Cruise No. 1: Warwick to Brewood. 5th April to 12th April (7 nights)
47 miles, 64 locks, 5 tunnels, 1 aqueduct. Nearest railway station: Warwick

There could be no more exhilarating start to our cruise than ascending the magnificent flight of locks at Hatton. There are some fine views of the locks stringing uphill ahead of us, and we look back on Warwick from the top of the hill with a definite sense of satisfaction. Leafy cuttings take us to Shrewley tunnel, with its separate little tunnel beside it for the towpath to pass through. At Kingswood Junction, we turn sharp left and leave the Grand Union canal for the picturesque Stratford canal. This ascends by way of several flights of narrow locks to Hockley Heath and then on to Kings Norton, with its unique old guillotine lock. Here we swing the boats right towards Birmingham. We arrive in Britain's second city quite secretly, and see how the canalside has been modernised and tidied out of all recognition from its former industrial days. We pass the famous Gas Street basin, with its fine collection of traditional narrow boats, then head out on the Main Line of the Birmingham canals towards Wolverhampton. The canals of Birmingham once outnumbered those of Venice, and we shall see many glimpses of the past here in old loops and branches leading away now to nowhere. At Wolverhampton we take on the challenge of descending the 21 locks, and at the bottom we join the Shropshire Union canal. This is a much more modern canal and consequently has less bends and more straight lines: it is typified by deep cuttings and soaring embankments, which give this canal a special character. After passing through a narrow rocky cutting and under the ornate Avenue Bridge, we reach our destination in Brewood (pronounced Brood by the locals).

A spring treat, with plenty of locks.

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Cruise No. 2. Brewood to Chester. 12th April to 19th April (7 nights).
53 miles, 43 locks, 1 tunnel, 1 aqueduct. Nearest railway station: Wolverhampton

We leave the deep cutting at Brewood and start to make our way along the Shropshire Union canal, one of the more modern of our waterways. It was designed by Thomas Telford, and sweeps across the countryside on tall embankments and through deep wooded cuttings. We pass over the Roman Watling Street, now roaring with traffic, on a fine iron aqueduct at Stretton. Our first lock is in the sleepy hamlet of Wheaton Aston, after which we are in the heart of the countryside as we enter a short tunnel before passing through the peaceful village of Gnossal to arrive at Norbury Junction. Here the Shrewsbury canal once joined on our left. We cruise through one of the very deep cuttings so typical of this canal, with tall trees and seemingly even taller bridges carrying roads high above us. We pass Offley, with its tiny and very traditional public house. Another cutting brings us to Tyrley locks, cut out of the rock as they descend, bringing us to Market Drayton. There is further picturesque flight of locks at Adderley, where we can still see traces of the gardens set out by a former lock keeper many years ago. At Audlem, we encounter a challenge as we descend the lengthy flight of narrow locks toward the village, where the Mill houses a particularly interesting gift shop, well known to hotel boat guests. Nantwich is a fine old market town, with half-timbered buildings and its own aqueduct. We continue on the Shropshire Union to arrive at Bunbury. Here we use the staircase locks - always a source of some excitement. Beeston Iron lock is another of Telford's inventions, put in place to overcome the problem of shifting sands on which the canal was built. At Beeston we find Chas Hardern's emporium, an Aladdin's cave of goodies, and not to be missed. We catch sight of the fine Beeston castle on its crag overlooking the canal as we continue to Christleton and approach the Roman city of Chester, where we pass around the magnificent city walls to arrive at our destination.

All the prettiest and most dramatic bits of the Shropshire Union canal

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Cruise No. 3. Chester to Manchester. 19th April to 26th April (7 nights).
66 miles, 22 locks, 3 tunnels, 4 aqueducts. Nearest railway station: Chester

On this cruise, we pass along five very different waterways. Firstly, the Shropshire Union canal rises past the city walls of Chester and out into the open countryside of Cheshire to Bunbury staircase locks. At Barbridge junction we turn left onto the Middlewich branch of the canal, a straight section with occasional locks. At Wardle lock, we travel for a few yards on what is probably Britain's shortest canal, the Wardle canal, then turn left again onto the Trent & Mersey canal. We descend the Big Lock before leaving Middlewich, then enter peaceful countryside again. We pass the 'flashes', where the hulks of many working boats lie beneath the surface, sunk when the carrying days of the canals came to an end. We pass through the salt town of Northwich and arrive at Anderton. Here we take a ride on the famous restored historic boat lift, a magnificent Victorian cast iron structure which lowers us majestically to the River Weaver far below. The Weaver is a secret, peaceful river amongst the industry of this part of Cheshire. After a brief spell on the river, we ascend the boat lift again and continue along the Trent & Mersey canal, through several short but narrow tunnels where we hope not to meet other boats. Eventually we join the Bridgwater canal, one of the very first to be built. This carries us to Lymm and Sale, with glimpses of the great Manchester Ship canal below, then on into the heart of Manchester.

Lots of variety, and surprisingly rural.

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Cruise No. 4. Manchester to Chester. 26th April to 3rd May (7 nights).
66 miles, 22 locks, 3 tunnels, 4 aqueducts. Nearest railway station: Manchester

On this cruise, we retrace our route from cruise 3 above.

