Narrowboat Holiday Hire on the

Leeds Liverpool Canal

How far you go depends on a number of factors; how early you get up and go to bed, how energetic you want the holiday to be and how many other boaters are using the canal. The routes suggested below are not exhaustive but may give you an idea of the places you can visit. An excellent route planning tool is:

CANALPLAN AC - Canal Route Planner

You will travel at approximately 3-4 miles per hour and the same applies to the number of locks per hour. The enjoyment from narrowboating comes from meandering along, taking in the scenery and wildlife and of course stopping at the odd pub!

To some, circular routes offer the advantage of only seeing the sights once but you must ensure you keep to your schedule in order to achieve the plan. We have included 2 circular routes but both require at least 3 weeks' hire.

The following are suggested cruising routes from our base in Barnoldswick.

One Week Cruises

Pendle and beyond

Pendle is named after the famous Pendle Hill that dominates the landscape around.  The hill has captivated the imaginations of many.  The Pendle Witches are indelibly connected with many villages in Pendle and the hill itself.  On the other side of the religious spectrum, Pendle Hill is famous for its links to the Quaker movement.  George Fox founded the Quaker movement after climbing Pendle Hill in 1652.  On a topical note, it is the birthplace of the band master of the Titanic, Wallace Hartley. Pendle is an ideal place for walkers and outdoor enthusiasts.  There are recognized walks in the area, the Pendle Way and Brontë Way; there are many off-the-beaten-track walks with splendid views. Pendle was one of the industrial centres of the North of England from the 17th to the 20th centuries.  The legacy of the now extinct cotton industry is engrained in the culture of Pendle.  The only remaining connection to textiles is a plethora of mill shops selling textiles (and more) at bargain prices.  Pendle is the textile mill shop capital of the world and you can moor right outside one at Barden Mill !

Here are 2 links to ideas for days off the boat in the Pendle area

                   Stream and Steam Walk                                Pendle Heritage Centre      

Beyond Pendle you will travel through the Mill centres of East Lancashire, Blackburn and Burnley. From the canal you will see the remains of the north's once great cotton industry - now sadly derelict in many cases. Both towns are enjoying a revival and many of the mills are enjoying conversion to apartments with great views over the Pendle Hills. We can advise you where it is preferable to moor overnight. The trip is certainly worthwhile. Some of the views are fabulous and Johnson's Hill Locks are simply delightful.

On arrival at Adlington you can take a train to Manchester to explore the North West's premier city.

Bingley and Saltaire

This route takes in glorious views as the canal skirts around the contours of the Yorkshire Dales coupled with a flavour of the once industrial heartland of West Yorkshire. Take time to stop off in the wonderful market town of Skipton. Experience the 5 Rise Locks at Bingley, one of the wonders of the waterways. Saltaire offers the opportunity to stroll round the model village and mill created by the 19th century entrepreneur Sir Titus Salt. For the Art lovers amongst you, Salts Mill now houses the David Hockney exhibition.

Two/Three Week Cruises

Leeds (Relaxing 2 week)

From our base, you can cruise to Leeds and back - the fastest growing city in the north of England. Leeds has undergone a complete metamorphosis over the past 20 years and is no longer the butt of flat cap and whippet jokes, Leeds is happening.......

Take time to visit the stunning Royal Armouries museum situated in the Clarence Dock area.

                            Clarence Dock by night                                                                                                                                                               Royal Armouries Musueum

Manchester (Relaxing 2 week)

Across the Pennines in Lancashire lies the great rival to Yorkshire's no.1 city - Manchester. Manchester sees itself as the new Barcelona, a cool, classless, cosmopolitan twenty four hour party capital with style. And the best bit........you can moor up slap bang in the centre of the most vibrant part of the city - Castlefield basin - and soak up the atmosphere.

Those of you wanting 100% relaxation may choose to moor at Adlington and take the regular train to Manchester. For the more adventurous lies one of the big challenges of the Waterways, The Wigan Flight consisting of 21 broad locks in rapid succession.  This drops the canal down to the level of the lock free Bridgewater Canal and onto Manchester.

