Based on the Grand Union Canal at Weedon in Northamptonshire, Grand Union Narrowboats has joined the Drifters boating holidays group, which aims to share best practice and promote canal boat holidays to newcomers.
Now made up of 10 canal boat hire operators, Drifters offers the choice of over 500 canal boats for hire from 40 locations across England, Wales and Scotland, representing around half the number of holiday hire boat available across Britain’s 2,000-mile canal network.
Haley Hadley of the Drifters group, says: “We’re delighted to welcome Grand Union Narrowboats to Drifters to join forces to promote our iconic holidays to newcomers. Travelling at less than four miles per hour through peaceful countryside, past canalside pubs, sleepy villages and vibrant waterside towns and cities, canal boat holidays are often described as ‘the fastest way to slow down’ and connect with nature.
“Every year around 450,000* people enjoy holidaying on Britain’s canal network, and with tuition included in our hire fees, around a fifth of hirers are new. The Canal & River Trust’s 2024 Hire Boat Survey revealed that 87 per cent of people who take canal boat holidays would recommend it to others, and 92 per cent said it was value for money.”
“Our holidays remain a quintessential part of the British travel offering and we’re seeing an increase in the number of people booking canal boat breaks from overseas. But there’s enormous competition from other domestic self-catering holiday options, as well as package holidays abroad.
“Drifters was established over 30 years ago, and together we work with journalists, influencers and the Canal & River Trust to reach the widest possible audience, conveying the experiences of newcomers to our holidays, the tuition that’s included and the helpful advice that’s available online, including our Boating Handbook video guide. We also offer day boat hire from 19 locations in England and Wales, which is a great way for newcomers to dip their toe in the water.”
The Weedon hire fleet was been operating since 1963. The Furniss family bought the business in 2015, and Grand Union Narrowboats currently offers the choice of 14 narrowboats for hire, ranging in size from boats for two people, up to boats for eight.
Grand Union Narrowboats owner Steve Furniss explains: “We are pleased to be part of the Drifters group, helping to bring newcomers to our holidays. The tuition and reassurance we provide to newcomers is a key part of the service we provide to our customers. During our boat handovers, we show people how all the controls on the boat work and we ensure all our novice customers get practical steering tuition along with instruction through their first locks.
“From Weedon, we offer a great choice of routes on the Grand Union Canal, Oxford and Ashby canals, as well as the River Thames. Our most popular short breaks routes for beginners, include cruising south along the Grand Union Canal to Wolverton and back. This journey takes boaters through the historic canal villages of Bugbrooke, Stoke Bruerne and Cosgrove. Canal features include the Blisworth Tunnel, the flight of locks at Stoke Bruerne and famous Iron Trunk Aqueduct, and there are plenty of canalside pubs to choose from.”
Drifters 2025 hire prices start at £715 for a short break, £970 for a week on a boat for up to four people. Day hire prices start at £99 for a boat for up to 10 people.
For more information about Drifters boating holidays call 0344 984 0322 or visit www.drifters.co.uk
For more information about visiting the canals go to www.canalrivertrust.org.uk
*Source: British Marine’s ‘Watersports Participation Survey 2022’
