uk uncovered - britain’s canals and waterways

uk uncovered n britain’s canals and waterways

Float your boat

20 tlm n the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk Spring 2012

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Enthusiasts describe canal boat holidays as“the fastest way to slow down” – and it’seasy to understand why as you meanderthrough peaceful countryside at a gentle4mph. If that’s sounds a tad too sedate,speedsters can hire a cabin cruiser on the

Thames or Norfolk Broads where they can poweralong at a relatively rapid 6mph.The point is, nobody books a holiday on Britain’s

2,000 miles of waterways to reach anywhere in ahurry. The aim for most folk is to relax, do a littlesightseeing and soak up the scenery – along with regu-lar refreshment at historic waterside pubs on the way.Life afloat wasn’t always such a leisurely affair. In

the late 18th century, Britain was in the grip of “canalmania”, with 5,000 miles of waterways being builtnationwide for transporting goods.By the mid-1800s, the faster and more efficient

railways had won most of the trade and many canalswere filled in or fell into disrepair. Some continued incommercial use up until the 1960s but, after 50 yearsof neglect, UK waterways are today enjoying a renais-sance. Around 220 miles of new and restored waterways

have opened in the last decade following an invest-ment of more than £1 billion. Over the same period,the number of canal boats has increased by a third andthere are now more than at the height of the IndustrialRevolution.An estimated 320,000 people currently go canal

boating each year and many thousands more take to

the rivers and Broads in a motor cruiser. So where canyou venture by boat in Britain?

the south

Take a cruise along the Kennet & Avon Canal andyou’ll enjoy some of the South’s finest scenery enroute to two of the West Country’s grandest cities.The Kennet & Avon was built in 1794 to link Bris-

tol with London and is today one of the UK’s mostpopular waterways, with some of the longest lock-freestretches that make for leisurely cruising. Head westfrom Reading and you’ll pass through Berkshire’sArea of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Wiltshire’ssweeping downland. Beyond the market town ofDevizes a real challenge awaits: the 29 Caen Hilllocks, which rise 235 feet and take around five or sixhours to negotiate.Stop off at Bradford on Avon, a pretty Medieval

town with a Saxon church and tithe barn, beforeenjoying the Roman and Georgian heritage – andmarvellous shops – of Bath. Bristol is home toBrunel’s SS Great Britain and a zoo, along with big-city attractions of galleries, museums and greatshopping and restaurants.Londoners not wishing to stray too far from home

can enjoy the historic sights along the Thames or quieterrural delights on the River Wey. It’s possible to travel 120miles along the Thames from Teddington to Gloucester-shire, but for shorter cruises, Windsor Castle (and nearbyLegoland) and Hampton Court are within easy reach.

Built during the Industrial Revolution to link manufacturing centres, citiesand ports, Britain’s canals are now used by huge numbers of recreationalboaters and, together with rivers, fens and broads, comprise 2,000 milesof navigable waterways. John Law takes to the waters to explore them

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n Couplerelaxing on

the ShropshireUnion Canal,

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n A canal boat passesunder a bridge




London also has its own canals, offering boaters thechance to link to other waterways. Regent’s Canal runsbetween Limehouse Basin in Docklands and LittleVenice and is part of the Grand Union Canal; its routetakes in Regent’s Park, London Zoo and Camden. ThePaddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal, an exten-sion of Regent’s Canal, runs through West Londonsuburbs to join the main Grand Union Canal nearSlough. The Grand Union joins the Thames oppositeKew Gardens.The River Lee is navigable from Hertford to the

Thames at Limehouse, in London’s Docklands, passingby Stratford and its backwaters, the Bow Backs, as wellas linking to the Grand Union and the River Stort.

