Bank holiday breaks
THE beautiful 3000-mile network of Britain’s inland waterways weaves through the countryside into some of our best-loved towns and cities. To celebrate the forthcoming May bank holidays, Drifters has published a guide to the best bank holiday boating city breaks.
Worcester: This beautiful cathedral city on the River Severn is connected to the canal network at Diglis Junction. Drifters offers canal boat holidays from Worcester Marina. From there, boaters can complete the Droitwich Ring on a short break. This 20-mile circuit takes boaters through Worcester along the River Severn, along the Droitwich Canals and a section of the Worcester & Birmingham Canal. There are 33 locks and it takes around 16 hours.
Bath: From Bradford on Avon on the Kennet & Avon Canal on the edge of the Cotswold Hills in Wiltshire, boaters can cruise to the UNESCO World Heritage City of Bath and back. The six-hour journey to Sydney Wharf on the edge of the city centre travels nine miles through the Avon Valley, passing through three locks along the way. Boaters can moor up at Sydney Wharf and take a trip into Bath city centre to visit attractions including the Roman Baths and Royal Crescent.
Edinburgh: On a four-night break from Drifters’ canal boat rental location at Falkirk where the Scottish Lowland canals meet, boaters can cruise to Edinburgh Quay and back. The route starts at the site of the Falkirk Wheel, the world’s first rotating boat lift. The journey along the Union Canal goes through the Falkirk Tunnel, across the magnificent Avon Aqueduct and through the villages of Linlithgow and Ratho. Once in Edinburgh, boaters can moor up in Edinburgh Quay and walk into the city centre to visit attractions including Holyrood Palace and Mary King Close.
Oxford: From Drifters’ base on the River Thames, boaters can reach Oxford in around three-and-a-half hours, passing through four locks along the way. There are places to moor up near Hythe Bridge, a short walk into the city centre. Places to visit include Oxford Castle, the Bodleian Library and the Ashmolean Museum.
Cambridge: On a short break from Drifters base on the River Ouse at Ely, boaters can cruise to the world-famous historic city of Cambridge and back. There are moorings just below Jesus Green Lock on the River Cam. From there, boaters can explore Cambridge, including King’s College Chapel and quaint streets filled with antique shops, museums, art galleries, restaurants and tearooms. The journey from Ely to Cambridge and Wicken Fen and back travels 38 miles, passes through six locks (three each way) and takes around 13 hours.
For more information call: 0344 984 0322 or visit: www.drifters.co.uk