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Lifestyle

    Fall in love with the heritage and tradition of English Canals

    By CEO / 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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Merry is the month of May . . . #wildgarlic #blueb Merry is the month of May
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#wildgarlic #bluebells #yellowlily #canalholidays #blueotterboats #blueotterskipton #leedsliverpoolcanal #may #summerholidays #canalholiday #changingseasons #yorkshire #canal #nature
A gorgeous towpath walk from Slaithwaite to @stand A gorgeous towpath walk from Slaithwaite to @standedge_tunnel  in #Yorkshire. One day we’ll make it there with Blue Otter Skipton. 

Sadly the locks along the Huddersfield Narrow Canal are notoriously difficult and require more maintenance - @canalrivertrust please look at this for the boaters. It’s losing the heritage and much-needed tourism potential for towns such as Marsden and Slaithwaite. More boaters would go if the locks weren’t so dammed hard to operate. 

The visitor centre at Standedge Tunnel is well-worth a trip and a lovely setting for the cafe.
Cruising with a cuppa. What’s your brew? Who’ Cruising with a cuppa. 
What’s your brew? Who’s your boat matey?
#narrowboat #narrowboatlife #canalholidays #blueotterboats #bespokenarrowboatholidays
Wishing you a Happy Easter. Wishing you a Happy Easter.
Liz and Ben did a test cruise to Kildwick and back Liz and Ben did a test cruise to Kildwick and back...Blue Otter Skipton is all ready to begin welcoming guests this weekend in Yorkshire. 

The first couple are from Colchester, Essex, cruising for two weeks heading East along the Leeds Liverpool Canal. 

England's longest canal at 127 miles, traversing East from Skipton takes you down the Bingley Five Rise, through the UNESCO town of Saltaire, on to Leeds and along the Calder & Hebble navigation.

Some availability still on our Warwickshire and Yorkshire boats this year, click here to explore and book your narrow boat holiday https://blueotterboats.com/
#narrowboatholiday #blueotterskipton #canalholiday #leedsliverpoolcanal #skipton #kildwick #Yorkshire #selfdrive #privatecruise #privatecharter
* You're welcome! * It’s the beginning of #Eng * You're welcome! *

It’s the beginning of #EnglishTourismWeek22 with @visitbritainofficial and we're celebrating the culture of our 2,000 mile network of canals, maintained by @canalrivertrust 

Explore our website www.blueotterboats.com and to book you'll be redirected to our agent @hoseasons where you can plan with peace of mind that your booking is protected and secure.
#canalholiday #canalsofengland #blueotterboats
Join Robbie Cumming on his canal journey from Wiga Join Robbie Cumming on his canal journey from Wigan to Ripon in the third series of Robbie Cumming’s Canal boat voyages 

Available to watch from today on BBC iPlayer  and BBC 4 📺
#canalholiday #leedsliverpoolcanal
A Sunday excursion to @foxton_canal_museum and Fox A Sunday excursion to @foxton_canal_museum and Foxton Locks…and we spotted an otter!
#canallife #leicestershire #marketharborough #foxtonlocks @canalrivertrust
For our guests in Skipton arriving back or departi For our guests in Skipton arriving back or departing on the 1st & 3rd Sundays of the month, The Boat House Bar is the place to enjoy some live music. 

The sessions begin at 2pm. You never know who will turn up, which instruments will be played and all are welcome to join in!

If you are cruising with us and play an instrument, you would receive a warm welcome from the local musicians. 

#canalculture #livemusic #skipton #folkmusic #blueotterskipton
Keeping busy in the winter months, with no cruisin Keeping busy in the winter months, with no cruising Ben from Blue Otter Skipton has painted a few items that are now for sale. 

If you have an item you’d like decorated, or a canal scene photograph you’d like painted on a piece of wood, a pot, bucket or scuttle, get in touch and we’ll have a chat. 
#canalart #bespokepainting #acryllicpainting #yorkshire #leedsliverpoolcanal #benhopkinsartist #blueotterskipton #localartist #canalpainting
Easter, Father’s Day, Royal Jubilee, birthday… Easter, Father’s Day, Royal Jubilee, birthday…or just because…there’s always a good time to cruise. 
#celebration #canalholidays #staycation #narrowboatholidays
Wishing our past and future guests, followers and Wishing our past and future guests, followers and friends and very Merry Christmas. 

From a flurry of Christmas Eve bookings for holidays next summer, we know who’s been naughty or nice! 🧑‍🎄🎄😊

#christmas #holiday #presents #narrowboatholiday #blueotterboats
In Skipton we start the static stay season next we In Skipton we start the static stay season next week, and our guests enjoy dining in the numerous restaurants in town. Today’s pumpkin and fennel soup at @elsworthkitchen is definitely a treat of the season. 
#Skipton #staticstaysaway #canalboatlife #yorkshire
Wonderful to host @ian_h_ohfortunate1 and @rosemar Wonderful to host @ian_h_ohfortunate1 and @rosemarythewitt again on Blue Otter Skipton, this time cruising to the centre of Leeds. 
Thanks for lovely feedback, guys, and to hear how we’re just an extension of your living room, a home away from home. 
#blueottersboats #leeds #leedsliverpoolcanal #narrowboating #narrowboathire
Waking up to an Autumn morning in #skipton #narrow Waking up to an Autumn morning in #skipton #narrowboatlife #narrowboatholiday #canalboat #canalboathire #blueotterboats
“What a week” is a frequent comment in our gue “What a week” is a frequent comment in our guest reviews
#blueotterboats #guestreviews #canalholidays #narrowboating
Autumn cruising...last minute availability until e Autumn cruising...last minute availability until end of October on Blue Otter Wootton Wawen. Blue Otter Skipton is fully booked for 2021.

Bookings open on both boats for cruising in 2022.
#narrowboat #canalboatsofinstagram #canalholidays #autumn #cruising #canalsofengland #canalsofinstagram #blueotterboats
"Didn't fully know where we were going! Thoroughly "Didn't fully know where we were going! Thoroughly enjoyed the trip, lovely countryside and some fabulous pubs"

Trip descripton from our latest guests on Blue Otter Wootton Wawen for a week in September.

Check out our last minute cruising availability until end of October: https://lnkd.in/dSGTmQmF
 #Canalholiday #Warwickshire #Narrowboating #blueotterboats
Scenes you don’t see from a road. #lifesbetterb Scenes you don’t see from a road. 
#lifesbetterbywater #canallife #narrowboating #waterways #canalholidays #travel #england #canalsofengland #lifeonwater #narrowboathire
More from our towpath tour around Stoke Bruerne # More from our towpath tour around Stoke Bruerne 
#canalheritage #narrowboatlife #canalculture @canalrivertrust
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