Oxford, Cropredy & Return

This one week canal boat holiday from Cheshire, in Northwich, to Wigan provides a very pleasant and easy run, featuring many miles of lock free cruising for a relaxing break.

Leaving the base you travel on the Bridgewater Canal, which was the first British canal built by the Duke of Bridgewater, to transport coal to Manchester.

The canal that once carried millions of tonnes of traffic is now part one of the most popular boat cruising canals in England. You’ll see mine entrances and the amazing Barton Swing Bridge, which is swung open to let large ships through. The bridge is engineering marvel, built 38 feet above the water in 1761 which, at the time, made it the largest aqueduct in England.

Once arriving in Wigan, there are lots of attractions to experience. The Wigan Pier is situated just a few hundred yards from the city centre and is popular with tourists. The area is currently undergoing development of a “Wigan Pier Quarter” that will combine entertainment and retail with more traditional symbols of the town.

Whilst at the Pier you can visit The Orwell, a converted Victorian cotton warehouse originally built in 1877. The warehouse has retained many of its original features and now contains a bar and restaurant where you can relax after seeing the sites.

You can also visit the Trencherfield Mill Steam Engine (one of the world’s largest), with sessions available on Sundays where you can listen to engineers talk about the history of this brilliant feat of industrial engineering. The engine, which once churned out a massive 2,500 horsepower to transport goods to and from Trencherfield Mill during the height of Wigan’s industrial development, now sits on display and has been perfectly restored.

Suggested routes from this base

Short routes from this base