Inland Waterways - Where can we take a boating holiday in the UK?
There are over 3,500 miles of canals, rivers and lakes in England, Scotland and Wales that are navigable by holiday hire craft.
There is no better way of exploring Britain's countryside than experiencing a canal boating holiday. A canal holiday lets you experience the locks to go up or down hill and travel through exciting tunnels. You can cross aqueducts over valleys and rivers - the most famous is 120 feet above the ground. At an average of 4 miles per hour a canal narrow boating holiday is often a more relaxed, slower paced way to enjoy your vacation. But, this is certainly the best part about taking a journey on a boat – you’re able to notice every detail in your journey. Just remember to take your camera!
Cruising through Scotland's Great Glen on the Caledonian Canal
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.
Please feel free to contact an British Marine Inland Boating member about where to obtain further waterway maps and guides. Enjoy visiting Britain’s most famous waterside places and its best kept secrets!
Passing one of England's great cathedrals at Worcester on the River Severn