Canal boating Holidays
Discussion
Hi
I am after booking a narrow boat for a week in late April/May or possibly June. for me and my missus avoiding school holdays
I was orginaly thinking the Caledionian Canal but they are all cruisers that I can see. So I was thinking the Llangollen Canal or Forth+Clyde some where very scenic. The Llangollen Canal has that awsome Viaduct.
Do people have any suggestions to companies or does someone have a boat they would like to rent out.
Any Ideas greatfuly accepted
Duncan
I am after booking a narrow boat for a week in late April/May or possibly June. for me and my missus avoiding school holdays
I was orginaly thinking the Caledionian Canal but they are all cruisers that I can see. So I was thinking the Llangollen Canal or Forth+Clyde some where very scenic. The Llangollen Canal has that awsome Viaduct.
Do people have any suggestions to companies or does someone have a boat they would like to rent out.
Any Ideas greatfuly accepted
Duncan
I was at the Falkirk Wheel yesterday and picked up a brochure for Capercaillie Cruisers www.capercailliecruisers.co.uk and their narrow boats look good, almost £1000 for a week in May though.
Also noticed narrow boats with www.alvechurch.com on their windows.
Remember that the Forth and Clyde canal now joins onto the Union Canal via the Falkirk Wheel which is an awesome way to move from one canal to the other! There's also the Avondale viaduct on the Union Canal.
Also noticed narrow boats with www.alvechurch.com on their windows.
Remember that the Forth and Clyde canal now joins onto the Union Canal via the Falkirk Wheel which is an awesome way to move from one canal to the other! There's also the Avondale viaduct on the Union Canal.
Hi
It was just more for a change Im based in horwich just outside bolton and have walked/cycled round a lot of the local stuff.
Scotland was a consideration due to the falkirk wheel and the scenary, the Llangollen Canal and the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct specificaly is also very apealing.
the calendonia looks good but I want a proper narrow boat not a grp cruiser.
But Im pretty open to be honest.
It was just more for a change Im based in horwich just outside bolton and have walked/cycled round a lot of the local stuff.
Scotland was a consideration due to the falkirk wheel and the scenary, the Llangollen Canal and the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct specificaly is also very apealing.
the calendonia looks good but I want a proper narrow boat not a grp cruiser.
But Im pretty open to be honest.
Llangollen is great, enough locks to make it interesting (and a small flight at Grindley Brook), but not so many that it becomes a chore.
We did Trevor (Anglo Welsh base) down to Hurleston, back to Trevor, on to Llangollen itself and then back to Trevor again, in a week (an easy week to be honest). We also nipped down the Press Branch and (if you time it right) you can do a small section of the recently-restored Montgomery canal. The run into Llangollen gets busy and is single file, but the town itself is nice once you get there. Nice pubs at Wrenbury, generally a nice, quiet holiday.
Nicest boats we saw (we stopped at their base and had a look) were Black Prince (at Chirk).
For someone who doesn't like heights, this bit is quite s
t-your-pants scary. And is literally at the Trevor hire base, like 10 seconds of boating before you are on it.
More: http://www.flickr.com/photos/binaryimage/sets/7215...
We did Trevor (Anglo Welsh base) down to Hurleston, back to Trevor, on to Llangollen itself and then back to Trevor again, in a week (an easy week to be honest). We also nipped down the Press Branch and (if you time it right) you can do a small section of the recently-restored Montgomery canal. The run into Llangollen gets busy and is single file, but the town itself is nice once you get there. Nice pubs at Wrenbury, generally a nice, quiet holiday.
Nicest boats we saw (we stopped at their base and had a look) were Black Prince (at Chirk).
For someone who doesn't like heights, this bit is quite s
t-your-pants scary. And is literally at the Trevor hire base, like 10 seconds of boating before you are on it. More: http://www.flickr.com/photos/binaryimage/sets/7215...
v15ben said:
On a standard narrow boat you're looking at at least 4 or 6 berths and maybe a few more in one of the GRP Caledonian cruisers.
