Take a river cruise or come canal cruising with Tranquil Rose

Take a river cruise on the River Thames or come Canal Cruising on the Tranquil Rose
Route Descriptions 2007

1. Hungerford to Bath (Canal cruising). 21st April to 28th April (7 nights)
This very rural cruise will be a special treat in Spring. We start out across water meadows and wind our way towards Crofton locks. The canal summit passes through Savernake Forest and a short tunnel, then we drop down a flight of locks to Wootton Rivers, a most charming village. Onward past Pewsey wharf, having left all the locks behind, we pass through the wooded Stowell Park with its elegant suspension bridge, the lovely Wilcot Wide Water and under the ornate Ladies bridge. The vale of the White Horse is truly in the heart of the countryside, and we pass such isolated hamlets as the delightful Honey Street to eventually arrive at the sleepy market town of Devizes with its theatre and canal centre. Next day, we drop down the simply amazing Caen Hill locks - 29 of them cascading down the hillside to the rural agricultural landscape below. Bradford on Avon is really a jewel of a small town - in some ways a miniature version of Bath, but with a delightful old-world atmosphere. Here are such treasures as the mysterious little building on the river bridge. We continue on along the wooded Avon valley, passing over Avoncliff and Dundas aqueducts. Soon we begin to approach Bath, through Bathampton, and start to catch glorious glimpses of the wonderful golden stone buildings ranged out in front of us at our destination - the Roman spa town of Bath.

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2. Bath to Newbury (Canal cruising). 28th April to 5th May (7 nights)
This cruise takes us on the prettiest parts of the Kennet & Avon canal, leaving Roman Bath with fine views across the city, then passing Claverton with its water wheel pump and the American museum. We cross the River Avon twice on great stone aqueducts, which still bear the masons' marks in their golden Bath stone. The lovely small town of Bradford on Avon is not to be missed, as it really exudes a charming atmosphere of a past age. We climb the incredible Caen Hill flight of 29 locks to Devizes, with its canal centre and theatre, then wind our way to Wootton Rivers, which is a real gem of a village. We ascend to the summit of the canal, then pass Crofton pump house as we start the gradual descent that takes us through sleepy Hungerford and the picturesque village of Kintbury to our destination in the market town of Newbury.

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3. Newbury to Windsor (Canal and River cruising). 5th May to 12th May (7 nights)
This fine cruise offers a combination of the peace and tranquillity of the Kennet & Avon canal with the ever-popular River Thames. We start by meandering through some lovely water meadows, passing through quaint old turf sided locks and many swing bridges before County Lock heralds the swift trip through Reading to join the River Thames. We then journey gently down stream on the great river, passing Sonning, Henley, Cookham and Marlow, with many wonderful wooded stretches and fine houses - before reaching our mooring within sight of the magnificent castle at Windsor. This is truly a cruise of pleasant contrasts, on two very different waterways.

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4. Windsor to Rickmansworth (River and Canal cruising). 12th May to 19th May (7 nights)
Commencing our cruise with Windsor's famous castle overlooking our mooring, we boat past the Crown Estate where we may see herds of deer, to historic Runnymede. Here we are told King John signed the Magna Carta, even though he was illiterate! We journey down stream on this Royal River, passing Henry VIII's royal palace of Hampton Court and through Teddington Lock onto the great tidal river. Our cruise takes us past Richmond Park before arriving at Brentford. Here we join the Grand Union canal and climb through the flights of locks at Norwood, then up the peaceful valley of the River Colne past Harefield Wide Water to the tiny canal museum at Batchworth - our destination .

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5. Rickmansworth to Stoke Bruerne (Canal cruising). 19th May to 26th May (7 nights)
The cruise contains all the aspects of the Grand Union canal, starting with the ascent to Watford and the beautiful wooded Cassiobury Park, with its ornate bridges and kingfishers. We then continue to Berkhamsted with its wonderful Norman motte and bailey castle, and climb gently towards the summit of the canal at the quaintly-named Cowroast Lock. Passing along the deeply wooded Tring cutting - a masterpiece of engineering, but today a truly sylvan and peaceful place, we then start the long gradual descent of the Chiltern foothills, down the curling flight of locks at Marsworth, with its wonderful reservoirs - a haven for all sorts of wildlife. We pass through much open countryside, the old town of Leighton Buzzard and the better side of Milton Keynes to our destination, Stoke Bruerne, the home of the famous Canal Museum.