Liverpool (2 weeks)

The Liverpool Link opened in 2009 and boaters can now sail all the way into the Albert Dock area. delight in the most popular of Liverpool's attractions, restaurants, bar, boats and tours. Enjoy the best the city has to offer, showcased in aWorld Heritage, waterfront setting.

The Albert Dock is the most popular free tourist attraction in the Northwest and not without good reason. The variety of events, attractions and eateries make it perfect for family fun, a day or night out in Liverpool, or your base for a short break in the city. Situated in the largest group of Grade I listed buildings in the UK, the Albert Dock many award winning visitor attractions.

The dock is the home of Tate Liverpool, the award-winning Beatles Story, Merseyside Maritime Museum, the International Slavery Museum, BugWorld Experience and new 60 metre high Echo Wheel, which towers over the adjacent piazza, outside the Echo Arena and Convention Centre.

You can join a number of enlightening and exhilarating Liverpool tours, including a creepy Shiverpool Ghost Tour, a city and water tour on The Yellow Duckmarine or the Yellow Boat Cruise around the south docks.

There's also a great selection of Liverpool bars and restaurants including the NEW Revolution Bar, Portico Cantina & Bar, What's Cooking? , Blue, Gusto, the PanAmerican Club, Ha Ha Bar and Grill and Spice Lounge. Now that's food for thought.
 

Rochdale Canal Circular (3 weeks)

Travel via either Manchester or Leeds to join the fabulous Rochdale canal to give you a full circular route through broad locks.

The Aire and Calder at Woodnook Lock nr Castleford

Huddersfield Narrow Canal Circular (3 weeks, Strenuous)

A truly magnificent holiday ! This route takes in all of the 1 week cruise routes plus some of the commercial Aire and Calder and Calder and Hebble with its short locks and unusual paddle gear.

Arriving in Huddersfield via the short Broad Canal, you will moor overnight ready to face the 34 'E' locks of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal which take you through Slaithwaite (pronounced Sla-wit - the a as in apple) to Marsden. You won't go hungry or thirsty in Marsden. The Luddites used to drink here, planning their next mass act of sabotage and it's still a fine place to booze away an afternoon even if you don't actually smash up a loom!! Enjoy a gentle stroll up to the lovely Tunnel End Inn before retiring for the night.

Guests from Canal Boat Escapes have now driven our boats through the tunnel with the assistance of the highly trained British Waterways crew.

At the other side, it's all downhill through delightful Uppermill to the Ashton Canal and into Manchester.

Preparing Boats for Passage through StandedgeTunnel

Trent and Mersey Canal & Shropshire Union Canal (Three Weeks+)

In a three week cruise you can explore the much busier midlands canals. The Trent and Mersey and Shropshire Union Canals can be reached in around 6 days from Barnoldswick. You would need at least three weeks to achieve this but it would be a holiday of a lifetime.

Canal Boat Escapes offers some excellent deals on multi-week breaks.

Cheshire Ring (Three weeks)

The Cheshire Ring would also require at least 3 weeks and with good planning can be achieved without turning round. Take the Leeds and Liverpool Canal towards Manchester (easier in our opinion to go down the Wigan Flight) and then join the ring at Waters Meeting (Stretford). Travel south on the Bridgewater Canal joining the Trent and Mersey Canal at Preston Brook then enjoy the challenge of the Cheshire Locks before turning onto the Macclesfield Canal just before Harecastle Tunnel. The Macclesfield is a truly relaxing canal with just one flight of 12 locks at Bosley. Turn onto the Peak Forest Canal at Marple, down the flight and join the Ashton Canal at Dukinfield Junction. To travel back to Barnoldswick you have 3 options here 1) abandon the ring and turn right towards the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, 2) left down to Piccadilly Basin then up and over the Rochdale Canal or 3) back into Manchester and retrace your steps up the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.

Bosley Flight on the Macclesfield Canal