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Cruise No, 5. Chester to Llangollen. 3rd May to 10th May (7 nights).
62 miles, 35 miles, 3 tunnels, 2 aqueducts. Nearest railway station: Chester

We leave Chester beneath the towering city walls and emerge into open countryside, with Beeston castle overlooking the canal from its lofty perch. Next we ascend Bunbury locks, where the staircase usually makes for some interesting lock working. We pass the entrance to the Middlewich arm at Barbridge, then soon turn right onto the Llangollen canal and ascend the locks at Hurleston. Now we are totally 'away from it all' as we pass through Swanley and Baddiley locks. We start to see the splendid lift bridges, which are a special feature of this canal, as we enter Wrenbury. After Wrenbury, the settlements become even more distant as we ascend Marbury and Willeymoor locks. We arrive at Grindley Brook, where the flight of locks can take us some time to negotiate - especially the staircase ones, but we can expect some assistance from the friendly lock keeper. We now pass on across the wonderful Whixall Moss. Here the canal was built up from the surrounding marsh land - which is today a really fine area for seeing wildlife of all sorts. We next pass into Shropshire's 'Lake District', with marvellous views of the lovely meres to be savoured as we pass close by. Through Ellesmere tunnel, we approach the canal arm that leads to the fine little town of Ellesmere. We pass onwards through New Marton locks and St Martins before reaching Chirk, with its wonderful stone built aqueduct, adjacent towering railway viaduct and impressive tunnel. As we cross the aqueduct, we enter into Wales. As the canal passes under the lift bridge at Froncysyllte, we catch a first glimpse of one of the true wonders of the waterways - the Pontcysyllte aqueduct. Soon we are on the aqueduct itself, seemingly flying across the valley of the River Dee in mid air. This really is an exhilarating moment as the boats seem suspended above the valley - no waterway enthusiast should miss this treat. We turn left at Trevor and make our way up the very narrow feeder canal, clinging to the side of the Dee valley all the way to the picturesque little town of Llangollen.

Always a favourite, with the unforgettable aqueducts

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Cruise No. 6. Llangollen to Chester. 10th May to 17th May (7 nights).
46 miles, 21 locks, 3 tunnels, 2 aqueducts. Nearest railway station: Wrexham

This cruise gives a fine opportunity to sample the delights of Llangollen itself before we make our way slowly down the valley of the River Dee, with fine views on either side. As we look back from Sun Trevor, we can see the ruined Castel Dinas Bran perched on the hillside high above Llangollen. We make a sharp right turn at Trevor and immediately sail off across the fantastic Pontcysyllte aqueduct which carries us 100 feet above the River Dee with awe inspiring views in both directions. The people below really do look like ants. Next we encounter Chirk tunnel, then the rather more sturdy, but still impressive, aqueduct at Chirk with its close neighbour the railway viaduct. We travel on through peaceful countryside, through a short tunnel to emerge by Blake Mere, in a sylvan setting and a truly magical place. We cruise across Whixall Moss, a real treat for bird watchers, before passing Whitchurch and arriving at the locks at Grindley Brook. There is always entertainment to be had here at the locks under the watchful eye of the lock keeper. We pass isolated locks such as Willeymoor and Marbury before reaching Wrenbury, a fascinating village. Under various raised lift bridges, and past totally rural scenes, we arrive at Hurleston locks, which we descend to join the Shropshire Union canal. We turn left and make our way past Barbridge junction to Bunbury. Here we use the staircase locks - always a source of some excitement, then cruise on to reach Beeston Stone Lock. The name of this lock warns us of the approach of the other lock at Beeston: known as the Iron Lock, this is another of Telford's fascinating inventions, put in place to overcome the problem of shifting sands on which the canal was built. We next catch sight of the fine Beeston castle on its crag overlooking the canal. We continue to Christleton and approach the wonderful Roman city of Chester, where we pass around the magnificent city walls to arrive at our destination.

A gentle relaxing rural cruise, with some of the finest sights on the canals.

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Cruise No. 7. Chester to Stoke. 17th May to 24th May (7 nights)
44 miles, 49 locks,1 tunnel. Nearest railway station: Chester

Leaving Cheater past the imposing city walls, we climb through the Cheshire countryside past Christleton and the imposing Beeston castle, which overlooks the canal. At Tiverton we pause to visit Chas Hardern's unique canal-side emporium. Next we tackle the unusual Iron Lock before arriving at Bunbury staircase of locks. Soon after this we approach Barbridge junction, where we turn left onto the Middlewich arm. This straight length of canal takes us, unsurprisingly, to the little town of Middlewich - where we join the Trent & Mersey canal. This is a much older canal than those we have travelled so far, and consequently has more twists and turns - and a lot more locks. In fact, we are now facing what the old boaters called 'Heartbreak Hill'. But we relish the exercise and the chance to use the double locks side by side as we ascend past Wheelock, Hassall Green and Rode Heath. We pass under the aqueduct carrying the Macclesfield canal and notice the water is now stained a strong red colour. This is due to iron ore leaching from the hills. As we round a bend, we find the hills themselves - and our means of passing through them. Harecastle tunnel was a masterpiece of engineering of its time, but is nevertheless narrow and low. We pass through, seeing our old friend Ivor who is tunnel keeper here. Emerging into daylight at the end of the 3000 yard tunnel, we find ourselves in the Potteries, and soon approach our mooring at Etruria.

Plenty of locks, an exciting tunnel, but with glorious countryside almost all the way.

