First narrow boat cruise - pubs?

[Klausab]

Planing our first narrow boat cruise. It will be in the month of August.

We would like to go for one week and stop en route at as many pubs as possible.

 

Where to go? Anywhere in England is doable.

 

Which canal, which itinerary, would be the best one with this in mind?

 

 

Cheers

[I want my own narrowboat]

If it is your first trip and you have a week to do it, I would recommend Llangollen and back.

We did this trip on our first cruise and loved it - plenty of pubs, lovely scenery, 2 aquaducts, tunnels etc.

and you get to cross from England into Wales, so don't forget your passport!

 

Also, it should be lovely and quiet during August

[Machpoint005]

stop en route at as many pubs as possible.

Go for quality, not quantity (of ale). North-west England!

[Klausab]

Good stuff - so this would be the Llangollen canal starting out at Hurleston Junction?

http://www.waterscape.com/canals-and-river...n-canal/boating

[Pie Eater]

Hire a boat from Claymoore Navigation at Preston Brook and sail the Bridgewater Canal to Manchester - loads of pubs in the towns and villages on the way and then even more in Manchester.

 

If you return early you could sail to the top of the Runcorn Arm.

 

Steve

[Athy]

Cruise to the Cape Of Good Hope in Warwick. Moor outside. At the end of the week, cruise back.

Alternately: The Ashby Canal has pleasant, and pleasantly-spaced pubs: the Lime Kilns near Hinckley. The Globe at Snarestone just before the tunnel, and in between, the one at Shackerstone whose name I have forgotten. All do real ales and real meales.

[I want my own narrowboat]

Good stuff - so this would be the Llangollen canal starting out at Hurleston Junction?

http://www.waterscape.com/canals-and-river...n-canal/boating

 

Yes, that's the one.

You could try these more more information:

 

http://www.black-prince.com/bases.html

or

http://www.andersenboats.com/llangollen.htm

 

Hope that helps.

[Derek Porteous]

Planing our first narrow boat cruise. It will be in the month of August.

We would like to go for one week and stop en route at as many pubs as possible.

 

Where to go? Anywhere in England is doable.

 

Which canal, which itinerary, would be the best one with this in mind?

 

 

Cheers

 

That's the beauty of boating in England, most routes have a surfeit of pubs.

 

Perhaps a ring would be best. My favourite is the Four Counties Ring. It has a mixture of sceneries, plenty of pubs and a number of hire boat companies en route. Do a google search on Middlewich. There is Middlewich Boats, Andersens and I think Black Prince and Anglo Welsh are close by.

Edited November 28, 2008 by Derek Porteous

[WJM]

Be very very careful of cruising the Llangollen Canal in the depths of winter. I did exactly that a few years ago and within six months I had bought my own narrowboat!

[carlt]

Go for quality, not quantity (of ale). North-west England!

What??!!

 

Try the other side of the Pennines for some proper ale!

[I want my own narrowboat]

Go for quality, not quantity (of ale). North-west England!

 

 

What??!!

 

Try the other side of the Pennines for some proper ale!

 

I knew that would kick off! - I'm from Yorkshire

[Teakbank12]

I knew that would kick off! - I'm from Yorkshire

 

Theres no decent beer anywhere in Yorksire Only tea !!

You need to try along the coast at Southwold (Adnams) thats if you fancy a seagoing trip

We will be on the Ashby next August so might see you there.

[johnthebridge]

Go from somewhere like Countrywide Cruisers at Brewood on the Shropshire Union.

Call in at the pubs at Brewood, Gnosall, Norbury, Audlem, Nantwich, etc; but make sure you pay a visit to the Anchor at High Offley, aka Olives', Lily Pascalls' or Sebastapol, dependent on your age. It ain't the best pub in the world, you won't get any food there, the toilets are "other worldly", and the beer isn't always the best, BUT, you will not go into another pub on the waterways of Great Britain and fjnd yourself still connected to the past like you will here. Go, before someone comes along and modernises it. Go, if you can, when there's music there. Or take your own music. You will NOT experience anywhere else in this country like it. (At least on the cut.)

