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Inland Waterways - Where can we take a
boating holiday in the UK? |
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There are over 3,500 miles of canals, rivers
and lakes in England, Scotland and Wales that are navigable
by holiday hire craft - the survivors of a vast network of
navigations constructed as the transport arteries of the
industrial revolution. |
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There is no better way of exploring Britain's
countryside than experiencing a canal boating holiday. Contrary to a once
popular belief, rivers and canals are not dirty and polluted
and very few miles of them pass through urban areas. The
majority wend their way through peaceful and often
spectacular scenery, away from the noise of roads and the
rush of 21st century life.
Cruising through Scotland's Great Glen on
the Caledonian Canal |
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With so many miles of waterway to cruise - at
an average speed of 4 miles per hour - the choice is
endless. The canal and river system criss-crosses the centre
of England, covering the Midlands counties with a maze of
waterways and extending northwards and westwards to
Merseyside, Lancashire, Yorkshire and into Wales. Or head
south to Oxford or London and explore the Royal River Thames
along its route from the capital to Lechlade. Scotland’s
waterways include the spectacular Caledonian Canal, cutting
through the highlands of the Great Glen and linking together
Loch Ness, Loch Oich and Loch Lochy. |
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Unlike rivers, canals do not stick to the
valleys, but climb over hills using flights of locks or
burrow through in long, cool tunnels. Cross the mighty
Pennines on the Leeds & Liverpool and Rochdale canals or
experience the stunning scenery and spectacular tunnels of
the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. High embankments and
aqueducts carry canals across the valleys - to look down
from a boat on Telford's 120 feet high Pontcysyllte
Aqueduct, carrying the Llangollen Canal over the Dee valley,
is an unforgettable experience. |
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Nowhere will you live closer to wildlife than
on our waterways. In spring and summer wild flowers paint
the banks in a blaze of colour. The busy mallard, stately
swan, silent heron and even the secretive kingfisher are
among your nearest neighbours. Remember to take your camera! |
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But a waterway holiday is not just boating.
Many attractions are next to rivers and canals, from a tiny
village church or mill that features in the Domesday Book to
great cathedrals, castles and stately homes such as Lincoln,
Windsor and Shugborough Hall. Study the colourful history of
our waterways at the national museums in Gloucester and
Ellesmere Port. Walk the Moorlands of Yorkshire and
Staffordshire, the battlefield at Bosworth or the Brecon
Beacons. Visit historic centres such as Chester, Bath and
Oxford or - if you prefer the big city life - you can moor
opposite Birmingham's International Convention Centre, by
London Zoo, or in Manchester's Castlefield complex.
Passing one of England's great cathedrals at Worcester on
the River Severn |
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These are just some suggestions. For those
who like to plan their UK boating holiday in detail contact APCO about where to
obtain further waterway maps and guides. Your boat is a
floating holiday home – look forward to relaxing, enjoying
exploring the inland waterways and visiting some of
Britain’s most famous waterside places and its best kept
secrets! |
