A Week on a UK Narrow Boat - Your Best Suggestions

We had a canal boat when I was a teenager,
My first thought is the beginning of Match is VERY early in the year, with a real risk of snow and ice.
As well as being potentially unpleasantly damp and cold i think there might be safety concerns. I really wouldn't want to be using locks if it is even slightly slippy.
It's worth checking if rental companies are even renting at that time of the year.
The Llangollen canal is lovely and from memory a reasonably easy sail but not in March.
If you can only go at that time of year look to the south of the country where the weather 'might' be a bit better.

Sorry to be a bit negative. I just know how unpleasant it can be on the canals if it is wet and cold.

That's fair, Emma! As Canadians, -10 Celsius in the winter is warm, so cold may be relative. It seems like the average temperatures in that region in early March is +5. We like the idea of a cool trip with a wood fire in our boat (we prefer cool season travelling) but perhaps we're romanticizing it a bit, so I'll consider your opinion and think on it and do more research! Thanks very much!

I'm used to lockwheeling in any weather, so that's less of a concern to me.
It's what the old working boaters would have done, the people for whom the canals were actually built.
If you're that worried wear a lifejacket, which is best practice anyway. But in almost all canals you can't physically drown, they are too shallow- yes I've had a couple of involuntary dunkings.

There is a real challenge factor in the long flights of locks- especially on the Grand Union which was built for speed and (originally) 24 hour working. With a well drilled crew the challenge is how fast you can work the flights, safely and working properly.

What is of far more concern to me that early in the year is the winter stoppage programme- scheduled engineering work when sections of the system are closed off. That would need to be checked for your planned route.

This year we also have the emergency stoppages to think of. This has been a very long, very dry summer. Going into winter there are very large parts of the system with emergency stoppages in place due to lack of water. Without a seriously wet winter we will go into next year with that legacy to cope with. Some canals have dried out to the extent that it may not be just as simple as getting more water into them.
I don't think in October I would want to give any promises to anyone about next March anywhere on the system. The worst that can happen this winter is a dry, properly cold icy winter. If that happens the system will be in real crisis.

As Canadians, I don't think our typical March weather will bother you. There is a very slight chance of being frozen in, about 7 years ago, we had "the beast from the East" which gave us a bitterly cold March, but that was the exception. Be prepared for gloomy looking countryside, no leaves on the trees at that time, the only colour being the last of the Daffodils and the white flowers of the Blackthorn trees. As you say though, the waterways will be quieter and there's little more welcoming than a canal side pub with a roaring fire.

I would agree with what others have said about March being very early. Early March is actually still winter (winter in the northern hemisphere lasts until the vernal equinox, which is on or around 21 March) and it's very apparent in the weather here. Late March/early April is normally much better weather and I think you would enjoy it more. It's not just that it's cold but that it's dark and rains a lot. I've not hired a narrowboat myself but we do a lot of long distance walking, often beside canals, and this would not be my preferred time to experience them. However, that's just my personal preference so you may enjoy it!

Just to clarify, I'm sure as Canadian's you can cope with cold :-) it's the damp that gets you!
If you aren't used to a maritime climate, what 5 degrees over here can actually feel like might surprise you.
Obviously having the right clothes makes all the difference. A full set of waterproofs, jacket and trousers, is vital. These might be supplied with a boat?

That early in the season you will need to carefully plan your route.
The days aren't really short in early march but it can start to get dark earlier than you might think if it is overcast and gloomy. You would probably want to be moored up well before the sun is supposed to set.
Journeys always take longer than you think. I think the speed limit on the canal is 4mph but you will be going slower most of the time. Getting through locks will also likely be slower than at other times of the year because there will be fewer people travelling and around to help.
Check what will and won't be open along your planned route. My guess is some sites etc will be opening for Easter rather than early March. Also have a look at pub opening times. Due to financial pressures and a lack of demand many aren't opening all day or every day of the week.

I'm a Canadian who has done two week-long narrowboat holidays in England, so I hope these comments help.

1. March IS going to be cold. As someone noted above, its not the temperature, its the damp. Remember you will not just be inside the cabin by the coal stove, you will be outside driving the boat, and getting off to operate each lock (slippery, cold metal). Its not unheard of; there are hundreds of continuous cruisers who cruise year round. But if you could postpone to at least May you will have a much better experience.

2. The two routes I have done are both in the South Midlands: Milton Keynes, north to Norton Junction, west to Braunston, and back; and Market Harborough, south to Norton Junction, west to Braunston, south to Napton-on-the-Hill, and back. Of the two I preferred the Market Harborough route because it included the Foxton staircase locks, and Market Harborough is just a lovely little town. Both of these are on the Grand Union, although the second route put us on the Oxford for the last bit.

3. Planning for our next trip, I would love to do the Llangollen Canal for the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct (but there is a smaller but still thrilling aqueduct just north of Milton Keynes, the Iron Trunk). Other areas I've wanted to try include:
   a) the Anderton boat lift (think, elevator for boats);
   b) the Kennet & Avon Canal, for the Caen Hill flight of locks;
   c) the Yorkshire part of the Leeds & Liverpool canal, for the Bingley Five Rise flight of locks.

4. We went both times with Canaltime (https://www.canaltime.co.uk/) and highly recommend them. The boats are really nicely laid out and easy to operate, and we got good tuition when we went our first time on how to operate the boats and locks.

5. What I like was the way narrowboats force you to slow down (3 mph) and enjoy the surroundings. But there is a village pub or a canalside pub almost every 3 miles so you'll have plenty of diversions.

