Britain's 3,000 miles of navigable canals and rivers wind through some of the nation's best-loved countryside, including beautiful stretches of woodland and tree-lined embankments.

Drifters boating holidays (drifters.co.uk) offers over 500 boats for hire from 40 locations across England, Scotland and Wales. Autumn 2026 hire prices start at £713 for a short break (three or four nights) on a boat for up to four people. Tuition is included.

Drifters has published a guide to the top six leafy canals to cruise along this autumn:

1. The Trent & Mersey Canal in Staffordshire

On a short break from Great Haywood on the Trent & Mersey Canal near Stafford, boaters can cruise to Fradley Pool Nature Reserve. The journey passes alongside Cannock Chase Forest and Wolseley Park. At Fradley there are places to moor up to explore the woodland trail at Fradley Pool Nature Reserve. Canalside pubs to stop off at include the Wolseley Arms at Wolseley Bridge, the Ash Tree at Rugeley and the Swan Inn at Fradley. The journey to Fradley and back travels 25 miles, passes through 10 locks and takes around 12 hours.

***The 65ft 'Curzon' narrowboat for up to 4 people is available for a weekend break from Great Haywood 9-12 October 2026 for £1,160. Price includes boat hire, gas, car parking, tuition on arrival, buoyancy aids, bed linen towels and first pet. There's a compulsory £50 damage waiver and a £70 fuel deposit is taken for short breaks (three or four nights). Charge based on use, circa £10-15 per day. 

2. The Calder & Hebble Navigation in West Yorkshire

On a short break from Sowerby Bridge, canal boat holiday-markers can cruise along the leafy Calder & Hebble Navigation to Shepley Bridge. The route takes boaters through wooded valleys and the historic towns of Elland and Brighouse.  The journey to Shepley Bridge and back travels 22 miles, passes through 32 locks (16 each way) and takes around 16 hours.

***The 56ft 'Buckingham' narrowboat for up to four people is currently available from Sowerby Bridge for a midweek break 21-25 September 2026 for £1,295. Price includes damage waiver, comprehensive instruction, fuel, gas, parking, buoyancy aids, first pet and bed linen. Second pet is charged at £25.

3. The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal in Warwickshire

On a short break from Wootton Wawen on the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal deep in the Warwickshire countryside, boaters can cruise to Hatton Locks. The route travels through the remains of the Forest of Arden, passing the canalside Fleur de Lys pub at Lowsonford. At the village of Lapworth boaters transfer onto the Grand Union Canal, passing the Tom o'the Wood pub at Rowington. Soon after there are places to moor up to see visit the Hatton flight of 21 locks, Hatton Arms pub and Hatton Locks Café. The journey to Hatton Locks and back cruises 21 miles, passing through 34 locks (17 each way) and takes around 14 hours.

***The 66ft 'Poppy' narrowboat for up to 4 people is available for a mid-week break from Wootton Wawen 26-30 October 2026 for £1,260. Price includes boat hire, gas, car parking, tuition on arrival, buoyancy aids, bed linen towels and first pet. There's a compulsory £50 damage waiver and a £70 fuel deposit is taken for short breaks (three or four nights). Charge based on use, circa £10-15 per day. 

4. The Shropshire Union Canal in Staffordshire

From Brewood on the Shropshire Union Canal in Staffordshire, it takes around 10 hours to reach the historic market town of Market Drayton, home of the gingerbread man. The journey travels through 21 miles of scenic countryside, with wooded sections and a series of deep and atmospheric canal cuttings, full of trees and vegetation. There are villages with canalside pubs to visit along the way, including the Boat Inn at Gnosall Heath and Junction Inn at Norbury Wharf. With just six locks each way, this four-night route is great for beginners.

***The 60ft 'Sir Bruin' narrowboat for up to six people is available for a four-night mid-week break from Brewood 28 September to 2 October 2026 for £792. Price includes boat hire, damage waiver, fuel, gas, parking, tuition, buoyancy aids, bed linen, towels and pets.

5. The Kennet & Avon Canal in Wiltshire

On a short break from Bradford on Avon, boaters can cruise through the beautiful Bath Valley to Sydney Gardens on the edge of Bath. The route goes through Bradford on Avon Lock and then along a wooded stretch of canal. There are two magnificent Bath stone aqueducts to cross at Avoncliff and Dundas, with stunning views of the surrounding countryside. The canal winds through the villages of Limpley Stoke, Bathampton and Claverton. At Sydney Gardens, boaters can moor up and walk into Bath City Centre in about 15 minutes. The journey to Sydney Gardens and back travels 20 miles, passes through two locks (one each way) and takes around eight hours.

***The 65ft 'Hamilton' narrowboat for up to six people is available for a weekend break from Bradford on Avon 9-12 October 2026 for £1,260. Price includes boat hire, gas, car parking, tuition on arrival, buoyancy aids, bed linen towels and first pet. There's a compulsory £50 damage waiver and a £70 fuel deposit is taken for short breaks (three or four nights). Charge based on use, circa £10-15 per day. 

6. The Llangollen Canal in North Wales

From Chirk on the Llangollen Canal in North Wales, hire boaters can cruise to the historic market town of Llangollen on the edge of the Berwyn Mountains. The route travels the 11-mile section of the Llangollen Canal designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, including the magnificent Pontcysyllte Aqueduct.  Standing at 38 metres high, canal boat holiday-makers experience incredible views of the leafy Dee Valley below. At Llangollen, boaters can moor up in Llangollen Basin to enjoy visiting the town's independent shops, pubs and restaurants, as well as its Steam Railway, Castel Dinas Bran and Horseshoe Falls. The journey from Chirk to Llangollen and back travels 14 miles and takes around eight hours.

***The 52ft 'Princess' narrowboat for up to six people is available to hire from Drifters' base at Chirk for a weekend break 16-19 October 2026 for £1,050.  Price includes damage waiver, tuition, Wifi, gas, bedlinen, towels, car parking and first pet. Fuel is extra, charged depending on use, circa £15 per day. Second pet is charged at £30.

For more information about Drifters boating holidays call 0344 984 0322 or visit www.drifters.co.uk. 

For information about visiting the canal network go to www.canalrivertrust.org.uk

ENDS

For Drifters press enquiries & images, contact Debbie Walker T 077486 40577 walker.debbie@sky.com 

Notes to editors

Drifters is made up of 10 hire boat companies: ABC Boat Hire, Anglo Welsh, Black Prince, Countrywide Cruisers, Foxhangers, Grand Union Narrowboats, Kate Boats, Napton Narrowboats, Shire Cruisers and Union Canal Carriers.  Between them they offer over 500 boats for hire, operating from 40 bases across England, Scotland and Wales. 2026 hire prices start at £713 for a short break, £980 for a week on a boat for up to four people. Narrowboats range from 32ft to 70ft and can accommodate up to 12 people.  Drifters also offers day boat hire from 19 bases across England and Wales.