bestboatingholidays

Most people who usually holiday abroad will stay in Britain this summer. Instead of flying off to Europe why not go on a boating holiday? Why not boat hire this summer?  Treat the family to two weeks on a boat.  Believe me it will bring you all closer together. It will have two main effects.  You will feel younger, because you will end up doing things you probably did when you were younger and your kids will respond by seeing you as you used to be, and identify with your actions!  The kids will realise you are OK!  The whole experience is more than just a holiday, its a family getting back to supporting each other and appreciating each others point of view.  It is really benefical! OK Iam being a bit heavy with the benefits of a boating holiday, but everything I have said is true!

Boating holidays whether on a canal boat, cabin cruiser or sailing boat brings out the team work in people.  The crew support each other through difficult times.  Everyone pulls together.  This means when the chips are down everyone tries their best to overcome the problem and works for the benefit of the team.  On board a boat this means all the crew work to ensure they get to their destination as easily as possible. Working as a team means everyone can enjoy the passage to the maximum.  The adults take pleasure in seeing the youngsters working together and learning new skills.  Everyone enjoys themselves! The process of travelling from A to B is pleasant.

If you would like to spend this summer with your family on a boating holiday, click this link to find a suitable venue.

A canal cruise this summer could be exactly the type of holiday you and your family need.  With the recession still well and truely with us, less people are flying off to foreign destinations this year.  More people are choosing to holiday at home.  So instead of looking and hoping for that last minute package holiday, why not think differently and choose a boating holiday?  Of course, many of you are used to spending time on a narrowboat during the summer. 

Some readers may be considering a canal boat hire for the first time and are wanting to find out more about what is on offer.  Well the answer is lots!  There is lots to do on a canal cruise.  You would be surprised just how much there is to see and do as you potter along at 4 mph.  Not only is there the surrounding countryside to admire but also the whole process of travelling through the locks and canal.  You and the family will be kept busy, if that is what you want.

Of course, if you just want to sit and catch up with the next chapter in your new book, then you can do that too.  Sit and watch the world go by.  Breath that fresh country air, listen to the ducks and other wildlife busy going about their daily routine.  Plenty to do.  So why not book your canal cruise today and begin planning how you are going to spend your time on your floating holiday home!

A short cruise along the Shropshire Union Canal from Middlewich to Nantwich and back will take you about 3 nights. This is a delightful area of England with very few people living near the canal. It is a fairly narrow canal travelling southwards towards Nantwich, one of the last canals to be built, in 1835. As you move along the ‘Shroppie’ you see rolling hillsides over towards Wales. At other times the canal has heavy wooded areas on either side, so the scenery changes all the time which keeps you engaged and entertained at the same time!

Why not boat hire from Andersen Boats at Middlewich, as all their narrowboats are well equipped and ideally suited for boating holidays with either a couple or all the family.

Along this stretch of the Shropshire Union canal there are several canals which branch off, for example at Barbridge Junction you can go onto the Trent and Mersey canal. Further south, about a mile, you have the opportunity to go along the Llangollen canal at the Hurleston Junction. So plenty of choices!
 
At Nantwich you will immediately notice the old style building made from timber and painted black and white. It is an old market town typical of the type found around the English countryside. The town contains over a hundred listed buildings, with the largest collection of historic buildings outside Chester.  The oldest building in the town is St Mary’s Church, which dates from the 14th century. All throughout the town are many timber-framed or “black-and-white” buildings dating from the 16th and 17th centuries. These interesting houses can be found in the centre on Barker Street, Beam Street, Churchyard Side, Hospital Street and High Street. They also can be seen across the River Weaver on Welsh Row. Two particularly important examples are Churche’s Mansion, an Elizabethan mansion house dating from before the fire, and the Crown Hotel, a former coaching inn built immediately after the fire. There are also many fine Georgian town houses and some examples of Victorian corporate architecture to view as you wander through the town.

Your short canal cruise should take you about 3 nights and during that time you will negoiate 8 locks and cover 27 miles.  You should during that time experience the English countryside and small town life which has not changed too much over the years. If you would like to find out more about boat hire on a canal holiday, click here.

Taking a canal boat hire through the beautiful Yorkshire countryside along the Leeds and Liverpool canal is a wonderful way to relax.  Why not boat hire from Silsden Boats, a family run boat yard and cruise westward along the canal towards Skipton.  This lovely village is on the edge of the Dales and has at least 3 wonderful places to visit.  Firstly, the 900 year old Skipton Castle which is the only remaining most complete castle from that era.  You could easily spend a whole day wandering around this castle, from the watch tower at the top to the dungeons deep below the ground! 

Secondly, there is Craven Museum in the town hall, which has many interactive exhibits for all the family to get involved in.  Exhibits from Roman times right up to the Industrial Revolution can be viewed.  These give you an idea of how life was for the local inhabitants all those years ago.

Thirdly, there is a very old church, Holy Trinity, dating back to 1300 A.D.  It has had its fair share of bad luck over the years, because it was partly destroyed during the English Civil War and then it has been struck twice by lightening! It stands at the end of the high street, so is easily found.

Once back on the narrowboat you could travel further on to Gargrave, another lovely small village on the edge of the canal.  Why not find out more about hiring a boat on the Leeds and Liverpool canal by going here.

This year my wife and I have been fortunate to go on several canal holidays.  There is something special about arriving at a new location and stepping aboard a canal boat hire.  The welcome from the boat hirer as they show you around is always a treat.  They are very proud of their vessels and keep them clean and tidy.  It is a good time to ask about local must see places of interest and get directions. Once you are familar with your boats layout and controls, your off on your travels!

Casting off, putting the engine in gear and hearing that solid, dependable diesel chugging quietly below your feet is really the fastest way to slow down and relax! If you know what I mean?  As you look around, while you move along at 4 mph, you see people of all sorts enjoying the canal.  All along the canal towpath people are walking, talking, fishing or even getting ready to go paddling in their kayak!  Everything is peaceful.  Ducks are swimming away from you as you approach them and the occasional fish is jumping.  In the nearby fields, cows share the grazing with sheep and young lambs, the farmer is on his tractor doing something with his trailer.  Ahead, you see the first lock on this particular trip, and eagerly anticipate the challenge of entering it without hitting the sides!

If you are lucky there will be a lockeeper ready to take your mooring warps. He would have heard your approach and wandered from his cottage at the side of the lock.  Once your lines are ashore he will close the lock gates and begin to let the water either into the lock or out.  As your narrowboat either rises or falls you keep a close eye on your warps.  Sometimes you need to share a lock, to conserve the water supply, and this is an ideal time to meet other canal boat users.  For a short time you swap either useful information about where they have been or just make idle gossip!

As the lock gates open you are again free to travel on along the smooth waters of the canal. Boat hire for canal cruises is very popular in Britain and Europe.  More and more people are realising the benefits of canal boat hire.  Its an ideal boating holiday.  Relaxing and admiring the incredible scenery on offer is a great attraction for many people looking to get away from their work, even for a short time! 

Along the canal you not only pass through locks but also under bridges, many built more than 200 years ago.  Tunnels are another interesting place to experience, especially the first time!  Very often it is the unusual buildings along the side of the canals that prove to be fascinating mainly because of their history.  Older buildings were part of the industrial revolution and were built because of the benefits of canal transportation.  This ever changing landscape from fields with waterfalls and Follies to inner city buildings, many now converted to luxury apartments, offers some spectacular views.

Why not book a canal boat hire now.  Experience some of the things I have described, and more!  When you come back from your boating holiday, write a comment on this blog telling us all about your wonderful time!