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Cruise No. 8. Stoke to Stone. 24th May to 31st May (7 nights)
48 miles, 48 locks, 2 tunnels, 1 aqueduct. Nearest railway station: Stoke on Trent

This cruise is on the lovely Caldon canal, which is almost without parallel for its tranquil beauty. We leave Etruria by way of staircase locks, then pass Hanley Park before we leave the Potteries behind and enter into really rural surroundings. The locks at Stockton Brook take us to the summit of the canal. We then pass Endon before reaching Hazelhurst Junction. Here two branches of the canal divide: we shall explore both of them. We continue on the main line, descending a short but picturesque flight of locks to pass under the other arm of the canal on its ornate aqueduct. We pass isolated pubs and houses before reaching Cheddleton. Here we can see James Brindley's old water-powered Flint Mill. Soon we join the River Churnet at the lovely Oak Meadow lock. The river is staggeringly beautiful and takes us to the isolated pub at Consall Forge, sheltering alone amongst the towering pine trees. We may catch a glimpse of a steam train here, on the preserved railway line that crosses the canal. We pass on under the unique Cherry Eye bridge to reach Froghall. This is the current limit of the canal, so we retrace our steps, passing back up the locks before almost turning back on ourselves to join the Leek branch of the canal. We sail over the aqueduct now and onto perhaps one of the finest stretches of canal in the land. We curl through magical woods, with glimpses of the valley below us, and finally arrive at the pool that precedes the short Leek tunnel. We travel slowly back down this lovely arm to Hazelhurst, then return all the way to Stoke on Trent, taking with us to the real world fine memories of an idyllic country. We now journey on the Trent & Mersey canal down Stoke locks, then past the Wedgwood Centre at Barlaston before entering the canal town of Stone by way of Meaford locks.

A genuinely lovely taste of a perfect secluded world on the Caldon canal.

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Cruise No. 9. Stone to Birmingham. 31st May to 6th June (6 nights)
48 miles, 50 locks, 2 aqueducts. Nearest railway station: Stoke on Trent

We leave the canal town of Stone via the Trent & Mersey canal, which we follow through a series of isolated locks to Great Haywood. Here we turn through the pretty bridge to enter the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal. Passing over the River Trent on a very ancient aqueduct, we next come to Tixall Wide, one of the most pleasant places on the waterways - the canal forms an artificial lake, which is inhabited by all sorts of wildlife, particularly great crested grebe. Passing on through the tiny villages of Milford and Acton Trussell, we reach Penkridge with its 12th century church. Winding our way through wooded countryside, we reach Gailey where we pass under Watling Street to find the quaint round lock keeper's cottage by the lock - now a tiny gift shop. At Hatherton, we pass the disused branch of the canal that led to Birmingham. By twists and turns, we reach Aldersley Junction and turn toward Wolverhampton. We ascend twenty-one pleasant locks to a busier world. We cross Birmingham with a few detours, searching out some of the disused loops and arms that show where industry once thrived, all of it served by canal. We pay a visit to the Black Country Museum, with its fine evocation of this region's past (including wonderful fish and chips). We journey on across Birmingham to arrive at the renovated central area, which bustles with life, yet retains the secrecy of the canal's world.

A nice mix of rural and urban canals - each with their own charm and history.

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Cruise No. 10. Birmingham to Stratford upon Avon. 7th June to 14th June (7 nights)
32 miles, 55 locks, 2 tunnels, 3 aqueducts. Nearest railway station: Birmingham

This cruise, most of it on the Stratford canal, gives us a wonderful mixture of urban and rural surroundings, with plenty of locks, aqueducts and other unique features of this canal. We leave the heart of Birmingham via the Worcester & Birmingham canal, and after passing through Edgbaston tunnel and by Cadbury's World at Bournville, we come to King's Norton Junction. Here we turn sharply through the unique guillotine lock onto the Stratford canal. We pass through Brandwood tunnel and then soon leave the outskirts of Birmingham behind. Passing under Shirley lift bridge, we skirt the canal reservoirs and head for Hockley Heath. Soon we encounter the first of many locks on our descent towards Stratford. These are Lapworth locks, and they gradually become more frequent as we approach Kingswood Junction, where we see the first of the barrel roofed cottages that are a special feature of this canal. This canal was built on a tight budget, and the bridges do not allow the towpath to pass under them, but have a split in the middle for Duchess's tow rope. Continuing down the locks and ignoring the M40 motorway passing noisily overhead, we find the lovely little village of Lowsonford, then by crossing Yarningdale Common we reach Preston Bagot, where with a little luck we shall see kingfishers flitting along the canal. We cross another small aqueduct at Wootton Wawen, but after one lonely lock we come to the aqueduct proper at Edstone (or Bearley). Here you can walk beside the boat at a lower level as the canal crosses road, river and railway. Next we approach Wilmcote, a charming village famous for the house of Mary Arden (Shakespeare's mother). Now the locks start again, taking us on the final stretch of the journey as we approach Stratford though the 'back door', and suddenly emerge into the Bancroft basin, just opposite the Royal Shakespeare theatre.

A journey into Shakespeare's country, with many features unique to this canal.