the midlands

The Grand Union was once one of the country’s busiestcanals and is the trunk route of Britain’s canal network,linking Birmingham with London via the Chiltern Hills,rural Northamptonshire and Warwickshire. Covering137 miles, it is the country’s longest single canal and hasmany branches to towns along the way. If you want to avoid the crowds and enjoy a good

workout at the same time, head for Hatton Flight on theGrand Union in Warwickshire. Its 21 locks can takefrom two to four hours to tackle. The old boatmen usedto call it the Gateway to Heaven because it was the lastpush on the London to Birmingham route. The Birmingham Canal Navigation is a network of

canals linking the city with neighbouring conurbationWolverhampton and the Black Country. Some 100 milesof it are still navigable today compared with the 160miles during its industrial heyday.Warwick and its impressive castle merit a visit, while

a detour along the Stratford Canal enables cruisers tomoor up in Stratford-upon-Avon and hit the Shake-speare trail.The Midlands can also be reached along a

particularly peaceful and picturesque waterway,the Oxford Canal, which heads from the city ofdreaming spires to Coventry.Some 240 years after first opening – and 72

years after they were officially abandoned – theDroitwich Canals reopened last year. The newly-created 22-mile mid-Worcestershire Ring now enablesboaters to explore the cathedral city of Worcester, a

canal restoration plansRestoration and improvement work on Britain’s waterways continuesapace. London’s Lost Route to the Sea has been derelict for manyyears, but there are plans to restore the 23-mile Wey and Arun Canalwhich once formed the inland link between the River Thames andSouth Coast. A trip-boat is based at one of the few newly-navigablesections at Loxwood.Closed for 50 years, the Cotswold Canals run through spectacular

rolling countryside, with the Thames & Severn & StroudwaterNavigation passing the source of the Thames and woollen mills of the

Stroud Valley. Towpath walks are enjoyed by many and the CotswoldCanals Trust aims eventually to open the entire length to boats.The derelict 15-mile Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal is a

surprisingly green pathway through the north Manchesterconurbation and current restoration plans are expected to act as acatalyst for urban and rural regeneration. Meanwhile, in East London, volunteers are being recruited for the

Big Waterways Clean-Up 2012, a scheme to improve stretches suchas the Regent’s Canal and Hertford Union Canal ahead of thissummer’s Olympics.For more information on volunteering along Britain’s canals andrivers, go to: www.waterscape.com/things-to-do/volunteering.

river, one broad canal and two narrow canals in justone weekend.

the fens and broads

Head off to East Anglia to discover the famous Broads,an area best known for over a century as England’s boat-ing heartland.

In Medieval times, peat was dug out for fuel untilsea levels rose and flooded the land to form shallowlakes, or broads. Today this unique wetland is hometo an abundance of birds and wildlife and a relaxedholiday afloat is the best way to appreciate its diverseattractions. There are 125 miles of waterways to explore in

Norfolk and Suffolk, comprising six rivers and more than40 broads. Cabin cruisers glide past thatched cottagesand sleepy villages, waterside pubs, windmills, naturetrails, reed beds, marshes and meadows. VisitBritain

n Canal atBraunston

n Caen Hill Flight on theKennet & Avon Canal

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“Capital” of Broadland is Wroxham, which has agood selection of shops, pubs and restaurants and anexcellent craft centre. A 20-minute drive away is historicNorwich, with its 900-year-old cathedral and castle,museums and excellent shopping centre. Especiallypopular with families, the Broads have another bonus onthe doorstep – the seaside. You can actually moor up inthe centre of Great Yarmouth, while other big resortssuch as Lowestoft and quieter sandy beaches along theNorfolk coast are easily accessibleThe nearby Fens provide a flat, fertile landscape whose

bulbfields become a blaze of colour each spring. Fenlandstretches from Cambridge to Lincoln and from King’s Lynnto Peterborough, its slow-flowing rivers giving boaters thechance to enjoy stunning skyscapes and sunsets. Bustling market towns and other old cities such as

Ely, with its imposing cathedral, are worth a detour,along with important nature reserves at Welney andWicken Fen.

