Daily Echo, Bournemouth
May 03 2003 Di Pestell, Duncan Lee and friends discovered the delights of canal boat cruising recently. Di wrote the words and Duncan took the pictures. OUR experiences of holidays in England have been few and far between - we usually opt for more reliable climates abroad.
So we approached our week on a longboat, cruising along a section of Britain's many canals and rivers, with more than a hint of trepidation.
"You'll love it. It's so relaxing. And you only go at four miles an hour," encouraged work colleagues. The thought of only covering a few miles a day in a confined space with five other people filled me with concern. How wrong I was to be worried.
Arriving for our briefing at the Black Prince Narrowboat Holidays base at Acton Bridge in Cheshire, we soon realised this was going to be a relaxing but action-packed week.
As complete novices we were relived to receive our Welcome Aboard booklet containing hints and tips for the cruise, including notes for the skipper, rules and canal etiquette and comprehensive instructions on how to tackle locks.
After a familiarisation tour of the boat and its controls, we were off. Of the many routes to choose from, we opted for the voyage to Chester and back, described in the brochure as slightly more vigorous but easily manageable at about five hours a day -ideal for a week's cruising.
From Acton Bridge on the Trent and Mersey Canal we headed towards Middlewich aided by a detailed route map on board, enabling us to plan night-time moorings around local hostelries conveniently situated along the canal banks.
Four hours of cruising on this first day and we were beginning to realise handling a brand new 67ft longboat was going to be great fun... but quite a responsibility. There was plenty of space for six adults, with three double bedrooms, two bathrooms, well-equipped galley kitchen with fridge, dining area and two bathrooms.
And there was no skimping on home comforts, with a colour TV, CD player and radio, fitted carpets and a hairdryer (of sorts). Bed linen and towels are provided too. On the second day we had our first experience of locks. These are part of the fun of cruising on inland waterways. They're usually unattended, and you have to operate them yourself.
Negotiating the boat into the lock takes a bit of practice, as we discovered - one of our number soon turned out to be a natural skipper. The rest of us would help by leaping on to dry land to operate the lock gates - and by the time we'd tackled our fourth lock, we had formed a pretty efficient team. And, having mastered the art of the single lock, we then learned that
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Duncan, Di and friends cruised with Black Prince Narrowboat Holidays (01257 575115) on an Elgar 6:4 longboat. Boats are available from two berth up to eight berth. Prices for a two/four berth start from £530 a week in March to £880 in peak season (August), for eight/10 berth from £870 to £1,450.
Black Prince bases are at Stoke Prior, Stoke-on-Trent, Chirk and Acton Bridge - all bases have free car parking. There is a 24-hour emergency service, and the hire charge includes diesel, gas, linen and VAT.
on some canals there are double locks that take two boats side by side, providing the chance to exchange canal chat... and halve the labour!
At Middlewich we branched off towards the Shropshire Union Canal through Church Minshull. This is an intoxicating stretch of water.
At Bunbury Lock, there's a fascinating canal environment. The wide-beam staircase locks form a centrepiece and alongside is a fine stable block, recalling the practice of exchanging fresh horses for tired ones.
Tilstone Lock lies in a gorgeous setting, and beside it a lovingly restored mill dating from 1838 stands astride the Gowy. Along this route are several popular watering holes, so leisurely lunches can be enjoyed in between lock activities. Or you can moor up on the canal-side wherever you like, hammer mooring stakes into the towpath... and then simply enjoy the beautiful countryside.
The variety is endless along this route: the city of Chester, towns, villages and countryside. One hot tip for boaters on this route for the first time - make sure you get your angle right when turning your 67ft longboat round right in the middle of Chester city centre in front of a canalside audience. We didn't... and provided a talking point for the locals for many days as we resorted to ropes and advice from longboat veterans looking on.
But no one gets it right all the time, so don't worry as no one else seems to bother too much - and the boat is very sturdily built.
A canal holiday is very informal - casual clothes are the order of the day and don't forget non-slip boating shoes. And to save time, Black Prince can purchase groceries for your trip and have them on board when you arrive.
We did make one mistake - we didn't take our son, Joe. From driving the boat (under supervision, of course), to locking, tying up, planning, pushing off, or just keeping things shipshape - he would have been in his element.
At the end of our week, we were completely hooked and ready for any lock or canal manoeuvre that confronted us. Next stop, the Norfolk Broads! |
