1.
GREAT HAYWOOD –WORCESTER -
Weekend Break
A journey down the entire length of the
Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal,
linking the River Trent
and the Severn. Opened early in 1772 it was the
vision of James Brindley to make this canal part
of the “The Grand Cross” linking his
Trent & Mersey with the River Severn. The
canal skirts the Birmingham and Black Country
conurbation
without ever becoming truly urban, making a delightful
route through scarce West Midlands countryside.
Dep: 20 June, 15 August
2. BIRMINGHAM – WORCESTER -
Mid Week Break
A unique opportunity to travel the full length
of the Worcester - Birmingham Canal with memorable
views over the Malvern Hills and the unforgettable
Tardebigge flight of locks, the longest in England.
Dep: 13 May, 8 July.
2.
(R) WORCESTER
- BIRMINGHAM -
Mid Week Break
A reverse direction of Cruise 2.
Dep: 24 June, 19
August, 7 October. 3.
BIRMINGHAM – STRATFORD
UPON AVON – Luddington
(River Avon) -
Weekend Break
Traveling the full length of the Stratford
Canal which maintains an individual charm
and personality. A town dedicated to William
Shakespeare linked to a modern bustling
city.
Dep: 21 March, 2 May, 30 May, 27 June,
25 July, and 22 August.
4.
STRATFORD
UPON AVON – WARWICK -
Mid Week Break.
Combining the delights of Shakespeare’s
birth place and the heritage of an historic
town by traversing the two different styles
of canal.
Dep: 25 March, 6 May, 20 May, 3 June, 1 July,
15 July, 29 July and 26 August.
5.
WARWICK – STOKE
BRUERNE -
Weekend Break
Travel down the Grand Union through
Braunston the home of English canals
from the modernised section of canal
in the 1930’s to the original
double locks finishing at another famous
canal village.
Dep: 28 March, 6 June and 1 August.
6 STOKE
BRUERNE - MARKET HARBOROUGH -
Mid Week Break
Take a leisurely cruise from
another village famous for canal
memories,
through history with the Grand
Union (Leicester section) canal
and up the Foxton flight.
Dep: 1 April, 10 June and 5 August.
6 (R)
MARKET HARBOROUGH – STOKE BRUERNE - Mid
Week Break
A reverse direction of Cruise 6
Dep: 23 September
7.
STOKE
BRUERNE – HINCKLEY -
Weekend Break
A complete contrast with the
Grand Union and the Oxford
canals finishing on the lockless
Ashby canal, providing a unique
view of different styles of
canal operation.
Dep: 26 September.
8. HINCKLEY – BIRMINGHAM -
Mid Week Break
Travelling the back waters of the Heart of
England canals from the lockless Ashby canal
through industrial mining heritage to a regenerated
bustling city
Dep: 27 May, 22 July and 30 September.
9. WARWICK – BIRMINGHAM - Black
Country Museum. Weekend Break
From an historic town with a famous castle through
an 19th Century wide motorway-style waterway
that linked London and Birmingham contrasting
later with narrow canal arteries leading to a
bustling city.
Dep: 9 May and 4 July
10.
BIRMINGHAM – STOURPORT – WORCESTER.
- Weekend Break
A contrast in Industrial Heritage
balanced with one of the prettiest
canals in the country. Concluding
with a short journey down a river
which was once a bustling trading
artery.
Dep: 3 October.
11. WORCESTER – BIDFORD
UPON AVON – STRATFORD UPON AVON.
Weekend Break.
A tranquil cruise over two rivers. The Severn
to Tewkesbury and then meandering up the Warwickshire
Avon to Shakespeare Country alighting at Bidford
upon Avon or finishing at Stratford upon Avon.
Dep: 16 May and 11 July
12.
"New" MARKET
HARBOROUGH - SHARDLOW. Weekend
Break.
The canal meanders its way through
unspoilt rural surroundings, constantly
changing direction as it lazily motions
you northwards, to the River Soar,
once the most profitable waterway in
England. The Soar is also a tranquil,
meandering river navigation extending
through Leicestershire to the junction
with the River Trent which leads off
to Shardlow the start of the Trent & Mersey
Canal.
Dep: 4 April, 13 June and 8 August
13.
"New" SHARDLOW – GREAT
HAYWOOD. -
Mid Week Break.
The Trent & Mersey Canal was the
most ambitious plan to connect the
principal rivers of England. Its importance
was recognised by its early name of
the 'Grand Trunk' Canal. It offers
rural cruising through Derbyshire leading
to Staffordshire passing through the
brewery town of Burton on Trent and
an historical junction at Fradley with
a truly boaters pub.
Dep: 8 April, 17 June and 12 August
14.
WARWICK - HINCKLEY -
Weekend Break.
Another complete contrast with the Grand Union
and the Oxford canals finishing on the lockless
Ashby canal, providing a unique view of different
styles of canal operation.
Dep: 23 May and 18 July
2008
Bed & Breakfast
Winter (October to March & Summer
subject to availability).
Overnight or Weekend Breaks in a new 21st century
Birmingham with the latest shopping opportunities,
sightseeing and canal side amenities.
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2008
Exploratory Cruises
(A)GREAT
HAYWOOD – ANDERTON LIFT - Weekend Break.
