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Narrowboat Hire – Stratford-upon-Avon Canal

Take a hire boat holiday down the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal through enchanting ‘Heart of England’ countryside and the Forest of Arden, a landscape filled with Shakespearean links and historic villages, to arrive outside the world-famous Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon itself, overlooking the beautiful River Avon.


  • The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal is fairly short (25 miles, 3 days to cruise) and from its junction in the Birmingham suburbs with the Worcester and Birmingham Canal it falls gently down 53 locks across quiet rolling countryside and watermeadows to the Avon and Stratford-upon-Avon itself.
  • At Kingswood Junction at Lapworth there’s a short spur to the nearby Grand Union Canal which provides an alternative route back into Birmingham. Watch out for the unusual barrel-roofed lock cottages along the canal.
  • Bearly aqueduct is the largest of three interesting aqueducts where the canal runs through a cast iron trough. The towpath is at the same level as the bottom of the canal so boaters look down on walkers on the aqueduct.
  • Stratford-upon-Avon’s Bancroft Basin is alongside the famous Royal Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. A lock leads down onto the River Avon which requires a separate licence.
  • The canal was almost closed in the 1950’s but after one of the earliest restoration campaigns and a lot of hard labour, much of it by volunteer labour and prison inmates, it was reopened to great fanfare in 1964. The success encouraged many other restoration schemes and helped to raise interest in canal pleasure cruising.
Stratford-upon-Avon Canal Map

Stratford-upon-Avon Canal Map

ON THIS CANAL…

Boat Hire from family firms on or around the The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal

canal signpost

Grand Union Canal

Grand Union Narrowboats

Grand Union Narrowboats. Small family run company. 2,4 & 6 berth four star graded narrowboats for weekly hire on the Grand Union and Oxford canals. Experience the Northamptonshire countryside at its finest.

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Oxford Canal

Napton Narrowboats

Based at Napton Junction, Napton Narrowboats family-run fleet now gives you the widest choice of boats and routes.

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Grand Union Canal

Narrowboat Escapes Holidays And Training @ Braunston Marina

Narrowboat Escapes Holidays And Training specialising in traditional narrowboat hire, holidays and training. Based at the heart of England's waterways at 'Braunston Marina' we have six beautiful and historic canal routes within a short distance. Phone: 07944 589 679

Canal Rings

The Avon Ring also includes the River Severn, Worcester & Birmingham Canal and Birmingham Canal Navigations, 1 week to cruise.

More Information

Holiday Cruising Guide to the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal.

More Midland 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


Grand Union Canal
Grand Union Narrowboats
The Boatyard, High St, Weedon Bec, Weedon NN7 4QD.
07966 221517
enquiries@grandunionnarrowboats.co.uk
www.grandunionnarrowboats.co.uk
Kate Boats
Stockton Top Marina, Blue Lias Industrial Estate, Rugby Rd, Stockton, Southam CV47 8HN.
01926 492968
enquiries@kateboats.co.uk
Narrowboat Escapes Holidays And Training @ Braunston Marina
Braunston Marina, The Wharf, Braunston, Daventry, NN11 7JH
07944 589679
mwood.elws.nbescapes@gmail.com
www.narrowboatescapes.co.uk


Oxford Canal
Napton Narrowboats
Napton Marina, Tomlow Rd, Stockton, Southam CV47 8HX.
01926 813644
enquiries@napton-marina.co.uk
www.napton-marina.co.uk


Stratford Canal
Lyons Boatyard
Stratford Canal
01214 744977
sales@lyonsboats.co.uk


Day Hire
Lyons Boat Yard
Limekiln Ln, Birmingham B14 4SP.
01214 744977
sales@lyonsboats.co.uk

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

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