canal boat trip sheffield

Skippered trips & boat charters

Skippered trip boats, charter boats

Canal trip boats & party charter boats

Skippered canal trip boats are great on a day out. Trip boats run short scheduled canal pleasure cruises, usually lasting an hour or two, that you can often just turn up and join.

• You get a cruise along a canal usually with a guide onboard pointing out interesting things to see.
• Trip boats have a skipper and crew and will often provide onboard food & refreshments.
• Some are based at popular visitor centres, others in town and city centres.
• Many canal trip boats also offer  chartered cruises  for just your party, which must be booked in advance. Some offer trips for school groups, business hire, party cruises & wedding receptions.
• Some charities run specially adapted accessible trip boats for people with disabilities.

Chesterfield Canal

Chesterfield Canal Trust,  Charter boat trips, children's pirate trips and Santa trips. Hot and cold drinks, toilet, central heating. 4 trip boats based at Retford, Worksop, Hollingwood and Chesterfield.

Crusader Community Boating specialises in boat trips which enable everyone, regardless of age, physical or mental ability, to experience the fun and beauty of waterways in Northamptonshire on the Grand Union Canal on our boat Mountbatten and River Nene on our boat Community Spirit.

Montgomery Canal

Huelwen Trust  Day canal boat trips in Welshpool along the Monty with the Heulwen Trust (disabled people travel free). Visit our website for details.

Lancaster Canal

Kingfisher Cruises A two centre operation covering the Lancaster canal. Including the popular Lune aqueduct cruises from Lancaster and horse-drawn boats, evening entertainment and private hire from Barton Grange Marina.

Llangollen Canal

Lyneal Trust  provides day canal boat trips for people with disabilities, vulnerabilities, or illness, and their families and friends, on board the specially designed Shropshire Lady on the Llangollen Canal.

Shropshire Union Canal

Norbury Wharf . Enjoy the heart of the beautiful Shropshire Union Canal aboard our 42 seater trip boat, all year public & charter trips. Just 15 minutes from junction 14 M6, or junction 3 M54, a cruise to remember!

Leeds and Liverpool Canal

Enjoy a relaxing holiday with  Pennine Cruisers  of Skipton. Daily 30-minute trips on 'Leo' up Springs Branch to Skipton Castle. A unique experience in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales. Runs all year round.

Lee Navigation

River Lee Cruises  operate charter cruises on a beautiful stretch of the River Lee in Hertfordshire, offering catered party trips, discos, business lunches, wedding receptions, jazz cruises and outings.

Grand Union Canal

Stoke Bruerne Boat Co.  Skippered regular 'booking not needed' public trips from outside the famous Stoke Bruerne Museum, plus skippered charters and school trips. Also skippered evening cruises & day boat hire.

Regents Canal

The Pirate Castle  for Canal Boat Adventure on London's Canals. Fun for all ages. Work the locks - steer the boat - watch the world go by. Skippered trips for up to 12 passengers.

Waterways Experiences . Day or residential crewed boat trips from Hemel Hempstead, charter only. All 3 wide-beam boats designed for wheelchair access. New volunteers welcome to help with crewing, marketing, IT etc.

Tales from the Tillerman

Inland Cruising

The Inland Waterways Manual

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 .

Birmingham Canal Navigations

Birmingham and warwick junction canal, bridgewater canal, cromford canal, dudley canal, east anglia, forth & clyde canal, grantham canal, huddersfield narrow canal, kennet and avon canal, macclesfield canal, ripon canal, river nene & cambridgeshire waterways, river severn, river stour, river trent, river witham & fossdyke and witham navigation, sheffield and tinsley canal, staffs and worcs canal, trent and mersey canal, wey navigation & basingstoke canal, wyrley & essington canal.

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10th July 2023

Cruise Guide to… Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigation

Part river and part canal, this waterway combines large locks built for modern freight transport with 200-year-old waterways heritage, and industrial surroundings with splendid wooded valley scenery

Words and Pictures by Martin Ludgate

To describe the Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigation as a ‘river-based waterway which makes use of the River Don’ would be true – but it would also be an oversimplification of a rather more complicated situation. To illustrate my point: at its west end, the Navigation takes the form of a three-mile artificial canal which terminates at a basin in Sheffield city centre. And at its east end, it follows another artificial canal for a rather longer distance before meeting the tidal River Trent at Keadby – while the actual River Don has diverged quite some miles northwards to meet the Yorkshire Ouse near Goole.

