Britain’s beautiful inland waterways are a great place to visit at Easter, when the countryside is bursting into new life. Canal boat holiday-makers can travel slowly through the countryside, seeing blossom on the waterside hedges and trees, birds rearing their young, lambs playing in the fields and bluebells in woodlands.
Drifters (www.drifters.co.uk) offers the choice of over 500 boats from 40 bases across England, Scotland and Wales. All Drifters’ operators provide hirers with boat steering tuition and pets are allowed on board most boats.
1. Float across ‘The Stream in the Sky’ to Llangollen
From Drifters’ narrowboat hire base at Chirk on the Llangollen Canal in North Wales, the Eisteddfod town of Llangollen on the edge of the Berwyn Mountains can be reached on a short break, with the UNESCO World Heritage Pontcysyllte Aqueduct to travel across along the way. Standing at 38 metres high above the Dee Valley, this incredible 300-metre long structure consists of a cast iron trough supported by 18 enormous pillars and 19 elegant arches. On reaching Llangollen, boaters can moor up in Llangollen Basin enjoy visiting the town’s independent shops, pubs and restaurants, as well as its Steam Railway and Horseshoe Falls. The journey to Llangollen and back travels 14 miles and takes around 7 hours. There are no locks, but there are two aqueducts and two tunnels.
2. Cruise to Market Drayton, famous for its gingerbread
On a 4-night mid-week break from Brewood on the Shropshire Union Canal in Staffordshire, boaters can cruise to the historic market town of Market Drayton and back. The journey travels through the Staffordshire countryside, passing a series of villages with historic canalside pubs, including the Boat Inn at Gnosall and the Junction Inn at Norbury. The route also passes Cadbury’s Wharf at Knighton, where chocolate crumb used to be transported to Bournville. Boaters will pass through Woodseaves Cutting, which is full of vegetation and wildlife. From Market Drayton’s visitor moorings, boaters can walk into the town, famous for its gingerbread men. The journey to Market Drayton and back travels 42 miles, passes through 12 locks (6 each way) and takes around 19 hours.
3. Navigate to Hawkesbury Junction and the Greyhound Inn
On a weekend break from Braunston on the Grand Union Canal in Northamptonshire, canal boat holiday-makers can cruise through the countryside to Hawkesbury Junction and back. The route goes up the North Oxford Canal through a series of villages, including Hillmorton with its Stag & Pheasant pub and Newbold with the canalside Barley Mow pub. The journey passes through the outskirts of Rugby and close to the village of Brinklow with its motte and bailey castle ruins. At Hawkesbury Junction, where the North Oxford Canal meets the Coventry Canal, boaters can moor up to visit the popular Greyhound Inn. The journey to Hawkesbury Junction and back travels 46 miles, passes through 8 locks (4 each way) and takes around 14 hours.
4. Cruise through the Bath Valley to Claverton and back
On a 4-night mid-week break Devizes in Wiltshire, boaters can travel along the beautiful Kennet & Avon Canal to Claverton and back. The journey takes boaters past a series of canalside pubs, including the Barge Inn at Seend, the Canal Tavern at Bradford on Avon and the Cross Guns at Avoncliff. There are eight locks to pass through each way and two magnificent Bath stone aqueducts to cruise across. Once at Claverton in the beautiful Bath Valley, boaters moor up to visit the American Museum at Claverton House and Claverton Pumping Station. The journey to Claverton and back travels 32 miles, passes through 16 locks (8 each way) and takes around 16 hours.
5. Boat to Birmingham & visit Cadbury World
On a short break from Alvechurch on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal near Bromsgrove, boaters can travel lock-free to Birmingham. Along the way, they can stop off at Bournville to find handmade Easter eggs in the World’s biggest Cadbury shop at Cadbury World. With more canals than Venice, canal boats can travel right into the heart of Birmingham and find over-night moorings at Gas Street Basin. From there, it’s a short walk to Brindleyplace and city centre attractions, including the Sealife Centre and Planetarium at Birmingham’s Science Museum Thinktank. The journey to Birmingham and back travels 22 miles and takes around 10 hours. There are no locks to go through.
6. Join the Easter Gathering at the National Waterways Museum Ellesmere Port
Over the Easter Weekend (3-6 April 2026), the National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port in Cheshire will celebrate the start of the summer boating season and its 50th anniversary with a large boat gathering, live music, children’s activities and guided tours. The Museum was recently transformed into 19th century graving docks in Dublin and the toll house became ‘The Angel’ pub for Stephen Knight’s spectacular House of Guinness series on Netflix. From Bunbury on the Shropshire Union Canal near Tarporley in Cheshire, it’s a 10-hour journey to Ellesmere Port, perfect for a week away. The route travels 21 miles and goes through 12 locks. Along the way, boaters pass through the ancient City of Chester. The journey to Ellesmere Port and back travels 42 miles, passes through 24 locks and takes around 20 hours.
7. Cruise through the Staffordshire countryside and visit Drayton Manor Theme Park
On a week-long holiday from Great Haywood on the Trent & Mersey Canal in Staffordshire, narrowboat holiday-makers can cruise to moorings close to Drayton Manor Theme Park. The journey there and back travels 48 miles, passes through 10 locks (five each way) and takes around 22 cruising hours. Along the way, boaters will pass through Cannock Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Fradley Nature Reserve, and a series of villages with canalside pubs. There are visitor moorings between Tolson’s Footbridge and Coleshill Road Bridge on the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal, and from there it’s a short walk to Drayton Manor Park. The journey there and back travels 48 miles, passes through 10 locks (5 each way) and takes around 22 hours.
8. Star gaze in the Brecon Beacons
Isolated from the main canal network, the beautiful Monmouth & Brecon Canal runs through Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park, designated an International Dark-Sky Reserve. This peaceful waterway has very few locks, offers canal boat holiday-makers incredible mountain views, a series of historic village pubs to visit and on clear nights, views of the Milky Way. On a weekend break from Goytre Wharf, near Abergavenny, boaters can cruise lock-free to Llangynidr and back. The journey takes boaters past the Lion Inn at Govilon and the Bridge End Inn at Llangattock. The journey to Llangynidr and back travels 32 miles and takes around 13 hours.
