The clocks go forward this weekend and, with summer on the horizon, UK holidaymakers are being urged to take a leaf out of the classic book The Wind in the Willows* when it comes to making plans: “there is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.”
There are over 1,000 self-drive canal boats available to hire on the 2,000 miles of navigable inland waterways in England and Wales cared for by the Canal & River Trust charity. With canals running through the UK’s most stunning landscapes, numerous pretty towns and villages, and into the heart of major cities, there’s a wide range of options for families, friends and couples.
Matthew Symonds, head of boating & customer service at Canal & River Trust, explains: “Our unique British canals are still navigated by boats just as they were hundreds of years ago. Today, people recognise that spending time on the water is a tonic for mind and body. Boating holidays are a way people can step back in time and connect with nature and our nation’s living heritage.
“Nine out ten people who responded to our Hire Boat Survey last year said they would recommend canal boat holidays to others and nearly one in five had travelled from overseas to experience boating on our peaceful inland waterways.”
Haley Hadley, of Drifters Waterway Holidays, which is made up of nine hire boat companies, says: “Travelling at less than four miles per hour through peaceful countryside, past canalside pubs and sleepy villages, canal boat holidays are often described as ‘the fastest way to slow down’. Every year around 450,000** people enjoy holidaying on Britain’s canal network and around a fifth of hirers are first timers.”
Drifters’ Top 10 reasons to take a canal boat holiday
1. It’s a floating safari – Nearly 2,000 county wildlife sites intersect with the Canal & River Trust’s canal and river network, which provides homes for birds, plants, animals and insects, including herons, kingfishers, bats, water voles, swans, ducks, coots, moorhens, woodland birds, butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies. So there’s always something special to look out for.
2. It’s a time for nostalgia – there’s a slower pace of life on the canals and it’s a bit like stepping back in time. Parents enjoy seeing their children getting away from their screens to help with steering the boat and opening the locks, as well as playing cards and board games together in the evening, bringing back memories of their own family holidays when they were children.
3. Narrowboats are like floating holiday cottages – with everything you need on board for a self-catering holiday afloat, including fully equipped kitchens, showers, toilets, beds, storage, televisions and may have Wifi too.
4. It’s good value for money – 92 per cent of respondents to last year’s Canal & River Trust Hire Boat Survey felt their narrowboat holiday was value for money and 87 per cent would definitely recommend it to others.
5. A licence isn’t required to hire a narrowboat – and boat steering tuition is provided as part of all Drifters holiday packages, so it’s easy for newcomers to take to the water.
6. It’s better for the planet – as soon as canal boat holiday-makers swap their car for a boat, they use around a third of the fuel.
7. They are pet-friendly – hire boat operators welcome dogs and many other pets, including tortoises, cats and fish.
8. It’s an outdoor workout – working the locks, as well as walking, running and cycling along traffic-free towpaths and local footpaths makes a narrowboat holiday great for keeping fit.
9. There are hundreds of pubs – many of them historic inns dating back over 200 years to the heyday of canals as an industrial transport network.
10. We feel happier by the water – research carried out by the Canal & River Trust shows we feel happier and less stressed by our waterways, and the longer we spend there, the more relaxed we become.
The Canal & River Trust has worked with hire boat operators to provide a welcome pack for holidaymakers, including Waterfront magazine, information about the charity, a postcard, bookmark and game sheet. Holidaymakers are encouraged to fill out the Hire Boat Survey and tell the Canal & River Trust about their time on the water.
To find out more about booking with Drifters Waterway Holidays visit drifters.co.uk.