And in fact many (perhaps most) visiting boaters to this interesting Yorkshire waterway arrive via a third arm, the (also completely artificial) New Junction Canal, coming southwards from the Aire & Calder Canal via Sykehouse to meet the S&SYN Main Line at Bramwith. And yet in between these three extremities, it does function as a river navigation, and boaters will find themselves cruising along lengths of the River Don, from the wooded and rural to the urban and industrial.

To help make sense of this complex route, let’s first look at its history. The lower reaches of the River Don below Doncaster were naturally navigable in Mediaeval times given favourable tides. Near Thorne, the river split into two channels: one headed due north to join the River Aire, while the other meandered north eastwards to meet the River Trent. Neither of these was a reliable navigation, but in the 17th Century, the Dutch engineer Cornelius Vermuyden created a new straighter single channel (still known as the Dutch River) which carried the River Don’s water from Thorne to the River Ouse just east of Goole.

Thorne Lock, whose short chamber prevents full-length narrowboats from getting through the Stainforth & Keadby Canal

By the end of the 17th Century, plans were being made to extend navigation upstream from Doncaster by building locks – but it was 1751 before the first boats continued through Rotherham to Tinsley, a few miles short of Sheffield. Half a century later, the independent Stainforth & Keadby Canal provided an outlet to the River Trent, bypassing the tricky and dangerous tidal Dutch River section. And in 1819, another independent concern built the Sheffield Canal, three miles long with 12 locks, taking boats from Tinsley to the heart of the city.

Come the 19th Century, and one might have expected the Don Navigation to develop like its prosperous neighbour the Aire & Calder Navigation – with lock enlargements, straightening and deeper dredging, and steam tugs pulling long trains of ‘compartment boats’ carrying hundreds of tons of coal. But it didn’t quite work out for the Don. Yes, there were improvements, with new sections of canal bypassing lengths of river, but unlike the A&C, the Don came under the control of a railway company which didn’t encourage trade.

Beginning the climb up the Tinsley flight of eleven locks

By the 1880s, it was still reliant on horse haulage for its 62ft by 15ft barges carrying around 100 tons. An 1890s scheme to take the Don and connecting canals out of railway ownership saw them regain their independence as the combined Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigation, and a new high-capacity link, the New Junction Canal, was built to connect their waterway to the Aire & Calder. But there was little money left for enlargement of the existing locks, while appeals for Government support fell on deaf ears – so there was only piecemeal rebuilding of a few locks from Stainforth to Doncaster.

Belatedly – many would (with hindsight) say it was ‘too little too late’ – a programme that began in the late 1970s, saw the lengths from Doncaster up to Rotherham rebuilt with new powered locks capable of taking 700-ton craft by 1983. But sadly, much trade had already left, and it proved difficult to persuade it to return. In 2014, concerned that large-scale freight on its waterways nationally had dwindled to just three regular traffics including lubricating oil carried on the S&SYN to Rotherham, the Canal & River Trust identified the waterway (along with the Aire & Calder and River Ouse) as ‘priority freight routes’ worthy of further work to encourage trade. But it has yet to bear fruit. But while these waterways’ cargo-carrying future may be in doubt (albeit the oil trade has re-started after a gap), leisure boaters are still welcome. The large waterways provide a completely different landscape to the narrow canals of the Midlands, very worthy of exploration. And we’ll begin exploring them not at the junction with the Trent, nor at the Sheffield terminus, but via the third arm, the New Junction Canal, which we’ll enter from the Aire & Calder Navigation.

Why are we starting there? Because it’s the route by which many visiting boaters will arrive, as it’s the point of entry for those who’ve come via any one of the three trans-Pennine waterways (Leeds & Liverpool, Rochdale or Huddersfield) rather than the perhaps more adventurous route via the tidal Trent.

To use its full name, the Aire & Calder and Sheffield & South Yorkshire New Junction Canal must be a contender for the title of ‘shortest canal with the longest name’. It was also one of our last to be built, opened as late as 1905. It’s certainly the straightest, running near enough dead straight for five miles from Southfield Junction to Bramwith Junction, and it was built from the start for large barges and strings of compartment boats. It begins in a rather empty landscape – there’s no actual village of Southfield, just a small reservoir of that name – which doesn’t hold out much for the prospects of an interesting cruise. But in fact it has several notable features.

The first is an aqueduct over the River Went, followed by a series of six liftbridges and swingbridges interrupted by Sykehouse Lock (powered and boater-operated using Canal & River Trust ‘Watermate’ key, as are the bridges), before another larger aqueduct crosses the River Don. It’s protected by large guillotine gates at each end which are used to close off the navigation and keep flood water out of it if the river level rises high enough to overflow into the aqueduct.