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Cruise No. 11. Stratford upon Avon to Warwick. 14th June to 19th June (5 nights)
22 miles, 58 locks, 1tunnel, 3 aqueducts. Nearest railway station: Stratford upon Avon

A delightful short cruise on the Stratford and Grand Union canals, with locks galore and Warwick's magnificent castle at its end. We start out from Stratford by our own secret route, climbing the locks to Wilmcote, site of Mary Arden's house, and a fine little village. We pass over road, railway and river on the cast iron Edstone aqueduct, looking down on people on the towpath. Then through an isolated lock and on to the aqueduct at Wootton Wawen. This is followed by the wooded approach to Preston Bagot, with pretty locks and unusual waterside dwellings. At the sleepy village of Lowsonford, with its barrel roofed lock keeper's cottage, we pass the Fleur de Lys Inn, once home of the famous pies. The locks now become more frequent as we cross the diminutive Yarningdale aqueduct and approach Kingswood Junction. Here we pass through a narrow opening to join the Grand Union canal. A long stretch, where we float high above the countryside on embankments, is followed by a deep wooded cutting and then Shrewley tunnel. After emerging from the tunnel, we soon find ourselves at the top of Hatton locks. A glance ahead will show us the towers of Warwick's churches below, separated from us only by the twenty-one locks of the flight. We descend easily, and the ground begins to level out as we travel downwards towards Saltisford, our destination.

A trip full of locks, aqueducts, and barrel roofed cottages, but very peaceful countryside.

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Cruise No .12. Warwick to Market Harborough. 21st June to 28th June. (7 nights)
51 miles, 46 locks, 3 tunnels, 1 aqueduct. Nearest railway station: Warwick

This cruise takes place on the Grand Union canal throughout, but in fact its character changes dramatically from start to finish. We leave Warwick and descend towards the valley of the River Avon at Leamington Spa. Then we begin to climb slowly and will continue to do so for many miles through Radford, Fosse and Bascote locks. We arrive at Stockton locks, with various reminders of the former days of clay quarrying here. We climb Calcutt locks to join the joint Grand Union and Oxford canal and follow this to Braunston. Braunston is regarded as the heart of the canal system, and the village on its hill is not to be missed. We climb the locks to the long tunnel, complete with a kink in the middle. When we emerge from the tunnel a short embankment brings us to Norton Junction, where we turn onto the Leicester line of the canal. Here we climb the fascinating staircase of locks at Watford to the summit level. The summit of the Leicester section offers some of the remotest cruising we encounter. We enter a tunnel at Crick, then skirt the village of Yelvertoft - one of the few signs of habitation we shall see for some time. We wind our way across unspoilt countryside, then through Husband's Bosworth tunnel and there follows more charming wooded countryside before we arrive at the top of the famous Foxton locks. There is much to be seen here, including the remains of the great inclined plane that once carried boats down the hillside to the level of the canal below. We descend by the 'old fashioned' locks, but these are rather special ones: two sets of multiple staircases and like no others in the world. At the foot of the locks, we turn right and make our way along the winding rural arm to Market Harborough.

A great contrast in surroundings and some very pleasant cruising away from it all.

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Cruise No. 13. Market Harborough to Northampton. 28th June to 5th July. (7 nights)
47 miles, 41 locks, 2 tunnels. Nearest railway station: Market Harborough

An interesting cruise through some very varied countryside. We leave Market Harborough along the sinuous arm to rejoin the main canal and are immediately faced with the task of climbing the unique locks at Foxton. There will be many onlookers here, all of whom wish it were them on the boats. The summit of this Leicester section of the Grand Union canal is now almost completely isolated, and we won't see a car for hours. We pass through two short tunnels, and wind our way back and forth until we finally encounter the M1 motorway and descend Watford locks. Now we join the main line of the Grand Union canal and descend Long Buckby and Whilton locks beside the motorway and the West Coast railway line. Soon we are back to the peacefulness of the canal as we pass through the wooded Brockhall Park. The canal winds its way without locks past Weedon and Nether Heyford to Bugbrooke, a very typical Northamptonshire ironstone village. At Banbury Lane, we pass under the old drove road, and alongside a new monstrosity designed to avoid the former railway level crossing here. At Gayton Junction we proudly turn left and join the branch that leads to the sea. Rothersthorpe locks wind down the hill like a string of pearls toward the M1 motorway (again). We pass under the motorway in a cavern-like tunnel and continue on our way towards the River Nene, entering Northampton in style.

An extremely peaceful cruise, in contrast to the other forms of transport we briefly encounter.

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The next six cruises are an exciting departure for Duke & Duchess - on the Fenland waterways of East Anglia. These waterways are infrequently travelled by hotel boats, so this gives you a rare chance to experience the many delights of these fine (and very different) rivers and navigations.

