Cruise through the countryside this October half term
Canal breaks and river cruising in the UK, Ireland and Europe
CANAL boat holidays are great for families – offering the chance to ship out together on an adventure afloat, learning how to navigate the canals, work the locks and look out for waterway wildlife along the way.
A licence isn’t required to steer a canal boat and all Drifters operators provide hirers with boat steering tuition as part of their holiday packages.
Drifters narrowboats range from 32ft to 70ft and can accommodate between two and 12 people (subject to social distancing regulations). All are equipped with essential home comforts, including central heating, hot water, TV, showers, microwaves, flushing toilets, and many now have Wi-Fi too.
Prices start at £560 for a short break (three or four nights) on a boat for four people, £725 for a week.
Here are Drifters’ top five canal boat holiday destinations for this October half term:
1. Cruise through the Warwickshire countryside to Packwood House – from Drifters’ narrowboat hire base at Tardebigge on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal near Bromsgrove, it’s a peaceful seven-hour cruise through the countryside to the village of Lapworth.
With locks along the way, it’s a great short break for beginners. Once moored up in Lapworth, canal boat holidaymakers can take a short walk to the National Trust’s Packwood House, with magnificent gardens.
2. Cruise the leafy Calder & Hebble Navigation to Brighouse – on a short break from Drifters’ boat yard at Sowerby Bridge, canal boat holidaymakers can travel to Brighouse and back along the leafy Calder & Hebble Navigation.
This historic town, famous for its Brighouse and Rastick Brass Band, offers glorious Pennines walks, places to eat and shops. Along the way, boaters pass through the historic market town of Elland and the village of Mirfield, with medieval stocks and ducking stool, plus Dumb Steeple, thought to have been a landmark to guide travellers on their way across the moor and later a Luddite rallying point. The journey there and back travels 12 miles, passes through 20 locks (10 each way) and takes around eight hours.
3. Glide across ‘The Stream in the Sky’ to Whitchurch – on a week’s holiday from Drifters’ narrowboat hire centre at Trevor on the Llangollen Canal in North Wales, boaters can travel through the Shropshire Lake District to Whitchurch and back. The journey there and back takes around 44 hours, passing through just four locks (two each way). Along the way, boaters travel across the incredible UNESCO World Heritage designated Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, which carries the canal 38 metres high above the Dee Valley.
Once at Whitchurch, there are plenty of places to moor and explore the historic town with independent shops, pubs, restaurants and way-marked walks.
4. Potter through the Shropshire countryside to Market Drayton – from Drifters’ canal boat hire base at Brewood on the Shropshire Union Canal, it takes around 10 hours to reach the historic market town of Market Drayton, home of the gingerbread man – perfect for a mid-week break afloat. Along the way, boaters pass through miles of beautiful Shropshire countryside, six locks and a series of villages with canalside pubs.
5. Cruise to Castle Quay in Manchester – from Drifters’ canal boat hire base at Anderton on the Trent & Mersey Canal in Cheshire, it takes around 10½ hours to reach Castle Quay, cruising along 31 miles of inland waterways and passing through just one lock.
This route, which begins at the site of the incredible Anderton Boat Lift, aka ‘The Cathedral of the Canals’, is perfect for a four-night midweek break afloat.
It includes three tunnels, miles of quiet countryside, the pretty village of Lymm and an urban section passing the Manchester United football ground, Salford Quays and the Old Trafford Cricket Ground, before reaching moorings at Castle Quay.