North Oxford & Ashby Canals

Ten / Eleven Day Cruise

All boats can be booked for 10 day hire from Friday or Saturday through to Monday or Tuesday week or 11 day hire Monday/Tuesday to Friday/Saturday week.

Hours cruising each way to:
Snarestone Tunnel: 41 hrs*
95 miles, 31 locks, 2 aqueducts, 4 tunnels.

*These are approximate hrs and do not account for possible delays.

Travel north along the Ouzel Valley through the parks of Milton Keynes and over the Aqueducts at Wolverton and Cosgrove and then on to the picturesque Northamptonshire village of Stoke Bruerne. Take your boat up through the flight of seven locks and on through the nearly two mile long Blisworth Tunnel and on to Gayton Junction.

Continue on through Northamptonshire and its attractive stone villages to Weedon, reputed to be the centre of England. Then on to Braunston junction where the Oxford to Coventry Canal crosses the London to Birmingham Grand Union Canal.

Braunston village grew up around the canal and became well known for the building of wooden narrowboats. The church steeple can be seen for miles around.

After turning right at Braunston, you head up the North Oxford Canal through Rugby and the Newbold Tunnel to Hawkesbury Junction, where the Oxford Canal finishes and joins the Coventry Canal. In a few miles you will come to Marston Junction where you will turn right onto the Ashby Canal.

The Ashby Canal is a tranquil 21 mile lock-free canal terminating north of the Snarestone Tunnel where the Globe Inn offers good food and beer. On the way you can explore 'Bosworth Field' battleground and visit the Shackerstone steam railway.

Hours cruising each way to:
Snarestone Tunnel: 41 hrs*
95 miles, 31 locks, 2 aqueducts, 4 tunnels.

*These are approximate hrs and do not account for possible delays.