Canal holidays

We did a short break last year.  

Surprisingly good fun for travelling at walking pace in a boat.  I was skeptical as most of my boating involves RIBs or the kind of sailing that requires a relaxed view of getting dunked in the Solent.  

Mrs g-d did the organisation though and the brief was near home.

The Warwickshire Ring is a popular circular route,  a mix of rural and bit of urban landscape.
Did it a few years back.
From memory only a few days generally means an out and back route.
A circular is probabley a bit more enjoyable and makes you get underway in the morning to stay on schedule.

But any boat adventure is fun and ending  at a pub is essential.

Bring a good camera. Its slow and steady enough to get some great wildlife and scenery shots.

Done a couple of trips with Wyvern Boats on the Grand union canal - enjoyed the slower pace

I would suggest the Leeds - Liverpool canal from somewhere like Apperley Bridge up in to the Dales , Burnley ish but not beyond
<br />Lots of mixture of industrial history and nice countryside , 5 rise locks etc which are impressive if you have never seen them, Saltaire with its industrial village, milll/art gallery, skipton a traditional market town with castle and then long tunnels to Burnley

OrLlangollen Canal and Montgomery Canal. Very different to Leeds /Liverpool very peaceful countryside, very flat, but then towards Llangollen the highest aqueduct in the world and nice hills around Llangollen

Can't suggest routes as it's been 30yrs since my last one. I went once with school and once with a bunch of mates in our early 20s. It was great fun each time. Loved the peace and pace, stopping at a nice pub for lunch/dinner the off again. A few days won't get you far so factor that in to your plans.

+1 on Llangollen being a lovely place.

I've been once. I was paid to 'rescue' a hire narrow boat which a honeymooning couple had abandoned following an argument.....It was owned by a friend who knew I could drive a RIB.

I pottered back from Llangollen to Chester, was told off for speeding (!) and popped a U-turn in where apparently no one else could, drank a few lunchtime pints and generally enjoyed earning for a few days.

The Warwickshire Ring is a popular circular route, a mix of rural and bit of urban landscape.

Agree. I used to work building narrowboats at Napton Junction on the Warwickshire ring.
It's a beautiful area to be on a boat and you have a few options in terms of direction and interest such as tunnels, locks, industrial areas, beautiful countryside and shed loads of nice pubs.

Locks seem like great fun at first but can become a bit of a pita if there are too many too close to each other, but also can be a bit of an event on a big series of them such as Hatton flight.

Depends really what area of the country they are wanting to be in and what floats their boat, as it were.

Llangollen canal is beautiful but every area has its attractions.

Oh yeah, it's expensive!
Although I suppose comparing it to seven nights hotel... 🤔

I’m watching this with interest. I’ve booked a boat for two weeks next year for our 40th wedding anniversary (it’s Dec 24th this year) my wife has always wanted to go on one but having witnessed arguments between people on them whilst walking and riding have resisted.  I also think that paying a lot of money to work all day travelling a few hundred metres up or down locks, and the work that entails would be frustrating and stressful, especially if the boat has to be returned on time. However, I’ve booked a boat on the Lancaster canal, 40miles, no locks, and it means both our daughter’s can join us in between shifts. P.S. Don’t tell my wife, it’s a surprise!

I also think that paying a lot of money to work all day travelling a few hundred metres up or down locks, and the work that entails would be frustrating and stressful

Nah man. It's one of the most relaxing things you can do.
Locks often cause the arguments. Try and pick an area with fewer and enjoy 😊

Some good advice about a circular route above. More fun than an out and back but most of them take a full week. You don't get anywhere quick at 3 mph! But your whole world slows down and you can't help but relax. You see the world through different eyes and after a few days of that your brain recalibrates to a calmer setting. It's a real paradox if you then go past a busy road or motorway and realise how hectic and stressed the rest of the world is!
It's great for nature spotting, herons, kingfishers etc. cool industrial architecture too.  There are some fantastic canalside pubs too, often with dedicated mooring so you can pull over for a few pints or food. We've done the Cheshire ring, 4 counties ring, Warwickshire ring, chunks of the Birmingham network and river Avon.
If you can swing a full week, I would recommend one of the marinas around Middlewich as a base as it gives you access to a couple of ring routes or to head toward Llangollen.

@kayak23 that’s what I’ve booked! I looked up the longest canal with no locks and it’s the Lancaster, 40 miles, no locks.

I’ve enjoyed both heading south from Warwick to Alvechurch and back for a few days and the spectacular Llangollen and back from Wrenbury near Chester for a week. The Warwick was easier and calmer as a novice, but the Llangollen had some stunning views. Both were enjoyable.

Back in the day, we used to do a lot of canal holidays, and eventually (my parents) bought a little cruiser on the Lancaster Canal, not too far from where we lived and lock free. As above, don’t underestimate the faffage of locks which can soon get very tiresome.

