays are a great opportunity to get back to what matters: spending time with family or friends, spotting wildlife and being as active as you like. Walking, cycling, fishing, canoeing and even paddle boarding are on offer. Our canals and rivers are open for you to explore. The many hire boat companies dotted around the country are ...

  9. The best UK canal boat holidays to book now

    Here are some of the UK's best routes for a canal boat holiday this year. The Avon Ring There are centuries of English history to explore in the Avon Ring, a circuit of 109 miles and 131 locks.

  10. Narrowboat and canal boating holidays in England and Wales

    Welcome to Drifters. Drifters brings you Great British Boating. Drifters is made up of nine professional canal boat holiday operators, handpicked because they uphold the highest standards.. With over 550 narrowboats for hire from 45 bases across England, Scotland and Wales, Drifters offers the choice of hundreds of narrowboat holiday routes and destinations.

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    A great place to find Canal Boat Holidays, UK Canal Boating, Narrow Boat Holidays, Canal Boat Hire and Canal Holidays. UK Canal Boating. Nationwide canal boat hire specialists. Find your Holiday Offers. Home; ... View boat Tours View location Tours. Canal Boats. 2 - 4 Berth These boats have one cabin with a dinette double. 2 - 5 Berth ...

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    Our Canal and River Cruise pages show which boats are planning to cruise which canals and rivers. And during the cruising season we show which Late Booking cabins are still available. Choose from over 300 relaxing canal & river hotelboat cruises in England, Wales & Scotland. It's a wonderful way to enjoy the countryside!

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    A canal boating holiday is different from any you've had before, with new adventures round every corner of the 2000 mile network of inland waterways. And your narrowboat has all the comforts of home, in a uniquely charming way. We offer a dazzling choice of over 500 boats from 44 bases on the canals and rivers of England, Scotland and Wales.

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    Regent's Canal. The Regent's Canal is a 9-mile waterway that runs through the heart of London. It was built in the early 19th century to link the Grand Union Canal to the River Thames. The canal passes through several historic neighbourhoods, including Little Venice, Camden, and Hackney.

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    2. Navigate to the bright lights of Birmingham. Boasting more kilometres of canals than Venice, Birmingham has to be visited by water. Between the city centre and ABC Boat Hire's narrowboat hire base at Alvechurch on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal, there are 18km of waterway but zero locks.

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    If you fancy finding out more get inspired by our pick of some of the best and most scenic canal boat trips in the UK. Gloucester Docks. Cruise past the beautiful scenery of the Severn Vale, past charming villages and picturesque countryside along the Gloucester to Sharpness Canal. Stop off at Worcester Cathedral or the Norman Abbey at Tewkesbury.

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    We offer over 2000 canal holiday options, available to book online, all at the best prices with exclusive discounts. Hire a canal narrowboat from a wide range of bases throughout the UK, with the best selection of 2-12 berth boats to suit all budgets. Explore scenic canals, moor at canalside pubs and enjoy traversing dramatic aqueducts and ...

  18. 10 great UK boat trips, chosen by readers

    The Glenelg-Skye ferry. Photograph: John Bracegirdle/Alamy. The Glenelg-Skye ferry is a very short journey (five minutes, about three an hour) but has to be my favourite boat trip. There are very ...

  19. 5 Best scenic canal routes UK

    2. Kennet & Avon Canal from Hilperton Marina. Often considered one of the best for natural beauty and wildlife, the Kennet and Avon canal is a great place to start. This canal provides a series of routes which are perfect when you're searching for scenic canal routes to explore on your next trip away. Whether it's travelling through the ...

  20. Explore the Fantastic Canal Boat Trips in England

    Canal Boat Trips in England. Beyond the scenic landscapes, canal boat trips promise unforgettable experiences that blend nature, history, and local charm. Here are just a few highlights to whet your appetite: Navigating Locks: Prepare to step back in time as you become a part of the canal's history.Operating traditional locks is a hands-on adventure, a rhythmic dance of paddles and gates ...

  21. Canal Boat Holidays, Barge and Narrowboat Hire on the UK Waterways

    A canal boat holiday is an outdoor adventure, you're likely to encounter locks, swing bridges, tunnels and aqueducts. Provided you have a rod licence, you can fish on most canals at any time of year. The close season on the rivers runs between 15 March to 15 June inclusive. Click to view an interactive map of the UK canals and rivers.

  22. Best Canal Holidays for Beginners: A Guide to the Top UK Destinations

    For beginners, a short break of 3-4 nights is a great way to experience a canal boat holiday without committing to a longer trip. This allows plenty of time to explore the canals and enjoy the scenery, but without feeling overwhelmed. Type of Boat. Narrowboats are the most popular type of boat for canal boat holidays.

  23. Best UK canal boat holidays for families (and pets)

    But all boats are family-friendly and Beacon Park couldn't be more welcoming to kids and pets. The 5-Star Condor narrowboat is 52ft long, sleeps six people and up to two pets. It's one of seven boats in the Beacon Park fleet and sails the Monmouth & Brecon Canal from Llangattock. Prices: From £2230 in mid-July for 7-days sailing on Condor.