The canal meets the main line of the Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigation at an oblique junction, where we’ll first turn sharp left to head eastwards towards the Trent.

We’re now on a length whose origins were in the River Don Navigation, but later improvements and extensions of the length of artificial canal mean that we don’t actually join the river at all. Its tidal channel is visible to our left as we pass Bramwith Lock (extended in the 1930s from its original 62ft to a much larger size) to reach Stainforth. At this handy town, the first since we began our cruise, we join what was built as the independent Stainforth & Keadby Canal, although it continues to parallel the River Don with no obvious changes. But around Thorne, the river diverges to the north while the canal continues east.

Thorne was once a great boatbuilding town (and still has a selection of boatyards and marinas as well as pubs and shops), as well as being the site of an unusual feature of the local waterborne trade. Sailing craft coming up the tidal Don would leave their masts here for safekeeping and carry on horse-drawn towards Doncaster.

There’s a lock here, and it’s a highly significant one for boaters in longer craft, because unfortunately (and unlike all the other locks between the Trent and Rotherham) it retains its original dimensions of around 62ft by 17ft. The exact maximum length will depend on hull shape, but a full length narrowboat won’t fit – see Boaters Notes for the implication of this restriction.

Leaving Thorne, the canal takes a quiet course across flat countryside with just a railway for company, passing a series of swingbridges and a solitary settlement of Ealand.

Approaching Keadby, the railway crosses on a remarkable and possibly unique (at least in this country) opening bridge. Instead of lifting or swinging, this oblique bridge slides diagonally out of the way (it’s much easier to understand if you see it than to try to explain it!) under the control of the adjacent signal box to allow boats to pass.

The final length leads into Keadby, now sadly without pubs, where the tidal lock leads out onto the tidal Trent. As mentioned in the Boaters Notes, many inland boaters venture safely onto the tideway with appropriate precautions; but we’ll turn around, return to Bramwith, and this time we’ll continue southwest at the junction, towards Doncaster.

Approaching the liftbridge at Barnby Dun

This section, like the length between Bramwith and Stainforth, has its origins in the Don Navigation, but it too has since been straightened, enlarged and improved, and now makes no use of the river channel. The route passes Barnby Dun (‘Dun’ was an old spelling of Don) village and Long Sandall, where a lock begins the climb towards the hills. Like all the locks from here to Rotherham it’s a large, modern, power operated lock, created for heavy freight traffic which might one day return. And as with all the locks, it’s no longer staffed but operated by CRT key.

The navigation meanders its way along the Don’s floodplain, accompanied by the river and an assortment of railway lines as it approaches Doncaster. There are visitor moorings on the left before town centre that are convenient for the town, a former mining, industrial and railway centre with good shops, a market, pubs, and historic buildings worth a visit.

A flurry of rail and road bridges cross the waterway at and around Doncaster Town Lock, then the town is soon left behind as the development on either side keeps clear of the river’s floodplain. And after half a mile, we join the River Don for the first time, as the waterway finally remembers its roots as a river navigation.

Forget anything you may have heard about the S&SYN being gritty or industrial: the next few miles feature a series of splendid wooded reaches as the river threads its way through a deep, steep sided valley. Yes, there are reminders of its industrial past in the form of a series of railway viaducts, some quite spectacular, but it’s a far cry from the ‘grim up north’ cliché.

Sprotbrough village provides handy facilities including a waterside pub, while Conisbrough is a pleasant town with a castle to visit (see below), and the locks continue the gentle climb.

More industrial surroundings return at Mexborough and the locks become more frequent as the climb steepens. Waddington Lock takes its name from the once busy barge operating base of EV Waddingtons at Swinton Junction. The junction was where the Dearne & Dove Canal once branched off.

Trip-boat on an attractive length of the River Don above Doncaster

Passing what was an intensely industrial area between Kilnhurst and Aldwarke but is seeing some land reclamation alongside the remaining industries, the waterway reaches Kilnhurst and the approach to Rotherham. Eastwood Lock is the last of the large locks completed in the early 1980s, and you may notice a widening of the channel half a mile further on: this was to allow the 200ft barges that the new locks were built for to turn.

The lengthy Rotherham Cut runs through the town centre, and part of it is currently a focus for a town regeneration masterplan, with new developments planned for the land between the Cut and the river. And above Rotherham Lock, a rather striking and to my mind, quite stylish new flood barrier gate (and those aren’t words you often hear together!) has since 2022 protected this area from flooding when the river is high.

