It's time to take it slow
They were the freight highways of the 19th century. Now after decades of neglect our canals are once again thriving.

Rob Perkins and his family took a narrowboat holiday

THE very fact that most of us tend to live our lives at 100mph makes it near impossible to envisage a life at a slower pace – until you climb aboard a narrowboat, that is. Time and the pace of life is literally slowed to that of a snail as you step off the rat-run treadmill and find yourself on board what can only be described as your own floating hotel.

Now I must admit that it was probably 20 years since I was last on a narrowboat and even then I was more interested in sinking a few beers rather than having much concern about how the thing actually worked. So long as we arrived at the next pub in good time – that was all I was worried about. So I was a little bit nervous about taking full control of a 70ft barge weighing more than 16 tonnes fully laden. But my fears were soon allayed as the instructor showed me around the boat. It had everything both my family and I could wish for – central heating, fully sprung beds, shower, cooker, fridge, microwave and even a colour TV and CD player. It had everything we could wish for

The first hour of the holiday is spent becoming accustomed to all the intricacies of the boat, for example, the diesel engine which not only powered the boat but also acted as generator for the hot water and heating . After a quick demonstration of how to use the locks we were waved off to venture the canals of Worcestershire alone. Now there’s one thing about travelling on canals that sooner or later you are going to have to get to grips with, and that is the lock system.

There are some stretches of canal in which there are only a few locks and then there are other stretches of canal which seem to be just locks. Guess which stretch we opted for?That’s right, the one stretch of canal which saw us having to negotiate more than 30 locks in a single day to raise the narrowboat more than 400ft up from our start point in Worcester to our destination at Alvechurch, to the south-west of Birmingham. I must admit I wondered exactly why the other narrowboat holidaymakers who were all turning right out of the Lowesmoor Wharf were all pointing to us as we turned left. The right took you down to the River Severn and the prospect of cruising along England’s longest river. Left took you in only one direction– Birmingham and the Tardebigge Locks which are the longest continuous flight of locks in the UK. But before this daunting prospect we enjoyed a leisurely cruise through the centre of Worcester getting to know not only the boat but how it handled.

The first thing that you have to get used to when you are skippering the narrowboat is the speed. No more than 1,200rpm, which equates to about 4mph, less than walking speed. So it’s no great surprise when dog walkers, power walkers and all cyclists speed past your narrowboat. You soon pick up the pace of life on a narrowboat and there’s something quite soothing about the constant chug of the engine beneath your feet. Our first night was spent moored outside the Bridge Inn in the village of Tibberton and, although we’d only travelled fewer than five miles, it seemed like much further, especially as we’d been cruising for more than four hours. After a good meal and a few pints of the local real ale, I was ready for the first night on the water and what a surprise it was. I’d half expected it to be something akin to camping but, with a full central heating system, bathroom and every modern convenience you could wish for, I couldn’t have been more wrong.The night was very restful and although the floor of the boat is below the waterline and quite cold when you first get out of bed, the central heating was very efficient and soon warmed up the boat. Waking early, and with the smell of fried bacon wafting around the boat, we set off early for the journey to Alvechurch. It was going to be a long day on the water and an even longer day with the windlass in hand. First though, we enjoyed the run through Hanbury – home to a thriving boating community as well as the inspiration for Ambridge, the home of the Radio 4 saga, The Archers. With Hanbury, Astwood Bank and Stoke Prior behind us we were confronted with the Tardebigge Locks.

Then, in the space of three miles, the series of 30 locks raised us 217ft and although it was hard work – as well as time-consuming – after opening and closing the lock gates over three hours we were able to look back to the south-west for some truly magnificent views of Worcestershire across to the distant Malvern Hills. All the effort had been worthwhile. The second night was spent moored alongside the Crown Inn at Withybed, which is located on the outskirts of Alvechurch, and another pub meal and also drinks with some friends. The journey back through the Tardebigge Locks was made much easier by the fact that the locks had all been opened for us, and so it was just a matter of steering the narrowboat into the chamber, closing the gate, emptying the lock, and pulling off before closing the lock gates behind you.

It was a holiday that I and my family will never forget. And it is certainly the kind of holiday which not only brings a family closer together, because you all have to work together as a team, It also slows down the normal pace of life to one which means that everyone always seems to be in a much better mood.