A journey on a canal
through the North Midlands which offers excellent
views
over the Cheshire Plain and
impressive engineering feats. This includes Harecastle
Tunnel, the first of its kind and finally the Anderton
Boat Lift. An incredible edifice, perched on the
banks of the River Weaver like some giant three-storey
high iron spider designed to lift cargo boats the
50 feet onto the Trent & Mersey Canal. The lift
worked until 1983 when serious deterioration of the
structure was discovered. Some £7m was raised
to fund the restoration, which was completed in 2002.
Dep: 11 April
(B) ANDERTON
LIFT - CHESTER Mid
Week Break.
A combination of three canals in the North
West, starting on the Trent & Mersey pioneered
by the need to convey Pottery safely. Joining
the Middlewich branch which is part of the
Shropshire Union Canal leads across unspoilt
countryside to the original Chester Canal.
A wide beam waterway leading to a city which
has a fine cathedral, town-crier and street
theatre, but it still manages to feel friendly
and on a small scale
Dep: 13 April
(C)
CHESTER - LLANGOLLEN -
Weekend Break.
Travel across the Cheshire Plain on a wide
beam waterway to Britains favourite canal.
The Llangollen Canal has understated rural
countryside, including the market towns of
Whitchurch and Ellesmere, gives way to the
majesty of the Chirk and Pontcysyllte Aqueducts
- two of Britain's greatest waterway landmarks.
Dep: 18 April
(D) LLANGOLLEN
- ELLESMERE -
Mid Week Break.
A Llangollen experience with an
opportunity to venture down part
of the contoversially restored
Montgomery Canal. A whole day is
spent exploring the restoration
which is open and navigable as
far as Gronwen Wharf. Leaving the
Montgomery Canal a short journey
to Ellesmere completes the cruise.
Dep: 22 April
(E)
ELLESMERE – NORBURY
JUNCTION -
Weekend Break.
A mixture of a meandering Welsh canal descending
through deserted Shropshire farmlands to one
built in the twilight of canal building utilising
railway techniques in rural Cheshire to form
an arrow straight functional waterway to serve
a purpose.
Dep: 25 April
(F)
NORBURY JUNCTION
- BIRMINGHAM - Mid Week Break.
Starting from a Historic Junction on the “Shroppie” and
experience the
changing scenery from rolling farmland to an urbanised
area mixed with a wealth of industrial heritage.
The Wolverhampton 21 flight of locks initiates
the changing scene.
Dep: 29 April
(G)
WARWICK BANBURY -
Weekend Break
The trunk route of Britain's canal
network, the picturesque Grand Union
is the longest single canal in Britain.
The Grand Union Canal was once one
of the busiest in the country as the
main line from London to the Midlands.
This section passes through the innovative
modifications completed in the 1930’s
before turning onto the picturesque
Oxford Canal which meanders slowly
through classic scenery,.
Dep: 29 April
(H)
BANBURY - OXFORD
- Mid Week Break.
The picturesque Oxford Canal
meanders slowly through classic
scenery, much of which has barely
changed in centuries. The southern
section is particularly charming
and remains largely unaltered,
consequently, the Oxford Canal
has escaped large-scale development
and few towns have sprung up
on its banks until the famous
City of Oxford is reached.
Dep: 2 September
(I)
OXFORD - LECHLADE - Weekend Break.
One of the most famous rivers in the world, the Thames
is steeped in history, rights of navigation were
laid down in Magna Carta. The river’s history
extends much further in a character found nowhere
but Old Father Thames. A unique cruise designed to
tour the river around Oxford starting downstream
to Clifton Hampden through Abingdon first. Retracing
the Thames to Oxford and venturing up to the head
of navigation just beyond Lechlade.
Dep: 5 September
J. LECHLADE - OXFORD - Mid Week
Break.
If you want peace and quiet more than anything, then
cruising the Upper Thames is place to explore.
Apart from Old Father Thames at St John's lock,
you'll find the main source of life will be the
occasional welcoming lockkeeper with their unique
manual lock gates. Entering Oxfordshire at Radcot
the cruise passes through the oldest bridge in
the country, which was constructed of Cotswold
stone in the 12th century for the nuns of Farringdon
Priory. Finally arrive at Oxford by the Oxford
Canal from Dukes Cut put in to link the Oxford
Canal to The Thames above the city.
Dep: 5 September
K. OXFORD - BANBURY - Weekend Break.
Another opportunity for a unique cruise designed
to tour the river around Oxford starting downstream
to Clifton Hampden through Abingdon first. Retracing
the Thames to Oxford and where we change course
up the picturesque Oxford Canal. It meanders slowly
through classic scenery, much of which has barely
changed in centuries.
Dep: 12 September
L. BANBURY
- BRAUNSTON Mid Week Break.
The Oxford Canal is one of England's most peaceful
waterways, running lazily through the countryside
from Oxford to Braunston and beyond. It was briefly
the principal waterway from London to the Midlands,
but was superseded soon after construction by the
more direct Grand Junction Canal featured in the
last part of the cruise at Napton . This trunk
route of Britain's canal network now called The
Grand Union is the longest single canal in Britain
and was once one of the busiest in the country
Dep: 16 September
M. BRAUNSTON – MARKET HARBOROUGH -
Weekend Break.
Take a leisurely cruise from a famous village for
canal memories, through history turning up the
Grand Union (Leicester section) canal and up the
famous Foxton flight.
Dep: 19 September
N. LAPWORTH LOOP - Spring/Autumn
Weekend Break.
A contrast in canals between the rural Stratford
Canal and the Grand Union with a fascinating flight
of locks through a regenerated city centre.
Dep: 13 March, 9 October, 16 October.
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