Top 5 UK Narrowboat Hire Routes for 2021!

This year, why not spend some time slowly drifting down one of the UK’s beautiful canal routes on a narrowboat hire? Around 200 years ago, at the peak of the industrial revolution, the UK’s 2,000 miles+ of waterways were the most efficient way of transporting goods across the country. Today, the canals have been repurposed. Some canals like the Manchester Ship Canal are still transport goods, but most are perfect if you want to enjoy a quieter and slower way of life in the United Kingdom. They are hubs for wildlife, where you can see plenty of animals that you will struggle to find elsewhere.

Let’s have a look at the best routes for a weekend or longer on a narrowboat hire holiday in the UK.

1. Kennet & Avon Canal

From Bristol to Reading with 105 locks.

Originally built to connect Bristol to London, the Kennet & Avon is now a perfect, slow-paced canal.

Bring along your bikes on your narrow boat hire for the occasional stop and bike ride through the countryside.

There is plenty to do along this canal to keep the whole family entertained. With plenty of locks to go through, the captain of the boat will be busy too. You can stop at Crofton Pumping Station and admire the huge boilers and steam engines. Caen Hill locks are a flight of 29 locks. Between there and Hungerford lies a beautiful stretch of forest, meadows and market towns.

2. The Warwickshire Ring.

Traverse the Oxford, Grand Union, Coventry and Birmingham canals – over 121 locks.

This route is a great choice for a lot of reasons. You’ll need a couple of weeks if you want to complete the loop. Located in the centre of England, it’s easily accessible. Indeed, the loop goes around Meriden, located in Warwickshire. The town has historically claimed to be the exact centre of England. There is even a stone to mark the exact spot! On the southern part of the ring you will find the Hatton Flight. The Hatton Flight, or ‘Stairway to Heaven’, is a flight of 21 broad locks that elevate the canal an impressive 146 feet.

3. Trent & Mersey Canal

Through Preston Brook, Cheshire and Derwent Mouth, Derbyshire

James Brindley, the father of English canals, engineered the Trent & Mersey Canal in the 1770s. Those familiar with Birmingham will know of Brindley Place. It was named after one of the most celebrated engineers of the 18th century. He has roads, schools, pubs and much more named after him even 250 years after his death.

If you want to experience a bit of history, with a pint along the way, the Trent & Mersey Canal is perfect. Pubs with beautiful beer gardens line the canal. They’re perfect for lunch or dinner breaks. This was the first long distance canal built. Generally, it was used for the transportation of coal and of finished products like pottery. Chug through the mile-and-a-half-long Harecastle tunnel, rumoured to be haunted. And experience the impressive Anderton lift on your narrow boat hire. 

4. Cheshire Ring

97 locks across the Rochdale, Ashton, Peak Forest, Macclesfield and Trent & Mersey Canals.

The Cheshire ring is a good narrowboat hire route to take if you live in the North of the UK. The route weaves through busy towns and sleepy villages. It passes through the heart of Manchester – drifting right past Old Trafford stadium, the home of Manchester United Football club. Just like the Warwickshire ring, you can do the whole loop in around 2 weeks. This gives you plenty of time to stop to explore the local villages and enjoy a canal-side walk.

If you take this route, Dunham Massey is a must-see. It boasts a stunning country house, a 250 acre deer park and a working Elizabethan mill. A trip to Dunham Massey is like going back to the 18th century. The house you see today was built in the 1860s.

5. Forth & Clyde and Union canals

Drift from Scotland’s east coast to its west.

Finally, this canal is a great option for both people from Scotland and for visitors. The west of the canal is easily accessible from Glasgow, and the east is a short drive from Edinburgh. Trade the tree-shaded Forth & Clyde canal for the rolling hills of the Union canal at the Falkirk wheel. 79-feet higher, you’ll enjoy the next 30 miles without any locks as you chug along to Edinburgh.