UKC

Anyone hired a canal boat for a few days?
Looking to get a long weekend away, not too far from Sheffield, with nice pubs, somewhere to stop and go for a walk etc
That one you drive past on the way to Malham looks nice? or Cheshire?
Any reccomendations?
Thanks

In reply to mark20:

I've hired one for a weekend from skip tom on the leeds liverpool. I believe there is a place at Lancaster on the Lancaster canal that does weekend hires too. You'll have to google though, it wAs a while back

In reply to wilkie14c:

We had one for 4 nights from Shropshire and went over a high aqueduct. It was great. A kitchen that travels with you, slow pace of life, pubs.

We specifically chose a boat that had a proper double bed at the bow end rather than a make up double.

In reply to mark20:

We hired one for a week on the Thames some 30 years ago as a break from our university studies. It rained all week, six grown lads in a confined space, whisky, porn, beer, heavy machinery, "anti-depressants", diesel fumes, amphetamines. What could possibly go wrong?

Never again.

In reply to mark20:
Remember to close the lock gate after you have gone through. 35 years ago, we managed to empty a section of the Oxford canal forgetting this, having moored up about a mile after the lock. Woke up to find the boat lying at an angle on the mud at about 4.30 am, the penny dropped and I ran back to close the gate. It took much of the morning to refill the canal section before we floated off.

Muppets!

In reply to mark20:

Hired one for a week a few years ago, just south of Birmingham. Never to be repeated. Locks are only fun for the first few goes, no fun in the rain, you never get anywhere and any holiday that warns you about angry fisherman. If you do go, my advice would be, take alchol, plenty of games/ cards to amuse yourselves and a good guide book of the area.

On the plus side, I only fell in the canel once, ran aground twice and met some very interesting people.

In reply to mark20:

I had a very nice short break on the Llangollen canal with old uni friends. The stretch into Llangollen has the added bonus of the spectacular Pontcysyllte aqueduct. I don't recall who we hired from or on what terms.

I also had a very nice break on the Norfolk Broads, we got a cheap deal from Herbert Woods discount website (Google will remember better than me).

Boat holidays are slow and scenic which is much more enjoyable than it sounds.
jk

In reply to mark20:
I know it's a bit further but I once sent a few days on the Llangollen canal and part of the Mongomerg canal. Very nice indeed.

In reply to mark20:

In laws have a narrow boat, so we've had several weeks on it over the years. Lots of nice canals, lots of nice scenery and lots of nice pubs. Don't underestimate the awesomeness of puling up to the end of the beer garden, walking to the pub for an evening meal and drinks and then walking the 20m or so back home.

You can get maps that show the canal and a narrow strip either side. They have helpful info, such as by bridge 123, there is a good pub and a village shop down the road. If you have internet, you can google for the same. Its pretty easy to find shops selling croissants, fresh bread, coffee, cheeses, fine wines etc within walking distance, with a bit of effort.

In reply to mark20:

Yes. It's really nice to be able to slow down. Probably how much you enjoy it depends on who you go with, what you do, the experiences you have. A bit like climbing.

The Macclesfield canal is nice. The Llangollen has got a reputation for being the busiest (probably because it is the most scenic), so I'm not sure we'll ever go there, because I like to get away from lots of people. Make sure you aren't in *too* hilly a part of the country - locks are fine, I don't agree that they're no fun, but you want a lock every now and then. The flight in Devizes is a bit hardcore. You also probably don't want to be in Bingley on your first day.

In my opinion canals are nicest in the countryside. The towns are normally "OK" but you don't want to be in them for too long.

In reply to mark20:

Leeds - Liverpool is lovely for countryside and not too many locks. Bingley 5 rise is awesome and the locks are so big the lock keepers do all the work for you. There are opening and closing times for last and first boat through the flight of locks so make sure you get there in time.

In reply to Doric:

+1 for the Leeds-Liverpool, an excellent introduction to canal boating. I wouldn't dismiss a tour around Birmingham either, using part of the Shropshire Union canal. Cruising directly under Spaghetti Junction is quite surreal.

I too disagree about the locks. Perhaps we're strange but we've always sought out as many locks (and long tunnels) as possible. They're a good antidote to boredom.

Canal boating is a bit like marmite though. It's either-or. If you enjoy the much slower pace of life on offer, it could easily become addictive. Try it and see.

We've literally spent months of our lives on hired canal boats and would happily live on one permanently if it was practical to do so.

In reply to climbwhenready:


We had a weekend near Sowerby Bridge and Hebden Bridge once, and found that the locks were a bit of a drag after the initial excitement wore off. I don't know how hilly that area is by normal canal standards, but there were enough locks that you could seldom settle into anything for long without having to jump up and go and push. I'd imagine that one every now and then to make it feel like you're doing something other than just sitting there is nice, though.