River and Canalboat Holidays in Britain

There are few better ways to enjoy in the scenery of Great Britain than from the network of waterways that formerly served as the arteries of the country. For more than a century and prior to the invention of the steam locomotive, Great Britain relied upon canals to move its goods and raw materials about the country. The United Kingdom is literally criss-crossed by interconnected canals and rivers, offering tranquil highways to rural towns, green countryside and historic old ports. Historic British canal traffic was commercial and towed on flat-bottomed, narrow boats that by a horse or mule. Today, the canals have been re-developed and are now the avenues for motorized houseboats.

Most of the canals run through the English Midlands and Wales, in an area bounded by London, Bristol, Lancaster, Ripon, Liverpool and Goole. Scotland also has canals, connecting the Scottish lochs together or bridging the Irish and North Seas. The boats that ply these waterways range from cozy houseboats with one or two cabins to stacked, multi-level mini-hotels.

Travel is smooth and quiet over placid waters, avoiding completely the headaches of driving a rental car or the jostling of a bus or train. Rented houseboats can even bring along bicycles or motorbikes, making it a simple matter to moor the boat at a desired spot and explore the surrounding villages and countryside.

Of course, a journey through the waterways and countryside of Britain is full of wildlife. Badgers and prancing foxes may be seen in the countryside, of fluttering bats from an old canal-side relic. Of course, the canals are inhabited by waterfowl.

Britain by a canal-based houseboat is a wholly different experience from the typical holiday in the United Kingdom. It isn't busy, cosmopolitan London, but nor is it staying in one place in the charming, rustic British countryside. Instead, it is exploring the latter countryside by taking your lodgings with you, everywhere you go. Finding a better way to truly relax and unwind while seeing much of Britain would be a tall order to fill.

Sources: hoseasons.co.uk/V3/WebPages/EUBoat/HomePage.aspx; personal experience