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Lifestyle

    Fall in love with the heritage and tradition of English Canals

    By Blue Otter / 1st January, 2019 / Blog, Holiday Ideas, Lifestyle / No Comments

    RELAX AND ENJOY RURAL VIEWS, INDUSTRIAL-ERA HERITAGE, SUNLIGHT SPARKLING ON CALM WATERS AND BIRD LIFE CHORUSING YOUR CRUISE

    With more than 2,000 miles of inland waterways across Great Britain, here are a few highlights that made us curious to explore the beauty of England’s canals. Taking a break from fast-paced office environment, life slows to a walking pace when cruising these beautiful flowing highways that were once packed with cargo vessels. If you’ve ever harboured a dream of a life afloat, a narrowboat is one of the sweetest spots to spend British summertime.

    A Ring of Two Roses

    A three week canal journey from Skipton can take you through the North and South Peninne’s breathtaking scenery. Drift through Yorkshire and Lancashire cities, open meadows, market towns, dramatic hillsides for a taster of this region’s diverse surroundings. On Blue Otter Skipton narrowboat you can take two of three trans-Pennine canals: the Leeds and Liverpool, and the Rochdale, in a journey of 220 locks over 175 miles.

    Traversing the canals are a great way to experience the “backbone of England” and give a unique insight into contrasting urban settlements that reside around Leeds, Huddersfield, Manchester, Blackburn and Burnley. Time your cruising right, and you can take in some premier football league matches along the way.

    A Bard Aboard

    Explore centuries of English history along the Avon Ring, a circuit of 109 miles and 131 locks. Moor opposite the Swan Theatre in Stratford upon Avon, near picturesque mills on the River Avon, visit Tewkesbury, cruise the majestic River Severn to Worcester, then ascend the longest flight of locks in Britain on the Worcester & Birmingham canal. Blue Otter Wootton Wawen is perfectly positioned to take you on all of these canal routes.

    Shakespeare’s presence lures narrowboaters along the waters with a mile-long tunnel leading to the Stratford upon Avon canal. Here a real treat awaits along the longest aqueduct on the English canals, Edstone. If you time it for when the Shakespeare’s Express steam train is passing, a cloak of smoky steam will magically surround you, while passengers wave from cream and brown-liveried carriages.

    Gloucester Docks

    Home to the best-preserved 19th-century docks in Britain, Gloucester is surrounded by listed warehouses. This inland harbour was once busy with ships carrying timber and corn from around the world. Cargo was transhipped on to the Severn and then the canals.

    Cruise on your narrowboat from the historic docks and stop where the mood takes you, but be sure to take in Worcester Cathedral and the Norman abbey at Tewkesbury as you mosey down the water highway.

    Cruise the Canals

    Blue Otter narrowboats are available for week-long or month-long rental, enabling you to journey far and wide along the English canal network. Just contact us with your request with when and how you envisage your time on board relaxing and enjoying rural views, industrial-era heritage, sunlight sparkling on calm waters and bird life chorusing your cruise. Take turns piloting the boat, operating locks and swing bridges – rewarded with a refreshment or brew on board after each busy section! Locks are a great opportunity for sharing tips from fellow boaters and canal banter. Either way, lazy afternoons with a tipple of choice in hand are always a good idea!

    Book your Blue Otter escape on the canals here

     

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Great to see #Walkshire launch today by @welcometo Great to see #Walkshire launch today by @welcometoyorkshire and we look forward to sponsoring a walk-a-day later this month. Popular with our #Skipton guests, a cruise to Gargrave and a hike along The Pennine Way to Malham and back. 
#lifesbetterbywater #cruiseandwalk #staycation2021
#narrowboat #narrowboatlife #bespokenarrowboatholidays #blueotterboats
Tier 3 means we have to batten down the hatches fo Tier 3 means we have to batten down the hatches for a little while. In the meantime, you can still plan your 2021 holiday. Happy New Year! 
#staycation2021 #tier3 #narrowboating
Merry Christmas to you all. Here’s to a year ahe Merry Christmas to you all. Here’s to a year ahead full of bubbles in bottles rather than the home, and lock-ins not lockdowns! Have a lovely, if different one! 🎄🎁🍾
#seasonsgreetings #blueotterboats
Following today's announcement we are happy to con Following today's announcement we are happy to confirm we will be re-opening for cruising and static stays from Wednesday December 2nd. #weregoodtogo #Skipton #Tier2 #staycation
http://blueotterboats.com
We would love to have accepted just one of the sev We would love to have accepted just one of the several enquiries we’ve had about cruising throughout #lockdown, but sadly all movement along the canals in prohibited. 
#staysafe #booknowfor2021 #staycation2021 #blueotterboats
Cruising and static stays are suspended under the Cruising and static stays are suspended under the new lockdown regulations until December 2nd (and possibly longer), so for now, we’ll be enjoying the tow paths because life is still better by water. 

