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Canal Holidays Guide to the Oxford Canal

One of the prettiest waterways in England, the South Oxford Canal linked the Thames to the Midlands when it was built in the late 18th century. Now it provides superb cruising through a typical English countryside of stone villages. It is noted for its scenery, lift bridges, and narrow locks.

Pass charming Cotswold villages such as Cropredy with its thatched stone cottages, church and pubs, before reaching Banbury, famous for its 'Cross' and cakes. The route then follows the scenic Cherwell valley to Aynho past Lower Heyford to Oxford with its historic University, 'dreaming spires', and Inspector Morse locations.

The above route to/from Napton can be taken as a one week return trip: 100 miles, about 45 hours, 78 locks.

Allow a further 10 hours and 6 locks to/from Rugby. Short breaks can be taken on sections of the above.

Routes from Napton can be extended down the Grand Union Canal towards Stoke Bruerne (see Grand Union Canal Guide ). Routes from Oxford can continue onto the River Thames towards Lechlade or London (see River Thames Guide ).

Distance, Time, and Locks

• Usually covered in a week.
• Out-and-back trips and short breaks are available.

Narrowboat bases on the Oxford Canal

Click on a boat base below for more information and possible routes from that base.

Canal Holidays, Bowers Wharf, Skipton, BD23 2PD, United Kingdom

10 Gorgeous Oxford Boat Trips (Where To Hire a Boat)

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Dreaming of taking a boat trip in Oxford? Oxford’s rivers and canals deserve exploration. These are the best places for boat hire in Oxford. 

So you’ve decided to go on an Oxford boat trip? Your next step is deciding which Oxford boat rental is for you. 

Depending on the service you choose, you may go on a guided tour with others or hire a private boat that you can enjoy with your friends. 

Take your pick from these recommendations. 

Best Boat Trips in Oxford 

Oxford sightseeing river cruise.

If you’re looking for another brilliant excursion, then the scenic sightseeing cruise with gourmet picnic could be for you. This outstanding sightseeing river cruise lasts 2.5 hours, taking in numerous landmarks. 

The scenery along the river in Oxford is gorgeous, and you’ll see sights such as Folly Bridge, the Head of the River, and Christchurch College and Meadows. This cruise offers a gourmet picnic that typically features homemade tart or quiche, finger sandwiches, and homemade scones accompanied by clotted cream and jam. 

Book The Scenic River Cruise Here

Row Along the Isis

You’ll have the chance to traverse the Isis section of the Thames River in the Oxford Experience Cruise . With this 50-minute boat trip, you’ll explore the Thames River along the University Regatta Course. 

You’ll see Folly Bridge, an ancient landmark, as well as Christ Church College and Meadows. As well, you’ll have the chance to glimpse the university rowing houses. It makes sense that these are located here, as the Isis is one of the most important rowing locations for the university. 

A bit confusingly, the name “the Isis” is sometimes used to describe the whole of the Thames. However, you’ll usually only hear it at Oxford. 

Book The Oxford Experience Cruise Here

Punting Along the River Cherwell

We highly recommend experiencing punting on the River Cherwell, as there are so many iconic sites to see on its banks. You can do this by going on the Oxford University: Combo Walking & Punting Tour with Alumni . 

This relaxing tour is led by Oxford graduates, who provide expert knowledge and insight into the city and university’s history. The River Cherwell punting portion of this tour lasts for 30 minutes, and follows the walking tour. 

Book The Oxford University Walking & Punting Tour Here 

Oxford Afternoon Tea River Cruise

The 1.5 hour Oxford Afternoon Tea River Cruise is a must-visit when sightseeing in Oxford. What’s more, there’s little that is as quintessentially British as afternoon tea. Tea and Oxford? The perfect combination. 

One of the most scenic river trips in Oxford, you’ll take in the majestic sights through the Iffley Lock and experience Water Meadows. 

Book The Afternoon Tea River Cruise Here

Isis Punting Tour with Optional Walking Tour

If you want to go punting on the Isis, then consider booking this Oxford punting river trip with an optional walking tour . As one of the more popular Oxford boat tours, it has a variable duration, ranging from 1.5 to 3 hours. 

Taking a punting tour can be a fascinating way to discover Oxford’s centuries-old traditions and landmarks. Punting or rowing is the most significant recreational activity in Oxford, and this trip will offer you the chance to learn all about how it is done. 

Book The Isis Punting Tour Here

Oxford Canal Boat Hire

Oxford canal boats are a great means to explore the area. There are popular tours available , including a narrowboat. These are ideal for touring the Oxford canal and the numerous historic sites that are dotted along the banks. 

Each vessel has its own name and background. A favourite is the Balliol, and the company points out it’s perfect for a family trip. 

Book The Canal Boat Here

Evening Cocktail Cruise

For something even more sophisticated and exciting, consider an evening cocktail cruise that starts at sunset. 

The evening cocktail cruise by Oxford River Cruises holds itself to the highest standards, and provides both tranquillity and conviviality as you cruise down the Thames River. 

Book The Evening Cocktail Cruise Here

Tasting Menu Cruise 

Looking to indulge? Consider a 30-minute cruise followed by a six-course tasting menu with The Folly Restaurant . If you want to go all out and enjoy the most luxurious experience with your Oxford river cruise, this is a great option to look at. 

Once at The Folly, you’ll find exquisite meal choices perfect for an irresistibly decadent experience. 

Book The Tasting Menu Cruise Here

Cruise with a Picnic

Another great option with a tasty meal is the Oxford Picnic Cruise . You are given a delicious picnic lunch catered by The Folly. Your picnic will include an array of classically British finger sandwiches, tart or quiche of the day, scones with jam and clotted cream, and more.

This cruise offers excellent views of the University boathouses and Christchurch College and Meadows. 

Book The Picnic Cruise Here

Oxford Cruise with Edwardian River Launch

If you’re a history enthusiast, go for an Oxford cruise with an Edwardian River Launch . While you learn about Oxford history on the other excursions we’ve mentioned, this specific cruise goes to greater depths. The skipper is especially knowledgeable. This cruise is a great way to view Folly Bridge. 

Book The Edwardian River Cruise Here

Practical Tips for Boating in Oxford 

Let’s look at some practical tips for boating in Oxford. 

Places to Get a Boat 

Of course, boating in Oxford means you need to find a boat or a punt, depending on which you prefer. There are both chauffeured and self-drive boats available, and there are different types to choose from. 

A boat ride in Oxford is a memorable experience, so take your time choosing the right one for you. There are rowing boats for hire in Oxford, as well as pedalos and basic punts. 

Boating in Oxford can be a little intimidating at first, but you’ll get the hang of it quickly. The locals are friendly and will be happy to give you tips. 

How to Take a Boat on the River

If you’ve never boated before, you will want to start slowly. If you’re going on an independent trip on the Thames River, begin somewhere quiet and less challenging. 

Always stay near the shore, not pushing yourself past your skill. Whether you’re looking for a canal boat or a rowing boat, a boat hire in Oxford is one of the best ways to go on a city adventure. 

Need to Work on Your Punting Technique? 

If you have a punt, position yourself at the rear end. You’ll want to be partially facing a side of the boat, and for most people, the right side is appropriate. 

Hold the pole. Keep it vertical and aligned with the punt side. Slightly relax your grip, letting the pole slip a bit. Continue until you sense it coming in contact with the riverbed. 

Once you’ve accomplished this correct position, you are ready to start making your punt move on the river. 

Oxford Boating Destinations: Map

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Barge , Narrow Boat Hire – Day or weekly hire

We would like to welcome you on board one of our modern, comfortable narrowboats, equipped to ensure you have a wonderful holiday, bookable by the week(s). Or if you Fancy just a day on the canal or short break? Then, our 40ft, two berth luxurious Day/Short break boat, Comet’ is available to hire.

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Choose Your Type of Holiday or Short Break

Touring Oxford Canal in style on-board our dayboat “Comet”. 2 berths or up to 12 people.

Short Breaks

Step aboard “Comet” for a few nights for a short adventure on UK Waterways.

Weekly Booking

Take the helm of our vessels “Chieftain” or “Conqueror” through our waterways.

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Pricing for next year is now available, check out our new E-Brochure for details.

Questions? Make an enquiry, we have the answers.

We had a lovely time aboard ‘Comet’

Thanks for your email and for welcoming us aboard last Sunday. We had a lovely time aboard ‘Comet’- the arrival procedure was simple and easy – a quick safety briefing and then off we went. Our skipper for the day was chatty and friendly and took good care of us. There were tea-making facilities onboard and that’s the most important thing! With our large group, it took a few boils of the kettle to get enough water for all of us but no biggie. The GWA pub you advised was lovely and the new owners have done great things with it. Add to that having an adorable little dog on board and I’d say we were well pleased. Thanks… Read more “We had a lovely time aboard ‘Comet’”

Oxford Canal

The Oxford Canal is probably the UK’s most delightful boating holiday route, meandering southwards from the outskirts of Coventry, through the North Cotswolds, to our own dreaming spires of Oxford where College Cruisers are based.  

