Drifters Top 5 Yorkshire Canal Boat Holidays for 2022

To celebrate Yorkshire Day (1 August), Drifters has put together its Top 5 Yorkshire Canal Boat Holidays for 2022.

2022 prices from Drifters’ Yorkshire bases start at £770 for a short break (three or four nights), £1,155 for a week on a boat for four people.

1. Visit Skipton and its medieval castle…on a short break (three or four nights) from Drifters’ base at Barnoldswick, boaters can head east along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal to Skipton. The journey there and back travels 26 miles, passes through 30 locks (15 each way) and takes around 20 cruising hours.

This breath-taking route winds along the contours of the side of Airedale, with extensive views of sheep country – farmhouses, barns, stone walls and the occasional village or town.  Once in Skipton, boaters can moor in the centre of the town, visit shops and restaurants and explore the 900-year old Skipton Castle, one of the most complete and best preserved medieval castles in England.

The 56ft ‘Huntingdon 4’ narrow boat for up to four people is currently available 1-5 August for £1,340. Prices include damage waiver, pre-holiday information, comprehensive instruction, fuel, gas, parking, buoyancy aids and bed linen.

2. Sail to the historic market town Selby…on a week away departing from Drifters’ base at Sowerby Bridge, narrow boat holiday-makers can cruise to along the Calder & Hebble and the Aire & Calder navigations to Selby.

The journey there and back travels 96 miles, passes through 68 locks (34 each way) and takes around 40 hours. The route passes through Wakefield, Stanley Ferry, Castleford and Knottingley. The scenery ranges from leafy cuttings on the Calder & Hebble and farmland along the Aire, to industrial hinterland on the Aire & Calder. At Selby, boaters can explore the ancient Abbey and market, and enjoy a good choice of pubs and restaurants.

The 56ft ‘Westmorland 4’ narrow boat for up to four people is available from Sowerby Bridge 12-19 August for £2,115. Price includes damage waiver, pre-holiday information, comprehensive instruction, fuel, gas, parking, buoyancy aids and bed linen.

3. Toddle to Todmorden for some stunning Pennine scenery…on a short break (three or four nights) from Drifters’ base at Sowerby Bridge, canal boat holiday-makers can travel along the Rochdale Canal to Todmorden.

The journey there and back travels 20 miles, passes through 34 locks (17 each way) and takes around 16 hours. This historic town offers visitors fine Victorian architecture, plenty of pubs and restaurants, and a busy market. Along the way, boaters pass through the village of Mytholmroyd, the birthplace of Ted Hughes, and the old mill town of Hebden Bridge, nestled in a fork in the hills, with an amazing variety of shops, cafes, restaurants and pubs and a series of scenic waymarked walks.

The 53ft ‘York 4’ narrow boat for up to four people is currently available 12-15 August for £1,105. Prices include damage waiver, pre-holiday information, comprehensive instruction, fuel, gas, parking, buoyancy aids and bed linen.

4. Cruise to Rishton for a trip through industrial history…on a week’s holiday from Drifters’ Barnoldswick base, narrowboat holiday-makers can travel west along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal to Rishton and back.

The journey there and back travels 53 miles, passes through 14 locks (seven each way) and takes around 20 hours. The route begins on the summit before plunging into Foulridge Tunnel, then down to Barrowford Locks.

After 20 miles on one level, boaters sail above Burnley’s rooftops on its famous embankment, one of the Seven Wonders of the Waterways. The Weavers Triangle visitor centre at Burnley is a good place to visit, before carrying on through largely open scenery and the historic town of Rishton, the first place calico cloth was woven on an industrial scale. The trip includes spectacular views of the Lancashire Calder Valley and Pendle Hill, famous for its witches.

The 56ft ‘Somerset 6’ narrow boat for up to six people is available 26 August to 2 September for £2,010. Price includes damage waiver, pre-holiday information, comprehensive instruction, fuel, gas, parking, buoyancy aids and bed linen.

5. Journey to the Hepworth Wakefield…on a mid-week break from Drifters’ base at Sowerby Bridge, canal boat holiday-makers can travel to Wakefield and back to visit the fabulous Hepworth Wakefield Art Gallery.

The journey travels 40 miles, passes through 52 locks (26 each way) and takes around 22 cruising hours. There are narrow boat moorings right outside the Hepworth Wakefield, offering visitors over 1,600 square metres of light-filled gallery spaces to explore. As well as works by the British artist and sculptor Barbara Hepworth, visitors can enjoy seeing works by Henry Moore, Naum Gabo, Antony Gormley, David Hockney, Paul Nash, Bridget Riley and Anthony Caro.

The 53ft ‘York 4’ narrow boat for up to four people is available 12-15 August for £1,105. Prices include damage waiver, pre-holiday information, comprehensive instruction, fuel, gas, parking, buoyancy aids and bed linen.

For more information about Drifters boating holidays click here.

For information about visiting the canal network click here.