Cruise No. 14. Northampton to March. 5th July to 12th July (7 nights)
78 miles, 39 locks. Nearest railway station: Northampton

This cruise is on new waters for Duke & Duchess. The River Nene travels from the middle of England to the North Sea, and has been a trading route for many centuries. We leave Northampton and pass along the river valley close to quaintly named (and in some cases unpronounceable) villages. The river runs through charming countryside, emerging from time to time to flirt with towns such as Wellingborough, Thrapston and Oundle. The locks are infrequent, but each is hard work for the crew, with the vertical 'guillotine' gates. These reveal that in winter, the task of this river is not to afford pleasant cruising, but to provide flood relief to the surrounding countryside and towns. At Fotheringhay, we see the wonderful church that tells of finer time in the past, when the nearby castle was home to Richard III and (unwillingly) Mary Queen of Scots. At Wansford, a steam railway passes overhead. We approach Peterborough with its fine waterfront, then shortly downstream of the city, we leave the River Nene as it heads for the sea, and branch off into the collection of waterways know mysteriously as the 'Middle Levels'. At this point, you will need to either consult the guide books or listen carefully to the skipper, in order to understand the past and present forms of the navigations hereabouts. We are now cruising on the old course of the Nene to Whittlesey, where we encounter Briggate Bend, a notoriously difficult challenge to navigation. Onward from Ashline lock, we cross the Twenty Foot River and head on past Floods Ferry (where we cross the Greenwich meridian) and on to the pretty market town of March.

A fascinating trip on the beautiful but rarely travelled River Nene

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Cruise No. 15. March to Ely. 12th July to 19th July (7 nights)
57 miles, 3 locks, 1 aqueduct. Nearest railway station: March

We leave March on the Well Creek and travel downstream. At Marmont Priory, we encounter a lock that goes uphill - very strange. Next we come to two really unusual villages which seem almost to be from another world: Upwell and the Outwell. Between the villages we take a very sharp turn and almost head right back where we came from - but now we are heading for the sea. We cross over the main Middle Level Drain on East Anglia's one and only aqueduct a Mullicourt, then pass through the charming little village of Nordelph - shades of the Dutch who built the drainage system which created the Fens as we know them. We arrive at Salter's Lode and consult the lock keeper. Here, when the tide is right, we shall join the tidal river - the aptly named Great Ouse. We make a short crossing to Denver, where we ascend the lock from the tidal river. The Denver complex helps us to finally understand what goes on with the land and drainage of the Fens, and a walk round here is very enlightening. Next we cruise upstream and make a detour onto the wonderful Brandon Creek (a truly remote place with no roads in sight for miles, and only the wildlife to mark our passage. If time allows, we shall also visit Prickwillow, with this pumping museum. All too soon we shall see on the horizon the spire of Ely cathedral, rising like a beacon in the landscape. Ely is a wonderful city to explore, and of course the cathedral is not to be missed.

A fascinating cruise into a different world

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Cruise No. 16. Ely to Cambridge. 19th July to 26th July (7 nights)
69 miles, 17 locks. Nearest railway station: Ely

We leave Ely on the River Great Ouse, taking a backward glance at the cathedral, and head upstream. We pass the old restored steam pumping house at Streatham, then a surprise awaits us at Hermitage lock. We lock uphill here to join a tidal stretch of the river - even though we are more than thirty miles from the sea at Denver. The great drainage channels leave the river here, but we continue upstream to Holywell and St Ives. The chapel on the bridge over the river dates from the 15th century. St Ives itself is definitely worth exploring for its fine old buildings.
We next pass Hemingford Grey, with the wonderful old church right on the river bank - the spire is truncated because the rest of it was blown off many years ago in a storm and sits in the bed of the river to this day. We pass Houghton Mill, a fine old timber building in the care of the National Trust, before we arrive at Godmanchester. Beside the lock is Port Home meadow, the largest surviving water meadow in Britain. We moor up and reach the town by way of the charming and picturesque Chinese bridge. We then retrace our way down the river to Popes Corner, where we join the River Cam. Several remote locks bring us to Cambridge itself, with its fine musical tradition and where punting is the only form of boating permitted amongst the imposing college backs.

A real treat on some rarely-travelled waterways in the heart of the Fens.

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Cruise No. 17. Cambridge to Ely. 26th July to 2nd August. (7 nights)
69 miles, 17 locks. Nearest railway station: Cambridge

We leave Cambridge, having sated ourselves on its culture, and travel on the quiet River Cam. A short way downstream, Fen Ditton is the only place in the world where boats 'drive on the left'. At Bait's Bite is a rather unusual mechanised lock, and we cruise on gently past Waterbeach to Upware, where we may have a chance to visit Wicken Fen. At Pope's Corner, we join the River Great Ouse and turn upstream to Hermitage lock, where we lock up into a tidal stretch of river (you'll have ask the skipper about this, if it doesn’t make sense so far inland). Then we continue upstream to visit St Ives with its 14th century bridge and chapel. At Hemingford Grey we pass the church whose spire was blown into the River in 1741. At Houghton, we shall see the marvellous old timber water mill, which is mentioned in the Domesday book. At Godmanchester, the pretty Chinese bridge is worth a visit, as is the little town itself with all its half-timbered buildings. After visiting Godmanchester, we shall head back downstream. Passing Pope's Corner this time, we continue on the Great Ouse past the restored steam drainage pumping engine at Stretham before catching our first glimpse of Ely on its island in the middle of the Fens, with the wonderful cathedral standing out as a glorious landmark.

