Narrowboat Holiday Hire on the

Lancaster Canal

The Lancaster Canal Route

The main line of the canal offers 41 miles of relaxing lock-free cruising.

Heading north from our base at Catforth you can cruise through peaceful scenic countryside for the vast majority of the canal’s length.

On your right as you head north are the Pennines with their rolling heather moorland. In the valleys of the Lune, Wyre and Ribble there are picturesque villages and winding lanes. To the west is Morecambe Bay and the Irish Sea.

The Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty around Arnside and Silverdale offers some of the finest countryside anywhere and is just a short bus ride away from your boat at Carnforth.

A typical weekly holiday might look like this:

Day 1     Boat handover. Cruise to Bilsborrow where there are hostelriespubs and restaurants.

Day 2    Sail towards Garstang. Garstang is the World’s first Fair Trade town and was mentioned in the Domesday book. Garstang has a good   selection of shops with market day on Thursdays. Buses run from here to Blackpool, Preston and Lancaster.  Rural mooring can be found between Garstang and Lancaster.

Day 3    Cruise into Lancaster. Take time to walk around this historic city. It was once the busiest seaport. As you leave Lancaster, enjoy the Lune aqueduct which was formally opened in 1797 and took 5 years to build. Moor near Hest Bank.

Day 4    At Hest Bank, the canal runs close to the shore. Before the Glasson Branch was built in 1826, goods were trans-shipped here. In summer there are guided walks across Morecambe Bay and stunning opportunities for bird watching all year round.

            Sail to the Terminus of the Canal at Tewitfield. Here you can catch a bus to the Lake District. Alternatively, take time to explore the 8 lock chambers of the abandoned stretch of the canal towards Kendal.

Day 5    Retrace your steps taking in the opportunity to visit Carnforth. This town grew from a small village with the arrival of canal and later the railway. Trains leave here for Barrow/Ravenglass/Sellafield and Skipton/Leeds. The station visitor centre includes the Brief Encounter refreshment room and exhibition.

Day 6    Sail back to Galgate and moor just north of the junction with the Glasson Branch. Walk down the flight of locks to the dock at Glasson.

            Glasson Dock was opened in 1787 as part of the Port of Lancaster. Grain and timber were the main imports and coal to Ireland the main export. There are delightful walks near the Lune Estuary and Cockersand Abbey, 2 miles to the south. The National Cycle Network Route 6 takes in the Forest of Bowland along its 34 mile route between Preston and Lancaster.

Day 7    Retrace your route towards our base at Catforth.