Most of Britain's canal network was built over 200 years ago as the transport network of the Industrial Revolution. There are dozens of canals and hundreds of iconic structures, and every year there are significant anniversaries to be celebrated.

Drifters (www.drifters.co.uk) offers the choice of over 500 boats from 40 bases across England, Scotland and Wales and has published a guide to canal anniversaries being celebrated in 2025, along with the nearest canal boat hire bases:

Anderton Boat Lift is 150 years old

Also known as 'The Cathedral of the Canals', this extraordinary structure raises boats 15 metres (50ft) from the River Weaver to the Trent & Mersey Canal. Designed by Edwin Clark and opened in 1875, it consists of two caissons, each large enough to take a barge or pair of narrowboats. In 1983 problems with the mechanism caused the lift to close but after a Heritage Lottery Funded restoration, it reopened in 2002.  Drifters' nearest bases are at Anderton and Acton Bridge in Cheshire.

***The 65ft 'Carina' narrowboat for up to four people is currently available for a week (1-8 August) from Bunbury for £2,345. Price includes boat hire, gas, car parking, damage waiver, tuition on arrival, buoyancy aids, bed linen, towels and up to three pets.  A £70 deposit is taken for short breaks (three or four nights), £110 for a week.  Charge based on use, circa £10-15 per day. 

The Shropshire Union Canal is 190 years old

Completed in 1835, the 76-mile long Shropshire Union Canal runs from Ellesmere Port on the River Mersey to Autherley Junction, near Wolverhampton.  Much of its length is isolated and rural, with stretches where there are no towns for miles. The northern section follows the gently rolling Cheshire landscape, while the southern section has long embankments and deep cuttings, so fewer locks. The cuttings are full of vegetation and wildlife, with a feeling of stepping back in time. Drifters has bases on the Shropshire Union Canal at Brewood in Shropshire and Bunbury in Cheshire.

***The 55ft 'Sir Cador' narrowboat for up to four people is currently available for a weekend break (15-18 August) from Brewood for £993.  Price includes damage waiver, pets, tuition, fuel, gas, parking, buoyancy aids and bed linen.

The Worcester & Birmingham Canal is 210 years old

Completed in 1815, the 29-mile long Worcester & Birmingham Canal links the River Severn at Worcester with Birmingham's Gas Street Basin, where it joins the Birmingham Canal Main Line. There are 58 locks along the length of the canal, including the 30 at Tardebigge, the longest lock flight in the UK.  Drifters has canal boat hire bases on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal at Worcester, Stoke Prior and Alvechurch in Worcestershire.

***The 47ft 'Rock Bunting' narrowboat for up to five people is currently available for a weekend break (20-23 June) from Alvechurch for £1,020, saving £179. Price includes a non-refundable damage waiver, bed linen, towels, car parking, two pets, buoyancy aids and tuition.  A fuel deposit of £60 for a short break is payable with the balance of hire. Fuel costs are based on use, approx. £10-15 per day.

Blisworth Tunnel is 220 years old

At 1.74 miles long, Blisworth Tunnel on the Grand Union Canal at Stoke Bruerne in Northamptonshire is the second longest navigable tunnel on the canal system.  Construction began in 1793, and it opened in 1805.  The village of Stoke Bruerne is home to the Canal & river Trust's Canal Museum and a choice of canalside pubs. Drifters' nearest bases are at Gayton and Braunston on the Grand Union Canal in Northamptonshire.

***The 66ft 'Marsh Sandpiper' narrowboat for up to six people is currently available for a weekend break (5-8 September) for £1,445, saving £254. Price includes a non-refundable damage waiver, bed linen, towels, car parking, two pets, buoyancy aids, mobile Wifi and tuition.  A fuel deposit of £60 for a short break is payable with the balance of hire. Fuel costs are approx. £10-15 per day.

Dundas Aqueduct is 220 years old

Completed in 1805, this magnificent Bath stone aqueduct at Limpley Stoke in Wiltshire, was designed by John Rennie.  Now a scheduled monument, Dundas Aqueduct carries the Kennet & Avon Canal over the River Avon and Wessex Main Line railway. Boaters can reach Dundas Aqueduct on a short break canal boat holiday from Drifters' bases at Bath, Monkton Coombe, Bradford on Avon, Hilperton and Devizes. ***The 62ft 'Fox Talbot' narrowboat for up to seven people is currently available for a week's break from Devizes 26-29 August for £910, saving £283.  Price includes diesel, gas, damage waiver, bed linen, towels, canal map, life jackets, parking and tuition. Pets are extra, charged at £35 each.

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is 220 years old

Completed in 1805, the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct on the Llangollen Canal in North Wales is part of an 11-mile stretch of the Llangollen Canal designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Towering 38 metres high above the Dee Valley in North Wales, it's also known as 'The Stream in the Sky'. Designed by Thomas Telford, the aqueduct's 305-metre long cast iron trough in which narrowboats float, is supported by 19 enormous hollow pillars.  Canal boat holiday-makers can reach the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct on a short break from Drifters, hire boat yards at Trevor, Chirk and Blackwater Meadow.

***The 52ft 'Princess' narrowboat for up to four people is currently available for a three-night break from Chirk 23-26 July 2025 for £1,260, saving £139. Price includes boat hire, non-refundable damage waiver, gas, car parking, tuition on arrival, buoyancy aids, bed linen and towels.  Fuel is charged on return based on use, circa £10-15 per day. 

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

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For Drifters press enquiries contact Debbie Walker on Tel 077486 40577 walker.debbie@sky.com

Notes to editors

Drifters Waterway Holidays is made up of nine hire boat companies: ABC Boat Hire, Anglo Welsh, Black Prince, Countrywide Cruisers, Foxhangers, Kate Boats, Napton Narrowboats, Shire Cruisers and Union Canal Carriers.  Between them they offer over 500 boats for hire, operating from 40 bases across England, Scotland and Wales.  2025 hire prices start at £715 for a short break, £970 for a week on a boat for up to four people.  Narrowboats range from 32ft to 70ft and can accommodate up to 12 people.  All Drifters operators provide hirers with life jackets and boat steering tuition.  Drifters holidays are pet-friendly.