The Oxford Canal was originally built to transport coal from the Midlands to the South of England and was, for a time, one of the country’s most important waterways. These days it is primarily used by leisure boaters and holidaymakers.

Renting one of our boats is an ideal way to escape the urban sprawl and enjoy enticing landscapes of soft gentle pastureland, passing by antique Cotswold villages. Better still, why not moor your boat and explore the villages and numerous country pubs along the way.  Most provide freshly cooked local produce and delicious real ales to help you on your way.  Or you can moor up in Oxford itself and use your boat as a base to explore this wonderful, historic city.

You can choose how long to rent a boat for.  For instance:

• A short break boating holiday on the Oxford Canal takes you from Oxford to Aynho or Banbury and back – depending on how energetic you feel.  Half of our boats are available for short breaks as we feel that this is a very good way to (literally) test the water!
• A one week boating cruise can take you further along the canal to Napton and back.  You will cruise through the newly built town centre of Banbury and the super little village of Cropredy.

Heading north on the Oxford Canal

Oxford is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the UK. It is a small city, and the attractions of the University, historic buildings and places of interest are within easy walking distance of the centre.

College Cruisers narrowboats are an ideal base to visit Oxford’s many attractions whilst enjoying comfortable canal boat holiday hire accommodation.  Take a look around before or after you make your way up the Oxford Canal.

OXFORD TO BANBURY

Head North out of Oxford on the Oxford Canal and into the country, through picturesque villages with lovely country pubs, towards the market town of Banbury with its museum and canal-side shopping facilities.

BANBURY TO NAPTON

For those of you continuing your journey along the Oxford Canal, the route carries on north along the Cherwell Valley through Cropredy (home of a legendary folk music festival) and on to Napton where the South Oxford Canal ends – approximately another 12 hours’ cruising.

Any Questions?

Call us on 07821 867999 . ( +44 7821 867999 . from outside the UK). We're happy to help!

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Oxford River Cruises

River Cruises

There is no better way to explore our beautiful city than a river cruise. whether this is your first visit and you want to hear about the heritage and nature of the river, or you are looking to explore oxford through new eyes in a relaxed, unique way, we have the boat cruise for you..

Oxford Experience Cruise

This popular sightseeing tour offers a lively display of all that the river has to offer.

Afternoon Tea Cruise

Float away down the river whilst enjoying afternoon tea. A truly memorable experience.

Cruise & Dine

Experience a taste of river life with our wonderful partner restaurant The Folly.

Picnic Cruise

Enjoy a freshly made picnic hamper whilst on a beautiful, leisurely 3 hour boat trip.

Evening Cocktail Cruise

Capture the beauty of an Oxford evening accompanied by delicious cocktails.

Cruise & Tasting

A relaxing river trip followed by a spectacular 6-course tasting menu in The Folly.

Oxford Canal Boat Hire & Narrowboat Hire

Cruise through stunning scenery with Oxford Canal boat hire and narrow boat boat hire from a family-owned and independent companies.

Oxford Canal Boat Hire & Narrowboat Hire

The Oxford Canal is one of the most beautiful and popular canals to take a narrowboat holiday. Once the main transport route from the midlands to the south of England, the canal starts by the River Thames in Oxford. It runs for 77 miles, mainly through quiet rolling countryside. Near Coventry, it connects with the midlands’ canal system. It has 43 narrow locks and takes about a week to cruise.

Hillmorton Locks

• The Oxford is a canal of two halves. The southern Oxford below Napton is an early contour canal, winding through villages and around the Cotswold Hills. Above Napton it twists and turns so much that Napton Windmill can be seen for hours from many different directions!
• The northern Oxford  was straightened with embankments and tunnels in the nineteenth century. This almost halving the length of the route and you can still see some of the evidence of this. There are straightened loops spanned by fine cast iron bridges and the entrance to the original Newbold Tunnel.
• So much to see! The City of Oxford, with its Museums and University Colleges founded nearly a thousand years ago. It is located where the canal joins the River Thames.
• Fascinating Oxfordshire villages  like Lower Heyford and Cropredy, gain an extra 17,000 people during an annual music festival. Then there is Blenheim Palace with its Capability Brown Gardens, Churchill’s birthplace.
• The famous canal town of Braunston, at the junction between the Oxford Canal and the Grand Union Canal. It has many original canal buildings such as the Stop House where tolls were collected. Here there is an annual rally where you may see 80 plus ex working narrowboats in a stern-to-bow parade!

The Oxford Canal Map

River Thames

ON THIS CANAL…

• Canal Guides
• Pubs & Eating
•  Days  Out
• Hotel boats

How to Find the Best Boat Hire Oxford Canal

Hiring and cruising a boat is easy, with  dozens of hire firms  offering a variety of boats, including day boats.

See our  listings below for details of top boat hire companies . Compare companies and book directly for the best deals. These firms are a great alternative to the ‘corporate big boys’!

Canal Boat Hire from family firms on or around The Oxford Canal

Oxford Canal

College Cruisers  offer relaxing holidays on the Oxford canal & River Thames. Excellence in customer service & comfort with a friendly welcome & expert tuition. Central Oxford base. All parties welcome including dogs.

Grand Union Canal

Grand Union Narrowboats. Small family run company. 2,4 & 6 berth four star graded narrowboats for weekly hire on the Grand Union and Oxford canals. Experience the Northamptonshire countryside at its finest.

Kate Boats , a family run business, with quality narrowboats from two bases on the Grand Union Canal, ideally situated on the Warwickshire ring.

Beginners welcome, full instruction given.

Based at Napton Junction, Napton Narrowboats  family-run fleet now gives you the widest choice of boats and routes.

Narrowboat Escapes Holidays And Training specialising in traditional narrowboat hire, holidays and training. Based at the heart of England's waterways at 'Braunston Marina' we have six beautiful and historic canal routes within a short distance. Phone: 07944 589 679

Oxfordshire Narrowboats. Cruise the beautiful Cherwell Valley & Cotswold Borders toward Oxford & the Thames. Short breaks, families, pets, and large groups are welcome.

Rose Narrowboats  are a family firm with a fleet of 20 luxury narrowboats for weekly or shortbreak rental in the heart of the Midlands canal system. On-line brochure here now.

Twyford Wharf Narrow Boats  Ideally situated on the Oxford Canal, just below Banbury at Twyford Wharf.  4-6 berth, well equipped narrowboat available throughout the year.  Expert tuition, ideal family holiday.

Rose Narrowboats  on the Oxford Canal near Rugby have Rosette, a tug style narrowboat with galley and toilet, available for self-drive day trips for up to 12 people.

LATE BOOKING CANAL HOLIDAYS

Pearson Canal Companion – South Midlands

Pearson Canal Companion – Oxford & Grand Union

Heron Map – Oxford Canal, Oxford to Hawkesbury Jct and to Coventry Basin

Nicholson Waterways Guide 3 – Birmingham & The Heart of England

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OXFORDSHIRE CANAL BOAT HIRE

Explore oxfordshire onboard a black prince boat  .

A canal boat holiday in Oxfordshire from our hire base in Lower Heyford is a fabulous way to take a step back in time and explore some beautiful historic areas in this popular part of the southeast of England.

Enjoy a boat trip along the South Oxford Canal and try your hand at river cruising along some beautiful stretches of the River Thames, one of the most famous UK waterways.  (A river licence will be required for the Thames for your canal boat hire in Oxford, at approximately £80 for one week. You can purchase this whilst on your trip).

There is a selection of short breaks available on our Oxfordshire narrowboats, either weekend breaks  or  midweek short trips , from our canal boat base in Oxfordshire, including  return journeys to Oxford , Banbury and some delightfully named villages such as  Cropredy  and Thrupp.

Longer narrowboat hire canal holidays involve cruising the River Thames, such as a lovely two-week cruise down to Hampton Court Palace and return . This narrow boating route takes in more historical royal sites than any other – including Windsor Castle, Blenheim Palace and Hampton Court Palace. This area is a great place for a family-friendly holiday in the south of England, as you can moor up and explore these famous castles as part of your trip.

TOP ATTRACTIONS IN OXFORDSHIRE

• Oxford – the city of the ‘Dreaming Spires’
• Windsor Castle
• Legoland – a great theme park for younger children
• Hampton Court Palace
• Blenheim Palace
• Beale Park wildlife park
• Thorpe Park – one of the UK’s biggest theme parks

Top Attractions on the Waterways

• Cruise through the city of Oxford on Oxfordshire narrowboats and experience everything this beautiful has to offer
• Newbridge, arguably the oldest bridge on the River Thames, was built in the 13th century. An impressive triple-arched bridge that spans the river
• River and Rowing Museum in Henley
• Tooleys Boatyard at Banbury

Canals to cruise from Lower Heyford, Oxfordshire

• South Oxford Canal
• River Thames (river licence required for narrowboat hire in Oxford, which can be purchased on your trip).

Oxfordshire Canal boat hire base

The Black Prince Oxfordshire narrow boat hire base is at Lower Heyford , perfect for Oxford canal holidays and close to canal boat hire in Banbury.

