Narrow boats - any recommendations for hire? Canal choices?

[ilovedplaydays]

Hi. We are considering a narrow boat for a week. Love the idea of peace and pubs. Also sailing through a town, mooring up and exploring. Can anyone recomend a particular 'pretty' route? I'm English but DH Irish and we live in Ireland so I would love to show UK off to DH. Also love the idea of sailing through London - how cool would that be?! lastly, how do you judge the quality of the vessel (I ask because we have been badly badly bitten when we booked some previous accomm for a family holiday) Thanks

Anglo Welsh along the Llangollen Canal from Trevor. Starts by going over the Pontcysyllte aquesuct which is very picturesque and very very high!

We had a 67ft boat for 4 of us it was v comfortable and well appointed.

The aquaduct photo is fabulous! I am hooked! It says on the site you gave that boats have to be returned by 9.00am the last day. How does that work? Does that mean you actually need to return it the day before and just stay on it overnight (?!) or get up early to be there for 9?

I was just about to say Anglo Welsh and the Pontcysyllte but see I've been beaten to it. But there are loads of canals., plenty of places to have a lovely time. The Bridgewater is nice, Shropshire Union, Leeds & Liverpool - I forget what route it is but at once place in Cheshire you used to be able to go down a boat lift from the canal down to the River Weaver (think it shut for a few years, don't know if it's open again)

Yes, you arrive the night before - really not easy to ensure you are there for 9am otherwise. Given max. speed on a narrowboat is 4mph and often less than that (you have to slow down if you are causing a wash).

I've been on the Llangollen Canal recently too, it's very child friendly & nice.

As a child we did lots. The only one that was not so great really (though we enjoyed it because it was our first) was the Fens, because they were flat, not much to see, and the few locks were guillotine locks which can be quite scary for beginners (though they are probably easier to use than they were in 1979 when they were quite rusty and run down).

Cheshire Ring was great, canals around Birmingham and Stratford on Avon were great.

if you don't fancy spending the last night in the boatyard you might find somewhere to moor a little way along from it so it only takes 10 mins or so to get there for 9, we've done that sometimes.

sounds lovely. I am looking into it seriously. I love the idea

On another note - almost - what pubs/inns would you visit to stay in, in what places around Britain, if you were touring. My other idea was to tour, although I think the narrow boat is hitting the mark. II have posted this elsewhere so before I though of narrow boats so may bump that post

ah, the thing about narrowboats is that you can just go from pub to pub, if so inclined.

We moored just the other side of the aqueduct on the last night, so we only had a little bit to do the last morning but weren't in the boatyard overnight.

We had thought about going from pub to pub but decided it might work out too expensive. So we took 2 36 pint polypins from the local brewery and a case of wine. For 4 of us. For a week This was pre-kids though!

I like your thinking re the beer! We are going without the 5 children so we can eat drink and be merry! We may never get further than the pub after we have left the boatyard :)

Have you been on one before? I would strongly recommend the Llangollen canal. That aquaduct is stunning to go over, you are chugging along at walking pace or slower, have a camera ready. Lots of pubs with moorings to use for 24hrs. Llangollen moorings you pay for but they have electric and are a decent walk from the town.

Mad Jacks is a good pub to eat in, with moorings

Ellesmere is a nice little village with moorings right in the town centre, ignore the big new Tescos alongside, plenty of places to eat and a fab deli and bakers in the town centre.

We have our own narrowboat. Pubs are a major feature of any trip away on it.
I think edam was referring to the Anderton boat lift

The locks and liftbridges take a bit of elbow grease but you get used to it and take it in turns with other boats.