The Great British BOAT-OFF

The waterways we have on offer in the UK will take your breath away – it’s time to set sail!

I’m slightly embarrassed to admit that, until recently,

I’d only ever boated abroad. In fact, I’d never given a thought to the beauty of the waterways we have right here in the UK.

Full disclosure: our two, 20-something crew members – my son and his girlfriend – weren’t 100% on board with the idea of spending a precious week on the Thames, just two hours from home. Picturing a slow crawl through suburbia or, at best, mile after mile of manicured lawns, they pre-booked their train tickets home for day three.

It took 10 minutes of cruising for them to regret their decision and all of us to re-imagine our lives as permanent deck hands.

Floating through stunning scenery, tying up by tree-lined banks, gives new meaning to ‘away from it all’. Our daily companions were swan families too numerous to count (more than ever this year due to reduced river traffic), red kites soaring overhead and a still-as-a-statue heron on every bend.

We picked up our Calypso 8-berther in Benson, south Oxfordshire, and headed upstream towards Oxford. First overnight stop: an impossibly tranquil spot near Shillingford (just us, a solitary fisherman and the sunset reflected in the water). Next, we paused at other-worldly Dorchester, with its fine abbey and old-school museum, drifted through sleepy Abingdon and, two nights and six locks later, tied up in Oxford. An easy stroll along the towpath took us to the sights (an insider recommended Najar’s top-notch falafel stall outside St John’s College on St Giles), followed by sundowners in the most blissful setting – our very own floating wine bar, now moored near Iffley Lock.

Next day, we double-backed in the direction of the capital. We made it as far as Sonning (Jerome K Jerome’s ‘most fairy-like little nook’), factoring in the return leg to Benson. Highlights included an overnight stop near Beale Park, where we explored on foot, following the Thames Path, and the pretty market town of Wallingford for antiques window shopping and a lunchtime pint. Anyone with younger children or on a quest for more bustle could skip straight to Legoland, Windsor Castle or any of the many tourist hotspots.

But what about all those locks? Once our crew was down to two, I had a moment of panic: how would I hop on and off a moving boat and manage both ropes? Answer? Take the helm. It took just one lock to get the hang of it. Sadly, I didn’t see a single other woman steering through a lock (all were on rope duty), but it’s a great experience. And lock keepers are a helpful bunch, ready with their boat hooks and words of reassurance.

My newly converted son compared the experience to glamping, but for me, the freedom to moor and explore gives it the edge. You can choose a boat to suit your required comfort levels: ours had three double cabins, hot showers, decent galley, a spacious saloon and plenty of deck space to lounge come rain or shine.

• Seven nights on the Thames on Calypso (sleeping eight) costs from £1,589 per boat (three nights from £809); leboat.co.uk.