Entering Mexborough Top Lock, one of the series of new 200ft long mechanised locks built in the 1970s-80s enlargement for larger freight barges

This lock is the first of the old-style locks, manually operated and built for barges 62ft by 15ft – although a somewhat longer single narrowboat may pass through. Three more such locks follow in the next mile and a half as the climb steepens again. A final short river length leads to Tinsley, where navigation and River Don part company for the last time as we enter the Sheffield Canal.

The eleven closely-spaced Tinsley locks climb to the canal’s summit level; there were once 12, but two were combined in connection with a railway scheme in 1959 – you’ll notice that one lock is now a lot deeper than all the rest. You may also spot a plaque recording the destruction of one of the locks in by a bomb in the Second World War. And you might see signs of more recent upheavals: the canal has always relied on backpumping of water to supply the locks, as fierce opposition from Sheffield’s industries reliant on the river to drive their waterwheels meant that none could be spared to feed the canal. And in recent years, the pumping system has had to be rebuilt, involving temporary pumps and lengthy towpath closures while the buried pipes were replaced. The three-mile summit level leading into Sheffield was once surrounded by the steelmaking and other industries that made the city famous. But although there’s still plenty of industry left, nature has been gradually taking over the watersides and shielding the canal, leaving it with an unkempt but not unattractive appearance. Look out for Darnall Road Aqueduct, surely one of the least well-known aqueducts on the waterways.

On the summit of the Sheffield Canal section, heading through the city’s industrial outskirts

A sharp turn near the very end leads into Sheffield’s Victoria Quays, a fine city centre terminus basin with new uses found for old buildings, including an impressive five-storey warehouse spanning the basin, cafés and other businesses set in the adjacent former railway arches, and moorings to tie up and explore the city’s attractions with much within easy walking distance. It’s a good way to end a journey up an interesting and varied waterway.

BOATERS’ NOTES:

Longer craft: The two usual ways that visiting craft from outside the north eastern waterways reach the Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigation are either via one of the three trans-Pennine canals or via the tidal Trent to Keadby (a tidal passage to be treated with caution, but perfectly safe in suitable inland craft in experienced hands, with the appropriate charts and tide tables). However, neither of these is possible in boats longer than a little over 60ft (the exact limit depends on hull shape), owing to short locks on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Calder & Hebble Navigation, and at Thorne on the Stainforth & Keadby Canal. The only way to get there in a full-length 70ft narrowboat is to continue down the tidal Trent beyond Keadby, right down to Trent Falls where it meets the Yorkshire Ouse at the head of the Humber estuary, then up the Ouse to enter the Aire & Calder Navigation at either Goole or Selby, then the New Junction Canal to reach the S&SYN at Bramwith. This is an adventurous journey involving anchoring at Trent Falls (where the river is around half a mile wide) to wait for the tide, and tackling it requires experience, good knowledge of local waters, and suitably reliable, powerful and well-equipped craft (including marine band radio and a qualified operator). Once you get there, you will be limited to the Thorne to Rotherham length by lock sizes. Tinsley Locks are limited by CRT to craft no longer than 60ft.

Locks and opening bridges: Mechanised locks from Long Sandall to Rotherham and on the New Junction Canal are operated by a Canal & River Trust ‘Watermate’ key, as are lift and swing bridges.

Bookings: Boaters planning to use the tidal Trent via Keadby to get to or from the S&SYN will need to book in advance with the lock keeper. Tinsley Locks on the Sheffield Canal will also need to be booked in advance.

River conditions: The waterway between Doncaster and Tinsley makes use of the River Don. Boaters should make the usual allowance for currents, and if river levels rise after heavy rain they should be prepared to tie up somewhere safe and wait for levels to fall again.

by Jane Hyde

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• Adventure holidays

Yorkshire canal adventure holidays

Below we show some examples of routes which our customers enjoy. Distances and times shown are for the return trip. You can vary the distance to suit you, because there are plenty of turning points ('winding holes') marked in the guides on your boat. Information we provide about specific waterways or suggested routes is for general reference only. Please see more about route availability .

