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Narrowboat Hire – Lancaster Canal

Choose a boat from a Lancaster Canal hire firm and enjoy peaceful lock free cruising through pleasant pasturelands, overlooked for most of the way by the foothills of the Pennines. A round trip from Preston to Lancaster is easily possible in a week. This is a great canal if you want to avoid locks, there are none on the main line. If you really like locks take the optional short six lock branch down to busy Glasson Docks!

Fine stone bridges.

Fine stone bridges on the Lancaster Canal. Image by Waterway Images

  • Relaxing 42 miles of lock free cruising on a broad canal through rural scenery from Preston to Carnforth.
  • Enjoy fine views, inland to the Trough of Bowland and northern Pennine Hills, westward across Morecambe Bay towards Barrow in Furness and north to the Lake District.
  • Take a walk around the heritage City of Lancaster, with its medieval castle, cathedral, museums and plenty of foodie places and pubs. The historic market town of Garstang is well worth a visit, great places to eat, drink and buy local produce.
  • If you’d like to try a few locks, take the short Glasson Dock branch down six broad locks to Glasson harbour on the edge of Morecambe bay. Once the largest port in the north west, replacing the Port of Lancaster after it silted up in the late 18c. Now it is a bustling yacht-filled marina.

Northern Reaches near Tewitfield Locks. Image by Cally Lawson from Pixabay

  • Explore The Northern Reaches, the upper 14 mile length of the canal above Carnforth which used to reach Kendal but was abandoned in the 1960s when the M6 was built across its route near Tewitfield locks. Restoration is slowly underway, but the construction of the M6 severed the Northern Reaches section of the canal in three places. The proposed restoration scheme has to tackle three motorway and four trunk road crossings and include the enhancement and conservation of 52 historically important and listed structures.
  • A trip boat often runs on a short length of reopened canal near Kendal.
Lancaster Canal Map

Lancaster Canal Map

Leeds & Liverpool

Canal

Crabtree Narrowboat HireDuck Island Boat CompanyKingfisher CruisesKingfisher CruisesSwillbrook Boatyard

ON THIS CANAL…

Boat Hire from family firms on The Lancaster Canal

canal signpost

Lancaster Canal

Crabtree Narrowboat Hire

Crabtree Narrowboat Hire are a small and friendly narrowboat hire company offering superbly equipped, brand new boats. For family holidays or a tranquil getaway, you will find a warm welcome with us.

canal signpost

Lancaster Canal

Duck Island Boat Company

Duck Island Boat Company The fastest way to slow down cruising in superior style aboard a luxurious bespoke canal boat. We offer an intriguing opportunity for a spot of pure relaxation and self indulgence.

canal signpost

Lancaster Canal

Swillbrook Boatyard

Explore the beauty of the Lock-free Lancaster Canal onboard a newly launched boutique Narrowboat, operated by Gary & Susie at Swillbrook Boatyard - Catforth. Easy cruising, perfect for first-time narrowboaters Take advantage of a £150 off launch offer and book today for this summer July/August.Dog friendly, with onsite parking.

More Information

Holiday Cruising Guide to the Lancaster Canal.

More Northern hire firms or narrowboat hire firms in other canal areas.

Day hire boats to cruise with a few friends for a few hours.

Help to choose the right canal boat for your holiday.
Plus lots more advice and tips in our Canal Holiday Advice.

Our Listings

We provide contact telephone and email details free of charge for canal based companies, click for details.
Please note: We provide all contact details as an information service. We rely on traders to keep us informed about these listings so we can't guarantee that details are accurate or up to date. Please see our Terms of Use.

Add a company


Lancaster Canal
Blossom Narrowboat Hire
Lancaster Canal
07702 069711
[email protected]
Crabtree Narrowboat Hire
Unnamed road, Preston PR3 0BT.
07572 664949
Duck Island Boat Company
Garstang Marina, Nateby Crossing Ln, Preston PR3 0JJ.
[email protected]
www.lancastercanalboathire.com
Ducklings Narrowboat Hire @ Tewitfield Marina
Tewitfield Marina, Lancaster Canal
07951 298720
[email protected]
Lancaster Canal Boat Holidays
Lancaster
01253 356399
[email protected]
Pintail Boats
Lane Side Works, Kirkby Lonsdale, Carnforth, Lancs LA6 2JN
07980 607070
[email protected]
Swillbrook Boatyard
The Boathouse, Catforth Rd, Catforth, Swillbrook, Preston PR4 0HE.
07788 807333
[email protected]
www.swillbrookboatyard.com
Water Babies Narrowboat Hire
Forton
01524 928829
[email protected]

All materials and images © Canal Junction Ltd. Dalton House, 35 Chester St, Wrexham LL13 8AH. No unauthorised reproduction.

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