Top 5 August bank holiday boating breaks in the West Midlands

There are hundreds of miles of canals to explore in the West Midlands, taking narrowboat holiday-makers through beautiful stretches of countryside, past historic canalside pubs and into the heart of Birmingham and Stratford-upon-Avon.

Emma Lovell, reservations manager for Anglo Welsh, says: “Canal boat holidays are great for families, bringing everyone together for an adventure afloat.  From steering the boat and working the locks, to planning the route and watching out for wildlife, there’s plenty to get involved in.

“Pets are welcome aboard all our boats, so all the family can enjoy a relaxing staycation together.  And there’s everything you need on board for a self-catering holiday afloat if you want to keep your costs down.

“There are hundreds of miles of canals in the West Midlands with dozens of waterside destinations to choose from.  To celebrate the upcoming August bank holiday, we’ve put together a guide to our top five weekend boating breaks.”

1.      Travel along the Worcester & Birmingham Canal to Birmingham

With more canals than Venice, exploring Birmingham by boat is one of the best ways to experience Britain’s exciting second city.  From Anglo Welsh’s canal boat rental base at Tardebigge, canal boat holiday-makers can cruise into the centre of Birmingham in just five hours.  Your journey begins in the Worcestershire countryside, passing through the remains of the Forest of Arden and a series of tunnels.  The route becomes increasingly urban and once in the centre of the city, boaters can moor up in Gas Street Basin, and visit top attractions, including the Sea Life Centre at Brindleyplace.

2.      Navigate the Stratford Canal to Stratford-upon-Avon

From Wootton Wawen it takes around six hours to cruise along the Stratford Canal to Shakespeare’s Stratford.  The route takes boaters through the Warwickshire countryside to reach overnight moorings in Bancroft Basin in the heart of Stratford-upon-Avon.  Once there, boaters can walk to top attractions, including the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Shakespeare’s Birthplace.  There are 17 locks to pass through along the way, and the route takes boaters across the impressive Edstone Aqueduct, the longest aqueduct in England with impressive views of the Warwickshire countryside all around.

3.      Cruise to the base of the magnificent Hatton Locks

On a short break from Wootton Wawen, boaters can cruise north along the Stratford Canal, transferring onto the Grand Union Canal to reach the base of the famous flight of 21 locks at Hatton.  The locks are nick-named the ‘Stairway to Heaven’, because of the hard work involved in the ascent, followed by an easy run to Camp Hill, where the working boat men and women were once paid.  Today the journey to Hatton takes boaters through the Warwickshire countryside and past a series of villages with country pubs, including the canalside Fleur de Lys at Lowsonford and the Navigation Inn at Rowington.  From Wootton Wawen, it takes around eight hours to reach the base of the Hatton flight, passing through 17 locks along the way.

4.      Cruise through the countryside to visit Packwood House

On a short break from Anglo Welsh’s narrowboat hire base at Tardebigge near Bromsgrove, boaters can cruise to the village of Lapworth, home of the National Trust’s Tudor Manor house, Packwood House.  The journey cruises the Worcester & Birmingham Canal, through the Worcestershire countryside and the remains of the Forest of Arden, to Kings Norton Junction. Boaters can transfer onto the Stratford Canal to reach moorings in Lapworth, a short walk from the 16^th century Packwood House, with 150 acres of parkland to explore.  The journey to Lapworth takes around seven hours and passes through two tunnels. There are no locks on this route.

5.      Navigate to the Black Country Living Museum, home of the Peaky Blinders

From Anglo Welsh’s canal boat hire base at Tardebigge on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal, it’s an eight-and-a-half hour, three-lock journey to the Black Country Living Museum.  Scenes for all six series of the BBC’s epic gangster drama Peaky Blinders were filmed at the 26-acre Museum.  As well as walking in the footsteps of the Shelbys, visitors can explore period shops and homes, have a drink in the ‘Bottle & Glass Inn’, sample the Museum’s famous traditionally cooked 1930’s-style fish and chips and take a trip ‘into the thick’ to experience life in an 1850’s coal mine.

Anglo Welsh’s 2023 August bank holiday boating breaks start at £795 for a short break (three or four nights) on a boat for up to four or six people.

For more information about Anglo Welsh’s holidays, go to www.anglowelsh.co.uk or call the bookings team on 0117 304 1122.