For experienced boaters

10/11 night adventure trips

42 miles 98 locks 45 hours

This enables you to cross the summit, the second highest (just) in England at 600’. Leaving our historic canal basin, your journey begins with the excitement of a new tunnel and the deepest lock in the country. The canal gradually climbs through woods, fields and small stone towns to Hebden Bridge. This old mill town nestles in a fork in the hills, houses piled tier upon tier. Hebden has excellent shops and is full of surprises - everything from horsey clothing to hand-made pottery. Untie, and go on up the valley, its sides closing in with crags and trees and views of the moors high above. A stream runs alongside, and the locks are set among woods or stone cottages. The Pennine Way crosses at Callis. So to Todmorden, completely untouristy yet with much to enjoy - fine Victorian buildings, especially the Town Hall, a lively market and many places to eat and drink, all dominated by a curving railway viaduct. From here the going gets serious – more Alpine than Pennine. Pass the Great Wall of Todmorden, go under a splendidly overdone Gothic railway bridge, then stop at the Cross Keys (much recommended). Go on to the summit, a spectacular gap in the hills. Pause at the Summit Inn, your first in Lancashire, before making the steep drop into Littleborough, 12 locks in 2 miles. Turn near the railway station, or possibly go on past Clegg Hall (a Grade 1 listed restored ruin) and through the edge of Rochdale - already surprisingly sylvan - and to its centre. Turn just below Lock 50.

Navigation notes

This journey is recommended for experienced crews only. The western half of the Rochdale Canal is not yet in as good condition as other canals and you may experience difficulty or delays. Some of the locks can be hard work. We will give further details in the Route Companion posted to you in good time before your holiday. Lock 50 is the practical limit for an out and back trip of a week.

110 miles 118 locks 55 hours

Sail down the leafy Calder & Hebble Navigation past Brighouse, and through wide river sections and narrow cuttings to Wakefield, where there are good moorings not too far from the bright lights. Then on to Stanley Ferry to see the famous aqueducts and two very convenient and contrasting pubs. You are now on the Aire & Calder, which is still a thriving commercial waterway, though there are now many more pleasure boats than barges. Electric locks and a wide channel help you speed (relatively) round to Leeds, where you sail past the regenerated waterfront. Then join the Leeds & Liverpool Canal which quickly escapes along its own way through fields and woods, with spectacular views of old West Riding industry - particularly Sir Titus Salt's Italianate mills and model town at Saltaire, with its Hockney museum. There are several staircase locks along the way, which culminate in the Five Rise Locks at Bingley, one of the Seven Wonders of the Waterways.

14 night adventure trips

From Barnoldswick base: 164 miles 104 locks 80 hours, plus 14 miles 14 locks 8 hours for Rufford Branch

See the western side of the Leeds & Liverpool, culminating in the magnificence of Albert Dock. Quiet moorings here are a short walk from the city centre with shops, culture and more shops. Tate North and the Maritime Museum are actually in the dock where you moor. On the way back, take time to see the Rufford Branch.

Your passage into Liverpool is supervised, and must be booked well in advance (Canal & River Trust, Wigan 03030 404040). You will need additional information from us about your boat. Only certain days of the week are available in each direction.

This holiday is only available on boats based at Barnoldswick.

158 miles 114 locks 70 hours

Not an obvious holiday destination, but a fascinating canal journey through a rapidly rejuvenating area to the newly restored basin near the city centre. Enthusiasts enthuse; try it. Not so many locks, and many of them are electric, but still quite a long return journey.

105 miles 70 locks 50 hours

This takes you to Goole Docks, where you can take a guided boat tour to see the ships. Travel down the Calder & Hebble Navigation to Wakefield, and take time to visit the Hepworth. Then on to Stanley Ferry and down the Wakefield DYke (properly 'Branch') of the Aire & Calder Navigation to join its main line at Castleford. Stop to see the curving Millennium Bridge across the river, and visit the flour mill museum. Keep on through Ferrybridge, where so much coal used to come by boats to feed the mighty power stations. Through Knottingley, and the canal becomes astonishingly remote, with enormous skies stretching over the flat, rural landscape. Eventually you arrive in Goole, and moor near the Sobriety Project, a waterways museum run by and for people being helped to overcome challenges in their lives. Goole is a canal town, built from nothing by the Aire & Calder to make a port at the furthest inland point where ships could come up the tidal Aire, one of the three great rivers which combine to form the Humber Estuary. You can see many buildings from that period, and examples of the fixed and (astonishingly) floating cranes which lifted the Tom Puddings (square barges or 'pans') which brought coal in long snaking trains to be lifted into ships, for coastwise transport to the power stations of London. You are not allowed to take your boat into the docks, but hitch a lift on one of the museum's excellent guided boat trips. You may see ships unloading, and if you're lucky see one coming through Ocean Lock, or catch Exol Pride bringing oil from the refineries at Immingham to Rotherham.

You need to be sure not to cross the invisible line into ABP's dock. Stop by the Sobriety Project or Goole Boathouse.