We’ve received 3 bookings in the last 48 hours for 2021 dates, so book now if you know you want to cruise next year!
#staysafe #staycation2021
Just thrilled to receive this 2021 calendar from o Just thrilled to receive this 2021 calendar from our past guest Ian and @rosemarythewitt. The collection of 12 images from their week on #blueotterskipton capture the mood, light, experience and colours of the #leedsliverpoolcanal 
Thank you so much, Liz & Ben.
We love reading the comments book on board...and t We love reading the comments book on board...and thank you to all our guests for not sailing off into the sunset. 😊 We understand why you would want to, and we look forward to welcoming many of you back next year for more cruising explorations. 
#canalholiday #narrowboatlife #blueotterboats #staycationuk #ataycation #covidesecure #weregoodtogo #visitengland #yorkshire #lifesbetterbywater
Taking time to take it all in on Blue Otter Skipto Taking time to take it all in on Blue Otter Skipton. Tranquillity, retreat, escapes, covid-secure. 
#canalholiday #relaxation #holiday #staycation #yorkshire #lifesbetterbywater
📷Rosemary Hewitt
It’s all about teamwork when it comes to the loc It’s all about teamwork when it comes to the locks, and our current guests on Blue Otter Skipton have the t-shirts that say it all. They’ve also sent us some of their autumn cruising photos...enjoy! Thanks Rosey Hewitt...and we know you’d love to keep on cruising, but please do bring the boat back 😊
#blueotterskipton #narrowboat #canalholiday #yorkshire #leedsliverpoolcanal
Given the increasing enquiries and the popular #st Given the increasing enquiries and the popular #staycation, we've extended the cruising season into November on Blue Otter Skipton. Email ben@blueotterboats.com for available dates. October pricing applies.
#canalholidays #skipton #leedsliverpoolcanal #yorkshire #autumn #novemberholiday #blueotterskipton
Given the increasing enquiries and the popular #st Given the increasing enquiries and the popular #staycation, we've extended the cruising season into November on Blue Otter Skipton. Email ben@blueotterboats.com for available dates. October pricing applies.
#canalholidays #skipton #leedsliverpoolcanal #yorkshire #autumn #novemberholiday #blueotterskipton
Blue Otter setting off for a long weekend to Strat Blue Otter setting off for a long weekend to Stratford upon Avon with Adrian and Imogen at the helm.
#EscapeTheEveryday #canalholiday #narrowboatholiday #blueotterboats #longweekend #staycation #autumn #canalcruise #luxurynarrowboat #privatecharter #stratforduponavon #woottonwawen
Gorgeous day in Silsden on the #leedsliverpoolcana Gorgeous day in Silsden on the #leedsliverpoolcanal with a slight hint of autumn in the air. 
#narrowboatholidays #yorkshire #silsden #canals #visitengland #blueotterboats
It was a wet day, but there was some solace in the It was a wet day, but there was some solace in the fact that across the country, everyone was in the same boat...just not a #blueotterboats #narrowboating #canallife #locksinrain #summerrain #liquidsunshine #itsstillfun #lifesbetterbywater
We love these T-shirts our guests have had made in We love these T-shirts our guests have had made in preparation for their October trip on Blue Otter Skipton. We understand your excitement!
#traveltshirts #blueotter #otterlybrilliant #otterlove #otters #narrowboatholidays #blueotterboats
September and October cruising dates available on September and October cruising dates available on Blue Otter Wootton Wawen. Blue Otter Skipton is fully booked for cruising this year. Explore the Stratford Canal and beyond, immerse yourself in Shakespeare's world. #stratfordcanal #canalholidays #narrowboatlife #narrowboatholiday #slowtravel #selfcateringaccommodation #privatecharter #luxurynarrowboat #blueotterboats #blueotterwoottonwawen #staycation #englishholiday
September and October cruising dates available on September and October cruising dates available on Blue Otter Wootton Wawen. Blue Otter Skipton is fully booked for cruising this year. Explore the Stratford Canal and beyond, immerse yourself in Shakespeare's world. #stratfordcanal #canalholidays #narrowboatlife #narrowboatholiday #slowtravel #selfcateringaccommodation #privatecharter #luxurynarrowboat #blueotterboats #blueotterwoottonwawen #staycation #englishholiday
September and October cruising dates available on September and October cruising dates available on Blue Otter Wootton Wawen. Blue Otter Skipton is fully booked for cruising this year. Explore the Stratford Canal and beyond, immerse yourself in Shakespeare's world. #stratfordcanal #canalholidays #narrowboatlife #narrowboatholiday #slowtravel #selfcateringaccommodation #privatecharter #luxurynarrowboat #blueotterboats #blueotterwoottonwawen #staycation #englishholiday
September and October cruising dates available on September and October cruising dates available on Blue Otter Wootton Wawen. Blue Otter Skipton is fully booked for cruising this year. Explore the Stratford Canal and beyond, immerse yourself in Shakespeare's world. #stratfordcanal #canalholidays #narrowboatlife #narrowboatholiday #slowtravel #selfcateringaccommodation #privatecharter #luxurynarrowboat #blueotterboats #blueotterwoottonwawen #staycation #englishholiday
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