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Canal Holidays Make The Cut
November 19, 2009 by Fractional & Shared Ownership Property News & Reviews · Leave a Comment
Sarah Lee looks at a different kind of holiday, enjoying the British countryside aboard a traditional canal boat
Palm-fringed beaches, magnificent mountains and impressive countryside vistas often come to mind when you think of a timeshare holiday. But timeshare breaks are as varied as the destinations in which you’ll find
the resorts.
One of the many types of holiday accommodation available to owners when exchanging their timeshare is a canal boat holiday from one of many destinations across the UK.
Canal boats provide a therapeutic and scenic holiday as well as a wonderful family experience.
The boats are fully equipped and after some quick instruction even the most inexperienced boatsman would be ready to navigate the country’s waterways in a canal boat. You can enjoy a leisurely trip taking in the tranquillity and beauty of the surrounding landscape.
The UK’s canal system, known as the cut, is something of a work of art. Some stretches dating back to the Romans who constructed them as irrigation channels and to connect rivers. However most of the canals were built during the 18th and early 19th centuries, a by-product of the Industrial Revolution. As manufacturers’ need for economic and reliable ways to transport goods and commodities grew, so did the canal system. At the height of the canals’ use there were 4,000 miles of them stretching across the country – from the industrial north, through the pottery towns of the Midlands and down to London and the south.
At this time boats were pulled by horses, so wide towpaths were built – a common feature alongside today’s canals.
The period between 1770 and 1830 is often referred to as the ‘Golden Age’ for British canals, when they offered the best option for transporting goods up and down the country. However as freight transport along these long waterways went into a steep decline during the 1950s and 1960s many of the country’s canals were abandoned. Only some 2,000 miles of navigable canals remained. However the leisure industry proved to be the canal system’s saviour and today more and more miles have been brought back into use.
Canal boats offer a real escapist holiday – a chance to enjoy the British countryside as never before. From the waterway the world is a very different place – ducks gently bobbing on the surface of the water dive for the occasional bite, while the scenery floats by with the grace of a Turner landscape.
Gliding along at a maximum speed of just four miles-per-hour allows time to really appreciate the glories of Britain’s historic canal system, the country’s rural and urban treasures and the captivating wildlife that embrace them. Mother Nature does not rush and neither should you.
With a canal boat you have the freedom to decide how far to go, when to set off and for how long you travel. You can moor up whenever and wherever the fancy takes you – in the peace and quiet of the countryside or perhaps next to a country pub to stop for a meal.
Days onboard can be spent as you choose – enjoy lazy days simply taking in the countryside or alight at one of the many points of interest along the canal side and explore a nearby town or city.
Take to the water
Whatever your preference all canal boats sleeping six people or more are a home from home and have fully-equipped kitchens with microwaves, televisions, beds, flush toilets, hot showers, table and chairs and central heating for trips during the winter.
For RCI members there are many opportunities to exchange for a canal boat holiday. New affiliates to RCI’s exchange programme, Canal Boat Club have boats positioned at two exciting locations offering opportunities for a great range of holiday activities.
Anderton Marina near Northwich, is located in the heart of North West England and offers cruising opportunities on the River Weaver, the Trent and Mersey Canal, Bridgewater Canal and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. Anderton Marina has moorings close to the historic city of Chester, with its walled city centre housing Tudor buildings, shops, galleries and a majestic cathedral.
Hilperton Marina close to Trowbridge in Wiltshire is on the Kennet and Avon Canal near the World Heritage City of Bath where moorings are available in the city centre. This Georgian city offers much to visitors – you can bathe in its renowned waters at the Thermae Spa, or step back in time with a visit to the Roman baths, which are more than 2,000 years old, or enjoy the imposing splendour of Bath Abbey.
The medieval town of Bradford on Avon, where weaver’s cottages cling to the side of the Avon Valley and the city of Bristol are other popular places to visit in the region. Other long-term RCI affiliates offering fabulous boats include Canaltime located at Sawley Marina near Long Eaton, Shakespeare Class Line, at Mercia Marina
in Derbyshire, and Classic Narrowboats at Burton-on-Trent in Staffordshire. Each company offers quality boats that can take you to other parts of the country such as Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire’s renowned Potteries and breweries, or to Leicestershire’s pretty Foxton Locks.
Best of all you don’t need a passport or queue at an airport check-in desk.
Canal facts
• The ‘Cut’ is a popular slang term for a canal. The name originated from the fact that canals were literally cut through the countryside.
• The average lock uses 80,000 gallons of water every time it is opened.
• Birmingham has more canals than Venice – just over 100 miles of waterways.
• Tuel Lane Locks in Rochdale are the deepest canal locks in the country at 19 feet, 18-and-a-half inches.
• In 1912, a cow named Buttercup fell into the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. Rather than wade out she swam 1,640 yards, getting out at the northern end, before being revived with brandy by drinkers in a nearby pub.
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