All aboard! The prettiest places for a UK boating holiday
Boating holidays are on the rise in the UK, with many of us swapping overseas adventures for the gentle joys of canal boat travel.
But with 7,500 km of navigable canals and rivers in this country, where should you go if you're up for a bit of "messing about in boats"? These are some of the prettiest places in the UK to get out on the water...
Shropshire Union Canal
Nicknamed the "Shroppie", this bucolic 107 km canal courses through the midlands and parts of Wales. Make sure you stop off at the attractive walled cathedral city of Chester - and don't forget to say hello to the animals at Chester Zoo.
Rochdale Canal
Crossing the Pennines from Manchester to Sowerby Bridge, this 51 km route weaves through plenty of pretty cobbled villages and quaint market towns.
Take a few hours off at Todmorden village, scenically nestled in the midst of three valleys, or at the historic town of Hebden Bridge.
The Thames
You can trace all the way from Lechlade in the Cotswolds (the highest navigable point of the River Thames) to Teddington in Surrey on a boating holiday - beyond that, the river becomes tidal, so cruising isn't allowed for tourists.
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On the way you'll pass the 'dreaming spires' of Oxford, spectacular royal Windsor and the fetching riverside town of Henley.
The Norfolk Broads
With windmills, wildlife and welcoming riverside pubs, the Norfolk Broads are the perfect place for amateur boaters to take a holiday.
You can wend your way to gorgeous Norfolk villages and market towns, and the sandy beaches of the coast and the medieval city of Norwich won't be far away.
The Scottish Lowland Canals
Take neither the high road, nor the low road, but something better - a boat - and take the Scottish Lowland Canals (The Union Canal and the Forth and Clyde Canal) to both Edinburgh and Glasgow.
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You could factor in trips to sights such as Loch Lomond and Edinburgh Castle, or just sit back and let the wonderful Scottish scenery roll by.
Standout moments on the route include the Union Canal's enormous Avon Aquaduct, from which you'll have wonderful views, and the impressive Falkirk Wheel (pictured) - where the two Lowland Canals join.
Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal
Winding through the awesome scenery in the Brecon Beacon National Park, the 'Mon and Brec' Canal is a nature-loving narrowboater's dream escape. It's one of the UK's quieter canals, as its unconnected to any other navigable waterway, so it's the ideal journey on which to truly get away from it all.
Stop off in Brecon, a vibrant market town, and keep your eyes peeled for abundant wildlife including kites and kingfishers.
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