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Thinking of something to do different next year with a couple of friends whilst kids are away on school trip, this year me and the good lady had a fantastic week away in Wales in a vw camper.
We stopped on our way home next to a canal near Whitchurch and she got it into her head that it looked like a relaxing week away for next year. So has anybody had a holiday or has a boat and would care to enlighten me?
The poor sods have been looking a bit miserable wrapped up and sat inside the boats this summer.
I would, it looks quite relaxing.
It's good fun - bit of scope for arsing about, lots of scope for losing control and crashing if you're daft (my wife nearly killed a fisherman) and many pubs IME
We only did 3 days though - seemed about enough to me
Done it a few times - smudger#1 was conceived on a canal boat - did the Cambridge broads and it was excellent! Thoroughly recommend it as a stress free relaxing ten days - fox boats peterborough were great.
If the weather is nice its great.
If the weather is pants its misery.
That's all you need to know
Done it a few times - smudger#1 was conceived on a canal boat - did the Cambridge broads
Yeah those smart girls do it for me too
Go read Narrow Dog to Carcasonne
bloody hell! a narrow boat across the channel!!
Holidaying in an up turned wardrobe floating in an open sewer through a post industrial wasteland, is how I would describe my last narrow boat holiday.
excellent, didnt send many postcards I guess?
I used to meet up with the family once a year on a boat on the Norfolk broads, Its well relaxing. And after alls said and done, you're floating on the water, which is never bad.
The post industrial wasteland tourism is appealing for me, but they seem to go so slow. I get that it's meant to be relaxing, but it would be nice to haul ass once in a while. You see them going through flights of locks and it looks like it's taking all day.
Holidaying in an up turned wardrobe floating in an open sewer through a post industrial wasteland, is how I would describe my last narrow boat holiday.
It's OK once you get out of Liverpool though. 😉
when we stood at grindley lock nr Whitchurch in April I thought the same thing, 'this takes a while?'
Having said that I had just spent 7 days in a vw doing no more than 40 mph and it was great
It's great, we go about once a year. A mid-week short break will be a good intro (you get an extra day compared with weekends). Expect an out and back trip rather than a "ring". If it rains, it's challenging. Can be cold, but they have central heating. Kids love it, particularly locks.
Last route for us was Severn, Tardebigge (30 locks), Birmingham navigation and was better than you might think. For a newcomer, I'd recommend a cruise down the Oxford canal. Gentle, countryside with some lock action.
Its 32c in Alicante 😕
Brecon and Monmouthshire canal. Take mtb and you've got a proper holiday. Be sure to stop by the Star in Talybont for food and real ale. Time it with the beer festival if you can!
On 2 July 2012, British Waterways ceased to exist in England and Wales and in its place the Canal & River Trust was born. Here's a useful link for all your canal holiday needs and all things boating:
http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/boating
if by Whitchurch, you mean the one on the A49, then it would have been the llangollen canal - one of the prettiest canals on the network, and passes through some stunning countryside. it also has Telford's stunning Pontcysyllte Aqueduct along its route - towpath on one side, but a 120ft drop on the other with no barrier to the side of the iron trough your floating in.
Have done a couple of holidays on a narrowboat - both on the Rochdale canal and the Calder and Hebbe canals, starting at Sowerby Bridge. The Rochdale can be hardwork, as it averages 3 locks per mile, and has 91 locks on its journey from Sowerby Bridge to Manchester (used to be 92, but Tuel Lane Lock is a combined lock 3 and 4 as the original locks were built over after the canal closed.) and since it takes about the same length of time to work a boat through a lock as it does to travel a mile. progress can be slow - but your on holiday, working your way from one pub to the next. Or just deciding to moor up on the tow path just cos its a lovely view.
is very relaxing tho - basically going at walking pace the whole time, with a bop bop bop bop soundtrack from the little disel engine
We did it 6 blokes on kennet & Avon. Best four days ever blooming. Expensive though.
It's alright till the novelty wears off. If the weather's crap there is no novelty. I found myself looking for ways to get into danger just to make it more interesting. Luckily, I succeeded. More than once. 🙂 8) 😳
Was working for a canal boating magazine at the time.
I enjoyed a week with some pals. Must be very good pals - its all cosy. More work than I thought - as you need someone steering it for hours a day and locks several times a day.
Good fun.
Just don't come onto the River Nene if it going to be a shitty summer. The locks have spent a lot of time reversed or with strong stream advise advising boaters not to use them. Imagine the Great Ouse has been similar.
Mates just come back from a week on the broads on a cruiser. Reckons it was one of the best holidays ever!! Apparently he even did a bit of a tommy lee as it was so secluded in parts!!!