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6. Stoke Bruerne to Warwick (Canal cruising). 26th May to 2nd June (7 nights)
This is a very interesting and scenic cruise along the picturesque and rural Grand Union Canal. Leaving Stoke Bruerne with its Canal Museum, we pass through the famous Blisworth Tunnel (which recently celebrated its bicentenary). We journey on past Weedon with its Napoleonic barracks, then through the tranquil Brockhall Park. The ascent of Whilton and Long Buckby locks follows, followed by Braunston tunnel (the one with a kink in the middle) before we descend the flight of locks to Braunston village - the heart of the English waterways. Crossing the Oxford canal before descending Calcutt and Stockton locks, with their 'modern' gear, a pleasant rural stretch of canal follows, including a passage under the Roman Fosse Way. We skirt Royal Leamington Spa and arrive at our destination in Warwick, famous for its 14th century castle. The peaceful countryside makes this a must for those of you who enjoy the waterways and the history around them.

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7. Warwick to Leighton Buzzard (Canal cruising). 2nd June to 9th June (7 nights)
Leaving Warwick, we descend toward the valley of the Avon, skirting Royal Leamington Spa. A series of isolated locks lead us through the very peaceful countryside towards the grand flight of locks at Stockton. We turn right under the fine twin wrought iron bridges which announce the village of Braunston. Here we ascend the sweeping flight of locks to the lengthy tunnel and then descend Long Buckby locks beside the railway and the M1 motorway - our passage is much more relaxed than theirs. Leaving the locks and the motorway behind, we pass through the leafy and peaceful Brockhall Park. Meandering on through the countryside, we pass Weedon and Bugbrooke to reach Blisworth village. Entering a deepening cutting, we reach Blisworth tunnel: when we emerge into daylight again, we are at Stoke Bruerne, the home of the famous Canal Museum. More locks here are followed by a lengthy stretch without any locks as we pass Cosgrove and then Milton Keynes (which is best seen from the canal). After the lonely lock at Fenny Stratford and the famous Three Locks at Soulbury, we cruise through a tree-lined section to arrive at Leighton Buzzard.

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8. Leighton Buzzard to London (Canal cruising). 9th June to 16th June (7 nights)
The peaceful countryside makes this cruise a must for those of you who enjoy the waterways and the history around them. We start off through peaceful countryside, rising in isolated locks to arrive at Marsworth, where we start the long gradual ascent of the Chiltern foothills, up the curling flight of locks at Marsworth, with its wonderful reservoirs - a haven for all sorts of wildlife, to pass along the deeply wooded Tring cutting - a masterpiece of engineering, but today a truly peaceful place. This marks the summit of the canal, and at the quaintly-named Cowroast Lock, we begin our gentle descent towards London. We pass Berkhamsted with its wonderful motte and bailey castle before reaching the sylvan Cassiobury Park and descending more locks past Watford and into the beautiful Colne valley. At Cowley we join the Paddington arm of the canal and head due east to our mooring in Little Venice.

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9. London to Newbury (Canal and River cruising). 16th June to 25th June (9 nights)
On leaving our mooring at Little Venice, we wend our way along the Paddington arm of the Grand Union canal. On joining the River Thames at Brentford, we head upstream, passing Richmond, Teddington and Henry VIII's magnificent palace at Hampton Court. There are yet more royal connections at Runnymede and, of course, Windsor with its fine castle. Henley upon Thames is the mecca of the rowing world, and is home to the fine River and Rowing Museum. Continuing our voyage along the Royal River, we head towards Reading, where we turn left to find the secret entrance to the Kennet & Avon Navigation. This is a most pleasant waterway, taking us through some beautiful water meadows and unusual turf-sided locks before reaching the historic market town of Newbury.

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10. Newbury to Oxford (Canal and River cruising). 30th June to 7th July (7 nights)
This cruise offers a combination of the ever-popular River Thames with the Kennet & Avon canal. We leave the fine market town of Newbury to cruise peacefully through Thatcham and Aldermaston, passing serenely under the lift bridge while impatient motorists wait and fume. Garston lock is a reminder of the strange turf-sided locks that were once common on this canal. We then cruise through the lovely water meadows of the Kennet valley to Reading, where we join the River Thames, which offers a fine contrast to the canal. A particularly attractive stretch of the river takes us past Goring and on to Wallingford. We pause at the lovely little town of Abingdon, before completing our journey up stream to arrive in Oxford, the city of Dreaming Spires.

