Canal Places to Eat and Drink

• Many pubs had stables attached where the boat horse would be stabled overnight, and their thirsty boatmen would enjoy the company of other boat people after a hard day’s work.
• A large number have been completely refurbished over the years and now provide comfortable surroundings and meals for those who don’t want to cook on their holidays.
• Most have convenient moorings outside, often with outdoor seating, gardens, and play areas.
• Popular moorings can fill up in the early evening, so some boaters plan their holidays to ensure that they get a mooring outside a pub every evening!

There are also many traditional canal pubs little changed over centuries, retaining much genuine character. Many were just ordinary houses serving up home-brewed ale in their front rooms and selling a few staples like bread and milk to the boat people for a little extra income. Some still feel that way, for instance the Anchor on the Shropshire Union Canal.

Other traditional pubs include the isolated Black Lion at Froghall on the Caldon branch of the Trent and Mersey Canal, the Navigation on the Peak Forest Canal, the Swan which overlooks the Coventry Canal junction with the Trent and Mersey Canal and the Boat opposite the canal museum at Stoke Bruerne on the Grand Union Canal. On the River Severn the Camp House Inn just north of Worcester has peacocks roaming the garden and the River Thames has many stunning old pubs and inns.