Blog

When planning a canal boat holiday, it may feel like that there are so many things to see and do. You’ll come across many cities, marvellous engineering, canal wonders, historic sites as well as beautiful wildlife. If you are not quite sure where to start when planning your canal holiday, we can provide you with the ultimate canal holiday bucket list. Through this guide, we recommend some of the...

The Anderton Boat Lift, which is Britain’s first boat lift and a well-known and loved canal attraction, is gearing up to celebrate its 20th anniversary on Saturday 26 March, 2022. The anniversary kick starts with two winter works public open days on the weekend of 26th – 27th February, 2022, where engineers from the Trust will highlight the constant challenges that keeping the lift in working ord...

When embarking on your waterway adventure, you may hope to see some impressive aqueducts along the way. Seeing these remarkable sights of engineering are most likely to take your breath away, and are a great reason to travel along some of routes to see them. Through this guide, we will be exploring the biggest aqueducts in the UK – and perhaps you can plan to see these feats on your next adventur...

Fancy a trip out on the waterways, but perhaps you’re not too keen on staying the night on a narrowboat? A canal boat day trip is the perfect option for you. Combining the benefits of canal boat holidays with the flexibility of returning back to your own home at the end of the day, day boat trips make for a special day out with loved ones – and are perfect for a special occasion. ABC Day Boat Hir...

If you are a keen bird spotter, chances are canal boat holidays are the perfect choice for you. Exploring the canals gives you a great opportunity to delve into the scenic UK wildlife and see new sights. In our helpful guide, we will be discussing the best ways you can bird spot on the canals and all the UK canal birds you can potentially see on your adventures! Things you will need to go bird sp...

Each year at ABC Boat Hire, we attend a number of boating events across the UK to let our customers and potential canal boaters know about the fantastic benefits of booking a boating holiday with us. Are you considering your next, or your first, canal boat holiday? Make sure you visit us at one of the boating events in 2022 with help from this handy guide. Visit us at boating events this year Bo...

The Venice canal district is a historic canal district, renowned for its beauty. Known as the city of romance, many people dream to visit this scenic city and sail on a beautiful gondola. The Centro Storico of Venice is made up of islets and canals, forming one large island. Venice is divided into six districts named the Sestieri… The Grand Canal – Venice The Grand Canal is also referred to as t...

Man-made waterways have long been central to many communities throughout history. Whether they are being used for trade, flood control, irrigation, transport or tourism – some impressive canals have been built all over the world. In our blog, we explore the origins of the largest man-made canals in the world… Grand Canal – China This impressive canal is 1,800 km in length and is considered the w...

When you think of the Black Country canals, you most likely will have an image of a smokey industrial landscape, you may even picture a gang of peaky blinders roaming around the coal-stained canal side. The canals, which used to be hubs for bustling industry and trade, have now become sceneries of wildlife and tranquility. Have you ever wondered, how exactly this transformation even happened? Read...

On our Stratford routes, you can cruise through the heart of England, and experience the rich cultural history of our isles. It’s no wonder why Stratford-Upon-Avon attracts so many visitors each year, as there is an abundance of beautiful scenery and marvellous industrial architecture to enjoy. Those who want to relax and unwind will also be pleased, as there is plenty of options for pub lovers....