Maybe tie in the canal trip with somewhere they want to see. Biased perhaps, but the Rochdale Canal might be suitable.  Set off in Sowerby Bridge marina then immediately navigate the deepest lock in England.  Then trundle to Hebden Bridge, from there you are a short bus ride to Howarth and Brontë country.

Also agree that Saltaire would be a good stopping point, if that’s what floats their boat.

Llangollen is lovely. Avoid the Norfolk Broads unless you just want to see reeds all day. River Thames was very good and you can moor in Windsor/Eton for a bit of sightseeing.  Shropshire Union was a bit lock heavy if I recall.

I like the locks! Yes they slow things down, but if you want to get somewhere quickly, I would suggest a different holiday! They are all slightly different to operate, are interesting bits of engineering and industrial heritage. They are often places to chat to other boaters and the 'gongoozlers' who gather near them. They allow some of your crew to get off for a leg stretch to go ahead and operate the paddles. All good fun!

Agree, locks are sort of fascinating, but I remember a stretch on one of our holidays where there was about 13 or so in relatively quick succession, not staircase locks, but just far enough apart to think, “FFS another one”.  And no, it’s not about speed or hurrying along, but sometimes you just want to sit on deck, with a cheeky one,  and just trundle along without lockage. IMO.

sometimes you just want to sit on deck, with a cheeky one, and just trundle along without lockage. IMO.

Agreed. That's definitely part of it too 👍

Centerparcs?

Oh, sorry. Misread the thread title.

Did a canal trip with my kids for the reasons above, it'll be serene, gentle slow down wildlife etc etc. In reality; the 'third lock of the day' (when you have a 13 and a 10 year old)  can be less than massively fun and can in fact be pretty stressful, even at 3-4 mph. The boat was nice but pretty cramped and was essentially "a wet caravan", and pubs and pub meals are OK for a couple of days, after that it can get expensive and repetitive. Getting off the boat each day was a relief for all of us. And even back then 2010ish (I think) for what it was; it was crazy expensive.

We had a good time, and we all talk about it fondly enough; but none of us have ever been in mad rush to repeat the experience.

As a kid we did lots of family canal boat holidays. Since then did one with mates post uni exams and another as part of a stag do. Always good and something refreshing about settling into life at walking pace with plenty of pubs...but not much walking.

Locks are fun. I remember the Tardebigge flight of 30 or so locks taking most of the day to go about 2miles... but you do get some height done.

I would pick a route that does a combination of countryside and industrial history...and take a week so you can do a ring as mentioned above as preferable to an out and back.

Friend had one which we took  though the Delph locks to Tardebigge (the next day) to have it painted, it was a great couple of days and we spent the evening in central Birmingham, which was (kinda) fun. It's a lot of work going through that many locks, three of us made reasonably short work of it (One driving, one doing the current lock and the other readying the next lock up), I was really surprised by how much I enjoy floating along, watching the world go by.

So again, I'd echo the look for a run, with few locks comments & definitely no river sections (another friend got into trouble on the Severn). 

pubs and pub meals are OK for a couple of days, after that it can get expensive and repetitive.

True, but every narrow boat we've ever hired has been equipped with a pretty decent (if small) kitchen. Why not mix up the eating out with a bit of self catering on board?

We always used to prepare a couple of simple meals beforehand, that we could heat up on board.  Chilli, curry etc. In the summer it can be quite nice to put some chairs on the towpath if moored in a quiet spot and eat by the boat as a change to the pub.

Never done it, but always liked the sound of it! I did some riding in the Norfolk Broads last year and it looked like great fun! Something quite charming about being on a barge / boat in my opinion.

 Why not mix up the eating out with a bit of self catering on board?

Oh, we absolutely did do this, But y'know; holidays.. who wants to cook? After a while I think we were all just looking forward to food that wasn't "pub menu" is all. Like I said, looking back on it, we all have fond memories.

We hired a few times and then built a 55ft 6-berth boat when I was younger, and I've done a couple of hire trips more recently. Locks definitely part of the experience, if you think they are a faff then clearly canal holidays are not for you. When we were kids we'd lie on our bunks reading until my dad shouted 'lock!', when we'd run up on deck, grab the lock handles, jump onto the towpath (boat didn't stop) and run to get the lock ready by the time the boat got there. As the boat got into the lock, one of us shut the gate and the others would lift the paddles at the other end.  After the lock we'd have to find a spot to jump back on to the moving boat. We must have annoyed some folk, as if we were going up a flight and we thought the boat in front was dawdling, we'd help them :-).  Despite our well drilled lock technique, there was always plenty of time to relax and look at the scenery and nature, unless it was a Tardebigge or Hatton day. The boat was always moving, either horizontally or vertically while it was light so we would generally cover a two week cruise in a week, without speeding on the water. Almost always cooked on board, the kitchens are perfectly functional, the fridge can contain beer, and there is space for wine bottles.

