What once made up the water machine that serviced the Industrial Revolution has since been well repurposed as a breathtaking country-long network for all to enjoy.
If you’re interested in the concept of a canal boat holiday then here are some of the best canal routes in the UK along with some tips to make the best of a canal boat holiday.
Monmouthshire and Brecon canal
The route stretches 36 miles and runs between Brecon and Pontymoile, a peaceful route with 6 locks.
It goes through the Brecon Beacons National Park and isn’t connected to the rest of the British waterways and is one of the quietest, most tranquil canals. Take man’s best friend on the dog-friendly hire fleets, with electric narrowboats and static houseboats great for short breaks and/or long weekends. Small villages and ancient trees can be seen scattered alongside traditional infrastructure including a long and eerie tunnel, lifting bridges, and the wonder of a 25-mile lock-free pound. If you appreciate being active take a walk over the surrounding hills, while the River Usk, which runs parallel to the canal. Maybe even go one step further and enjoy some wild swimming. Get a taste for some locally produced provisions and Brecon Brewing’s beers from Crickhowell.
The Warwickshire Ring
The route stretches 104 miles and stretches along the Grand Union, Oxford, Coventry and Birmingham with 121 locks!
The Warwickshire Ring is one of the most rewarding canal routes available. You can aim to do this circuit in a week of hardcore boating, allow longer in order to really take in the variety available. Enjoy the incredible peace of the Oxford narrow canal, consider a side trip from Hawkesbury Junction and its early industrial heritage into Coventry or go into pre-canal times through the pageants and jousting held at Warwick’s medieval castle. Don’t forget to experience Birmingham’s so-called ‘wet streets’ by boat to discover a fantasy metropolis that feels like a mix of Venice and Gotham City. Connecting Britain’s urban and rural landscapes is the canal system’s great living legacy, so moor up in Gas Street Basin in the heart of Birmingham to soak up the bright lights and buzz of the city.
The Kennet and Avon Canal
A 87 mile long route that stretches from Bristol to Reading that’s perfect for experiencing as a family, passing 105 locks in total.
This route was originally built as a link between two of the UK’s greatest cities; Bristol and London. The Kennet and Avon was always a slow rural canal. With peaceful waters and quiet towpaths which mean it’s perfect for family cruising, even more so if you add bicycles for some charming side trips to Avebury or to find the eight White Horses cut into Wiltshire’s chalk downs. With a gorgeous stretch where you can appreciate a landscape of woods, meadows, and market towns between Caen Hill’s flight of 29 locks and Hungerford. Bare witness to the massive boilers and steam engines of Crofton Pumping Station that once used to keep the canal’s summit in water as they are still regularly fired up. Pubs with waterside beer gardens are a Kennet and Avon gem and the historic Barge Inn in particularly renowned for its great food and live music.
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