Once you have booked your boat hire in Oxfordshire with Black Prince, you’ll learn about canal etiquette and be introduced to driving a boat when you arrive at your base . From here you can explore the local area plus travel further afield on cruising routes to other regions such as Berkshire and Richmond-Upon-Thames. You can hire a boat for short breaks or longer narrowboat holidays , such as a week’s cruise or even a two or three-week canal boat holiday.

What is a narrowboat?

Our Oxford narrowboats are a type of canal boat that are typically between 50 and 70 feet long and 6 feet wide. They are designed to navigate the narrow canals of England, introducing a new kind of holiday to families and couples on the UK waterways.

Oxford canal boats are typically equipped with a kitchen, bathroom, and living area, and vary in size, sleeping between 2 and 10 people. They are powered by a small diesel engine, and can travel up to 5 miles per hour.

What is an Oxford Canal holiday like?

Here are some of the benefits of taking a canal boat holiday on an Oxford narrowboat:

• You can explore at your own pace.
• You can stop and go as you please.
• You can enjoy the peace and quiet of the countryside.
• You can get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
• You can spend time with your family and friends.
• You can create lasting memories.
• If you are looking for a relaxing and enjoyable holiday, then boat hire in Oxford is the perfect option for you.

NEED HELP PLANNING YOUR OXFORD CANAL BOAT HOLIDAYS? HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT OXFORD CANAL BOAT HIRE?

Call today on ++44 (0)1527 575 115 and a Black Prince team member will be happy to help!

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Oxford Canal

Top ways to experience Oxford Canal and nearby attractions

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Oxford Canal - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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A narrow boat plies the Oxford Canal, an 18th-century conduit that today attracts cruisers with its natural beauty and leisurely pace.

Cruising England's Oxford Canal

This month's great read, selected by our editors: Going fast isn't an option on the Oxford Canal—to the delight of all who merrily, merrily cruise this British waterway.

It’s Alice’s Day in Oxford, England .

A winged griffin is playing a ukulele on Broad Street, awaiting the arrival of the Red Queen. At the nearby Bodleian Library, a caterpillar dispenses nutritional advice to children in pinafores. In front of the Pitt Rivers Museum, a lachrymose Mock Turtle leads a lobster quadrille dance. Me? I’m standing on the prow of the Hertford , my rental canal boat, trying to take in this annual celebration of the famous literary creation Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland , by Oxford University don Charles Dodgson (better known by his pen name, Lewis Carroll).

I lived on St. Barnabas Street from 2009 to 2010, when I was an undergraduate immersed in the eccentricity of Oxford University life. England was still new to me, every day a cultural shock as I tried to reconcile English reserve with my American exuberance—a balance that I still am not sure I’ve struck.

But today I am looking at my university home, which sits 60 miles northwest of London , from another angle entirely.

EAGER FOR AN ADVENTURE, a British friend, Sarah Heenan, and I are spending one week cruising the Oxford Canal, an 18th-century waterway that runs from Oxford north almost 80 miles to Hawkesbury Junction, just north of Coventry. The experience, we’re discovering, is hardly that of Oxford University, with its Gothic towers. Nor is it of Oxford the town, a staid, prosperous place that, for all its academic whimsy, is unfailingly polite and invariably aloof. For narrow-boaters such as us—which, we will see, includes day-trippers, retirees, and liveaboards gliding leisurely from village to village by water—the Oxford Canal embodies a different, less straitlaced, way of English life.

“Along a canal,” explains Heenan, who grew up around her family’s pub in a Cotswolds village, “you say hello to everybody.”

Perhaps as a release from the intensely private nature of English culture—“you Americans do front lawns,” Heenan notes, “we do back gardens”—Brits seem to come alive on the water. After all, the ultimate fantasy of an English pastoral idyll is Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows , a classic children’s novel featuring animals dwelling by a river, which was inspired in part by Grahame’s school days on the Oxford Canal.

A town rich in architectural styles, Oxford lays claim to many landmarks, including the domed Radcliffe Camera.

“Here today, up and off to somewhere else tomorrow!” the book’s enthusiastic Mr. Toad exclaims. “Travel, change, interest, excitement!”

As Heenan and I rev our engine—we’re our own captains after a boat-handling tutorial—we spot an elderly twosome strolling the canal’s towpath. They spy Heenan’s glass of Pimms. “And very good, too!” the woman calls out as we pass.

We raise our glasses to toast her.

Cruising along at three miles an hour, I find myself peering into back gardens, wondering who tends them. Who owns the stone bust of Napoleon? The carving of a rabbit shooting a frog?

I ask Heenan if I’m breaking some fundamental rule of Englishness by looking.

She bursts into laughter. “That’s the most English thing of all!” she says. “Deep down, we’re all really nosy.”

Near the village of Wolvercote, we are preparing to dock when a comely man dressed in a white vest and jeans leaps confidently onto our narrow boat and grabs the tie-up rope.

“Don’t worry,” he says, when we have secured the vessel. “You’re no worse than I was my first time.”

Mike Pitman’s first time was three years ago. Priced out of property in Oxford, Pitman—a documentary filmmaker and musician in his 20s—bought a boat and has lived ever since along the water, part of a community of artists.

“Before living on a boat, I never knew any of my neighbors by name,” Pitman shares. Here on the water, he knows everyone. “Or at least what instrument they play.”

He invites me onto his boat, Songlines , and shows me his Australian didgeridoo—his favorite instrument—followed by an Indian flute.

“I played a duet with this guy under a bridge once,” he says. “When we were done, he gave me his flute.”

Just like that?

Pitman shrugs.

Pub dog Ollie, brown-eared mascot of the Boat Inn, waits for someone to buy his nightly potato chips.

“We look out for each other,” he says, sometimes by monitoring mooring spaces when one of them is away, sometimes by pet-sitting or helping with boat repairs. Another boater, a photographer named Jeff Slade, ambles over. He and Pitman trade news: Two buzzards have taken up residence in a canalside tree; one of the moorhens has given birth to five chicks. Slade shows me a repurposed flowerpot on his own boat’s roof; he hopes the local duck will lay her eggs there.

At first these boaters’ attention to nature’s details surprises me. So far on our cruise, the landscape has been overwhelmingly green. Picking out individual shapes has seemed as impossible as picking out brushstrokes in a Monet painting. But as we wend past bend after identical bend, thatch-roofed village after thatch-roofed village, the landscape’s uniformity breaks apart like a kaleidoscope. At the pace the Hertford will let us go—four miles an hour, top speed—it’s impossible to not look at every branch, every leaf, a little longer, a little more carefully. I start to notice the difference between Japanese and giant knotweed, elderflowers and Queen Anne’s lace. A few days ago, all this was a vague notion I had of “countryside.” The canal was a waterway I barely glanced at. Today, each branch, each bush, each bend of the canal contains universes.

IN THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS , Rat tells Mole “there is nothing—absolutely nothing—half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.”

Aboard the Hertford I have little time to mess about. There always is something to do: piloting, mooring, unmooring, filling the water tank. And the routine of locks—enclosures with sliding gates that adjust water levels, enabling boats to travel from lower to higher areas—is the most ceaseless of all. Every hour or so we stop to open one gate, cruise into the lock, slide up the panels (called paddles or wickets) to let water flow into the lock and make the boat rise (we are heading upstream), open the exit gate, then reset everything.

I wonder once or twice what Rat was talking about in The Wind in the Willows . To my surprise, however, the routine soon becomes comforting, a quiet rhythm that gives structure to the meandering of days. I find myself taking pride in winching up a particularly heavy paddle or forcing a stuck gate. I like the tangible, physical results.

The locks, Heenan and I soon realize, double as social hubs, where strangers exchange travel advice or boating gossip, or help less experienced boaters. Arriving at a lock now means seeing familiar faces: the redheaded Scottish family of four; the bachelor party group; Derek, a retiree from Birmingham, who bought a boat when he turned 60 (“better that than a Zimmer frame!” he says, the British term for a walker) and who stays behind to help us close the gate.

The 78-mile-long Oxford Canal is marked by more than 40 locks, which adjust water levels to enable the raising or lowering of boats—as here, at Lock 34, in Somerton village.

It’s just good boating etiquette, Derek says after I thank him. He lives on his boat alone, a rarity given the amount of work cruising entails. But he never worries. “People help me on the locks all the time, so I help them. That’s just how it is.”

Besides, he adds, he’s not in any rush.

Nobody here is.

IT TAKES A FEW DAYS before I understand what “canal pace” means. I had drawn an optimistic map at the week’s outset, circling planned mooring points as I plotted to make it all the way to my arbitrarily chosen destination of Napton on the Hill, some 20 miles south of Coventry, before winding back toward Oxford. It would be a grueling route of seven hours of boating a day (canal travel is measured in hours, given the variables of lock traffic), I’d judged, but doable.

