Narrowboat Hire
Plan Your Holiday
From our base at Barton Turns Marina on the Trent and Mersey Canal, there is a wealth of canal networks to choose from.
Canal Routes
Choose your cruise
The map above can be used to help you plan your canal boat trip.
Four Counties Ring
yellow routeDistance 145 miles & 118 locks, cruising: 10 days - 2 weeks
Stoke-on-Trent & Return
Distance 70 miles & 50 locks, cruising: 1 week. Attractions: Fradley Junction Nature Reserve, Shugborough Estate, Stoke-on-Trent Potteries.
Staffordshire Ring
purple routeDistance 86 miles & 93 locks, cruising: 1 week. Stafford & return: distance 44 miles & 26 locks, cruising 3-4 days. Attractions: Fradley Junction Nature Reserve, Shugborough Estate, Drayton Manor Park, Sea Life Centre.
Leicestershire Ring
brown routeDistance 154 miles & 101 locks, cruising 2 weeks. Leicestershire & return: distance 96 miles & 60 locks, cruising 1 week. Attractions: Shardlow Heritage Centre, Leicester City, Foxton Locks Staircase.
Caldon Canal to Froghall Winding Hole & Return
blue routeDistance 106 miles & 94 locks, cruising 10 days. Attractions: Shugborough Estate, Stoke-on-Trent Potteries, Churnet Steam Railway.
Ashby Canal Bridge No 7 & Return
green routeDistance 135 miles & 74 locks, cruising 10 days. Attractions: Fradley Nature Reserve, Drayton Manor Park, Bosworth Battlefields.
Aqua Narrowboats is based on the Trent & Mersey Canal at Barton Turns Marina between the brewing town of Burton and approximately 3.5 hours cruise from the inviting pub, tea rooms and nature reserve at Fradley Junction (the meeting point of the Trent and Mersey and Coventry canals). An ideal location for your canal boat holiday hire.
We are ideally situated for you to choose from a wealth of canal boat cruises including: the Black Country Ring, Four Counties Ring and Leicester Ring. Return routes include the picturesque trip to Great Haywood passing Fradley Junction; alternatively you could attempt the 11 locks at Atherstone on the Coventry Canal; or take the children to Drayton Manor Park along the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal.
We also provide Collins Nicholson Waterway Guides on board the boats. These guides are similar to a road atlas but for canals, as well as illustrating each section of canal they also provide information on bridge and lock numbers, boatyards, refuse and water points, mooring locations, water hazards, shops, pubs and grocery stores and finally, areas of local interest. If you wish to plan ahead these can be purchased via Amazon; our base is covered in Guides No 3 & 4 (this will be dependent on your route).
Things To Do
Places to Visit
Shugborough Estate
At Great Hayward on the Trent and Mersey Canal. Pat and Colin Hassall recommend this as ‘well worth a visit’.
Drayton Manor Park
On the Birmingham and Fazley Canal. Recommended by us. Our three children love the park as it caters for the younger children with Thomas Land and the teenagers with the white knuckle rides. There is even a zoo for some peace and tranquility.
Harecastle Tunnel
On the Trent and Mersey Canal. Ian and Julie Cresswell says this ‘is an amazing experience’.
Stoke On Trent Potteries
On the Trent and Mersey Canal. Including Wedgewood, a driving force behind the construction of the Trent and Mersey Canal in 1777.
Fradley Junction Nature Reserve
On the Trent and Mersey Canal. A good stop off to visit the nature reserve for a walk or a spot of bird watching, there is also a visitors centre, 2 tea rooms and a pub. Usually a cluster of people observing the narrowboats passing through.
Sea Life Centre
In Birmingham on the Birmingham Canal Navigation.
Churnet Steam Railway
On the Caldon Canal.
Bosworth Battlefield
On the Ashby Canal. The site of the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 and the infamous place where King Richard III lost his life.
Things To Do
Places to Eat
The Apple Tree Tea Room
At Barton Turns Marina. Light meals and cakes, plus breakfast menu. A great stop off if you arrive for your canal boat holiday early or to have breakfast before you leave. Recommended by us!
The Waterfront Pub & Restaurant
Fabulously designed pub overlooking Barton Turns Marina offers a range of traditional pub meals. Open from 9.30am for breakfasts, coffee and cakes. Freshly-cooked food available from noon until 9pm.
Thai Marina
An authentic Thai food restaurant at Barton Turns Marina, again offers great views of the marina.
La Dolce Vita
At Stone. A very good Italian, not cheap but good value. Recommended by Graham and Lyn Precious.
The George and Dragon
At Alrewas. Peter and Lynda Wagner rated this pub as ‘excellent’.
The Wolseley Arms
5 mins walk from Bridge 70. Peter and Lynda Wagner rated this pub as ‘very nice’.
Things To Do
Leisure Activities
Many leisure activities can be enjoyed on your canal boat holiday, such as walking, cycling, bird watching and fishing. All are free except fishing for which a fishing licence can be obtained from the post office. Some customers have also participated in Geocaching as part of their canal boat holiday as there are now many places where wifi is accessible along the canal. Geocaching is a treasure hunting game. The idea is to locate hidden containers called geocaches and then share your experience online. For more information visit the geocaching website www.geocaching.com