York and Ripon

189 miles 82 locks 70 hours

Sail down the leafy Calder & Hebble Navigation past Brighouse, and through wide river sections and narrow cuttings to Wakefield, where there are good moorings not too far from the bright lights. Then on to Stanley Ferry to see the famous aqueducts and two very convenient and contrasting pubs. You are now on the Aire & Calder, which is still a thriving commercial waterway, though there are now many more pleasure boats than barges. Electric locks and a wide channel help you speed to Castleford; keep on the main line of the Aire & Calder Navigation towards Knottingley. This section briefly passes through an industrial hinterland, but is full of interest because much water-borne freight comes through - in barges, push-tows and tankers. At Bank Dole you leave the main line and its electric locks, to drop into the Aire as it winds through farmland, stopping occasionally at pretty brick-built villages. And so to Selby, where you can explore the ancient Abbey and market. Then enter the tidal Ouse, and go up to Naburn, where you leave the tidal section. Go on up the river to moor in the very centre of York. Having seen all you can of the city, go on to Ripon, newly restored and the northernmost point on the waterways.

Necessitating a passage on the tidal Ouse, this trip is available only to very experienced crews subject to our stringent conditions and consent. Crews should allow a minimum of two weeks for this trip, to cover possible waiting time. Only available May to September and in stable, dry weather. Customers must be prepared to take a different route if in our judgement wet weather makes the Ouse likely to flood. You will require our York Pack for details.

How to Book

Use this form to check availability. When you find the boat you want, click 'Book this holiday now' and you can pay your deposit or hold for 48 hours - or ring 01422 832712 .

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Liverpool - customer reviews.

"Our chosen route surpassed our expectations, and we recommend it to other boaters. The scenery was very varied and much more rural than we expected since we went through several former industrial towns. An amazing entrance to Liverpool. Dressers Arms (Wheelton) highly recommended. Take bus in Liverpool!" - Mr Glover, Somerset

Buxworth - Customer Reviews

"Scenery delightul, especially top of Huddersfield Narrow. Surprisingly secluded considering proximity to towns & cities." - Mrs Kemp, Worcester

Sheffield - Customer Reviews

"All very green even through Doncaster to Sheffield." - Mr Mach, Hereford

More Reviews

Sheffield Narrowboats

Making life a float, welcome aboard.

Many companies build boats, we build Boaters!

It has been a wonderful 12 years for us, offering unique long term hire and seeing our guests moving on from the RYA Helmsman's Course to becoming, after six months on the cut, probably amongst the most experienced boaters on the UK waterways.

During these 12 years we have never had a single complaint about our hirers, indeed the contrary is the case, as we ourselves travel the waterways many recognise our boats and ask where "Pere and Jan", or Sandra and Geoff" are.

We have been proud to offer the highest quality boats, maintained far in excess of requirements with a full service every 200 hours, and never a penny pinched - preferring happy customers over skimping for a couple of extra pounds profit.

We have enjoyed every single minute of working with customers to ensure they have a truly life affirming experience, and we have been proud to act as ambassadors for our beautiful and unique waterways.

Proud to have been "Carbon Neutral" before it became fashionable, (and now utterly essential), and even prouder to have only generated two black binbags of waste that cannot otherwise be reused, recycled, reimagined or repurposed in the last year and a half.

Proud to represent Sheffield, buying from our neighbouring boatbuilder and friend Jonathan Wilson, only using Sheffield cutlery on our boats and making our part of the Sheffield Canal more interesting - our historic wharf resplendent with our Pirate skeletons being the most photographed feature of the Sheffield Canal.

But all the joys and celebrations have been undermined and eroded by constantly having to do battle with "CRT", the Canal and River Trust (previously known as British Waterways).

CRT are not only anti waterways business, they are deliberately antagonistic, unhelpful, obstructive, officious, inept and institutionally incompetent.  Their 'on the ground' staff, especially lock keepers are absolutely superb however, but anyone in an office will have had special training in being unhelpful and officious.  We have lost count of the number of times we've had to threaten legal action against them.

Our frustration and disappointment with CRT came to a head last year though.  The bicentennial celebration of the Sheffield Canal. After 10 years of drawing attention to the abysmal state of the towpath between Victoria Quays (Sheffield Canal Basin) and the start of the locks at Tinsley, being in many places impassable due to many a deeply rutted, muddy quagmire, the 200th Birthday celebrations were focussed at the Quays, with no regard to making the atrotious towpath even slightly accessible for wheelchair users or even families with a pram.  The celebrations (such as they were) consisted mainly of mutual backslapping of CRT officials and a floatila of boats from Don Valley to the Quays.