We’re speeding as quickly as the Hertford will allow. If we hurry, we can make the village of King’s Sutton by nightfall. Dusk glints golden on the water as we cruise past Upper Heyford. Sheep nip at long grasses in the shadow of its Gothic church tower. It’s the most idyllic spot we’ve seen on the canal so far, and we’re tempted to stop. But it’s not on our schedule. I turn off the engine anyway.

Heenan pours out our Pimms. A few minutes later, a young man appears on the towpath, walking his dog. As he gets close, the dog sniffs the air, then scampers onto our deck before its owner can stop it. Mortified, he stutters out an apology.

We laugh it off, retrieve the dog, make conversation. Kevin, we learn, is a Heyford local. I invite him to join us for a drink, motivated in equal parts by hospitality and anthropological curiosity. Under normal circumstances here, I know, this would be considered only slightly less brazen than proposing marriage. But we’re on a boat.

For a moment, Kevin looks surprised, even nervous. Then he takes a deep breath and steps on deck. We hand him a Pimms and clink glasses. At last he smiles. For half an hour we drink and talk, about the weather, Heyford life, the canal. Kevin admits he wonders about the boats he sees cruising by. Still, he could never imagine doing it himself. “You’d have to say hello to people all the time, be friendly. We couldn’t have that!”

The Red Lion Inn, in the village of Cropredy, tees up live music, quiz nights—and, it's said, occasional ghost sightings.

THERE IS ONE PLACE, Heenan points out, where English people always say hello. The pub, in most small villages the only choice for food or drink, is to locals what locks are to boaters: the one socially sanctioned space where talking to strangers is not only allowed but encouraged. Several pubs are signposted “Open 11 a.m. until close.”

Isn’t that a tautology? I ask Heenan.

“You’ll see,” she answers.

Each pub will have its own character. There’s the Boat Inn, in Thrupp, where locals vie to buy the geriatric pub dog, Ollie, his nightly potato chips. There’s the brick Bell Inn, in Lower Heyford, where an elderly man enters, only to start at the sight of Heenan and me on a sofa. (We’re sitting in his customary seat, another regular explains.)

But nothing compares to the rambunctious energy of the Red Lion Inn, in the thatch-roofed village of Cropredy. Drawings by a local artist line the walls, along with clocks handcrafted by the owner’s father-in-law. In the corridor to the bathroom I find framed limericks riffing on regulars’ drunken antics and dietary misfortunes.

Those same regulars hold court from 6 to 10 p.m. at the bar, engaging in sometimes raucous mockery of one another. When I ask the barmaid about the pub’s rumored ghosts—Cropredy was the site of a 1644 battle during England’s Civil War—a gray-haired biker in a bandanna cuts in before she can answer:

“She’s the one who is ’aunted!”

An elderly liveaboard boater named Mick—who, I learn, lost his business, declared bankruptcy, and realized that “they can’t send collections if you’re always moving”—takes it upon himself to help me understand a proper village pub.

“When I came in here, I hit my head on those”—he points out the low ceiling beams—“and the barmaid, instead of helping me, laughed.” He waits for me to get it.

“That’s what a proper pub is! People taking the mickey out of you, teasing you, even if you’re a stranger.” English people, he insists, are as open as anyone else; they just need an excuse to show it. “Why do you think English people talk so much about the weather? It’s ’orrible, and we know it’s ’orrible. It just gives us a reason to say something.”

I tell him about our dawdling in bucolic Upper Heyford, and he remarks, “That’s nothing. It took me three and a half weeks to get here—I saw a field full of cows I liked.”

It's all about teatime at Jane's Enchanted Tea Garden, a seasonal pop-up venue run by canalside resident Jane Fanner.

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Outside the Red Lion, church bells begin to ring the 11 p.m. hour. We’re approaching closing time, but tonight’s patrons show no signs of leaving—and the barmaid just continues to chat with everyone.

“When they close, they close,” shrugs Mick.

We don’t exchange numbers—there’s no phone signal—but Mick invites me to look for him on our return voyage. I will find Mick again, at Cropredy Lock. He’ll grin, wave, then cruise on.

IF A PUB—England’s great equalizer, where rich and poor, locals and transients come together—has an opposite, it’s the stately country manor, or estate. These days many historic English manors, often the homes of aristocrats, open their doors to the public. They are, I learn, where the English go to indulge in that most English pursuit: peeking into the private lives of others.

Of the three or four manors we pass, it’s the palatial Rousham House that most piques my interest. This 17th-century residence, still lived in by descendants of the original owners, is visitable only by appointment, but the acres of gardens are open daily. Among the most celebrated landscapes in England, they were designed in the 1700s by the architect and artist William Kent, who pioneered the “natural” landscape.

“This is the ultimate English domestic fantasy,” says Heenan, “the private garden that feels like it’s in wilderness.”

We are only a 15-minute walk from the canal, but in this riotously colorful floral setting, we find ourselves in the heart of Alice’s labyrinth. Passages wind through hedges, past hidden fountains, toward purpose-built “ruins” and Grecian arcades that lead nowhere. I watch a lone peacock sashay in front of the entrance to the round pigeon house, which echoes with the coos of pigeons and doves.

Cozying up to neighbors comes naturally along the canal, where boaters share moorings, refreshments, and accounts of their day.

Still, it’s the residents of Rousham House who fascinate me. Passing the front door, I search for clues to the inhabitants within. “Home Rule,” says a sticker on the front door, which also features an EU flag with an X drawn through it. “British Subjects, Not EU Citizens,” another states. I sneak a glance into the windows. Everything is museum-perfect—paneled walls, oil paintings, gold brocade wallpaper—except one touch: the most outstanding collection of ugly porcelain figurines I’ve ever seen.

I think of Heenan’s insistence on English nosiness, and smile. Englishness has rubbed off on me after all.

OUR LAST NIGHT ON THE HERTFORD , we moor in north Oxford—and I am back where I began, a short walk from my old university quarters. I feel almost regretful. Seven years in England, I think—what else did I miss? How much time did I waste, failing to follow and explore this path that started in my own backyard?

A thrush flutters down to my feet. Once, I might have scared it away. But a week on the water has left me slower, more careful in my movements. The bird lets me approach and photograph it at close range before it vanishes against the gold of sky.

I make out the charred remains of bonfires in the grass around me. I wonder if they belong to Mike Pitman, to Jeff Slade, to the boaters who have made the canal their own.

Then I remember a plaque I’d seen along the nearby Thames River, part of a local initiative to record oral histories.

“My father was a great plant lover …” it reads. “We spent a whole afternoon by the river at Godstow in the beautiful spring sunshine, searching the meadows for birthwort which we didn’t find. I thought it was a real waste of time, but now I look back on that afternoon as a lovely day spent with my eccentric Dad.”

I understand. On the water there really is no such thing as a waste of time.

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Home > Articles > Enjoying Oxford

Oxford Canal Boats: An Affordable Accommodation Option?

Oxford canals are some of the prettiest in the country. So, have you ever considered living on a boat or renting a boat around Oxford? You’d be surprised to hear both options are not just possible; they are also an affordable way to be closer to the city . In this article, I will share everything you need to know about living or renting an Oxford canal boat.

How Many Canals Are There Around Oxford?

If you’re in Oxford and you go for a walk, you will probably come across one of the city’s canals. There are several canals in and around this area, but the most well-known and popular are the Oxford Canal and the River Thames .

The Oxford Canal runs for approximately 78 miles from Oxford to Coventry and passes through several towns and villages along the way, including Banbury and Rugby. The River Thames also flows through Oxford and is a popular destination for boating and river walks.

In addition to these, there are also several smaller waterways and tributaries in the area, including the Cherwell River, the Grand Union Canal, and the Kennet and Avon Canal, among others.

What Is It Like to Live on an Oxford Canal Boat?

Living on a canal boat can be a unique and rewarding experience, but it is not for everyone. However, if you’re coming to Oxford and you’re considering different options, it’s definitely worth looking into what it actually means to inhabit a narrowboat. 

When asking yourself the question, “ Should I live on a canal boat? “, consider the following points:

Space : Canal boats are generally smaller than traditional homes. This means, of course, that the space you’ll have available will be more limited – and you might need to get creative with storage and organization. So, the first consideration before deciding to live on an Oxford canal boat is: You should be comfortable with living in a smaller space.

Mobility : Now, living on a canal also offers quite a unique advantage: You can move your home from place to place along the waterways. This can provide a sense of adventure and freedom, but it also means that you’ll need to be comfortable with navigating the waterways and mooring in different locations.

Maintenance : Like any home, a canal boat requires regular maintenance and upkeep. So, when moving to a canal boat in Oxford, you’ll need to be prepared to do some DIY work or hire a professional to maintain the boat’s mechanical and electrical systems and keep it clean.

Community : Living on a canal boat in Oxford can provide a strong sense of community, as you’ll be staying among other boaters who share a similar lifestyle. However, this can also mean that you’ll need to be comfortable with a more communal way of living and sharing resources, such as water and electricity.

Overall, living on an Oxford canal boat can be a rewarding experience for those who are looking for a simpler way of life. This choice will also bring you close to nature – but you should be ready to deal with some of the unique challenges that come with living on the water.

