{"id":4617,"date":"2026-04-16T23:56:32","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T23:56:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/adventure\/?p=4617"},"modified":"2026-04-16T23:56:35","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T23:56:35","slug":"a-narrowboat-adventure-in-the-united-kingdom-is-a-super-getaway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/adventure\/a-narrowboat-adventure-in-the-united-kingdom-is-a-super-getaway\/","title":{"rendered":"A \u201cNarrowboat\u201d Adventure in the United Kingdom, IS a Super Getaway"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Story and photos by the author.<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Do you know what a NARROW BOAT is? You might well wonder why I pose such a question \u2013 I mean it should be obvious: a boat that\u2019s very slim and trim. Well, you\u2019re almost right. A Narrowboat (notice NO hyphen) epitomizes the often weird and many wonderful ways of tourism in Great Britain.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
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Narrowboat on canal bridge.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Brits call them Narrowboats, as it IS one word, and depending on their size and length, they can hold from 2 to 10 people. Research indicates there are over 38,000 Narrowboats in the UK, and they\u2019re a wonderful leisurely way to see the 3,000 (yes, THREE THOUSAND!) miles of handsomely historic waterways that, Britain being Britain, envelops you in over 200 years of (mostly!) fascinating local and national history. To slightly alter a well-known clich\u00e9, the sights are a joy for fresh eyes!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although a large percentage of Narrowboats are permanent homes for many people, there are still lots of places they can be rented, hired, or enjoyed as a special trip. Prices and itineraries online: Type in \u201cNarrowboats in England.\u201d Maximum length is 72 feet (2.13m) and to see WHY they\u2019re called NARROWboats, go online and check out the multitude of nifty photos.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
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Bridge for Narrowboats.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

My first sighting of these gaily colored boats was on a trip to Great Britain. I was having \u201cA Ploughman\u2019s Lunch\u201d (usually bread, cheese, and fresh, absolutely deeeeeelicious (!) ham, green salad, hard boiled eggs and an apple \u2026. Plus a superb only in the UK pickled onion\u2026 aaaah, I can taste and sense the mouthwatering aroma right now)<\/em>, and it was in one of those classic riverside pubs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Narrowboat on UK waterway.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n
\n
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Narrowboat on canal bridge<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Off to my left there was a long, narrow (!) bridge that spanned a gorgeous, lushly green valley below. What totally stunned me, and made me wonder if what I saw was REAL or a dream, was that the bridge was not (as I expected) for a roadway or railway, but a water canal! Adding to my joy and \u201cvisual senses,\u201d was that coming towards us on the bridge waterway, was a slim, trim highly imaginative, full of character, multicolored Narrowboat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve always loved \u201cchatting up the locals\u201d wherever I go, and near my lunch table was a middle aged couple who looked as if they\u2019d stepped out of a British Tourist office poster advertising Britain and her people. The woman smiled at me, noticing the obvious surprise of seeing what was now very near to us. \u201cYes,\u201d she said in a marvelous \u2013 but a somewhat hard to understand local brogue, \u201cthey ARE lovely aren\u2019t they\u2026 you can rent them, and some offer you the chance to step off the Narrowboat and stay overnight in one of the many waterside cottages.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To get an even better \u201cfeel\u201d for Narrowboats, check out the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. At 3 miles in length, it is the deepest canal in Britain, and took 16 years to build and, as you\u2019ll see, has some absolutely exquisite local scenery along the canal route.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
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The Bingley Canal and a Narrowboat at Foxton.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Talking with some Narrowboat owners, I was intrigued to hear that another joy of Narrowboating, is the number of Locks you\u2019ll go up or down through. The UK has 1,569 locks and 53 tunnels that some canals go through, plus 3,112 canal carrying bridges, and even 370 water canal aqueducts.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
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Bridge canal for Narrowboats.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

For photo buffs, I urge you to check out \u2013 and for sure photograph \u2013 the BINGLEY FIVE RISE LOCKS on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal at Bingley. If shot with a wide angle lens, it looks as if the five lock gates are part of some Steeple Chase canal adventure. It\u2019s too confusing to describe how they function, as you\u2019ll get a much better idea of WHY they\u2019re so intriguing, by a personal visit. I\u2019d heartily recommend you go in the summer months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t be narrow minded: experience a trip in a Narrowboat in the UK.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Do you know what a NARROW BOAT is? You might well wonder why I pose such a question \u2013 I mean it should be obvious: a boat that\u2019s very slim and trim. Well, you\u2019re almost right. A Narrowboat (notice NO hyphen) epitomizes the often weird and many wonderful ways of tourism in Great Britain.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":4618,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[2100,1157,1937,19,2098],"class_list":["post-4617","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-travel","tag-boats","tag-england","tag-great-britain","tag-home_page","tag-narrowboat"],"yoast_head":"\nA \u201cNarrowboat\u201d Adventure in the United Kingdom, IS a Super Getaway - Traveling Boy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/adventure\/a-narrowboat-adventure-in-the-united-kingdom-is-a-super-getaway\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A \u201cNarrowboat\u201d Adventure in the United Kingdom, IS a Super Getaway - Traveling Boy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Do you know what a NARROW BOAT is? 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