Route descriptions 2009                    See our 2008 Cruises
Cruise 1. Barnoldswick-Liverpool. April 1st - 8th. 83 Miles, 53 Locks. Canals - Leeds & Liverpool. Station - Colne or Skipton. Leaving our home base of Barnoldswick we will cruise westwards along the Leeds and Liverpool canal, passing through beautiful Lancashire countryside and the industrial towns of East Lancashire, into West Lancashire and Merseyside. The new Liverpool link is expected to be open and we hope to cruise through the docklands of Liverpool to moor near the city centre.
Cruise 2 . Liverpool - Marple. April 8th -15th. 70 Miles, 57 Locks. Canals - Leeds & Liverpool, Bridgewater, Ashton, Peak Forest. Station - Liverpool. We will retrace our steps to Wigan, there we will turn on to the Leigh branch to join the Bridgewater canal at Leigh. Worsley the birthplace of modern canals is always one of our favourite overnight moorings. Travelling into Manchester we will climb the Rochdale 9 locks before joining the Ashton canal. At Portland basin the home of a fascinating museum we join the Lower Peak forest canal ascending the 16 narrow locks of this lovely canal to Marple where the cruise will end.
Cruise 3. Marple - Rugeley. April 15th - 22nd. 68 Miles, 33 Locks. Canals - Peak Forest, Macclesfield, Trent & Mersey. Station - Marple. Leaving Marple, we will cruise towards Whaley Bridge with time to visit the fascinating Bugsworth basin, a must for any canal or industrial history enthusiast. We will then retrace our steps to Marple, turning onto the Macclesfield canal. Cruising this beautiful canal to Hardings Wood Junction where we join the Trent and Mersey canal. Heading south through Harecastle tunnel, Stoke and Stone to Rugeley where this cruise will end.
Cruise 4. Rugeley - Coventry. April 22nd - 29th. 85 Miles, 16 Locks. Canals - Trent & Mersey, Coventry, Ashby. Station - Rugeley. Leaving Rugeley we will cruise towards Fradley Junction to join the Coventry canal, we will moor at Whittington where a stone marks what was the boundary of the Coventry and the Birmingham and Fazeley canal. The rural and interesting Ashby canal is visited during this cruise, with a chance to visit Bosworth Field, site of a decisive battle in English history. Returning to the Coventry canal we will cruise into Coventry the cruise ends in Coventry Basin near the statue of James Brindley.
Cruise 5. Coventry - Oxford. April 29th - May6th. 80 Miles, 44 Locks. Canals - Coventry, Oxford, River Thames. Station- Coventry. Leaving Coventry behind us we will cruise to Hawkesbury Junction, known as Sutton stop, here we will join the North Oxford canal and cruise towards Rugby,then to Braunston Turn where we will continue on the Oxford canal to Napton. Descending the flight of locks to the winding summit of the canal. The cruise continues through Cropredy, Banbury and Thrupp and into Oxford. At Isis lock we will turn onto the mighty river Thames to moor at Osney.
Cruise 6. Oxford - Kingston . May 6th - 13th. 89 Miles, 33 Locks. Canals- River Thames. Station - Oxford. With time to explore the city of dreaming spires, we will then leave our mooring and cruise the majestic river passing through the beautiful riverside towns of Abingdon, Marlow, Henley and Windsor with time to explore. We will cruise past Hampton Court before concluding the cruise at Kingston on Thames.
Cruise 7. Kingston - Odiham. (5 night short break). May 13th - 18th. 45 Miles, 35 Locks. Canals - River Thames, Wey & Godalming Navigation,Basingstoke. Station - Kingston. Retracing our steps past Hampton Court, we join the Wey and Godalming Navigation near Weybridge. A short cruise on this waterway takes us to the junction with the Basingstoke canal. We will turn onto the canal and cruise it to the current end of navigation near Odiham. The cruise will end at Odiham. Subject to canal being open.
Cruise 8. Odiham - Chertsey. May 20th - 27th. 67 Miles, 55 Locks. Canals- Basingstoke, Wey & Godalming, River Thames. Station - Basingstoke. We will cruise back along the Basingstoke canal, then turn onto the Wey and Godalming navigation. We will cruise this lovely river navigation to Godalming and then back to rejoin the Thames. The cruise will end at Chertsey.
Cruise 9. Chertsey - Hungerford. May 27th - June 3rd. 72 Miles, 42 Locks. Canals - River Thames, Kennet and Avon. Station - Chertsey. Cruising the Majestic Thames through Windsor with time to visit , Henley and Marlow we will turn onto the Kennet and Avon canal at Reading. This fascinating canal passes through some lovely countryside. We will visit Newbury and the cruise will end in Hungerford.
Cruise 10. Hungerford - Bristol. June 3rd - 10th. 67 Miles, 76 Locks. Canals - Kennet and Avon, River Avon. Station - Hungerford. Leaving Hungerford we continue along the Kennet & Avon canal, descending the fantastic flight of locks at Devizes, overnight moorings include Dundas and Bath before we cruise the river Avon into Bristol. This cruise is subject to tide times and might be amended if necessary.
Cruise 11. Bristol - Hungerford. June 10th - 17th. 67 Miles, 76 Locks. Canals - River Avon, Kennet and Avon. Station - Bristol. A Reverse of Cruise 10 This cruise is subject to tide times and might be amended if necessary.
Cruise 12. Hungerford - Kingston. June 17th - 24th. 83 Miles, 45 Locks. Canals - Kennet and Avon, River Thames. Station - Hungerford. A reverse of cruise 9 but continuing beyond Chertsey passing Hampton Court to moor at Kingston upon Thames where this cruise will end.
Cruise 13. Kingston - Ware. ( 6 nights). June 25th -July 1st. 64 Miles, 39 Locks. Canals -Thames, Grand Union, Regents,Lee & Stort. Station - Kingston We will begin cruising the tidal Thames from Teddington to Brentford, joining the Grand Union canal there. At Bulls Bridge we will turn onto the Paddington branch and cruise towards Little Venice, mooring overnight in the heart of London. The Regents canal will take us through Regents Park and Camden Town to Victoria Park, the first public park in the world. There we will turn onto the Hertford Union Canal also known as Duckets Cut. The three locks of this short canal take us to the River Lee. There we will cruise to Ware , with the lovely waterside Victorian Gazebos, where this cruise will end. This cruise is subject to tide times and might be amended if necessary.
Cruise 14. Ware - Paddington . July 1st -8th. 85 Miles, 56 Locks. Canals - Lee & Stort, River Thames. Station - Ware We will cruise the rivers Lee and Stort, calling at Hertford and Bishops Stortford, before retracing our steps to the junction of Duckets Cut. There we will carry on down Limehouse Cut to the basin. Cruising the tidal Thames through London to Brentford. There we will retrace our steps to Paddington Basin where this cruise will end. This cruise is subject to tide times and might be amended if necessary.
Cruise 15. Paddington - Aylesbury. July 8th - 15th. 51 Miles, 70 Locks. Canals - Grand Union. Station - Paddington. We will cruise the Paddington Arm back to Bulls Bridge, this is an interesting route passing through the outskirts of London. At the Junction we will head northwards along the Grand Union canal. This is one of our favourite routes, as we cruise Tring summit to Marsworth, there we will join the Aylesbury arm, and descend the 16 narrow locks to moor in Aylesbury basin where this cruise will end.
Cruises 16 - 29
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