The BROAD appeal of a NARROW BOAT
Locks are in lockdown — but our canals will be alive again once the crisis is over. So here’s our guide to boating through the country’s most beautiful landscapes
CANALS are wondrous creations. Long or short, straight or surprisingly bendy, they form a network which offers travellers a very different way of life.
I’m a new convert, after taking part in Celebrity Britain By Barge with Anne Diamond, Pete Waterman and Bill Oddie, in which we navigated our way along six British canals. I loved every minute of it.
I have to admit that I’m more used to cruising on ocean-going liners, so I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about living on a narrowboat which, as its name suggests, isn’t exactly spacious.
Imagine my joy, then, when I found that all the boats we hired had reasonable living areas, plus two loos, decent shower rooms — and one of them even had a tiny bath. Mind you, the bath caused us to run out of water almost immediately. Another joy is the peace and pace of canal life. Suddenly your world is transformed into one where the top speed is 4 mph, often even slower. There’s so much time to soak up your surroundings: the countryside, the wildlife, the old mills and the industrial history of the landscape.
Every now and again — well, actually, rather more often than that — your progress is interrupted by a lock, or sometimes a series of locks. And, as I discovered, operating one is pretty hard work. But we all need a bit of exercise, and there are also some
wonderful people along the canals who volunteer to help. We took full advantage of their kindness.
Narrowboats are lengthy, lumbering beasts, and learning to pilot one was quite a challenge. You have to think ahead and steer accordingly, often under low bridges or through long, dark tunnels.
A strong wind can play havoc, especially when you’re trying to navigate a series of bends. But that’s all part of the fun, and I heard more than one fellow boater say that it really is a contact sport.
You’re surrounded by history on the canals. There was a moment of magic in Scotland when a beautiful palace slowly came into view as we meandered down the Union Canal. We stopped to explore, and found it was the remains of Linlithgow
Palace, where Mary Queen of Scots was born. On the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, old mills tell the story of the industrial revolution, and the many converted stables are a reminder of the horses that pulled the barges.
But it’s not all about the past. At Falkirk there is the most astounding piece of modern engineering: the world’s only rotating boat lift. The Falkirk Wheel is a work of genius, carrying boats 80 ft into the air from the Forth and Clyde Canal up to the Union Canal.
If you’re new to narrowboats, like me, you’ll find a great sense of camaraderie on the water; everyone is willing to help. And there’s really nothing quite like boating all day, working the locks, savouring the views and then tying up by a converted old stable block and enjoying a cosy pub meal, before heading back to your floating home.