LUXE Serendipity magazine

Britain’s inland waterways winds through some of the nation’s best-loved countryside, including beautiful stretches of woodland and tree-lined embankments.

Drifters Waterways Holidays (drifters.co.uk) offers over 500 boats for hire from 40 locations across England, Scotland and Wales.  Autumn 2025 hire prices start at £713 for a short break (three or four nights) on a boat for up to four people, £980 for a week.  Tuition is included in all Drifters’ holiday prices.

To celebrate the autumn colours in the trees and hedgerows that line Britain’s canals, Drifters has published a guide to the top five leafy canals to cruise along this autumn:

 

The Calder & Hebble in West Yorkshire

The 21-mile long leafy Calder & Hebble Navigation links Wakefield with Sowerby Bridge.  On a short break from Drifters’ base at Sowerby Bridge, canal boat holiday-markers can cruise to Shepley Bridge and back. The route takes boaters through wooded valleys and the historic towns of Elland and Brighouse.  The journey there and back travels 22 miles, passes through 32 locks (16 each way) and takes around 16 hours.

***The 53ft ‘York 4’ narrowboat for up to four people is currently available from Sowerby Bridge for a weekend break 3-10 October 2025 for £828, saving £92. Price includes damage waiver, pre-holiday information, comprehensive instruction, fuel, gas, parking, buoyancy aids, first pet and bed linen. Second pet is charged at £25.

The Llangollen Canal in Shropshire

On a four-night break from Blackwater Meadow on the Llangollen Canal in Shropshire, boaters can cruise to Wrenbury and back. The return route travels 38 miles (19 each way), goes through 20 locks (10 each way) and takes around 21 hours.  Along the way, boaters travel through Ellesmere, in the heart of the Shropshire Lake District, and the historic market town of Whitchurch.  Once at Wrenbury, there’s a choice of pubs and circular walks to enjoy. 

***The 66ft ‘Crested Lark’ narrowboat for up to six people is currently available from Blackwater Meadow 13-17 October 2025 for £880, saving £219.  Price includes a non-refundable damage waiver, bed linen, towels, car parking, two pets, buoyancy aids and tuition.  A fuel deposit of £60 for a short break is payable with the balance of hire. Fuel costs approx. £15 per day.

The Shropshire Union Canal in Staffordshire

From Drifters boat hire base at Brewood on the Shropshire Union Canal in Staffordshire, it takes around 10 hours to reach the historic market town of Market Drayton, home of the gingerbread man.  The journey travels through 21 miles of scenic countryside, with wooded sections and a series of deep canal cuttings full of trees and vegetation. There are villages with canalside pubs to visit along the way, including The Boat Inn at Gnosall and the Junction Inn at Norbury Wharf. With just six locks, this four-night route is great for beginners.

***The 55ft ‘Sir Ulfius’ narrowboat for up to four people is available for a four night mid-week break from Brewood 29 Sep to 3 Oct 2025 for £713.  Price includes boat hire, damage waiver, fuel, gas, parking, tuition, buoyancy aids, bed linen, towels and pets.

The Kennet & Avon Canal in Wiltshire

The 87-mile long Kennet & Avon Canal links the Bristol Avon near Bath, with the River Thames at Reading. On a short break from Drifters’ narrowboat hire base at Bradford on Avon, boaters can cruise through the beautiful Bath Valley to Sydney Gardens on the edge of Bath and back. The route takes boaters through Bradford on Avon Lock and then a beautiful wooded stretch of canal.  Boaters glide across the magnificent Bath stone aqueducts at Avoncliff and Dundas, with stunning views of the surrounding countryside. The canal winds through the waterside villages of Limpley Stoke, Bathampton and Claverton. At Sydney Gardens, boaters can moor up and walk into Bath City Centre in about 15 minutes.  The journey to Sydney Gardens and back travels 20 miles, passes through two locks (one each way) and takes around eight hours.

***The 65ft ‘Hamilton’ luxury narrowboat for up to six people is currently available for a weekend break from Bradford on Avon 10-13 October 2025 for £1,033, saving £442.  Price includes boat hire, gas, car parking, cancellation protection, damage waiver, tuition on arrival, buoyancy aids, bed linen, towels and up to three pets.  A £70 fuel deposit is taken for short breaks, with final charge based on use, circa £15 per day. 

The Llangollen Canal in North Wales

From Drifters’ base at Chirk on the Llangollen Canal in North Wales, boaters can cruise to the historic market town of Llangollen on the edge of the Berwyn Mountains. The route travels the 11-mile section of the Llangollen Canal designated a World Heritage site, the magnificent Pontcysyllte Aqueduct.  Standing at 38 metres high, canal boat holiday-makers experience incredible views of the leafy Dee Valley below. On reaching Llangollen, boaters can moor up in Llangollen Basin enjoy visiting the town’s independent shops, pubs and restaurants, as well as its Steam Railway and Horseshoe Falls. 

***The 52ft ‘Princess’ narrowboat for up to six people is currently available to hire from Drifters’ base at Chirk for a weekend break 17-20 October 2025 for £810, saving £189.  Price includes damage waiver, tuition, Wifi, gas, bedlinen, towels, car parking and first pet. Fuel is extra, charged depending on use, circa £15 per day. Second pet is charged at £30.

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

Drifters Waterway Holidays is made up of 10 hire boat companies: ABC Boat Hire, Anglo Welsh, Black Prince, Countrywide Cruisers, Foxhangers, Grand Union Narrowboats, Kate Boats, Napton Narrowboats, Shire Cruisers and Union Canal Carriers.  Between them they offer over 500 boats for hire, operating from 40 bases across England, Scotland and Wales.  2025 hire prices start at £713 for a short break, £980 for a week on a boat for up to four people. Narrowboats range from 32ft to 70ft and can accommodate up to 12 people.  Drifters also offers day boat hire from 19 bases across England and Wales.