Cliff Bayliss

Located at the meeting spot of the Trent and Mersey and Staff and Worcester Canal, Great Haywood lies alongside the ramparts of the imposing Shugborough Estate.

This magnificent estate is now owned by the photographer Lord Lichfield, and was once owned by the intrepid sailor, Admiral George Anson.

Great Haywood was once a Saxon village, and the scene of a civil war battle.

The Town of Nantwich is a Must on your Narrowboat Holiday

Of course, the Narrowboat holiday has a lot going for it.

As well as getting away from the hassle and bustle of cities and
traffic, it also allows you to cruise right in to the heart of some
lovely towns and villages.

At a bend in the Shropshire Union Canal, one of the best canals for a family holiday, in the County of Cheshire, is the lovely old market town of Nantwich.

Not many people have thought of mooring at Weedon Bec on the Grand Union Canal.

It's the kind of town that you pass through to quickly get to somewhere else.

However, on closer inspection, Weedon Bec has a lot to offer the Narrowboat traveler.

As with a lot of canal towns, one just has to look closely.

Weedon lies on the Grand Union Canal, tucked neatly between Nether Heyford, and Norton Junction.

Playing with Canal Guides is as much fun as the actual holiday. (well, almost!)

Whenever I plan a narrowboat holiday, I read every canal guide available.

I tend to over prepare. I get all the canal guides and maps, and plan where we will moor, where the best pubs are, where the water points are located. When the markets are on, where the local busses go, what is on in the towns.