What do Birmingham and Venice have in common? - Canals.

But did you know that there are more miles of canals in Birmingham. In these days of high speed travel when the Channel Tunnel can be crossed in 35 mins and you can fly to the Mediterranean in 3 hours, it takes 4 days to get to Worcester from Braunston near Daventry where we moor our canal boat Louisa May.

Louisa May

She was built at Norton Canes, north of Birmingham in 1981 by Denis Cooper, is 45ft long and is based on a design of canal tug used to move coal from the Cannock coal field to the industries in the heart of Birmingham. She is powered by a Kelvin P4 built by Kelvin Diesels of Glasgow in 1976, which was first fitted in a fishing boat that worked out of Nova Scotia in Canada.

We bought Louisa May in 1995, when hiring a boat and even owning a twelfth share in a boat organised by Ownerships did not satisfy our quest for exploring Britain's hidden backwaters and living industrial archaeology. The canals are so full of contrast. You can find unspoilt countryside that has hardly changed in 200 years or moor in the centre of Straford upon Avon for free in sight of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and be woken by tourists wanting to know "Do you live on the boat and can we take your photograph" How about a night or two between the Sea Life Centre and the National Indoor Arena in the heart of modern day Birmingham, or a trip on the Caldon Canal north of Stoke on Trent in the middle of summer where at the local pub you can always get a seat in the bar? On a visit to the Black Country Museum, Dudley we became a temporary exhibit as Kate and James dressed in traditional costumes.

Kate & James at the Black Country Museum, Dudley

Anyone can enjoy a boating holiday. For our Silver Wedding celebration 30 friends and relations joined us for a weekend on four boats hired from Willow Wren Boats at Rugby. The crew's ages ranged from over 70 years to just 3 months. You can hire boats for the day, the weekend, weekly or longer. Top of the range boats have central heating, microwave cooker, television, hot and cold running water, and of course the loos flush. Why not give it a try? We will be looking out for you.

Stoke Bruerne - Canal Museum.

For a brief history of the British Canals Click Here

Why not visit Braunston Village where we moor our boat.