Renting a Canal Boat in Oxford

Many visitors coming to Oxford choose to hire boats. This is also a good idea if you’re considering the lifestyle, but you’re not yet sure what it exactly entitles. Nothing beats the actual experience of living on an Oxford canal boat. 

Here are some local companies you can contact if you’re looking for an Oxford canal boat hire:

• Oxford Canal Boat Hire . This is a UK-wide site that allows you to rent narrow boats. All you need to do is tell the site how many people you’ll be bringing, for how many weeks, and on which canal (for example, the Oxford Canal).
• College Cruisers: Oxford Canal Boat Hire . College Cruisers organises canal boat holidays and narrowboat holidays on two waterways in Oxford: The Oxford Canal and The River Thames. They have ten comfortable narrowboats you can use to explore the English waterways – and you can bring your pet!
• Black Prince Holidays . This boat hire is based in Lower Heyford and allows you to enjoy boat trips along the South Oxford Canal and stretches of the River Thames. They have a selection of short breaks (like weekend and midweek narrowboat short trips) and a lovely two-week cruise down to Hampton Court Palace (and back). 
• Canal Junction . If you’re looking for family firms, this portal is the place to check. The site lists direct contact information (like telephone numbers and emails).

How Much Does it Cost To Rent a Boat for a Week?

The cost of renting a narrowboat in Oxford for a week can vary depending on a number of factors such as the size and type of boat, the time of year, and the rental company. However, a basic narrowboat rental for a week in Oxford can range from approximately £800 to £1,500 per week.

This cost typically includes the rental of the boat, essential equipment and supplies, and insurance, but may not include additional fees such as fuel or mooring charges. Always read the rental agreement to understand any other terms and conditions, such as the required deposit and the cancellation policy.

Bringing Your Own Canal Boat to Oxford

You can bring your own canal boat to Oxford and explore the city and surrounding waterways. There are several mooring locations along the River Thames and the Oxford Canal where you can berth your boat, both in the city centre and in the surrounding countryside.

Before bringing your own canal boat to Oxford, it’s important to check the rules and regulations for boating on the local waterways. You may need to obtain a license or permit , and there may be restrictions on where you can moor your boat.

It’s also a good idea to familiarize yourself with the local waterways and any potential hazards, such as low bridges, locks, or shallow areas. Additionally, you should ensure that your boat is equipped with all the necessary safety equipment, such as life jackets, fire extinguishers, and navigation lights.

Long-Term Canal Boat Mooring in Oxford

If you are looking for long-term boat moorings in Oxford (sometimes called home moorings or permanent moorings), you got nothing to worry about, for there are plenty of good options. In fact, the Canal & River Trust website explains everything you need to know about mooring when you’re not continuously cruising. 

Now, as it happens with many other areas of life, canal mooring in Oxford is ruled by supply and demand. The more popular the area, the more people will want to bring their canal boats or narrowboats – and/or the higher the price will be. 

You can use this tool to find long-term mooring locations in the whole of the UK – including Oxford.

How Much Does a Mooring License Cost?

There are very few permanent mooring spaces around Oxford. Often, you will need to wait for a space to come up and participate in an auction. 

The price of mooring varies depending on many factors, such as the length of the boat. For storage, you should pay around £100 a month (you cannot live on the boat, though). Permanent mooring locations start at about £2,000 a year. 

Short-Term and Overnight Canal Boat Mooring in Oxford

Depending on the location, it can be difficult to find a mooring space. Luckily, many marinas, boatyards, and even pubs offer short stary moorings around Oxford. The UK Waterways Guide has a map and lists all locations where you can moor overnight in the area. As a quick reference, the mooring locations for the Oxford Canal are:

• Braunston Marina Ltd
• Fenny Marina Ltd
• Granthams Bridge Boat Services Ltd
• Hillmorton WHarf Marina
• Twyford Wharf Narrowboats
• Wharf at Bridge 190

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Oxford Canal

The picturesque Oxford Canal meanders slowly through the countryside, free from large-scale development. Most of the settlements along its length are pretty villages such as Thrupp, Cropredy and Aynho - all popular mooring spots for narrowboats.

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The canal takes you from the beautiful university city of Oxford to the three spires of Coventry. The southern part of the canal remains largely unaltered, its winding course untouched by mid-19th century straightening programmes. This section is dotted with simple black-and-white lift bridges.

The Oxford Canal Walk is a long-distance route, following the towpath for 77 miles from Oxford to Hawkesbury. The gentle engineering of the canal, with few lock flights, means that you can walk the route (though you may need to check the condition of the path as grassy areas can get muddy). However, that's soon forgotten as you take in the stunning scenery.

The canal is home to a rich variety of wildlife. In Oxford, you may even be lucky enough to spot an endangered water vole – special measures have been put in place to protect an important colony here.

Days out along the Oxford Canal

The Oxford Canal offers some great destinations for a family day out. Download free fun-packed local maps and activity sheets for these areas and make the most of your trip to the canal.

The city of Oxford

Start your journey along this canal right in the city centre

Come across Banbury

You can get a real sense of connection to the canal’s history at Tooley’s Boatyard, in Banbury, used by boats since 1778

The hamlet of Thrupp

Rose covered terrace houses line the towpath along this stretch of the Oxford Canal

Boddington reservoir

A little off the towpath is our fantastic fishing reservoir at Boddington

History of the Oxford Canal

The Oxford Canal is among the earliest of cuts in the canal age. It was initially designed by James Brindley , succeeded by Samuel Simcock and Robert Whitworth after Brindley's untimely death in 1772 at the age of 56.

It was opened in sections between 1774 and 1790 with the purpose of bringing coal from the Coventry coalfields to Oxford and the River Thames. The canal formed part of Brindley's grand plan for a waterway 'cross' linking the rivers Thames, Mersey, Trent and Severn .

The Oxford Canal provided a direct link with London via the Thames, and for several years was hugely profitable. The arrival of the Grand Junction Canal, linking Braunston to London and later becoming the backbone of the Grand Union Canal , finally broke its stranglehold and effectively bypassed the southern half of the Oxford Canal.

Nonetheless, it brought more traffic to the northern section, which soon required upgrading. The Oxford Canal was originally built to the contour method favoured by Brindley, which not only meant that earthworks were minimised, but that the canal could call at many villages and wharves along the route. The drawback to this approach was lengthy transit times.

In the 1830s, Marc Brunel and William Cubitt made the most of developments in engineering to straighten Brindley's original line. Several of the resulting 'loops', where the new line bisected the old, can still be seen: some have found use as tranquil moorings. Other improvements included the duplication of locks at Hillmorton. Also in the 1830s, the stretch between Napton and Braunston, where the canal shares its route with the modern-day Grand Union Canal , was widened.

But the southern section between Napton and Oxford remains remarkably unspoilt and offers an evocative insight into canal life as it would have been two centuries ago. Trade began to seriously decline on the Oxford after World War II, but commerce continued well into the 1960s.

Tooley's Boatyard, in Banbury, is famous as the spot from where canal pioneer Tom Rolt set out on his 1930s journey around the waterways. His travels in Cressy were immortalised in the book Narrow Boat, which directly led to the formation of the Inland Waterways Association and the campaign to save the waterways. The boatyard has recently been reborn as the centrepiece of the Castle Quays shopping development.

The historic Oxford terminus of the canal is long lost, sold to Nuffield College and redeveloped as a public car park. However, support is growing for proposals to reinstate it as the heart of a new cultural quarter for the city.

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Five British canal and waterway trips with a wow factor

What better way to ease out of lockdown than ever-so-gently, on a canal holiday on one of these fascinating routes

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.

Monmouthshire and Brecon canal

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.

Thames ring

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.

Middle Level Navigation

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.

Kennet and Avon canal

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.

Lancaster canal

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.

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21 best canal boat trips in the UK

Watching the world go by from a narrowboat or barge may not be the fastest way to travel, but it’s a wonderful way to discover some of the UK’s most beautiful and interesting landscapes. Rolling countryside, quaint market towns, historic mill villages and UNESCO-listed industrial heritage – along with some truly cutting-edge modern additions to the canal network; you can see it all when you take these canal boat trips on Britain’s amazing inland waterways.

• Northern England
• Central England
• Southern England

Canal boat holidays

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Canal boat trips in northern England

Standedge tunnel, west yorkshire.

Let’s start this list of the best canal trips with something truly extraordinary. Standedge Tunnel, on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal is the longest, highest, deepest canal tunnel in the UK, and you can take a guided canal boat trip inside its astonishing depths.

Boat trips into the Standedge Tunnel start from Tunnel End near the village of Marsden in West Yorkshire. They’re operated, like a few of the boat tours on this list, by the Canal and River Trust , a charity which looks after 2000 miles of inland waterways in England and Wales.

After your 30-minute journey into the tunnel, you can explore a small museum which describes the arduous building of the tunnel in the late 18th century, its decline when the railways came, how it was abandoned for decades and was finally brought back to life in 2001 thanks to a dedicated team of volunteers.

