English Rose Canal Boat Holidays Week 1

Cruise 1 - LEEDS TO BLACKBURN

Leeds and Liverpool Canal

Day 1
Arrival and settling in.
We are moored close to the centre of Leeds. We expect our guests to arrive at 4.00pm, but you may leave your cases with us before that if you wish, and spend some time exploring some of the city's attractions.

Day 2
We will leave Leeds in the morning and head north west, passing through Armley, Kirkstall, Newley and Apperley Bridge, on our way to Saltaire, where we will moor for our second night. There will be time in the afternoon or tomorrow morning to explore Saltaire, an estate village that owes its existence to the Utopian dream of Sir Titus Salt, a wealthy Victorian mill owner. For more information about Saltaire, click here.
(11.5 miles, 18 locks, 12 bridges)

Day 3/4
Leaving Saltaire, we will travel to Skipton, ascending the famous Bingley Five Rise en route, the Gateway to the Yorkshire Dales. It is a land of breathtaking scenery where rich heritage lies around every corner. We will spend the night in Skipton, and the next day, giving you time to explore. The town centre with its traditional open-air markets is only one-minute's walk from the moorings. You could also visit Skipton Castle, one of the best preserved, most complete 12th Century medieval castles, overlooking Lord Thanet's canal. Take a short walk or a taxi to Embsay Steam Railway Station and catch the steam train to Bolton Abbey. It is a short walk from the station along the tranquil banks of the River Wharf to the medieval built priory ruins - you will not be disappointed!
(16 miles, 11 locks, 22 bridges, Bingley Five Rise, Farnhill Aqueduct)

Day 5
We leave Skipton behind, and head a little further north to Gargrave, in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, where there is a delightful old-fashioned sweet shop and cafe, before dropping south through an outstanding stretch of countryside towards Lancashire. This is probably the most remote section of the whole canal and probably the most beautiful. We will spend the night at Barnoldswick, a small town whose mainstay is the Rolls Royce factory, where experimental work is done on aero engines.
(13 miles, 15 locks, 5 bridges, Stirton Aqueduct, Holme Bridge Aqueduct, Priest Holme Aqueduct)

Day 6
After Barnoldswick, we will continue south, passing through the Foulridge Tunnel to emerge into the Pendle district. If you wish, we could stop at the Pendle Heritage Centre to learn more about the Pendle Witches, executed in 1612, before continuing on our way to Rose Grove, Burnley, where we will spend the evening.
(14 miles, 6 locks, Foulridge Tunnel 1640 yards, Calder Aqueduct, Burnley Embankment)

Day 7
From Rose Grove, we travel through Hapton and Rishton to Blackburn, your final destination, a Pennine town which sprang up with the Industrial Revolution. Its old cotton mills still dominate the town. The scenery varies between heavy industrial development and green fields, farms and distant views of wild moorlands.
(16 miles, 6 locks, 4 bridges, Gannow tunnel - 559 yards)

Day 8
From here, we will call you a taxi to the railway station where you can catch a train back to Leeds if you have left your car there.

The following sites may also be of interest:

Yorkshire Dales

Leeds - Liverpool

"Thanks for a new experience, really enjoyed it, food and hospitality fantastic"
Paula & Graham, Retford