The Midland’s Waterways

Sail off on your canal boat voyage of discovery along the lost and winding Midlands waterways. Here in the 'Heart of England' you can cruise through miles of unspoilt countryside with only the wind and the wildlife for company or travel secretly through historic towns, where old wharves and warehouses stand in mute testimony to the canal's busy past. There are many 'flights' of locks including famous Hatton (21 locks) and Tardebigge (30) where all the crew can experience the satisfaction of successful teamwork, and when the day is done there is always a canalside pub to moor up by where you can meet the locals and enjoy a quiet 'pint' or some homely 'pub grub'!

Nation-wide, there are over 2,000 miles of canals and navigable rivers available for cruising, many of them within the 'Midlands' area. You can explore all the Midlands waterways from our country base near Rugby, some within a weeks cruise, others, including several 'ring' routes, need two weeks. In fact, there are so many possibilities that groups return to Willow Wren year after year to continue their exploration! On the pages that follow we have given a brief description of some of the more popular routes, with a note of mileage, locks, tunnels and approximate cruising time. We'll leave it to you to discover the pubs!

There are many permutations of routes available from our base on the North Oxford Canal, some longer than others, some with lots of locks, some with virtually none. Ultimately the distance travelled depends on you and your crew and if you don’t make it all the way round it doesn’t matter – just turn around half way through your holiday and head back! These descriptions are for our more popular one or two week trips which can be accomplished by an able crew travelling between 7 and 12 hours per day. See our price list for take over and return times.

One Week Cruises

Towards Oxford
85 miles 58 locks 47 hours cruising.
One of the prettiest waterways in England, the 'Oxford' meanders gently south from Rugby through open farmland to Braunston. Turn right here onto the wider Grand Union for the next 5 miles to join the narrow Southern Oxford Canal at Napton Junction. Ascending Napton Locks, with views of the village and its windmill atop Napton Hill, leads onto the eleven mile summit 'pound' which meanders dreamily through the hills to Claydon where the descent to Oxford begins. South bound the waterway takes up a course which closely follows the River Cherwell, meandering through the pastures to Cropredy, a stone-built village with thatched cottages, church and two pubs. Not far now to Banbury where there are plenty of shops to re-stock the larder for the homeward journey! If there's time, press on south through the idyllic Cherwell valley, passing the elegant spire of Kings Sutton church to turn around at Aynho Wharf which is the point to which the journey times and distances given above refer.

Market Harborough Bound
68 miles 54 locks 6 tunnels 40 hours cruising.
A slightly more relaxed week which starts once again with the 4 hour run to Braunston. This time bear left to Braunston Locks. Ascend the 'flight' (as multiple locks are called) of six wide locks and through the long (2049 old-fashioned yards!) Braunston Tunnel to arrive at Norton Junction. Here turn left onto the 'Leicester', a narrow waterway renowned for its lost and winding course and unique 'staircase' locks. At Watford is the first such flight which is 'keeper controlled' so don't worry if you can't understand the operating instructions! From here there are 22 miles of isolated, peaceful, wonderful waterway with lovely villages to explore and stone-built pubs to provide refreshment. Two more long tunnels follow before reaching the famous ten lock 'staircase' at Foxton with the remains of the old inclined plane alongside. Below the locks turn right for the last 6 miles to Market Harborough, for re-provisioning before the return journey.

Stoke Bruerne and Beyond
72 miles 46 locks 4 tunnels 40 hours cruising.
One of the goals on this run is the Waterways Museum at Stoke Bruerne. Allow half a day to see this fascinating collection of waterway artefacts housed in a 200 year old warehouse. Take another half day (perhaps on the return journey?) to explore the village and the Boat Inn where you can try your hand at Northamptonshire skittles! There are two tunnels, one at Braunston and the longest one in England at Blisworth (3056 yds. and quite wet!) Rolling Northamptonshire countryside accompanies this wide waterway the whole way. There are no towns, just sleepy villages like Cosgrove, beyond which is the old iron trough aqueduct carrying the canal over the River Ouse to our turn round point at Wolverton.