Read more about visiting Standedge Tunnel

Skipton, North Yorkshire

Skipton is a gorgeous market town at the gateway to the Yorkshire Dales. The Leeds and Liverpool canal arrived in Skipton in 1773, carrying coal, cloth and other cargo across the country from the ports at Liverpool and Hull (via the Aire and Calder Navigation).

Skipton is surrounded by beautiful rolling countryside, and gliding through it on a canal boat trip is the perfect way to see it. From Skipton’s pretty marina in the centre of town, you can take a 1 hour trip to discover the canal, or 2 hour trips to enjoy an afternoon tea on the water.

If you’re thinking you might like to skipper your own boat for a canal boat holiday, a day cruise on the wide, lock-free stretch of the Leeds and Liverpool canal south of Skipton is a good place to perfect your skills. There’s even a handily-placed canalside pub for lunch.

The team at Skipton Boat Trips will give you all the tuition you need to take the helm of your hire boat with confidence, even if you’re a complete novice. If you love it, you can hire a boat for a short break canal holiday or a full week or more, depending on how many miles of waterways you want to explore.

Saltaire, West Yorkshire

15 miles south east of Skipton on the Leeds and Liverpool canal, you’ll find Saltaire. Saltaire is a picturesque model village built by Sir Titus Salt to house the workers from his enormous mill in hygienic, morally sound and intellectually improving surroundings.

Salts Mill and the village surrounding it are a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of my favourite places to visit; the mill now holds an art gallery, interesting shops (including the most amazing bookshop) and cafes. Across the river, there’s a lovely park, and down on the canal you can buy ice creams from a barge and take 30-minute boat trips on the narrowboat Titus . Trips run from the end of March to the end of October.

Read more: visiting Salts Mill and Saltaire

Manchester owes a lot of its existence to canals. Canals allowed Manchester’s industrialists to bring raw materials into the city, along with coal to power the machines that would turn raw cotton into finished cloth.

At first, products were transported out of Manchester by barge on the Bridgewater Canal or later by rail, but this didn’t provide enough capacity for Manchester’s factories and mills.

This all changed when the Manchester Ship Canal opened in 1894, providing a wide channel all the way to the sea at Liverpool. Manchester became Britain’s 3rd busiest port, despite being 40 miles from the sea.

Taking a guided canal boat trip is a great way to understand the history of Manchester. Boat trips run along the Manchester Ship Canal and the navigable parts of the River Irwell, passing Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium, Imperial War Museum North and the Lowry, plus the old Pomona docks. You can book your Manchester river and canal tour here .

Burscough, Lancashire

After the drama of the route across the Pennines, the Leeds and Liverpool canal spends its last few miles before arriving in Liverpool meandering across the west Lancashire landscape. This part of northern England is full of small towns and huge skies, and spending a couple of hours on the water is the perfect way to see it.

Lancashire Canal Cruises operate two cruises from Burscough, a small town near Ormskirk and Southport.

Ashton under Lyne, Greater Manchester

Ashton under Lyne is just to the east of Manchester, and the town’s Portland canal basin marks the point where the Huddersfield Narrow Canal and the Peak Forest Canal meet and the Ashton Canal begins its journey to Manchester city centre.

The 1800s canal warehouse at Portland Basin has been turned into a lively family museum with recreations of a 1920s street and the interior of a normal family home. There are also exhibitions on the history of Ashton’s three canals. Outside the museum, the Tameside Canal Boat Trust operate seasonal trips on the Ashton Canal on their narrowboat Still Waters .

Northwich, Cheshire

Together with the Falkirk Wheel in Scotland, the Anderton Boat Lift is one of the most impressive sights on Britain’s canal network and is the world’s oldest working boat lift. The boat lift was built in 1875 to lift cargo boats 15 metres up in the air from the River Weaver to the Trent and Mersey Canal and is still operational today.

You can experience the “cathedral of the canals” for yourself with a canal boat trip on the Edwin Clark , named after the engineer who built this amazing structure. The Anderton Boat Lift is having some refurbishment work done at the moment but boat trips are expected to resume after Easter 2023.

Ellesmere Port, Cheshire

The transhipment dock at Ellesmere Port, where the River Mersey, Manchester Ship Canal and Shropshire Union Canal all meet, used to be a noisy, bustling spot at the height of the Industrial Revolution, but it’s now a peaceful spot for a family day out. The warehouse is now home to one of the Canal and River Trust’s three museums. The museum is a fascinating place to visit, with regularly-changing exhibitions, special events and themed “Canal Sundays” during the summer months.

Wirral Community Narrowboat Trust run occasional canal boat trips from the National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port. If there’s a group of you, you might want to hire one of their barges and skippers for a longer trip – they have a range of full day and short day options from £125, some of which stop off at canalside pubs for lunch.

Canal boat trips in central England

Cromford, derbyshire.

Cromford is a village on the edge of the Peak District and home to one of the great wonders of the industrial revolution, the huge Cromford Mills complex. Built in 1771 by the inventor and industrialist Sir Richard Arkwright, Cromford Mills was the first successful water-powered cotton spinning mill.

Like Sir Titus Salt in Saltaire, Arkwright built a village to house his workers, and today Cromford is a lovely place to visit, with shops, cafes, a large mill pond and quaint streets. The UNESCO-listed mill has a museum about the mills, plus craft workshops and more shops and cafes.

The 14.5 mile long Cromford Canal was critical to the success of Arkwright’s mills, but it also carried people! An enterprising man named Nathaniel Wheatcroft started the first “fly” boat service from here, carrying passengers to Nottingham twice a week.

Boat trips from Cromford Basin run on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays and take a 2 hour route from Cromford Wharf to Leawood Pumphouse and back on board the narrowboat Birdswood . There’s also an occasional option for a premium cruise which includes refreshments and a guided tour of the historic places to visit along the route, including Leawood Pumphouse and High Peak Junction, where you can see the oldest extant railway workshop in the world. You can book both the regular and the premium tour on the Friends of Cromford Canal’s website .

Lincoln, Lincolnshire

The oldest canal in Britain is the Fosse Dyke Canal, which was built by the Romans to link Lincoln to the River Trent, and from there to the North Sea. Lincoln is a beautiful cathedral city, and spending a relaxing hour on this historic canal is a lovely way to see the wider area.

You can take a guided boat trip along the Fosse Dyke on the Brayford Belle which operates between Easter and October each year. The Brayford Belle has two decks, the lower one with central heating and the upper one with outside seating and a fantastic view.

Birmingham famously has more miles of canals than Venice or Amsterdam – over 35 miles of them. The canals arrived in Birmingham in 1768, and grew to a peak of 160 miles of canal across the city. Canals were essential to fuel Birmingham’s growth during the industrial revolution, bringing in raw materials and coal, and sending out finished goods.

You can explore Birmingham’s history by taking a canal boat trip with Brindley Cruises or Sherborne Wharf . Routes cover part of the original James Brindley Canal, a section of Telford’s New Main Line (revolutionary for its time) and Gas Street Basin. If you’re visiting Birmingham at Christmas, you can even take a “Search for Santa” canal trip.

Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire

The Stratford-upon-Avon canal runs from the outskirts of Birmingham to the heart of historic Stratford, Shakespeare’s home town. The canal was built to transport coal from the Midlands down to Oxford and London, without needing to use the network through Birmingham. The route was near-derelict by the 1930s, but was rescued thanks to the efforts of the Inland Waterways Association, the National Trust and local volunteers.

Today, the 25 miles of the Stratford-upon-Avon canal is navigable again and visitors to Stratford can take 40 minute canal boat tours along the canal and the River Avon . Stratford’s resident swans often follow the boat, and there’s a good chance you’ll also see tufted ducks, herons, coots and perhaps a kingfisher too.

Dudley, West Midlands

Just as at Standedge, the main attraction for canal boat trips in Dudley is going underground. The Dudley Tunnel is the UK’s second-longest tunnel, but unlike Standedge, it isn’t continuous and instead emerges at points into canal basins.

The rock in this area is particularly rich in fossils and other geological features. The area was once heavily mined for its limestone, creating amazing caverns that the boat trip passes through. One of these, named the Singing Cavern, is even available for weddings!

Canal boat trips into Dudley Tunnel are run by the Dudley Canal and Tunnel Trust . You can just turn up for the regular 45 minute trips or book online for longer trips. While you’re in the area, don’t miss a visit to the nearby Black Country Living Museum , which has a canal area featuring a collection of historic boats.

Banbury, Oxfordshire

The Oxford Canal meanders 78 miles from just north of Coventry, down through Rugby and Banbury and on until it meets the River Thames at Oxford.

While there are lots of river cruises on offer in Oxford itself, you’ll need to go to Banbury for canal boat trips on the Oxford Canal, unless you want a self-drive boat. Tooleys Boatyard Trust in Banbury offer regular, 40-minute canal boat trips on their day boat the Dancing Duck . Their Facebook page is the best place to check for boat trip times and dates.