All the best parts of the Cam and Great Ouse

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Cruise No. 18. Ely to March. 2nd August to 9th August. (7 nights)
56 miles, 3 locks, 1 aqueduct. Nearest railway station: Ely

Leaving Ely and its grand cathedral behind, we head down stream on the River Great Ouse. After a few miles, we turn onto the River Lark for a quick trip to Prickwillow. Joining the Ouse again, our next detour is onto Brandon Creek, otherwise known as the Little Ouse. This lovely and practically unknown river takes a course miles from any roads or houses, so is a completely wonderful place to watch wildlife of all sorts, not frightened by the gentle movement of the boats as we approach. We can visit Brandon village, then return to the main river where we cruise down to Denver. Here we have time to explore the surroundings of the complex of waterways that converge on Denver - the main outlet for water to the sea. Information boards explain the complicated processes that occur here. When the tide time is right, we shall descend the lock onto the tidal section of the Ouse and make the short crossing to Salter's Lode, where we join the Middle Level Navigation. This is a really unusual waterway, and not like any other we travel upon. We cruise past Nordelph where the name reminds us of the Dutch engineers who tamed this once marshy land. We cross the main Middle Level Drain on East Anglia's only aqueduct, then we reach Outwell and Upwell - two rather unusual villages. At the basin between the two, the Wisbech canal once joined the waterway. This is long gone, but still traceable on the ground. Although we think we are travelling up from the sea, we now go down a lock at Marmont Priory, which takes some explaining. We travel on to arrive at our destination in March, which was a port in Tudor times.

All the mysteries and sights of the rarely-visited Fens.

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Cruise No. 19. March to Northampton. 9th August to 16th August (7 nights)
78 miles, 39 locks. Nearest railway station: March

We leave March on the Middle Level Navigation (which is in fact the former course of the River Nene) and head upstream to Flood's Ferry, where we cross the Greenwich Meridian. We then cross one of the straight fen drains on the level at Angle Corner. We cruise on to Ashline lock, then tackle the notably sharp bend in Whittlesey. Having successfully negotiated this hazard, we cruise in typical Fenland scenery, to Stanground Lock, where we ascend to join the current River Nene. A short cruise then takes us into the city of Peterborough with its attractive waterfront. From Peterborough we travel upstream to Wansford, where the Nene Valley steam railway passes overhead. The locks on the Nene are hard work for the crew, but worth the effort for the wonderful tranquil meanderings the river takes in its surroundings. At Fotheringhay, we stop to admire the simply wonderful church of St Mary and All Saints with its ornate tower and buttresses and of course its wonderful acoustics. We can also examine the remains of the historic castle where Mary Queen of Scots was held and later executed. Past several tiny hamlets such as Elton and Cotterstock, the river bends its way via occasional locks to pass in a huge loop round the town of Oundle. The dragonfly museum is nearby at Ashton. Past Wadenhoe and Thrapston (where the local pronunciation of the river's name changes, apparently), the river winds its way through lush pasture land. It somehow avoids habitations of any size, skirting Wellingborough and passing Cogenhoe to arrive in Northampton through the leafy Becket's Park.

Explore the little known Middle Levels and River Nene

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Cruise No. 20. Northampton to Banbury. 16th August to 23rd August (7 nights)
49 miles, 52 locks, 1 tunnel. Nearest railway station: Northampton

Leaving the River Nene, we enter the Grand Union canal. The long flight of locks at Rothersthorpe eventually brings us to the main line of the canal at Gayton Junction. We now head north past Bugbrooke and Weedon through rolling farmland, before entering the wooded Brockhall Park and emerging at the foot of Whilton locks. We climb the locks towards Long Buckby beside the motorway and main railway line. Everyone may be going faster than us, but they don't seem to be enjoying the journey as much. A long cutting warns us of the approach to Braunston tunnel. Emerging from the tunnel, we descend a sinuous flight of locks to Braunston village, the heart of the canal system. Leaving Braunston, we turn left under the twin arched bridges onto the joint Grand Union and Oxford canals. A pretty church at Lower Shuckburgh punctuates this section of canal, and soon we are at another junction. This time we head for Oxford and the Thames. We are now on the old line of Brindley's Oxford canal, so we can expect it to meander, and we are not disappointed. The windmill on Napton hill is visible for a long time in various directions. We round a corner and are confronted by the first of the Napton locks. These take an indirect path up the hillside, until at Marston Doles we are on the glorious summit of the Oxford canal. This winds its ways around Wormleighton hill, passes Fenny Compton wharf and then plunges through the long straight cutting that was once Fenny Compton tunnel. We descend from the summit at Claydon down a pretty flight of locks before entering Cropredy, a charming unspoilt little village. A few more isolated locks bring us to Banbury, where the waterfront has been modernised out of all recognition.

Plenty of locks and some very nice remote countryside.

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Cruise No. 21. Banbury to Oxford. 23rd August to 30th August. (7 nights)
76 miles, 35 locks. Nearest railway station: Banbury

The canal south from Banbury was the last to be built, and was constructed on a rather tight budget. Hence, we see the quaint wooden lift bridges much in evidence, and the use of stretches of river. On leaving Banbury, we see the spire of King's Sutton church near the canal before we come to Nell Bridge lock. The bridge carrying the main road here has been widened a number of times. We are now on the River Cherwell, but not for long. The next lock, Aynho Weir, is shallow and diamond shaped to allow enough water down from the river with us to fill the next lock we come to - which is definitely not shallow. We wind our way past the village of Aynho on the hill to Somerton Deep lock. Accompanied by the Cherwell, we now see no more roads for miles. Isolated locks take us past Lower Heyford to Bakers lock, where we join the Cherwell one final time. The following stretch of navigation is one of the finest treats on the waterways, as we meander down to Shipton Weir lock. We pass the deserted village of Hampton Gay, and Shipton church is almost perched on the canal bank. A charming wide section of canal brings us to a right-angled bend and another lift bridge at Thrupp. We now bypass Kidlington and at Duke's lock, we turn onto the Duke's Cut, an almost secret link to the River Thames. We shall then cruise upstream on the delightful and tranquil Upper Thames, which has a character all of its own. We then retrace our path to enter Oxford the pretty way, via the River Thames.