Warwickshire Ring
103 miles 119 locks 5 tunnels 60 hours cruising.
An energetic weeks cruise and our only one-week 'ring'. The route is a mixture of rural and industrial landscapes with many impressive flights of locks to keep all the crew busy! Most boaters go around in a clockwise direction, heading first into Birmingham, tackling the majority of the locks earlier in the week when energy levels are still high! The Grand Union passes through Warwick, with its famous castle, to Kingswood Junction where a left turn onto the North Stratford starts the run into Birmingham. On the way visit 'Cadbury's World' at Bournville or the Science Museum in Birmingham before heading back into the country on the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal. Drayton Manor Theme Park is located just before the turn onto the Coventry Canal and at Hawkesbury Junction you could detour into the City to see the famous cathedral before completing the ring back to Rugby. Although this trip is possible in a week, there may not be time to visit all the places named - for that you would need a ten day break - details on request!

Shakespeare Country
97 miles 170 locks 2 tunnels 63 hours cruising.
A very busy week but worth it for the glorious Warwickshire countryside and the mooring in beautiful Bancroft basin opposite The Shakespeare Memorial Theatre at Stratford upon Avon. The South Stratford Canal is only thirteen miles long but needs thirty five narrow locks to climb out of the Avon valley! Its passage through the Forest of Arden is entirely rural, punctuated with neat, well-kept villages and excellent pubs. The quiet Warwickshire Grand Union joins at Kingswood Junction on its way from Birmingham and almost immediately plunges down twenty three locks to cross the Avon on an aqueduct at Warwick, only to climb up the other side of the valley through another twenty three to Napton Junction and the home run back to Rugby via Braunston

Two Week Cruises

The Leicester Ring
157 miles 102 locks 5 tunnels 75 hours cruising.
Quite a leisurely two weeks spent cruising rivers as well as canals. Start off 'Market Harborough bound' but carry straight on at the bottom of Foxton Locks towards Leicester. Here the River Soar joins the canal, meandering through Loughboro' and Barrow on Soar to Redhill Lock where it joins the mighty River Trent. The sudden transition here between relatively narrow to very wide river is quite stunning! A short upstream cruise along the River Trent follows before the start of the Trent & Mersey Canal at Shardlow where, it is recommended, time should be spent in the Malt Shovel Inn! At Burton on Trent, centre for centuries of our brewing industry, the locks change from broad to narrow, and near Marston's Brewery stands The Bridge Inn, serving a fine pint of 'Pedigree'. The idyllic passage that follows leads to Fradley Junction where the Coventry Canal turns off through Hopwas Woods, Fazeley and Atherstone to join the North Oxford at Hawkesbury Turn. The remaining journey back to Rugby is through quiet cuttings and peaceful meadows.

Staffordshire & Worcestershire Ring
(Via Wolverhampton & Birmingham) 148 miles 122 locks 5 tunnels 90 hours cruising
(Via Worcester) 190 miles 192 locks 9 tunnels 125 hours cruising.
There are two main ways of doing this trip. Going via Birmingham gives more time for visits. See the Black Country Museum at Dudley or visit Birmingham's Science Museum. Take time to visit 'Cadbury's World' at Bournville or tour famous Warwick Castle. Go via Worcester and you will REALLY be boating! Both cruises take the same route as far as Aldersley Junction. Start up the North Oxford to Hawkesbury, then the countryside and townscapes of the Coventry Canal lead to Fradley Junction (don't forget to visit the 'Swan'). Here the Trent & Mersey takes over as far as pretty Great Haywood where the Staffs. & Worcs. Canal leads through Tixall 'wide' and Penkridge to Aldersley. 'Worcester Bounders' should now refer below. 'Birmingham Bounders' turn left and ascend the 'hampton 21' to join the 'B.C.N. and travel to Gas Street, Birmingham. From here take the Worcs. & Birmingham out of the city to where the return route to Rugby follows the description below from Kings Norton.

'Worcester Bounders' carry straight on at Aldersley for the idyllic journey through the sandstone Stour Valley to Stourport. Here the mighty River Severn leads downstream to Worcester and Diglis Basin where the long hard climb up the Worcs. & Birmingham begins. Fifty eight locks and three tunnels later the weary 'canaller' arrives at Kings Norton Junction. Here the rural North Stratford leads off through open country to Lapworth and the 18 locks there descend to the Grand Union at Kingswood Junction and the run back to Rugby described in the 'Shakespeare Country' cruise.