I gre up near the Llangollen canal and mym Mum and friends have done a trip on it. While the Llangollen-Pontcysyllte-Chirk bit has great views and lots of interest / getting off spots and plenty of pubs and facilities, once you leave Chirk it becomes very rural. So one part is busy (which could be very stressful) the other doesn't have the riverside pubs and points of interest. With a short break it would work, but I have been tempted by other stretches of canal with more closeby facilities and more moorings so it's never stressful. I have considered Monmouthshire & Brecon, the Skipton to Saltaire bit of the Liverpool-Leeds or the Kennet and Avon (east of Devizes cos those locks would be too stressful).

Thanks for the suggestions.  The Kiwis have boat handling skills and expressed an interest in locks and the aqueduct with the unpronounceable name (and pubs!).  As one of them is here for the first time I was wondering about the Kennet & Avon as we can get Bath and Bristol into the itinerary but it is out and back.  We’re working on a week long trip in September and we’d be travelling from Suffolk.

and expressed an interest in locks and the aqueduct with the unpronounceable name

Take them on the Anderton boat lift, they'll love it. A stunning piece of historic engineering and living history.

Norbury Junction to Worcester and back  is doable in a week. Some lovely canals, interesting engineering and the river Severn.

Had a lovely long weekend on the Kennet & Avon this summer and didn't do a single lock. Admittedly is was an out and back but along two different looking stretches of water (the hire place is in the middle).

Might be an option for you:

https://www.honeystreetboats.co.uk/about-us/plan-route/

Close to Avebury, Silbury Hill and Stonehenge for the Kiwis too.

short break means an out and back trip. companies do weekends and mid-week. take the mid-week as you’ll get an extra night for the same price. you’ll want some lock action. but not too much. The Oxford canal is very pleasant. Down from Warwickshire to Banbury and back. There are no rings that can be done in less than a week. We’ve tended to cook when the kids were smaller and now pub. Family now has a 56 foot liveaboard that’s been moved to Kennet an Avon, but was on the Oxfordshire canal. They’ll love it. 

you’ll want some lock action. but not too much.

Euphemism?
The boat I 'rescued' and returned was called Marsh Wiggle. I think optimism on the behalf of the owner...

Forgot to say https://canalplan.uk/index.html is a useful route planner. Tells you the distance, number of locks, estimated time - all the things we used to have to work out with a combination of Nicholson's Guide and OS maps. Oh, and a copy of the Real Ale Guide to the Waterways (it was the 70's, the darkest time for beer in the nation's history).

Great info STW collective - looks like I have gone from next to no knowledge to having to make a decision from a bigger than expected range of options.

Not exactly what you might be after but you could do part of the Caledonian canal (The whole thing theoretically takes a week but we did it in 3 days in October, but that was just a transit and not really a pleasure cruise).<br />Not really narrowboat stuff either, but the scenery is immense and almost def way better than anything in England

It's been about 20 years since my wife and i last went on a canal trip.  Both times we went we hired a boat from Shire Cruisers, based in Sowerby Bridge.
From there you have the choice of going along the Rochdale Canal, or in the opposite direction, down the Calder & Hebbe canal, then up the Huddersfield Broad Canal.
If you take a short break on a boat from Shire, your looking at going from Sowerby Bridge - Hebden Bridge - Todmorden and back, or to Wakefield and back.
In a full week, you'd be able to get to nearly the summit of the Rochdale, then back down and into Huddersfield and back to Sowerby. (bearing in mind that the Rochdale averages 3 locks per mile!)

It's great and if you can do a loop that means no 3 point turns.  We did it because youngest leffe did a short stage at Warwick uni so we had a few days to kill.  Not being able to go fast is way nicer than you would imagine.  If you like jogging (running is too fast) then you can skoot up to the next lock to be ready at a super calm pace.  A set of binoculars, bird book, just a book even and you're done

I'd love to spend retirement on a small canal boatt exploring the thousands of miles of canals in England and Wales.

This journey scares the bloody bejesus out me though. The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct.

I've walked across it and the scenery from it is incredible to say the least, but what struck me at the time was for boats crossing, on one side you have the walkway, but on the other theres nothing, just a 126 foot drop to the river Dee below. No walkway, not even a guard rail, just what appears to be a very thin iron side, and we now know about the flaws the iron that was produced in those days has 😯

10 mins in, at the highest point. Is that a crack ??  😯

This is a useful resource:

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/canals-and-rivers<br /><br />

Friends of mine have their own narrowboat, they have her moored in a marina in Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, and spent 65 days cruising around Leicester, Loughborough, Nottingham, Peterborough and more. Their boat is 58’, so a bit bigger than many hire boats. <br />Be careful around the locks, and pay attention to Cill markings, and how the mooring ropes are tensioned when the locks are emptying and filling - my friends were paired with a hire boat in a lock, and the hire boat got into difficulty and nearly sank both boats!

The K&A would be a good *quick* out-and-back with good pubs and scenery, just avoid the Caen Hill flight - that’s a whole day just to negotiate the flight.

Have fun!