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11. Oxford to Oxford (River Cruising). 7th July to 14th July. (7 nights)
If you appreciate the calm and peace of an English summer's day, this cruise is not to be missed - as this part of the country conjures up images of bees buzzing lazily over cottage gardens, far from any distractions of the humdrum world.
We cruise gently through Oxford, where the river changes character. Up stream from Oxford, we are on the picturesque upper reaches of the Thames, which are quite unlike the more familiar parts of the river. This is an idyll of summer buttercups, water meadows and sleepy waterside villages and inns. The river twists and turns to reach Lechlade, passing the old manor at Kelmscot and a fine statue of Old Father Thames reclining proudly by the side of St John's Lock. We pass Lechlade and turn the boat at Inglesham, the limit of navigation of the River Thames, before heading back downstream to Oxford, with its elegant spires and colleges.

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12. Oxford to Windsor (River cruising). 14th July to 21st July. (7 nights)
This cruise features the Royal River Thames and has been consistently popular with all our guests in previous years. On leaving Oxford, the river winds its way down stream and remains very rural as we pass such delightful places as Abingdon and Shillingford. We pass Sonning, a delightful and peaceful riverside village. At Henley there is the River and Rowing Museum. Continuing along the very attractive river, we pass through Marlow with its fine suspension bridge, and then arrive at Cookham, where time is available to visit the Stanley Spencer Art Gallery - if you wish. We then pass down the beautiful Cliveden Reach before gliding through Maidenhead and making our way towards Windsor and our mooring, in sight of the historic Castle.

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13. Windsor to Godalming (River Cruising). 21st July to 28th July. (7 nights)
This cruise features River Wey, a little-travelled gem of the waterway, which is in the ownership of the National Trust. We commence our journey by travelling down the Thames from Windsor past the great royal Home Park towards Weybridge, where we join the truly lovely River Wey and head upstream into more rural surroundings. We pass the imposing Coxes Mill, the sleepy hamlet of Pyrford, then the deserted priory at Newark. We ascend Papercourt lock which is perhaps one of the prettiest of all, before we reach Guildford, a town that makes the most of its river. More lovely meadowland continues to belie our closeness to suburbia until finally we reach the end of the navigation at Godalming.

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14. Godalming to Newbury (River and Canal cruising). 28th July 6th August. (9 nights)
The lovely River Wey is rarely visited, and is in the care of the National Trust. It is totally rural in nature, and features many quaint touches such as the use of tree trunks for lock beams. The river is wooded and winding, and takes us through wonderful unspoilt countryside and meadows. Highlights include Guildford with its cathedral, the pretty Papercourt Lock, Newark Priory and Coxes Mill. At Weybridge, we join the River Thames and head upstream as far as Reading, passing Windsor, Maidenhead, Henley and Sonning. On reaching Reading we leave the Thames and join the Kennet & Avon canal, and cruise through numerous water meadows and peaceful rural surroundings to take us via Aldermaston to our mooring in Newbury.

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15. Newbury to Devizes (Canal cruising). 11th August to 18th August. (7 nights)
This is a gentle cruise along some of the finer parts of the Kennet & Avon canal. We start out across water meadows and wind our way past Hungerford and Great Bedwyn towards Crofton locks, with its restored steam pumping house, which was used to supply water to the summit of the canal in centuries past. The summit passes through the short Savernake tunnel, then drops down a flight of locks to the charming village of Wootton Rivers. Onward past Pewsey wharf, we pass through the magnificent woods of Stowell Park with its elegant suspension bridge and then the lovely Wilcot Wide Water, under the ornate Ladies bridge. The vale of the White Horse feels to be truly the heart of the countryside, and we pass such isolated hamlets as the quaintly-named Honey Street before reaching the sleepy market town of Devizes.

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16. Devizes to Bristol (Canal and River cruising). 18th August to 25th August. (7 nights)
From Devizes we work in fine fashion down the Caen Hill locks - 29 of them striding down the hillside. We cruise through wonderful relaxing landscapes to Bradford on Avon with its huge old tithe barn and wonderful local shops. The scenery just gets better and better as we cruise through the rich Avon valley where the canal clings to the side of the valley, crossing it on magnificent stone aqueducts at Avoncliff and Dundas. We approach Bath through the charming Sydney Gardens and catch glimpses of the magnificent crescents of grand houses, all constructed from glowing golden local stone. From Bath we descend a flight of six locks, taking us to the lovely River Avon and on to Bristol, where time is available to visit Brunel's SS Great Britain.

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17. Bristol to Pewsey (Canal and River cruising). 25th August to 1st September. (7 nights)
We commence this cruise in Bristol, with a journey on the River Avon as far as Bath. This cruise then takes us on the prettiest parts of the Kennet & Avon canal. Leaving Roman Bath with fine views across the city, we pass Claverton with its water wheel pump and the American Museum and then cross the River Avon twice, on great stone aqueducts that still bear the masons' marks in their golden Bath stone. The lovely small town of Bradford on Avon is not to be missed, as it really exudes a charming atmosphere of a past age. We climb the incredible Caen Hill flight of 29 locks to Devizes, with its canal centre and theatre and wind our way through the Valley of the White Horse, passing under the intricate Ladies Bridge, and through Stowell Park with its unusual suspension bridge, to arrive at the welcoming Pewsey wharf.

