Grand Union Canal
A guide to the Grand Union Canal and narrowboat hire on the Grand Union Canal
The Grand Union Canal itself:
Cruising Hours: This route consists of 304.195 miles, 346 locks and 7.5 tunnels. Which will take 25 days, 6 hours and 28 minutes when travelling for 7 hours per day at our default speeds.
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Hire Boats for the Grand Union Canal.
Below you'll see the available hire narrowboats for this canal.
More about Grand Union Canal Boat Hire
The Grand Union Canal is a perfect mix of a bustling city and town life, tranquil countryside and incredible canal heritage to discover. The Grand Union Canal is one of a kind, as it is separated into 8 individual stretches of canal. But this whole network together connects London with Birmingham, Leicester and Nottingham.
If you can't find the deal you are looking for or have any questions about holidays on the Grand Union Canal or any other canals, we are happy to help please get in touch on 02045781435 or contact us by e-mail and we will be glad to help.
Grand Union Canal Facts
Location: Midlands and South England
Length: 137 miles
Locks: 158
Lock type: mostly wide locks
FAQs about Grand Union canal boat hire
Our holidays require no previous bating experience, but you may have some questions.
Where can we start our Grand Union Canal Boat Hire?
We have 2 hire bases from which you could enjoy a cruise along the beautiful Grand Union canal. Our Leighton Buzzard base is ideally located for exploring the Southern half of the Grand Union Canal either heading south towards Cassiobury Park and then onto London or North to Braunston. Speaking of Braunston this is the other potential starting point, from here you can also explore the Grand Union canal heading into Birmingham tackling the famous Hatton Locks along the way. Both these hire bases start on the Grand Union Canal itself.
How many locks are on the Grand Union canal?
There are 158 locks in total on the Grand Union Canal, the majority of these are wide locks which can take a little more effort to work over narrow locks, however chances are you'll navigate through many of the locks alongside another boat potentially another hire crew which can be fun and lightens the load.
How long is the Grand Union Canal
The Grand Union Canal is 137 miles long.
Is day boat hire available?
We are focused on overnight holiday hire, however you can check out our day hire page to find a list of day hire options some of which are on the Grand Union Canal.
Which short-break routes could we on the Grand Union Canal?
A popular short-break option is to head to Stoke Bruerne with its Canal Museum, two pubs and Indian restaurant. You can reach Stoke Bruerne either from the North from the Braunston base or from the South from the Leighton buzzard base. You could also head towards Warwick on a 4 night hire or Welford along the Leicester Line from Braunston, or south from Leighton Buzzard towards Cow Roast on a 3 night weekend hire.
Which week long routes could we do on the Grand Union Canal?
There are multiple routes that can be done over a week from our two hire bases on the Grand Union Canal with the Braunston base having more options to choose from. Routes that are totally or mostly along the Grand Union Canal include Braunston to Leighton Buzzard, Braunston to Market Harborough, Leighton Buzzard to Cassiobury Park, Leighton Buzzard to Braunston and Leighton Buzzard to Northampton.
Are there any ring routes that include the Grand Union Canal?
The Leicester ring, Thames Ring and Warwickshire Ring all involve travelling along the grand union canal for part of each rings course. The Warwickshire Ring is the shortest and can be completed over an active 10 or 11 nights or a slightly more relaxed 2 week hire.