To celebrate the approaching Late May Bank Holiday and Half Term, Drifters canal boat holidays (www.drifters.co.uk) has put together its top five family-friendly narrowboat holidays:

1.      Complete the Droitwich Mini-Ring – the Droitwich Ring is the only canal boat holiday cruising circuit in Britain which can be completed on a short break (three or four nights).  When the restoration of the Droitwich Canals was completed in 2011, it reconnected the Worcester & Birmingham Canal and the River Severn, creating a 21-mile, 33-lock canal boat holiday circuit, which can be cruised in 16 hours from Drifters base on the River Severn at Worcester.

***The 60ft boat for up to six people ‘Mandarin Duck’ is currently available to hire from Drifters’ canal boat hire base at Worcester 24-27 May 2019 for £1,248, saving £311. Price includes bedding, towels, collision damage waiver, first pet, car parking & tuition.  Fuel is extra – a £50 deposit is taken for short breaks, £90 for a week.  Charge based on use, circa £10-15 per day.

2.      Visit Georgian Bath afloat – on a short break from Drifters’ base at Devizes in Wiltshire, boaters can travel gently along the beautiful Kennet & Avon Canal to reach moorings at Sydney Wharf, on the edge of Bath City Centre.  The journey travels 19 miles, passing through eight locks and takes around nine hours.  Along the way, the route passes through the village of Seend with its popular canalside Barge Inn, the historic town of Bradford on Avon with its fascinating 14th century Tithe Barn, over the beautiful Avoncliff and Dundas Bath stone aqueducts.  Once at Sydney Wharf, boaters can moor up and take a 15-minute walk into Bath City Centre to visit the Roman Baths, the Royal Crescent and other World class attractions.

***The 50ft narrowboat for up to eight people, ‘Lazy Fox’ is available 24-28 May for £1,370, saving £437.  Price includes fuel, gas, damage waiver, parking, bedding, towels, life jackets and tuition. Pets are extra, charged at £30 each.

3.      Cruise to through beautiful countryside to Norbury – from Drifters’ boat yard on the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal at Gailey, it takes around 10 hours to reach the pretty canal village of Norbury, travelling 23 miles through picturesque countryside, with just two locks to pass through along the way.  The route takes boaters through the historic village of Brewood, with a choice of places to eat, and past Belvide Reservoir, home to an abundance of wildlife.

***The 66ft canal boat for up to six people ‘Common Gull’ is currently available to hire from Drifters’ canal boat hire base at Gailey 27 May to 3 June 2019 for £2,040, saving £359. Price includes bedding, towels, collision damage waiver, first pet, car parking & tuition.  Fuel is extra – a £50 deposit is taken for short breaks, £90 for a week.  Charge based on use, circa £10-15 per day.

4.      Cruise across ‘The Stream in the Sky’ to Llangollen – from Drifters’ canal boat hire base at Blackwater Meadow on the beautiful Llangollen Canal in North Wales, it takes around eight hours to cruise to the pretty town of Llangollen on the edge of the Berwyn Mountains, passing through just two locks along the way and over the incredible World Heritage Status Pontcysyllte Aqueduct.

Standing at over 30 metres high above the Dee Valley, this magnificent structure consists of a cast iron trough supported on iron arched ribs, carried on 19 enormous hollow pillars.  With not even a hand rail on the south side of the aqueduct to obscure the stunning views of the valley below, canal boaters literally feel like they are floating above the earth.

***The 47ft canal boat for four people ‘Brown Weaver’ is available to hire 24-27 May for £800, saving £199.  Price includes bedding, towels, collision damage waiver, first pet, car parking & tuition.  Fuel is extra – a £50 deposit is taken for short breaks, £90 for a week.  Charge based on use, circa £10-15 per day.

5.      Potter through the Peak District afloat – Drifters’ Peak District base, at the junction of the Caldon and Trent & Mersey canals in Staffordshire, offers a fantastic way to experience this beautiful National Park in the heart of England.  Starting at the Etruria, home of the industrial potteries, the gentle 12-hour cruise along the peaceful Caldon Canal to Froghall Basin is perfect for narrowboat holiday beginners on a short break or week away.

***The 58ft ‘Duchess’ narrowboat for up to four people is currently available to hire from Drifters’ Peak District canal boat hire base 25-28 May for £944, saving £235.  Or £1,424 for a week (25 May to 1 June), saving £355.  Price includes damage waiver, tuition, Wifi, gas, bedlinen, towels and car parking. Fuel is extra, charged depending on use, circa £10-15 per day. Pets are charged at £30 each.

For more information about Drifters boating holidays call 0344 984 0322 or visit www.drifters.co.uk.
For information about visiting the canal network go to www.canalrivertrust.org.uk

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here