I just can't recommend narrowboats highly enough. When I retire I hope to buy one and cruise for six months a year (or longer if I can get a visa). Feel free to DM me if you have more specific questions. Enjoy!!!

The normal season for canal boat hires is from around Easter until late October. From November to late March the Canal &River Trust (CRT) plans maintenance across the country. Not everywhere all the time but there will be some hire boat bases that will not be practical before the planned maintenance. In addition there is a long term stoppage at Dunham Massey near Manchester which will not be fixed until the end of 2026 and means the Cheshire Ring is not available as a route.
There will be hire companies that will have boats for hire and will no doubt be delighted to do business after the awful 2025 season with the drought. I am more optimistic about the drought issues having been resolved - already the Leeds & Liverpool canal is open for most of its length after being one of the first to close.
The Llangollen will not suffer from a drought closure - it is unusual in that it has a flow downhill from Llangollen as water is extracted from the River Dee and transported along the length of the canal to Hurleston near Nantwich where a treatment plant cleans it for consumption in South Cheshire. It’s a very popular canal because of the famous aqueduct and is very pretty at its western end but I find it quite dull for the rest of the length. Travelling 8n early March you will not meet the number of boats that you would in season.
You might find it difficult to find a boat with a solid fuel stove on. They are common on private boats but pretty rare on hire boats for practical reasons.
I have been narrowboating since 1974 and we have had our own boats since 2003, so please ask away about places to cruise and companies to consider. (In fact our current boat is for sale!).

Wow! What a bunch of stick-in-the-muds. lol,. I'm kidding. It's the reason I asked, and I greatly appreciate all of your thoughtful responses. Thank you everyone! I live on Vancouver Island and very familiar with damp, cold winters as I own a landscaping company and spend most of my time outdoors. That said, I didn't consider the canals being closed for maintenance in the off season and/or the water levels so that's very good to know. Hopefully, the Hire companies are making this clear to their clients.

@darrenblois - From one Canadian coaster to another, it's great to hear from you, brother. We have similar dreams, but we thought it's probably best to hire a boat and try it before actually planning our entire lives around it lol. Of course, May would be ideal but unfortunately, the peak time of my biz is March- Dec so I was hoping to avoid that. It may be unavoidable. Based on this feedback, I think we'll plan for October instead, as the colours and weather would likely be pretty stunning.

@Johnew52 - Honestly, we've thought about purchasing a narrowboat as an investment but how would that work with us living in Canada? Would we store it in the UK all year or is there a company that could care of hiring it out for us? Just a thought... Also, would you agree that October would be a better time than March?

I'm sure our naivete bleeds through but it's where we are so thank you all for your patience and wise words.

Re buying a boat you will not be able to hire it out when you’re not here - the challenges of having to bring it up to cover legislation for hiring and insurance issues make it not practical.
You can moor your boat in a marina when you’re not here. We keep ours in a marina when not using it. To give you some idea of costs before you get too excited about the prospect our current 58ft boat costs around £1.300 a year to licence, £300 to insure and £2,600 for marina fees for 12 months. Shorter boats will be commensurately cheaper. You can get cheaper moorings outside a marina but they may be less secure and marina costs increase quite a bit as you move south. Ours is on the Leeds & Liverpool.

Hopefully you've also watched Great Canal Journeys with the acting couple, it's actually quite touching as they deal with her growing dementia.

There's also the Scottish vlogger Ruth Aisling who recently did some narrowboating with her brother, based on the headline it did not go well

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDdl7JrSn1c

@phred - Sybil!! haha. Yes, that one is in the queue. There are lots of great ones on YouTube as well.

switching from early March to October is a great decision. Winding lock paddles which are frozen or just plain nearly frozen will make your hands freeze and muscles ache. Especially if you lose a glove (don't - speaking from experience).

if we get rain next year October will be lovely

I agree with Nigel. I was in the UK for almost 6 weeks last year and started in mid-March. It wasn't the cold so much that was bothersome, but the rain and the damp. Some days were just miserable. Obviously it won't be just like that every year and you could catch a break, but I think you'd be better off in the fall.

October will definitely be a better month than March.
If you can, look to book in the first half of the month to avoid the chill holidays that fall at the end.

Not a narrow boat, but I hope some of our experience is still valid.

What we learned two years ago driving a motorboat (shorter and wider than a narrow boat) on the Thames in June was that it was cold. Not in the day time when we were moving around and the motor heated the interior. But in the night when the motor was stopped and the cold from the water seeped through the hull to freeze the marrow of our bone (OK slightly exagerated).

I don't know if narrow boats have a better heating system, but if not, you will need down filled pajamas and socks and loads of blankets.

We ended up stopping two days earlier, becuse we couldn't handle the cold any more. Next time will be in August-September when the water is a lot warmer.

We're getting off topic, but this reminds me that the coldest I have ever been (and I am Canadian) was in Ireland in January. Its not the temperature - it was only -2. It was (a) the miserable dampness of everything; and (b) English (and Irish) infrastructure just was not used to dealing with cold. Buildings are under-insulated, heaters are inefficient. In the house I was in, in Dublin, we actually had to get up in the middle of the night to feed coins into a meter to get power to generate heat.

Narrowboats should have an effective method of heating. Traditionally they would have a solid fuel stove. These are very common on private boats (ours has one), but pretty rare on hire boats. Most will have some form of central heating though. Remember that a cabin only 7’ wide will take very little heating. We have more usually been too hot rather than too cold inside. Outside might be a different matter.