The remote valley of the river Cherwell is truly relaxing and the Upper Thames is always a treat.

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Cruise No. 22. Oxford to Hungerford. 30th August to 6th September. (7 nights)
67 miles, 46 locks. Nearest railway station: Oxford

We leave Oxford in grand style past the colleges, where we get uninterrupted views of many fine old buildings. We soon enter unspoilt countryside and after some very pleasant quiet cruising we will pause in the lovely little town of Abingdon. We then head downstream, passing the new entrance to the Wilts & Berks canal before descending some very pleasant locks (each of which will have lovely floral displays) and cruising through the villages of Shillingford, Wallingford and Moulsford. We next arrive in Goring, set in a deep wooded valley on one of the most spectacular reaches of the river. The river itself is much wider here, and there are some wonderful riverside mansions to be glimpsed on the banks and through the trees before we arrive in Caversham. We turn off the river onto the Kennet & Avon canal and pass briefly through Reading. This part of the canal is however really the River Kennet, so it is soon more winding and lush than the average canal. We journey past water meadows to the isolated locks and pass Theale and Sulhamstead. At Aldermaston, we can enjoy disrupting the traffic as we raise the huge lift bridge to pass under. The lock here is of a very pleasing ornate design. Next we arrive at Woolhampton, where the skipper has to demonstrate some considerable navigational skills. Old Monkey Marsh lock has been preserved in its original turf-sided style, giving us a flavour of this canal's past. Passing Thatcham, we navigate the final few locks to arrive at the fine market town of Newbury. From Newbury we navigate through some really fine parkland past Benham and Hampstead before passing Kintbury. We continue our meandering course to arrive in Hungerford, famous for its antique shops.

A wonderful contrast between the Rivers Thames and Kennet.

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Cruise No. 23. Hungerford to Bristol. 6th September to 13th September. (7 nights)
66 miles, 76 locks, 1 tunnel, 3 aqueducts. Nearest railway station: Hungerford

We leave Hungerford and pass the Bedwyns before arriving at Crofton. As we climb the locks toward the summit of the canal, we pass the steam pumping engines that supplied the canal with water in times past. From the top lock, we head off across the summit, passing through the short Savernake tunnel. We emerge by the old wharf crane at Burbage before descending the lovely peaceful flight of locks to the really delightful village of Wootton Rivers. From here a long lock-free pound takes us past Pewsey wharf, then through the wooded Stowell Park with its elegant suspension bridge, the 'wide water' and the elegant Ladies' Bridge. We meander through unspoilt countryside, past such delightful places as Honey Street to arrive in Devizes with its theatre by the canal. From Devizes we descend the unforgettable series of locks known as the Caen Hill flight. We pass Seend Cleeve and Semington before arriving at Bradford on Avon. This is a small but very lovely town and its delights are to be savoured, including the huge tithe barn. From here the canal travels along the side of the Avon valley, crossing it on not one but two magnificent stone aqueducts, at Avoncliff and then Dundas. We glide through Bathampton, and soon the city of Bath itself comes into sight, its sweeping crescents of honey coloured stone glowing in the afternoon sun. We leave Bath down a series of locks - one being the deepest we see all year - then join the River Avon. After having travelled along the side of its valley for so long, it is a pleasure to be actually moving on the river itself, with the wooded valley gradually opening out as we approach Bristol. There is much to see in Bristol, including the floating harbour and Brunel's SS Great Britain.

The best bits of the Kennet & Avon canal, with a bonus of the River Avon

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Cruise No. 24. Bristol to Hungerford. 13th September to 20th September. (7 nights)
66 miles, 76 locks, 1 tunnel, 3 aqueducts. Nearest railway station: Bristol

This cruise is the reverse of cruise 23, but is just as exciting and can be highly recommended.

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Cruise No. 25. Hungerford to Oxford. 20th September to 27th September. (7 nights)
67 miles, 46 locks. Nearest railway station: Hungerford

From Hungerford, we cruise past Kintbury then navigate through some really fine parkland past Benham and Hampstead to the market town of Newbury, where we join the Kennet Navigation. Now on the meandering river sections, we pass by water meadows to Thatcham and Woolhampton. At Aldermaston, we descend the unusual scalloped lock, then the road traffic waits for us to use the huge lifting bridge. We continue to wander through the lush green landscape, interrupted only by swing bridges and the occasional lock to arrive in Reading. Here we turn onto the Thames and at once arrive at Caversham. The whole atmosphere of our cruise changes here, with the river wide and imposing, and many large and very expensive boats sweeping by. The huge locks on the Thames are operated by helpful lock-keepers, so we can sit back and enjoy the wonderful views offered by our Royal River. Just sharing the locks with some of the very varied boats (and their owners) which use the Thames can be an enjoyable and educational experience. We head upstream through Goring, set in a wide wooded valley that offers views of one of the most stunning reaches of the river. We cruise on, admiring many huge riverside homes, cruising past Wallingford to Shillingford. We shall pause in the lovely little town of Abingdon, which is well worth a visit. The river has changed it character since we joined it, and is now much more lively, but still very pleasant. We arrive in Oxford with glimpses of the colleges and the 'dreaming spires'.

