I moved on to my boat five years ago and am lucky to have a permanent mooring, but there’s nothing like casting off and setting yourself free. I love waking up to the splash of ducks pecking at algae on the hull, and spending all day outdoors, a mug of tea on the roof, moving from one spot to the next or mooring up for a couple of nights and exploring an area. It’s also incredibly sociable. Canal folk stop and chat, you work locks together and whiling away time with strangers like this can feel really enriching, especially after a long period of self-isolation.
35 miles, six locks and two tunnels, from Brecon to the Pontymoile basin
This is a dream trip if you want to immerse yourself in nature. The canal is almost entirely in the Brecon Beacons national park with views of the mountains. This is also a designated dark sky reserve. As the canal drops into the Usk valley, there are wild swimming spots to enjoy. To make this trip even more peaceful it’s possible to hire an electric boat.
245 miles, 176 locks and two tunnels, anti-clockwise
Done in one go, this is an epic journey but each section makes a holiday in its own right. The Grand Union canal has urban areas, rolling Chiltern hills, two long tunnels and the bustling village of Braunston. The Oxford canal winds its way around picturesque villages. If you’re a folk music fan, aim to go for the Cropredy festival in August. This tiny canal joins the Thames at Oxford – you’re propelled faster than the 3mph canal limit. You get the best view of Hampton Court and Windsor from the water.
More than 90 miles of navigable waterways link the River Nene to the Great Ouse in the Fens
This is a remote, otherworldly place to go boating. The channels were created for drainage in the 17th century and you can visit a working steam-powered pumping station in Stretham. The waterways crisscross fields, pass giant wind farms and just a handful of villages. It’s a place for peace, quiet and to immerse yourself in nature. The Fens are home to a huge variety of wildlife and conservation efforts mean that otters, water voles and barn owls are just some of the creatures you might spot.
87 miles, 104 locks, one tunnel and two aqueducts , from Reading to Bristol
This canal reopened in 1990 after an epic feat of restoration driven by volunteers. This canal-cum-river boasts a winning combination of scenic countryside, canalside pubs, feats of engineering and elegant architecture. Moor at The Barge Inn in Honeystreet and cycle to Avebury stone circle. Bath is an obvious highlight, but don’t miss Bradford-on-Avon, a gem of a town home to Tithe barn, one of the oldest medieval barns in Britain, and the tiny Saxon church of St Laurence.
41 miles, no locks, from Preston to Tewitfield
This is a lock-free cruise with views of the Silverdale coast, the Forest of Bowland and overlooked by the foothills of the Pennines. At Hest Bank it’s a few hundred yards to the beach where you’ll be looking across to Morecambe Bay. Take a tour of the nearly 1,000-year-old castle in Lancaster where, in 1612, 10 people were convicted of witchcraft; in the 19th century it held England’s largest debtors prison. Just north, you’ll travel over the canal’s most impressive feature – the Lune aqueduct. If you fancy working some locks, there’s a short run branching off to Glasson where the canal meets the Lune estuary.