Cotswolds, Gloucestershire

The Cotswolds are more famous these days for picturesque villages and trickling streams in a rolling, rural landscape, but there are canals here too. The Stroudwater Navigation opened in 1779 to link Stroud to the River Severn and from there to the sea. Ten years later, the Thames and Severn Canal opened, extending the route to the River Thames at Lechlade and providing a cross-country route.

Both the Stroudwater Navigation and the Thames and Severn Canal fell into decline, with sections being filled in, but the Cotswolds Canal Trust have worked tirelessly to bring parts back into use. It’s expected that the Stroudwater Navigation will join up with the national waterways network again in 2025.

The Cotswolds Canal Trust run canal boat trips on the navigable parts of the Stroudwater Navigation at the Saul visitor centre, Ebley Wharf and the Wallbridge Lock visitor centre. At Lechlade, you can take a boat trip on the River Thames from St John’s Lock to see the start of the old Thames and Severn Canal.

Canal boat trips in southern England

The Regent’s Canal in London is an 8.6-mile link between the Grand Union Canal near Paddington Station to the Limehouse Basin and River Thames near Canary Wharf.

The canal weaves its way prettily through some of North London’s most attractive and interesting areas, including Little Venice, Regent’s Park, Camden Town and the Coal Drops Yard area of Kings Cross.

Canal boat trips on the Regent’s Canal tend to run between Little Venice and Camden Town. On a tour with the London Waterbus Company you’ll be entertained by a commentary, which points out key sights along the route, including London Zoo, Maida Hill Tunnel and the homes of the rich and famous.

Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire

The Kennet and Avon Canal is one of the UK canal network’s most popular waterways. Stretching from the Bristol channel, through the beautiful city of Bath then on through Devizes, Hungerford, Newbury to the Thames at Reading, it’s an outstanding route, passing through quintessentially English countryside.

One of the most beautiful towns on the Kennet and Avon is Bradford-on-Avon. Bradford-on-Avon is 10 miles from Bath and the tow paths are a popular walk between the two. At Bradford-on-Avon you can take a canal boat trip on the impressively large Barbara McLellan , a 65ft wide-beam boat that seats 40 and is operated by the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust.

From Bradford-on-Avon, the Barbara McLellan sails west to Avoncliff Aqueduct and east to Widbrook winding hole. There are also a range of themed cruises throughout the season.

The Kennet and Avon Canal Trust have four other boats along the canal and also offer canal boat trips in Devizes , Hungerford , Newbury and Reading .

Canal boat trips in Wales

Llangollen, denbighshire.

The Llangollen Canal in North Wales is one of the most scenic canal trips in the UK, but you’ll need a good head for heights! The amazing Pontcysyllte Aqueduct soars over the valley of the River Dee and is the longest and highest canal aqueduct in the world. It was designed by the famous engineer Thomas Telford, who was also involved in building Standedge Tunnel.

You can walk along the tow path to see the view from the aqueduct, but for the full Pontcysyllte experience, complete with checking out the sheer drop from the side of the boat on the canal side, Llangollen Wharf offer both motor and horse-drawn canal trips over the aqueduct.

The 5 mile route can be done in either direction, starting at Llangollen or Froncysyllte (near the aqueduct). The journey takes two hours; for an extra cost you can enjoy afternoon tea onboard. At the end of the trip, a courtesy bus will take you back to where you started.

Brecon, Powys

The peaceful Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal (also known as the Mon and Brec) is one of the UK’s most scenic routes. 35 miles are currently navigable, and many of those are within the Brecon Beacons National Park.

Things weren’t always so quiet and serene around here though; the canal transported coal, stone and iron ore from the Welsh hillsides down to the iron works at Blaenavon (now a museum and UNESCO World Heritage site ) and other industrial sites in the area. Cruising along the canal today you can still see traces of its heritage including wharves and lime kilns.

If you’re visiting this lovely part of Wales, Dragonfly Cruises have public canal boat trips departing from Brecon canal basin and including a journey over the Brynich Aqueduct which takes the Mon and Brec over the River Usk. They can also provide a skipper and guide for a canal trip through the area’s picturesque villages.

Canal boat trips in Scotland

Inverness, highlands.

The Caledonian Canal runs for 60 miles across Scotland, from Inverness to Corpach near Fort William, connecting the lochs of the Great Glen; Loch Dochfour, Loch Ness, Loch Oich and Loch Lochy. The man-made connections between the lochs were built by Thomas Telford and opened in the early 19th century.

You can take a combined cruise of the Caledonian Canal and Loch Ness by joining a boat trip at Dochgarroch Lock. The trip will take you through the locks and on to Loch Douchfour, past the old Bona Lighthouse and into Loch Ness as far as Urquhart Castle. You can book online through online ticket seller Get Your Guide .

The Falkirk Wheel is one of the most impressive feats of engineering on the whole UK canal network. Opened in 2002, the Wheel is a rotating boat lift, the only one of its kind in the world. It connects the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal.

The best way to see the Falkirk Wheel is to take a spin on it. Canal boat trips on the Falkirk Wheel take around 50 minutes. First you’ll go into the canal basin, then enter the Wheel’s gondola, ready to be lifted into the air as the Wheel rotates.

At the top, you’ll sail along the aqueduct, through the Roughcastle Tunnel and to the start of the Union Canal. The boat will turn round and take you back to the Wheel for another spin, this time back down to the canal basin.

If day trips aren’t enough for you, there are lots of companies offering canal boat hire, either to stay put and use the boat as a base, or to explore the UK’s miles of navigable waterways at your own pace on a narrow boat holiday.

VRBO has narrow boats, house boats and barges for rent with all the comforts of home, while specialist hire firms like Waterways Holidays have canal boat hire across the country. There are lots of local companies as well; if you’re interested in a particular starting point, you might like to talk to a local specialist who can advise you on canal routes and the best places of interest to see along the way.

Have you taken one of these canal boat trips, or have I missed out your favourite? Let me know in the comments.

Related posts

If you enjoyed this post, you might find these other posts interesting:

• Visiting Jodrell Bank, the UNESCO-listed radio telescope near Manchester
• 5 of my favourite heritage railways you can take a ride on
• Things to do in Whitby, a historic fishing town on the Yorkshire coast
• Visiting Thermae Bath Spa, the UK’s only naturally-heated thermal bath

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2 thoughts on “21 best canal boat trips in the UK”

A Great shame you did not include The Horse-Drawn Barge in Tiverton Devon as it is now one of the last Horse-Drawn Barges in Great Britain and operates Trips along the very beautiful Grand Western Canal.

Thanks Philip, that sounds amazing, I’ll have to check it out next time I’m in the south west 🙂

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9 fun things to do in Ischia (plus 5 amazing day trips)

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Mayflower II will travel through Cape Cod Canal soon. Here's how you can track the ship.

As long as tides and weather cooperate, the Mayflower II will be homeward bound from the Mystic Seaport on April 10, setting off at about 10:30 a.m., according to the Plimoth Patuxet Museums .

For anyone hoping to catch a glimpse of the tall ship traversing the Cape Cod Canal on the way to her home berth alongside State Pier at Pilgrim Memorial State Park in Plymouth, her progress can be tracked by visiting www.tinyurl.com/trackMayflower2 , a service of marinetraffic.com.

Once it leaves the seaport, the Mayflower II will travel non-stop to Plymouth Harbor. The journey, approximately 78 miles, will take about 20 to 25 hours. It's possible its passage through the canal could begin in the early morning hours of April 11.

"We will give an ETA once the ship actually gets underway and we are better able to determine," said Plimoth Patuxet Director of Marketing & Communications Rob Kluin .  

Although it may traverse the canal while it is still dark, with the lighting that exists along the waterway, spectators would still be able to see the ship as it passes through, according to Kluin. It will take the ship about an hour to traverse the canal.

The 102-foot wooden vessel will not be under sail — the sails have yet to be bent onto the yards, Kluin said — but will instead be towed the entire way by Stasinos Marine out of Weymouth, Kluin said. It will be crewed by the Plimoth Patuxet maritime preservation and operations team led by Capt. Whit Perry. They will not be in period costumes for the voyage.

The crew recently completed up-rigging the ship — putting up spars, blocks and rigging — in preparation for her trip home, according to a post on the Plimoth Patuxet Museums' Facebook page .

The 67-year-old ship, a full-scale reproduction of the vessel that brought the first European immigrants to the shores of Patuxet more than 400 years ago, has been in dry dock at the Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard in Mystic, Connecticut since arriving there Dec. 1. Over the winter, it underwent routine maintenance, including cleaning the bottom, painting and caulking the seams. The work was funded by a Save America's Treasures grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services .

The travel schedule is subject to change, depending on tide, weather and other factors. The Plimoth Patuxet Museums will also have updates on its Facebook page .

Mayflower II is slated to be open to the public at her Plymouth berth starting at 9 a.m. on April 13. According to Plimoth Patuxet Museums Executive Director Ellie Donovan, the ship has seen millions of visitors from around the world since it arrived in Plymouth as a gift to the museum from England in 1957.