A delightful mix of the Kennet & Avon canal with the stately River Thames.

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Cruise No. 26. Oxford to Braunston. 27th September to 4th October. (7 nights)
52 miles, 39 locks. Nearest railway station: Oxford

This cruise is always one of our favourites, and is on the lovely rural Oxford canal. We leave Oxford by the River Thames, and then after passing some lovely water meadows, we very appropriately take the little-used 'Dukes Cut' to gain access to the Oxford canal. We are completely clear of the suburbs of Oxford by the time we reach Thrupp, and pass close by Shipton on Cherwell church overlooking the canal. If time permits, the nearby abandoned village of Hampton Gay is worth a visit. The next lock is Shipton Weir, which is unusually diamond shaped, and heralds our joining the course of the River Cherwell for one of the finest stretches of waterway in the county. At Bakers lock we leave the Cherwell, but we will follow its valley for many miles yet. Isolated locks punctuate the rural idyll until we reach Somerton, which has the deepest narrow lock in the country. At Aynho Weir lock we briefly cross our old friend the River Cherwell again. Kings Sutton church spire is visible now as we ascend a few more quiet locks, pass under the M40 motorway and eventually arrive in Banbury. Banbury is much changed of late, but still has a few gems worth discovering. Cropredy village is a real treat with its sleepy churchyard. We ascend a flight of locks at Claydon, with a wonderful museum of bygones in the nearby village. The summit level of the Oxford canal follows the contour of the land, wandering back and forth like a drunken cyclist for miles as it passes Fenny Compton and eventually arrives at Marston Doles. Here we start to descend and catch our first glimpse of Napton windmill, situated at the foot of the locks. Shortly after leaving Napton we turn onto the Grand Union canal and make our way to our destination in Braunston.

The Oxford canal retains all the character of a past age, and is hard to better for a relaxing cruise.

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Cruise No. 27. Braunston to Stratford upon Avon. 4th October to 11th October (7 nights)
40 miles, 81 locks, 1 tunnel, 4 aqueducts. Nearest railway station: Rugby

This cruise has a bit of everything - lots of locks for those who enjoy the exercise, but is also ideal for walkers, if you prefer to take your exercise that way. From Braunston, under the twin cast iron bridges, we cruise on to reach Wigram's Turn (otherwise known as Napton Junction), where we follow the Grand Union canal as it dives under a bridge and heads for Birmingham. We descend Calcutt locks, where we first see the unique paddle gear of this section of canal - the canal was updated at great public expense in the 1930s to move goods between London and Birmingham. Our next flight of locks is at Stockton, which lower us to pass the Blue Lias Inn, a reminder of the clay quarrying for which this area was once famous. A fine old boatyard below the locks is home to many restored working boats. We continue on past Long Itchington to Bascote, where we find the only staircase locks on the Grand Union canal. The next lock is Welsh Road, a reminder of the old drove road that passed here long before the canal existed. This is followed by Fosse locks, which refer to the Fosse Way that crosses here. Under the old railway arch we encounter Radford bottom lock, where one day we may be able to branch off to Stratford directly down the River Avon. For now, we continue on, to skirt Royal Leamington Spa and then Warwick, famous for its castle. On leaving Warwick, we climb the impressive flight of 21 locks at Hatton before passing through Shrewley tunnel and turning onto the Stratford canal. This canal is in complete contrast to that which we have just left, as it has narrow locks and is very rural in character. It was restored in the 1960s from complete dereliction, and we may thank the volunteers who made it possible for us to journey down the many locks and amongst the lush countryside to such gems as Lowsonford, Preston Bagot, Wilmcote and eventually to Stratford itself.

A cruise of wonderful contrasts on two totally different canals.

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Cruise No. 28. Stratford upon Avon to Warwick. 11th October to 16th October (5 nights)
22 miles, 58 locks, 1 tunnel, 3 aqueducts. Nearest railway station: Stratford upon Avon

Having our own accommodation in the very heart of Stratford makes us feel superior to the average visitor to this fine old town. There are reminders of William Shakespeare everywhere. When we are ready to leave the Bancroft basin, the Stratford canal winds uphill un-noticed by a series of narrow locks to Wilmcote, a delightful village that features Mary Arden's house. Then we pass quietly over a lovely aqueduct at Edstone that spans road, rail and water in one fell swoop. As we pass Wootton Wawen, we enter a long wooded stretch of canal that takes up to Preston Bagot. We can expect to see kingfishers in this peaceful stretch of countryside as we climb the locks beside the gentle stream. We arrive at the sleepy village of Lowsonford, with its barrel roofed lock cottage. This is no longer occupied by our old friend the lock keeper, but we won't forget him. This tiny village is also home to the Fleur de Lys Inn, of meat pie fame. We then continue on to Lapworth with the locks becoming more frequent, and finally at Kingswood junction we turn right and right again onto the Grand Union canal. We make our way to Shrewley, with its enchanting deep wooded cutting and tunnel, before arriving at the top of the Hatton flight of locks. Here we descend this fine flight in grand style to arrive in Warwick, famous for its castle.

Hard to beat this for a short break, with plenty of locking activity as well as grand scenery.

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