bestboatingholidays

When we arrived at the boat hirer, UK Boat Hire  and were shown around we realised we were following in celebrity foot steps.  Evidently, Harrison Ford and his girlfriend had spent a vacation on this very canal, a few years ago!

Setting off from Wrenbury we travelled south towards the famous aqueduct and tunnel at Chirk.  Along the way the scenery was spectacular!  Rolling green hillsides, rivers and wildlife all around as we plodded along at 4 mph.  

At Whitchurch, we stop and visit the Heritage Centre. All the family would enjoy viewing the various exhibits, especially the sand pit for young children. The centre has a craft facility for you to get involved or buy some art work made on site. Whitchurch also has a large unusally shaped building called St. Alkmunds Church, built over 200 years ago. It is well worth a visit.

Once past Whittington, we eagerly anticipated seeing the Chirk Aqueduct. This 710 foot long and 70 foot high aqueduct was designed by the Scottish architect, Thomas Telford. He cleverly used a cast iron trough to hold the canal water and disguise it with stone masonery! It was complete in 1801 and has 10 arches spanning the River Ceiriog. The views from the aqueduct across to Wales, are delightful!

In contrast, we go from marvelling at the open air scenery to almost being fully enclosed as we enter the 420 metre long Chirk Tunnel. It was the first tunnel in Britain to incorporate a towpath. Again Thomas Telford was involved in the design this time with the engineer, William Jessop.

All too soon our short canal boat holiday is over.  It was for 3 nights, although longer breaks are available. If you would like to find out more about hiring a narrowboat on the Llangollen Canal,  click here.

Have you been on a narrowboat holiday?  I would love to hear about your holiday.  Where did you go?  Did you go as a couple or did the family all go on the holiday?  Lots of questions!  I really want to know how your narrowboat experience went.  All the details.  Would you go narrowboating again and why? 

I was brought up with going on holidays on boats. In fact I did not go abroad on holiday until I met my wife and we booked our honeymoon in Crete.  So for 24 years I spent every break on a boat.  Its in my blood and thankfully my wife appreciates the benefits of spending time on a boat.  Whether it is a narrowboat or a sailing boat as long as it is on the water I am happy.  What about you?  What experiences do you have that you can share?

Simply follow these instructions.  Click on this link to O xfordshire Narrowboats  at Lower Heyford, and book a 3, 4 0r 7 night break in May or June. That’s right, you could be away from it all in a weeks time!  Treat the family and yourself to a short cruise along the Oxford Canal and even onto the Grand Union canal. Once aboard your narrowboat you will notice the home from home comforts! These are top quality narrowboats designed especially for your enjoyment.

Next, I recommend starting at Lower Heyford on the South Oxfordshire Canal and travelling northwards towards Fenny Compton you will enjoy the splendid scenery on either side of the canal. Water meadows and breathtaking landscapes as Spring flowers are in full bloom and Summer approaches.  The Cotswolds, well-known for gentle hillsides (‘wolds’), sleepy villages and lovely traditional style pubs lie to the west and north. As you reach Fenny Compton you will moor up at Fenny Marina, a very well maintained facility.

As a new day dawns you will move off along the canal towards Napton junction, which is where the South Oxfordshire canal meets the Grand Union canal.  You will stop for a spot of lunch at Napton Marina, you will notice the restored windmill as you approach, then you can wander around the area. You are going to be busy this afternoon navigating 9 locks at this junction to allow your narrowboat onto the Grand Union Canal, so if you have kids with you, get them involved!

Once through all the locks at Napton, you travel east along the Grand Union to Norton Junction.  This is a very pretty area. Especially when you get to Norton Junction and see the wonderful small cottage on the bank of the canal. If you choose to stop here and moor up you could visit The Bramble Patch at Weedon. This would be of particular interest if you are keen on fabrics, as they have a huge selection. The Patch also hold classes on everything to do with textiles.

Back to the narrowboat and you are now heading for Gayton junction to moor up for the night. Gayton is very well known by canal boat users. It is a junction that allows access to Northampton. However, you are going on towards Bilsworth and the Tunnel, which is the longest in the network. When you arrive at Stoke Bruerne you can visit the wonderful canal museum, with working models, videos, pictorial and three dimensional displays which bring to life the unique 200 year old story of the canal system. The museum has plenty of activities to keep the kids amused while you relax in its cafe. Or spend some time in the Boat Inn. Moor up for the night here and prepare for your return journey.

On the way back you could visit the Boat shop at Brauston for some freshly made bread! Or to pick up a momento of the Grand Union Canal such as a book, picture or guide. Nearer your final destination you could also visit a wonderful country house at Rousham.  Rousham Park House and Garden will really give you the impression of how it was for the gentry living 200 years ago.  Its gardens are still laid out just as they were in the 18 th century.

If this short narrowboat holiday inspires you to book a break away from your busy life then make the decision to book now!

Earlier this year we took a canal holiday in  Narrowboat, along the Macclesfield Canal.  We really enjoyed the peace and quiet;  the pace of travel and the surrounding countryside.  Booking the boating holiday was quite straightforward, with everything going through smoothly.  When we arrived at the boat hirer they were expecting us and had our hire narrowboat ready.  After a short introduction and instructions to make us familar with its workings, we were ready to move off.  Finding places to stop and moor up was no a problem, with plenty of friendly pubs and restaurants to relax and enjoy. At night the moorings were quiet and undisturbed, just the sound of the birds and other wildlife.  The weather was mixed with a bit of everything thrown in each day, which made for a range of clothing to be worn as it changed. It was a welcome break away from a hectic working life.  Lots of people are caught up in a busy lifestyle and would really benefit from a short break like we had on the Narrowboat.  Many of you have already been on canal holidays, so tell us which one stood out for you?

Our canal boat holiday started on the Macclesfield canal at Congleton, which has some interesting pubs and shops.  We hired our 44 foot 4 berth narrowboat from  Heritage Narrow boats, it was a modern well appointed canal boat with central heating, tv, radio/cd etc. as well as all bed linen and duvets.

The plan was to travel along the canal to the Peak Forest Canal end basin at Bugsworth. This was a very scenic journey surrounded by fields and trees for as far as you can see. The Macclesfield canal starts fairly high up but then continues to rise, through locks to the edges of the Pennines – a long ridge of hills down the spine of England. As you look around there is a mixture of wildlife across the county of Cheshire with some industrial buildings scattered along the canal.  Also of interest is the junction with the Trent and Mersey at Hardings Wood, passing the Victorian folly of Mow Cop and timber framed Little Moreton Hall, climbing the beautiful locks at Bosley and negotiating the interesting junction with the Peak Forest Canal at Marple, through Strines, Disley, New Mills, Furness Vale and Bridgemont to terminate at Bugsworth Basin.

The village at Bugsworth Basin was renamed in the 1920s and known as Buxworth, because the people there did not like the name bugs. As we stop occasionally, we are attracted by the numerous walks that are on offer. The Middlewood Way and the Mop Cop Trail, lead to a range of follies and monuments built during the industrial revolution, no doubt by wealthy mill owners.

The canal was designed by the great Scottish bridge and canal architect. Robert Telford, and he clearly grouped the locks into an arrangement whereby the narrowboatmen could as one lock is being used the other can be prepared. He  collected all Macclesfield’s locks into one flight and maintained a long level on each side of them by bold cut and fill techniques, which gives eight aqueducts, high embankments and cuttings, all providing a wonderful sight.

If you would like to hire a narrowboat for a short break or longer holiday why not find out more here.