Planning your canal holiday cruise route

Canal Holiday Cruise routes

There are over 2000 miles of inland waterways to enjoy a canal holiday cruise in England, varying in character wherever they lie. Rose Narrowboats' fleet is based at the heart of this network of waterways, giving you a generous choice of canal holiday routes to canal cruise and places to see.


A one or two week canal holiday cruise will allow you to travel quite a distance, either as an out-and-back trip or travelling a "Ring". Out-and-back means that you can take your time doing whatever you want to do as long as you allow enough time to get back again (the scenery always looks different coming back the other way), whereas travelling a Ring means you have to be more watchful of your timing. But of course you will have fresh views all the way.


Experience has shown that certain routes are more feasible than others and some require two or three weeks to complete. We describe recommended canal holiday routes on other pages, see the links on the right. Much fuller details of these routes, as well as possible longer routes, can be found in the excellent guides which you can select from the list to the right. - and order them on the Booking Form.

Short Breaks - see routes and boats

One week routes
Grand Union to Warwick
Ashby Canal & Oxford Canal
Grand Union Canal to Leighton Buzzard
South Oxford Canal to Banbury
Trent & Mersey Canal and Coventry Canal to Great Haywood or Burton-on-Trent
Grand Union Canal to Market Harborough

One - two week routes
The Warwickshire Ring
Stratford-on-Avon Canal
The Birmingham Ring
The Leicester Loop

Two week routes
The Avon Ring
The South Oxford Canal & The River Thames

Three week route
The Grand Ring
Routes Map

GENERAL MAPS
Nicholson’s Ordnance Survey Inland Waterways of Great Britain £9.49
GEO Projects Inland Waterways of Britain £6.45






Prices are subject to change and charged at a lower price if applicable. We hold a wide stock of other books, maps and guides, as well as gifts and souvenirs and can usually send these by return post.

Prices include postage within the United Kingdom, but please allow up to £4.00 per map or guide for postage overseas.

PEARSON’S CANAL COMPANIONS, - £11.25
detailed and informative
Four Counties Ring
Cheshire Ring - including Wigan - Rufford Arm plus River Weaver
Welsh Waters
South Midlands and Warwickshire Ring, Ashby
Severn and Avon
Oxford Canal and Grand Union Leicester to London - (incl. River Nene)
Pennine Waters
Stourport Ring and Birmingham Canals

GEO PROJECTS MAPS, folded single sheets - £6.45
Oxford Canal
River Thames
Grand Union 1 Birmingham to Fenny Stratford
Grand Union 2 Braunston to Kings Langley
Grand Union 3 Fenny Stratford to the Thames
Grand Union 4 Leicester, Soar, Erewash
Birmingham Canal Navigations
Llangollen, Montgomery
Shropshire Union
Coventry - Ashby
Trent and Mersey

NICHOLSON’S ORDNANCE SURVEY GUIDES - £11.45
No. 1 London, Grand Union, Oxford and Leicester
No. 2 Severn, Avon and Birmingham
No. 3 Birmingham and the Heart of England
No.4 Four Counties and the Welsh Canals
No.5 North Wales and the Pennines
No.6 Nottingham, York and the North East
No.7 Thames, Wey, Kennet and Avon