wales and the borders

Celebrating its bicentenary this year, the 35-mileMonmouthshire & Brecon Canal is perfect for a peace-ful break amid the stunning countryside of the BreconBeacons National Park. Once an industrial corridor forcoal and iron, it has few locks to negotiate on its routelinking the charming market town of Brecon, with itsstunning Georgian architecture, to Cwmbran. Otherhistoric towns on the way include Crickhowell, with its13th century architecture and good shopping. For that “on top of the world” feeling, head for the

awesome Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, which carries the Llan-gollen Canal 126ft high above the River Dee. GrantedWorld Heritage status in 2009, this magnificent feat ofengineering offers a breathtaking experience in an areaof great scenic beauty.The 46-mile Llangollen Canal is one of Europe’s

most popular waterways and gets very busy in highseason. But the countryside is attractive throughout andthe towns of Whitchurch, Ellesmere, Chirk and Corwenare worth a visit, along with Lake Bala and Llangollenitself, with its Steam Railway Centre.

the north

Some of the least busy waterways can be found in theNorth of England, where boating itineraries can covervividly-contrasting landscapes.The Huddersfield Narrow Canal once provided the

shortest way for people and goods between Lancashireand Yorkshire. The 20-mile stretch includes tranquilwooded countryside, charming towns and dramatic oldmills and industrial sites.The Rochdale Canal is another trans-Pennine route

reopened in the last 10 years after 50 years withoutthrough navigation. It runs from the heart of Manchesterthrough rugged and beautiful scenery to its junction withthe Calder & Hebble at Sowerby Bridge.Boaters on the Shropshire Union Canal with an eye

for history should check out the National WaterwaysMuseum at Ellesmere Port, where “the Shroppie” meetsthe Manchester Ship Canal and River Mersey.More industrial heritage is in evidence where the

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did you know?l Getting to grips with a modern canal boat

or cruiser is easy and you don’t need aspecial licence. Tuition on handling thevessel and how to negotiate locks shouldbe given at the outset.

l Walking, running and cycling along towpaths costs nothing, but anglers will needa fishing licence.

l This summer a new charity, the Canal andRiver Trust, takes over responsibility fromBritish Waterways for the 2,000 miles ofwaterways in England and Wales. In itsfirst year, volunteers are expected to givean estimated 24,000 days to the Trust.

l Book a “taster session” if you’re new tocanal boating. Ten of Drifters’ bases acrossthe country offer day hire from £11 perperson.

l The longest, deepest and highest canaltunnel is Standedge Tunnel on theHuddersfield Narrow Canal. Completedby Thomas Telford in 1811, it is 645ftabove sea level, runs for almost 3.5 milesand burrows 638ft beneath the Pennines.

l The longest lock flight is the TardebiggeFlight on the Worcester & BirminghamCanal. It boasts an exhausting 30 locksand raises the canal 220ft.

l By the 1960s, most canal boats had beenfitted with engines but horses were still acommon sight on many towpaths.

l In 1912, a cow named Buttercup fell intothe Leeds & Liverpool Canal near theFoulridge Tunnel. Rather than wade outshe chose to swim the whole 1,640 yardsto the northern end. She was revived withbrandy by drinkers in the nearby Hole inthe Wall pub!

“Some of theleast busywaterwayscan be foundin the Northof England”

n Anderton Boat Lift

n PontcysyllteAqueduct

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Trent & Mersey Canal links with the River Weaver nearNorthwich in Cheshire. Built in 1875 and billed as “theCathedral of the Canals”, the magnificently-engineered60ft Anderton Boat Lift reopened 10 years ago andconnects the two waterways.