“We are thankful for IMLS recognizing the importance of this treasured landmark and for helping to ensure she will be preserved for generations to come," Donovan said.

Heather McCarron can be r eached at [email protected] , or follow her on X @HMcCarron_CCT

Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Cape Cod Times subscription.  Here are our subscription plans.  

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James and Jennifer Crumbley, a school shooter's parents, are sentenced to 10-15 years

Quinn Klinefelter

(From left) James Crumbley, his attorney Mariell Lehman, Jennifer Crumbley and her attorney Shannon Smith sit in court in Pontiac, Mich., for Tuesday's sentencing on four counts of involuntary manslaughter for the deaths of four Oxford High School students who were shot and killed by the Crumbleys' son. Bill Pugliano/Getty Images hide caption

(From left) James Crumbley, his attorney Mariell Lehman, Jennifer Crumbley and her attorney Shannon Smith sit in court in Pontiac, Mich., for Tuesday's sentencing on four counts of involuntary manslaughter for the deaths of four Oxford High School students who were shot and killed by the Crumbleys' son.

James and Jennifer Crumbley, whose son murdered four classmates and shot seven other people at Oxford High School in 2021, were each sentenced Tuesday in a Pontiac, Mich. courtroom to between 10 and 15 years in prison.

Both Crumbleys were found guilty in separate trials on four counts of involuntary manslaughter. Each of those charges carried a maximum penalty of 15 years, and the sentences are to be served concurrently.

In court, the Crumbleys looked visibly shaken, breathing heavily as they read from prepared statements prior to learning their fate.

James Crumbley spoke directly to the parents of the students his son had murdered. Several family members attended the sentencing.

"I am sorry for your loss as a result of what my son did," he said. "I cannot express how much I wish that I had known what was going on with him or what was going to happen. Because I absolutely would have done a lot of things differently."

James Crumbley, father of school shooter, found guilty of involuntary manslaughter

In her statement, Jennifer Crumbley said she, her husband and her son, Ethan, were an average family.

"We weren't perfect but we loved our son and each other tremendously," Crumbley said. "This could be any parent up here in my shoes. Ethan could be your child, could be your grandchild, your niece, your nephew, your brother, your sister. Your child could make the fatal decision not just with a gun but a knife, a vehicle, intentionally or unintentionally."

The teenagers who lost their lives during the shooting rampage were Justin Shilling and Madisyn Baldwin, both 17, Tate Myre, 16, and 14-year-old Hana St. Juliana. Six other students and a teacher were injured.

When it was time for their families to speak, several members described how the murders still haunted them.

Nicole Beausoleil, whose daughter Madisyn Baldwin was shot at point blank range, told the Crumbleys buying their son a gun when he was already spiraling into despair made them just as responsible as the shooter.

"Not only did your son kill my daughter but you both did as well. The words 'involuntary' should not be a part of your offense. Everything you did that day, months prior and days after were voluntary acts (helping) your son to commit a murder. Not just one, but multiple," Beausoleil said.

A rare prosecution

The Crumbleys are believed to be the first parents of a mass school shooter to have been charged and convicted of such crimes. Many legal experts say it could set a precedent for charging parents with serious crimes because of actions taken by their child.

Their son, Ethan Crumbley, pleaded guilty to murder and previously was sentenced to life without parole for the school shooting he carried out when he was 15.

Prosecutors never claimed the parents knew about their son's plans to go on a killing spree at Michigan's Oxford High School. However, they argued the Crumbleys ignored signs their son was seriously troubled and bought him a powerful Sig Sauer 9mm handgun as an early Christmas present.

They never told counselors about the gun they gifted their child when they were called to a meeting at the school the day of the shooting, not even when they were shown drawings the teen made. The images featured a pistol resembling the Sig Sauer alongside a figure with bullet wounds and phrases like "blood everywhere" and "help me, the thoughts won't stop."

Jennifer Crumbley convicted of involuntary manslaughter over son's school shooting

Instead, the Crumbleys left their son at school and returned to work. A few hours later, Ethan emerged from a school bathroom with the gun and began firing his first of 32 shots.

Prosecutors told the jury if the Crumbleys had taken a "tragically few steps," four Oxford students would likely still be alive.

They showed evidence that the murder weapon was never properly secured away from their troubled son.

In court, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald used the murder weapon to demonstrate how to use a cable lock to keep the gun from being fired.

The process took about 10 seconds.

A 'chilling' lack of remorse

The prosecution had asked for the Crumbleys to serve 10 to 15 years in prison, citing what they called a "chilling lack of remorse" on the part of both parents after the shooting.

Prosecutors noted that Jennifer Crumbley testified during her trial that "I've asked myself if I would've done anything differently. And I wouldn't have."

And they pointed to repeated profanity-laced threats James Crumbley made against Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald on jailhouse phone calls he knew were being recorded, as well as in an electronic message.

'Mistakes any parent could make'

James Crumbley's attorney countered that his client had not physically threatened the prosecutor, he merely "vented" his anger over what he saw as an unjust incarceration.

The Crumbleys said they, too, were victims of their son, who they claimed had "manipulated" them into the purchase of a gun they had no idea he would use to kill.

They argued they made "mistakes any parent could make," given the information they had.

Defense attorneys for the couple noted an Oxford High counselor determined Ethan could remain in school the day of the shooting because he did not seem to pose a danger to himself or anyone else.

The couple maintained they thought their son was a normal teenager simply depressed over the loss of his grandmother, a pet dog and a friend who had moved away.

In a pre-sentencing interview with state officials, Jennifer Crumbley said that with the benefit of hindsight, "There are so many things I would change if I could go back in time."

Defense claims extra prison time unnecessary

The Crumbleys had asked to be sentenced to time served.

Defense attorneys argued the parents had already spent more than two and a half years in prison locked in a cell for 23 hours a day, and that further prison time was not necessary because the Crumbleys were not a threat to the public.

Defense attorney Shannon Smith also said more time would not deter others from committing a similar offense because "there is no person who would want the events of Nov. 30, 2021, to repeat themselves."

Smith added that, far from being the uncaring, remorseless mother prosecutors had portrayed to the public and the media, Jennifer Crumbley was focused on her son and distraught over the devastation her son caused.

In a sentencing memo, Jennifer Crumbley's parents and others pleaded with the court for leniency. A young woman, who said she was 18 when she became Crumbley's cellmate for a year and a half, also wrote to the judge.

She said Crumbley had greeted her with a basket of snacks and served as a mother figure to her.

The woman also wrote that inmates screamed threats at Crumbley, who tearfully told them she was sorry and "wished she could change everything her son had done."

Though Judge Cheryl Matthews sentenced the Crumbleys to the stiffest penalty possible, she said that the sentences were not designed to send a message to other parents or prosecutors that they should hold families responsible for children's crimes.

"These convictions are not about poor parenting. These convictions confirm repeated acts, or lack of acts, that could have halted an oncoming runaway train. About repeatedly ignoring things that would make a reasonable person feel the hair on the back of their neck stand up," Matthews said.

Moments after they were sentenced, the Crumbleys began filling out paperwork in the courtroom for an appeal.

Their son, Ethan, who pleaded guilty in October 2022 to murder and terrorism charges, is also likely to appeal his sentence of life without the possibility of parole.

• James Crumbley
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• oxford high school

Watch CBS News

Mayflower II passes through Cape Cod Canal on its journey to Plymouth

By Neal Riley

Updated on: April 11, 2024 / 3:02 PM EDT / CBS Boston

PLYMOUTH - The Mayflower II is returning to Massachusetts, and you can track its journey home online.

The 67-year-old wooden ship, a replica of the vessel that brought the Pilgrims to America in 1620, departed Connecticut Wednesday morning at about 10:30 a.m. It spent the winter docked at the Mystic Seaport Museum, undergoing routine maintenance and getting a fresh coat of paint.

Mayflower II travels through Cape Cod Canal

The journey from Mystic to Plymouth Harbor takes between 20 and 25 hours, and is dependent on many factors including tide and weather conditions. The Mayflower II  passed through the Cape Cod Canal at 7 a.m. on Thursday, and the heavy fog at the time made for a ghostly scene.  

Track the Mayflower II

When the Mayflower II leaves from Mystic, towed by the Weymouth-based Stasinos Marine, you can track its journey on this website . 

The Plimoth Patuxet Museums' Facebook page will also provide updates. 

See the Mayflower II in Plymouth

The 106-foot ship arrived at the State Pier in Plymouth Thursday and it's expected to open up to the public on Saturday at 9 a.m. 

Since the Mayflower II landed in Plymouth in 1957, more than 25 million have stepped on board to visit it, the museum says. The replica had $11.2 million worth of repairs finished in 2020.

Tickets to board the Mayflower II are $19 for adults, $17.10 for seniors and $13 for children.

• Plymouth News

Neal J. Riley is a digital producer for CBS Boston. He has been with WBZ-TV since 2014. His work has appeared in The Boston Globe and The San Francisco Chronicle. Neal is a graduate of Boston University.

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