[sociable_hermit]

The Staffs & Worcs has lots of nice pubs and it's a lovely canal.

 

It depends what you like really - I like country pubs and boating through greenery, rather than inner city pubs and industrial archeology. But either way, where there's a canal, there's normally a pub sooner or later.

 

If you like pubs, and it's also your first narrowboat holiday, I'd say avoid a trip with long river sections. There aren't that many places you can stop, and it gets boring without any locks after a while.

 

If you're really into beer, contact the CAMRA people in your holiday area, and they'll be able to tell you about their local pubs and local breweries.

[RLWP]

Cruise to the Cape Of Good Hope in Warwick. Moor outside. At the end of the week, cruise back.

 

That's a bit limited. You could construct quite a nice cruise to include the Black Boy, The Navigation at Kingswood, The Fleur-de-lys at Lapworth, The Durham Ox at Shrewley, The Tom-of-the-Wood at Rowington, maybe the Waterman.

 

Not many miles, lots of good pubs, but Hatton Flight twice - good for working up a thirst

 

Richard

 

This is not a serious suggestion for a holiday plan

[Athy]

Why isn't it?

[Tim Lewis]

That's a bit limited. You could construct quite a nice cruise to include the Black Boy, The Navigation at Kingswood, The Fleur-de-lys at Lapworth, The Durham Ox at Shrewley, The Tom-of-the-Wood at Rowington, maybe the Waterman.

 

Not many miles, lots of good pubs, but Hatton Flight twice - good for working up a thirst

 

Richard

 

This is not a serious suggestion for a holiday plan

 

The Tom O The Wood AKA 'The Tom' seems tobe closed more often than it is open these days!

 

Tim

[Klausab]

Thank you so much guys - this is brilliant!

Edited November 29, 2008 by Klausab

[Madmark62]

If its REAL beer you want then YORKSHIRE is the ONLY place to be.

[sociable_hermit]

Oxfordshire area - Hook Norton

[ditchcrawler]

Good stuff - so this would be the Llangollen canal starting out at Hurleston Junction?

http://www.waterscape.com/canals-and-river...n-canal/boating

Its a very busy canal with lots of hire/time share boats on quite a short stretch of water.

 

Be very very careful of cruising the Llangollen Canal in the depths of winter. I did exactly that a few years ago and within six months I had bought my own narrowboat!

If you had done it mid summer you might have bought a caravan by now

 

Theres no decent beer anywhere in Yorksire Only tea !!

You need to try along the coast at Southwold (Adnams) thats if you fancy a seagoing trip

We will be on the Ashby next August so might see you there.

I found Adnams at Foxton and on the Chesterfield canal last time I was that way, You don't have to come to Suffolk to get it but you would be made very welcome if you do.

 

That's a bit limited. You could construct quite a nice cruise to include the Black Boy, The Navigation at Kingswood, The Fleur-de-lys at Lapworth, The Durham Ox at Shrewley, The Tom-of-the-Wood at Rowington, maybe the Waterman.

 

Not many miles, lots of good pubs, but Hatton Flight twice - good for working up a thirst

 

Richard

 

This is not a serious suggestion for a holiday plan

The Tom of The Wood was closed last time we passed.

[Chris-B]

London area = London Pride

[Machpoint005]

London area = London Pride

As my grandad used to say: there's no bad beers, just some are better than others.

 

He was from Yorkshire.

[mikevye]

With experience of the llangollen canal I wouldn't recommend it for a pub crawl at the best of times but in august never!! There aren't that many pubs and trying to get moorings close to them would be a nightmare. Hire a boat from the Ashby Boat Co on the Ashby canal there's loads of pubs and over 24 miles of lock free cruising. My favourite is the Wharf in Hinkley proper pub real ale and dog friendly.If you venture further afield there's more pubs on the oxford canal.