scotland

Thanks to an £84 million investment, it’s been possiblesince 2002 to cruise the 69 miles from the Irish Sea tothe North Sea while stopping off at Scotland’s twograndest cities. The Forth & Clyde and Union canalslink Glasgow and Edinburgh and take in some beautifulcountryside and impressive sights. Among these, themassive and unique Falkirk Wheel connects the twocanals, replacing 16 locks and raising and loweringboats 115ft in about 15 minutes.Sailing boats and cabin cruisers can be booked to

explore the West Highlands along the spectacular Cale-donian Canal, which runs from Fort William toInverness. The forested slopes of the Great Glen andmagnificent castles such as Invergarry and Urquhart arehighlights, while skippers are warned to keep an eye outfor the famous Monster while crossing the tranquilwaters of Loch Ness.

northern ireland

Star of Northern Ireland’s waterway wonders is LoughErne, a 45-mile expanse dotted with islands and rockycaves where families can admire the mountains andwatch the swans, grebes, herons and other wildlife. Fora real escape from the crowds, it is possible to moor upon the islands.Once a Viking trade route, the Erne has never been a

modern commercial navigation. Instead, people have foryears enjoyed the game and coarse fishing, the water-sports – and that stunning scenery. Just north of Belturbet, a channel links the Erne

System with the Shannon-Erne Waterway. Located at apoint where the two great lakes of Upper and LowerLoch Erne meet is Fermanagh’s county town ofEnniskillen, with its castle and craft workshops.



canals and waterways facts

Freelance writer John Law has spent many years admiringthe scenery and narrowboats on the Kennet & Avon Canalduring regular towpath runs, and has taken to the waterhimself – although he is happier waving as boaters chug pastthese days.

all mod consMood lighting, fine bone china, three flat-screen TVs…welcome to the world ofmodern-day canal cruising.The latest environmentally-friendly, hybridnarrowboat available through Hoseasonsreaches surprising levels of comfort. Basedon the North Oxford Canal this summer,the boat also features double-glazing, under-

floor heating and a dishwasher, while anelectric motor means progress is almostsilent and less diesel is used. Another, based near Rugby, has two en suiteshower-rooms, a square stern for betterseating and a particularly useful item – awine cooler.Cabin cruisers are also better equipped. Thenewest on the Norfolk Broads have walk-around beds, satellite TV and SonyPlayStations.

informationWaterscape (www.waterscape.com) isBritish Waterways’ leisure site withinformation about boating, angling,wildlife, walking, cycling, volunteering, andplaces to visit. Waterways Ireland(www.waterwaysireland.org) is theguardian of Ireland’s inland navigations.

operators/boat rentalDrifters (www.drifters.co.uk) represents leading independentnarrowboat hire fleets working in partnership with British Waterways.This year, it features more than 500 boats from 35 bases, with pricesstarting at £330 for a short break and £470 for a week. The Drifterswebsite accepts bookings for several operators, including UK Boat Hire

of Worcester (www.ukboathire.com), AngloWelsh of Bristol (www.anglowelsh.co.uk),

Shire Cruisers of Sowerby Bridge(www.black-prince.com) and Rose Narrowboats of Stretton-under-Fosse, near Rugby (www.rose-narrowboats.co.uk).

Hoseasons(www.hoseasons.co.uk/boating) has

combined with Blakes and now offers 1,000boats on UK waterways, with 21 bases on the Norfolk Broads and 42on rivers and canals. High-summer prices start at £644 for a four-berthcruiser on the Broads and £930 for a four-berth canal narrowboat.

Kate Boats of Warwick (www.kateboats.co.uk) operatesnarrowboats on the Midland canals. A typical price in early July is from£965 for a two/four-berth craft.

Waterways Holidays(www.waterwaysholidays.com) offersan availability search of more than 1,500narrowboats, cruisers & sailing yachtsfrom 60 boat hire operators on thecanals, Norfolk Broads and Thames.Typical one-week prices in May start at£495 for a two-berth canal boat on theShropshire Union and £342 for a two-berthmotor cruiser on the Broads.

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n Falkirk Wheel

n Dogs go, too

n On the Shrophsire Union Canal

n A boat interioron the Broads

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uk uncovered - britain’s canals and waterways