CRT have failed in their statutory obligation to ensure the towpath is accessible, counter to the Equality Act of 2010.

Having spent 12 years promoting the Sheffield Canal, making our canalside presence interesting and picturesque, we felt ashamed and embarrassed having to witness the state of many who'd braved the walk along the towpath.

Together with neglecting the disabled, CRT have consistently demonstrated a reluctance to support waterway businesses.  We are fortunate to have always self funded and have had no borrowing requirements, however due to lack of maintenance of their network with numerous breaches and stoppages, we have seen many colleague business fail with no support whatsoever from CRT.

In short, closing Sheffield Narrowboat, although sad to no longer being a part of the wonderful experience our customers share, will prove to be a welcome break from having to deal with CRT - who with experience, we now adopt an automatic default position of expecting difficulty.

To our many wonderful customers, colleages and waterway friends over the past 12 years, we thank you for making 'being a waterway business' a true joy, we love you all and will miss you.

To CRT, we'll be glad to never have to deal with you again.

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Sheffield Narrowboats Limited Registered in England: 5943780 - VAT Registration Number: 890 7737 78 Registered Office: The Boathouse, Canal Street, Sheffield, S4 7ZE

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Cruise the canals around London, moor in historic Bath, Oxford or Chester. Travel from Edinburgh via the stunning Falkirk Wheel. Cross the amazing Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in Wales.

The narrowboat is the modern version of the cargo vessels that travelled the canals before the railways.

Now these boats contain every creature comfort and are available for hire across the UK and in Ireland.

These canal boats have modern kitchens, beds which can be left made up, heating, showers and toilets. They can sleep from 2 to 12 people.

Canal Boat Hire

A canal holiday lets you experience the locks to go up or down hill and travel through exciting tunnels. You can cross aqueducts over valleys and rivers - the most famous is 120 feet above the ground.

At 4 miles per hour a canal narrow boat holiday is often described as 'the fastest way to slow down'.

Widest Choice

On this website there is the widest choice of canal boat holidays in the UK. We offer weekend and midweek breaks, week hire or longer. And all at the boat operator's price.

Search and Book

On our website you can search for a boat by size, by date, by canal route, or by cruise area. Then book online for best prices.

Your Shortlist

As you find boats and routes you like just add them to your Shortlist (Shopping Basket). Review and compare at any time!

For boating holidays in Europe see our Boating Holidays website

Popular routes for narrowboat holidays.

Canal Holidays, Bowers Wharf, Skipton, BD23 2PD, United Kingdom

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• Relaxed Sunday lunch barge experience Just enjoyed a lovely Sunday lunch experience on this barge. The food was excellent, delivered piping hot with lots of fresh veg and jugs of gravy. The customer service is faultless, all staff are pleasant and helpful serving the food and drinks efficiently with a smile. Thank you everyone.
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• Going out in Sheffield

Canal trip for a night out.

By sunny1 January 23, 2005 in Going out in Sheffield

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Does anybody know how I go about sorting out a canal trip, one of the evening ones that does food & drink that will be suitable for a hen night?

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There is a restaurant boat that sails from Victoria Quays to Tinsley locks and back, which has a bar on it, and can be hired for a private party. It is called A39 I think. You can specifiy which type of catering you want, with a choice of either a buffet, Pie & Pea supper or full on 3 course dinner.

I assume they are still doing it anyway - the website seems to have vanished.

I've found a reference on the net - http://americanairlines.wcities.com/en/record/109,184687/391/index.html

Went on the boat trip on the Canal a few years ago, i have to admit it was not the greatest experience. Went as far as the arena and turned round plus it stunk of diesel.

Not to be detered, we then went on the one in Doncaster, a lot lot better, food was excellent and they had a dj and disco on board.

You can indeed hire the canal boat for an evenings party from a shop under the arches by the canal. I went to see about hiring it myself a few weeks ago for an anniversary bash. The trip lasts around 2.5 hours, to tinsley lock and back. However reading Mr-Ned's comments I might not bother. I understand theres a boat trip from Sprotborough thats good though. The Sheffield canal boats'web site didn't work.

NatalieSheff

my friend did a club night type thing couple of years ago - a hard house thing - dont think it lasted. be a bit cold for hen night in this weather!

I went on the "santa" one on the A39 just before Xmas. twenty people on and it got quite cramped.

You can hire them out at Sprotbrough a lot better and bigger, Sprotbrough night boats i think they are called, one of my work collegues hired them out last year for her mums 60th and went down a right storm

• 4 years later...

how do i book one??

