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The English canal network is unique – it offers a type of vacation found nowhere else in the world of holidays
afloat!
The canals are the product of the early industrial revolution –built, when existing roads were unable to cope with the need to transport bulk products and materials from the increasing number of mines, workshops and factories between 1760 and 1840.
The growing network was itself replaced by the railway, and declining in use, most canals had fallen into decay by the mid twentieth century, when the last commercial barges ceased operating and their silent towpaths provided solitude for fishermen and courting couples.
Constructed from local materials by an army of craftsmen and labourers known as ‘navvies’, the canal infrastructure bears picturesque witness to their effort with eighteenth century style and ingenuity
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Until the birth of the steam engine, water and the horse provided the motive power for both transport and industry. Horses, often working in teams, towed the barges from specially constructed pathways – the towpath. Special bridges were built allowing the horse to continue towing in one direction when the towpath changed from one canal bank to the other.
This may have been for a geophysical reason, or simply that a landowner did not want a canal, or give access to one, on his land. Similarly, bridges were built at intersections with existing rights of way, often at a sharp angle to the line of the canal.
Discovering such peculiarities adds to the interest and enjoyment of a narrowboat holiday.
Locks allow for a change of water level, thus enabling boats to travel up and down the land contours.
Each time a lock is emptied a huge amount of water is transferred to the lower level, eventually it passes out of the canal system to the rivers and sea. Canal water is replenished from special reservoirs constructed above the summit level, or from an adjoining river system. The locks were originally designed to accommodate a barge or “narrowboat” that could be lifted using a minimum amount of water – the largest boats fit snugly into the lock with just inches to spare either side!
The majority of canals traverse the scenic ‘heart of England’, from London through to the northern counties as well as to many other places in Britain. As the canals were built for the horse era and lined with clay to stop seepage, speed is still restricted for today’s modern boats preventing erosion of the banks and other infrastructure – progress is therefore slow and tranquil - the perfect antidote to our busy lives and congested highways.
The revival of the canals for recreational purposes in recent years is one of the most pleasing aspects of our age. The former derelict industrial heartland of England is being progressively transformed, bringing much needed employment, revenue and awareness of this once forgotten early industrial heritage. |
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SELF – DRIVE, SELF CATERING NARROWBOAT HOLIDAYS
The horse-drawn wooden narrowboat of yesteryear provided very limited living space for the boatman and his
family. The modern narrowboat is a beautifully fitted out state of the art mobile home with a steel hull -
powered by a quiet diesel engine - providing all the comfort expected by today’s traveller.
From this easy to operate mobile home, life relaxes into the simple pace of the canals and, with few restrictions one can proceed at will - looking for that canal side pub for an easy lunch with a glass of wine. Then, as the day
turns to evening, find a quiet place to tie up for the night, enjoy a meal on board prepared in the fully equipped kitchen. After a comfortable sleep, where the only sound will be gentle lapping of water on the hull, have breakfast, then plan your next day – continue to that interesting canal junction noted in the guide book or take a walk into the pretty village you spotted yesterday evening – the choice is yours!
Footsteps Holidays are pleased to offer self drive narrowboat holidays in most areas of Britain & Ireland including canals within easy reach of London, Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham and Dublin Airports.
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HOTEL BOATS
If you are looking for a less active canal holiday - where someone else manages the boat, operates the locks
and cooks your meals to perfection - then total relaxation on a hotel boat will be the holiday for you!
What are Hotel Boats? - A small floating country house hotel, offering old-fashioned personal service and
attention to detail, providing good company in a relaxed atmosphere and a holiday to remember. Delicious
food freshly prepared on board and the ever-changing scenery are the ingredients for a truly memorable
experience - exploring England's magnificent canal system.
A typical day begins with tea or coffee served in your cabin, followed by full English breakfast in the dining
area. The skipper then advises you on any particular high points of the day ahead, including possible
excursions or walks to nearby attractions. After breakfast we cast off and cruise until lunch time, with mid
morning coffee served on the move. Following a leisurely lunch the cruise continues - afternoon tea is served
en route, mooring in the early evening for the overnight stop. Time for stroll, a drink from the bar, then dinner is
served. Later - perhaps a stroll to the local village pub!
On board accommodation for a maximum 8 passengers – some boats are smaller - in single, twin and double
cabins. Each cabin though compact is extremely comfortable with hot & cold water and ample storage space.
Many cabins have full en-suite facilities.
Sample Hotel Boat Cruise:
Leighton Buzzard to Little Venice (London) 88km 63 locks & 1 aqueduct
The Grand Union Canal takes us all the way from rural Buckinghamshire to the leafy heart of London. We start by cruising past open fields and occasional locks as we ascend the Chiltern foothills. We glimpse the Whipsnade Lion carved on the distant hillside before arriving at Marsworth. Here a meandering flight of locks takes us past the canal reservoirs, which are a very fine haven for wildlife, with many water birds in evidence - and even the edible dormouse, it is rumoured. We reach the summit of the Chiltern hills at Bulbourne where we pass the old canal workshops before entering the deep leafy Tring cutting. This is truly a monumental piece of work, and we eventually leave the cutting ready to start our descent towards the distant capital. Cowroast Lock marks the beginning of our descent, which continues through Berkhamsted with its fine Norman castle, Hemel Hempstead, then through Cassiobury Park. Here we pass under ornate bridges, where we are likely to find kingfishers waiting for us. We then start our descent of the River Colne valley passing through Rickmansworth, the curiously-named but pretty Black Jack's lock and the lake at Widewater. When we reach Uxbridge, we turn left at Bulls Bridge onto the line of the canal that stretches through the western suburbs of London, past Kensall Green and almost before we know it, we are in the capital and arrive at Little Venice, our pleasant mooring just a short distance from Paddington.
Hotel Boat Tour Dates & Prices
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HORSE DRAWN NARROWBOAT HOLIDAYS
For a taste of life before the arrival of the internal combustion engine – we offer short break fully escorted horse-drawn narrowboat holidays on the Montgomery Canal in Wales - with land based hotel accommodation.
Horse Drawn Tour Dates & Prices
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