BRITAIN’S 3000-mile network of inland waterways winds through some of the nation’s best-loved countryside, including beautiful stretches of woodland and tree-lined embankments.
Drifters Waterways Holidays (drifters.co.uk) offers more than 500 boats for hire from 40 locations across England, Scotland and Wales. To celebrate the autumn colours in the trees and hedgerows that line Britain’s canals, Drifters has published a guide to the top six leafy canals to cruise along this autumn…
The Calder & Hebble in West Yorkshire
The 21-mile-long leafy Calder & Hebble Navigation links Wakefield with Sowerby Bridge. On a short break from Drifters’ base at Sowerby Bridge, canal boat holiday-markers can cruise along the Calder & Hebble to Shipley and back. The route takes boaters through wooded valleys and the historic towns of Elland and Brighouse. The journey there and back travels 22 miles, passes through 32 locks (16 each way) and takes around 16 hours.
The Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal in South Wales
This 35-mile-long peaceful waterway follows the line of the wooded Usk Valley through the Brecon Beacons National Park. On a short break from Drifters’ base at Goytre Wharf, narrowboat holidaymakers can cruise to Talybont-on-Usk and back, passing the villages of Llaellen, Llanfoist, Govilon, Llangattock and Llangynidr along the way. The journey there and back travels 39 miles, passes through 10 locks (five each way) and takes around 18 hours.
The Shropshire Union Canal in Staffordshire
From Drifters boat hire base at Brewood on the Shropshire Union Canal in Staffordshire, it takes around 10 hours to reach the historic market town of Market Drayton, home of the gingerbread man. The journey travels through 21 miles of scenic countryside, with wooded sections and a series of deep canal cuttings full of trees and vegetation. There are villages with canalside pubs to visit along the way, including The Boat Inn at Gnosall and the Junction Inn at Norbury Wharf. With just six locks, this four-night or week-long route is great for beginners.
The Stratford Canal in Warwickshire
This 25.5-mile-long narrow canal connects Stratford-upon-Avon with the Worcester & Birmingham Canal at Kings Norton Junction. The middle section is wooded, passing through the remains of the Forest of Arden. On a short break from Drifters’ base at Wootton Wawen, boaters can cruise through quiet leafy countryside to Hatton and back. The journey takes canal boat holidaymakers through the village of Lowsonford with its popular Fleur de Lys canalside pub, and Lapworth where the route transfers onto the Grand Union Canal. The journey to Hatton and back cruises 21 miles, passes through 34 locks and takes around 14 hours.
The Kennet & Avon Canal in Wiltshire and Somerset
The 87-mile long Kennet & Avon Canal links the Bristol Avon near Bath, with the River Thames at Reading. On a short break from Drifters’ narrowboat hire base at Bradford on Avon, boaters can cruise through the beautiful Bath Valley to Sydney Gardens on the edge of Bath and back. The route takes boaters across the magnificent Bath stone aqueducts at Avoncliff and Dundas, and through the riverside villages of Limpley Stoke, Bathampton and Claverton. At Sydney Gardens, boaters can moor up and walk into Bath City Centre in about 15 minutes. The journey to Sydney Gardens and back travels 20 miles, passes through two locks (one each way) and takes around eight hours.
The Caldon Canal in Staffordshire
The picturesque Caldon Canal was built to carry Peak District limestone to the Potteries. Running from Stoke-on-Trent to Froghall, much of the route follows the beautiful wooded Churnet Valley. On a week’s break from Drifters base at Stoke-on-Trent, boaters can cruise to Froghall and back via Cheddleton Flint Mill. The route travels a total of 34 miles (17 each way), passes through 34 locks (17 each way) and takes around 22 hours. Historic pubs to visit along the way include the Holly Bush at Denford and the Black Lion at Consall Forge.
