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What better way to explore England's heritage countryside and historic cities
than on a traditional mode of transport from a bygone age? Stoic workhorses of the Industrial Revolution, today the steam trains and canal boats that were the core of the country's transport system offer a more luxurious relaxed travel experience, off the beaten track.
Towed by horses or driven by coal, narrow boats traversed the network of canals and rivers that crisscross England, linking its towns and cities. Flat bottomed wooden and iron boats were used to carry vast quantities of raw materials to manufacturing centres, and finished goods to ports and markets. Restoration of many canals and the links between branches of the waterways network has breathed new life into canal travel in recent years.
From London to York, there are many canals to experience, each with its own personality, sights and attractions to delight the traveller along the way. You can we areas of the countryside which can only be viewed from the canal and unexpected aspects of the cities your route winds through. Whether you go for a few days or a few weeks, you will easily slip into canal life working locks, visiting pubs and generally taking your time.
The Grand Canal in York is one of the widest and most impressive in the country, cutting through the heart of that historic city, but it is not nearly as famous
as the Kennet and Avon Canal which passes through the equally ancient city of Bath. Begun in the 1790s, the Kennet and Avon leaves the Thames at Reading where you can visit the Riverside Museum at Blake's Lock to immerse yourself in the history of canal travel. After Newbury, you will find yourself in the heart of the English countryside, speckled with delightful villages. Other highlights on the route to Bath include the Calverton pumping station and the lovely town of Bradford on Avon.
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The Kennet and Avon Canal was surpassed by the railways before it could fulfil its industrial function. Not so the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, built to carry goods between factories and the busy port. Along the course of this waterway, you will see some of the most stunning canalside landscapes in England. Rolling hills and wild moorland are broken by the deep tunnels that head into the Lancashire cotton towns, plunging travellers from Iight to dark. Near Leeds, you can experience the engineering genius of the Bingley five rise locks.
South of Liverpool is the Shropshire Union Canal, known as the 'Shroppie', which heads from Wolverhampton to Ellesmere Port, through the Roman city of Chester. It features some great pubs and villages, divided by wooded cuttings and steep embankments.
For a circular journey, traverse the Avon Ring through the heart of Shakespeare country. The Rivers Avon and Severn and the Worcester and Birmingham and Stratford upon Avon Canals link to form a ten day route. This takes in the delights of the Malvern Hills, Tardebigge top lock, one of the deepest in the country, Tewkesbury, Worcester, and of course, Stratford.
Another classic journey is to be made on the Oxford Canal, running south from Coventry, through the chocolate box villages of the Cotswolds and the market town of Banbury before joining the River Thames at Oxford. These are just some of the fabulous journeys it is possible to take on England's historic canal network.
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If you want to travel in traditional style, but feel the need to move faster than the walking pace of the canals, turn to the power of steam. Step back in time to the golden age of train travel with the Orient Express and its fully restored Pullman coaches, drawn by a gleaming steam engine. Each car is decorated in authentic art deco style, with intricate marquetry, lavishly upholstered armchairs and mosaic floors. Bucks Fizz breakfasts and four course dinners complete the experience as you travel in style to heritage destinations including Leeds and Hover Castles, York Bath, Chester and Cambridge aboard the British Pullman or Northern Bell.
The Orient Express is not the only means to travel by historic train, of course. The railways dominated transport in England for more than 100 years, anti survivors of the age of steam can be found throughout the country, lovingly tended by enthusiasts.
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway carries visitors along 18 miles of track through the impressive scenery of the National Park, and is a living museum which travels daily to the picturesque village of Grosmont. The original 24 mile line opened in 1834, with carriages powered by animals. The steam engines that run today later took over, ferrying passengers on the line until 1965. Sunday lunches, evening meals and luxurious first class dining are all available aboard the trains.
In Northumbria, the South Tynedale narrow gauge railway journeys through the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, hauled by preserved steam and diesel engines, while in Cumbria, the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway heads down seven miles of river valleys to the foot of England's highest mountain, Scafell Pike.
Further south, Britain's longest running steam railway, the West Somerset, passes through the Quantock Hills past perfectly preserved wayside stations to Bishops Lydeard near Taunton. On the Kent and East Sussex Railway, you can visit the remains of Bodiam Castle, dine in the Wealden Pullman and even drive a steam train for a day.
Or you can choose your own journey aboard the Cathedrals Express. Classic steam powered locomotives ferry passengers from London to Stratford, Salisbury, Bath, Chester, Canterbury, York, Durham and Winchester, among other destinations. Whatever your preference, England has the perfect heritage journey for you to enjoy.
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