I'd certainly recommend Llangollen if you're looking for something outside the north west. Black Prince boats do seem very nice though not used them myself.
Up to 12 on Anglo Welsh, 10 with Black Prince. I'd certainly recommend Llangollen if you're looking for something outside the north west. Black Prince boats do seem very nice though not used them myself.
If you aren't particularly set on Scotland, I can recommend the Kennet and Avon canal down in Wiltshire. In particular, Sally Boats based out of Bradford on Avon are a good bunch of guys. For the 2 of you, it's around the £1k mark for a 50-54 footer per week inc fuel, for a late May holiday.
There are loads of good pubs for food and beer on the canal too
There are loads of good pubs for food and beer on the canal too
jep said:
If you aren't particularly set on Scotland, I can recommend the Kennet and Avon canal down in Wiltshire. In particular, Sally Boats based out of Bradford on Avon are a good bunch of guys. For the 2 of you, it's around the £1k mark for a 50-54 footer per week inc fuel, for a late May holiday.
There are loads of good pubs for food and beer on the canal too
The K&A is indeed very pleasant. However beware that if you go from Bradford on Avon Eastbound, before too long you will have this to contend with:There are loads of good pubs for food and beer on the canal too
i have been subjected so many canal boating holidays with my family when i was little (er)
i really dont see the appeal, its soooo slow, soooo boring. i found myself jumping off and running up the towpath a few miles to a pub and sitting having a few beers and waiting for the others to amble past to jump back on.
pretty cool though how you can just drive with no expirence, we had the longest ones as there was 8+ of us
i really dont see the appeal, its soooo slow, soooo boring. i found myself jumping off and running up the towpath a few miles to a pub and sitting having a few beers and waiting for the others to amble past to jump back on.
pretty cool though how you can just drive with no expirence, we had the longest ones as there was 8+ of us
I think the slowness and relaxed pace is the main appeal and most boaters you meet on the cut seem like nice folk probably because they are so relaxed! I definitely seem to drink more while I'm on a boat though - must be human nature. The standard process when you tie up is to either walk to the pub or crack open some beers 
miniman said:
The K&A is indeed very pleasant. However beware that if you go from Bradford on Avon Eastbound, before too long you will have this to contend with:
Yes, the Caen flight... 16 locks of engineering marvel. I think there's the thick end of 30 locks in total, as the canal goes the 2 miles through Devises!Alvechurch (now UKboathire) are the biggest company, so are pretty polished, have a good range of boats and are fitted to a good standard - good for people new to canal holidays. They are also quite expensive though, I suppose you are paying extra for their good reputation. Llangollen is brilliant, beautiful scenery, not too many locks, and nice pubs that are well-spaced along the canal so you can eat out each night if you wish.
The last one I went on was the Kennet and Avon with a small company called Foxhangers - they were just as good as Alvechurch but a damn sight cheaper. They are based right at the bottom of the Devizes monster-flight of locks, so you can go as far as you want towards Bristol without running out of canal/river. Bath is an amazing place to moor up, you can stop right in the centre of the city if you are lucky and find a spot.
The one thing we thought was a disappointment with the K+A was the number of people living in boats on the canal, mostly dodgy types who obviously didn't particularly like tourists in hire boats with their basic knowledge of canal etiquette and the area! There were many more people like this than there were on the Llangollen.
The last one I went on was the Kennet and Avon with a small company called Foxhangers - they were just as good as Alvechurch but a damn sight cheaper. They are based right at the bottom of the Devizes monster-flight of locks, so you can go as far as you want towards Bristol without running out of canal/river. Bath is an amazing place to moor up, you can stop right in the centre of the city if you are lucky and find a spot.
The one thing we thought was a disappointment with the K+A was the number of people living in boats on the canal, mostly dodgy types who obviously didn't particularly like tourists in hire boats with their basic knowledge of canal etiquette and the area! There were many more people like this than there were on the Llangollen.
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