I have always found canal trips to be GREAT in theory but when it comes down to practicality it is sorely lacking. Eating food on a rocking boat, the smell of the water and diesel fuel. It doesn't scream romance when you think about it. Now - piracy.. THAT is a whole other matter entirely.

shakermaker

there's a shop in one of the arches on the canal basin (under the hilton)

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Festive Cruises 2024

For full boat charters.

• Any day/evening in December, November and early January.

Festive cruise includes party crackers.

Start time can be arranged to suit party requirements. Minimum number 20 people (small numbers - see our ‘ Small Party Option' ’ section)

Maximum numbers 70 people. On some types of cruise this number cannot be accommodated, and a recommended maximum number is shown in the cruise descriptions below, please ask for advice.

Cruise Duration is stated by cruise descriptions below. Extra hours can be added to stated cruise duration at £150 an hour, or part thereof.

Child price are for children 15 and under.

Deposit payment £200 non-refundable as first part of total cruise cost, payable within 7 days of reservation to confirm booking. Final payment due 21 days before cruise date.

On basic boat cruises and at the

discretion of the management on other cruises an additional £200 damage deposit is required, which will not be refunded until at least 2 day after the cruise once the boat has been fully inspected.

Special Diets can be catered for please just ask. All bookings are made per our Company Terms and Conditions.

Terms and Conditions apply to all bookings.

If you need more information, please contact us or try our Frequently Asked Questions section.

Small Parties

Please link over to our Small Party Option page for more information.

We will take small party bookings on any available day in December, we ask you for a minimum of 10 guests to open up a date. If your party size is smaller than 10, please still enquire about a booking as we open a date up if we can co-ordinate smaller parties on the same cruise. Sounds complicated but it works 😊

Choose From

Festive 3 Course sit down meal | £50.95 (child £45.95) 3 hr cruise – maximum 44 – see menu below

Available lunch or evening

Festive 2 Course sit down Meal| £47.95 (child £42.95) 3 hr cruise – maximum 44 - see menu below choose Entrée and dessert

Festive 2 Course WEEKDAY SPECIAL | 2hr cruise £40.95 (child £35.95)

Available weekday lunch and mon-thur evenings only

Maximum 44 – see menu below choose Entrée and dessert

Festive Pie & Pea cruise  |  3 hr cruise - £37.50 (child £32.50)

                                           |  2 hr 30 min cruise - £34.50 (child £29.50)

                                           |  1 hr 30 min cruise - £32.50 (child £27.50)

Maximum 44 sit down, 70 buffet style

Meat and potato pie and mushy peas, Vegetarian option available

Festive Pie & Pea with Dessert cruise:  |  3 hr cruise -  £41.50/person (child £36.50).

                                                                  |  2 hr 30 min cruise  - £38.50/person (child £33.50).

maximum 44 sat down - 70 buffet style

Steak Pie & Pea with desert. Vegetarian option available

Dessert—choice must be ordered in advance from, apple pie, chocolate cake, lemon meringue, Christmas pudding or carrot cake.

Festive Buffet  |  3 hr cruise -  - £41.95 (child £36.95)

Menu - selection of sandwiches (egg, tuna, meat), pizza, sausage rolls, chicken bits, hot potato bits, Indian selection, fruit sticks, crisps. Selection of desserts, after meal tea or coffee. (items may vary depending on availability). Items may be changed on request.

Festive Disco Pie & Pea  |  4 hr cruise – £47.95 (child £42.95)

Maximum 65 buffet style, 24 sit down

Festive Disco Buffet  |  4 hr cruise –  £53.50 (child £48.50)

Festive Disco with 3 Course  |  4 hr cruise - £60.95 (child £55.95)

(available lunch or evening)

Maximum 30 – see menu below

MENU for FESTIVE DINNER/LUNCH. All 2 course lunches - must choose entrée & dessert. If a member of your party requires a special diet this can normally be accommodated.

Starter – choice of Vegetable Soup (Homemade) Garlic Mushrooms – ‘A 39’ style layers of mushrooms and cheese Prawn Cocktail Pâté Grapefruit & Mandarin Orange Cocktail

Entrée – choice of

Turkey with kilted sausages & stuffing Gammon with redcurrant jelly Salmon with Dill sauce Vegetarian option available depending on diet requirements, please ask All the above are served with potatoes and seasonal vegetables. Sauces are served separately.

Dessert – choice of Christmas Pudding Fresh Fruit Salad Lemon Meringue Pie Ice cream Profiteroles Apple pie Cheese & Crackers.

Tea or Coffee

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