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18. Pewsey to Henley (Canal and River cruising). 1st September to 8th September. (7 nights)
This fine cruise offers a combination of the peace and tranquillity of the Kennet & Avon canal with the ever-popular River Thames. We start by meandering through isolated unspoilt countryside, arriving first at the wonderful old village of Wootton Rivers, then climbing the locks to the summit of the canal and through the short Savernake tunnel. Descending Crofton locks, we pass the old steam pumping house where water was raised to the summit of the canal. Great and Little Bedwyn are both charming villages, before viewing the towns of Hungerford and Newbury. Continuing through lovely water meadows, passing through quaint old turf sided locks and many swing bridges before the swift trip through Reading to join the River Thames, we then journey gently down stream on the great river, passing Sonning, Henley, Cookham and Marlow, with many wonderful wooded stretches and fine houses - before reaching our mooring within sight of the magnificent castle at Windsor. This is truly a cruise of pleasant contrasts on two very different waterways.

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19. Henley to London (River cruising). 8th September to 15th September. (7 nights)
This cruise is mainly on the River Thames until we approach the capital. We commence in the town of Henley (described by Dickens as 'the Mecca of the rowing man'), followed by Marlow with its majestic suspension bridge. Our cruise continues down stream past Cookham (former home of artist Stanley Spencer), the famous Boulter's Lock, Maidenhead and Windsor - until we reach Henry VIII's historic palace and maze at Hampton Court. The stately atmosphere of the Thames is very evident on this cruise through some of its more opulent areas. We shall see some very fine dwellings and scenery before reaching Teddington Lock, where we join the tidal Thames taking us through Richmond and on to Brentford, where the Grand Union Canal is joined. Our voyage begins along the Paddington arm, taking us into London by what seems almost to be a secret route. At Paddington, we finally moor in a most tranquil basin known as Little Venice. This cruise gives you the opportunity of visiting the many places of interest and of gaining a close view of the many grand riverside dwellings on the route.

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20. London to Stoke Bruerne (Canal cruising). 15th September to 22nd September. (7 nights)
For those of you who enjoy a lot of boating this trip is a must, as it features the Grand Union Canal throughout, and there are many fine sights on this scenic waterway, which are far more rural than people often imagine. We leave London by travelling from our mooring in Little Venice on the Paddington arm of the canal. At Cowley, we turn right and follow the main line of the canal through the delightful Cassiobury Park, where we make the long gradual ascent of the delightful Colne valley, before climbing the foothills of the Chiltern Hills to the summit of the canal. This is marked by the heavily wooded Tring cutting. We then descend the sweeping flight of locks to Marsworth village with its canal junction ,and travel through some wonderfully peaceful stretches of canal past Leighton Buzzard before a final set of locks take us to our destination - the canal village of Stoke Bruerne, famous for is Canal Museum.

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21. Stoke Bruerne to Warwick (Canal cruising). 22nd September to 29th September. (7 nights)
This is a very interesting and scenic cruise along the picturesque and rural Grand Union Canal. We commence our cruise by passing through the famous Blisworth Tunnel (which recently celebrated its bicentenary). We journey on past Weedon with its Napoleonic barracks, then through the tranquil Brockhall Park, where the ascent of Whilton and Long Buckby locks follows, followed by Braunston tunnel (this one with a kink in the middle) before we descend the flight of locks to Braunston village - the heart of the English waterways. We cross the Oxford canal before descending Calcutt and Stockton locks, with their 'modern' gear. A pleasant rural stretch of canal follows, including a passage under the Roman Fosse Way. We skirt Royal Leamington Spa and arrive at our destination in Warwick, famous for its 14th century castle. The peaceful countryside makes this a must for those of you who enjoy the waterways and the history around them.

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22. Warwick to Berkhamsted (Canal cruising). 4th October to 13th October. (9 nights)
Leaving Warwick, we descend toward the valley of the Avon, skirting Royal Leamington Spa. A series of isolated locks lead us through the very peaceful countryside towards the flight of locks at Stockton, followed by a right turn under the fine twin wrought iron bridges announces the village of Braunston. Here we ascend the sweeping flight of locks to the lengthy tunnel. We descend Long Buckby locks beside the railway and the M1 motorway - our passage is much more relaxed than theirs. Meandering on through the countryside, we pass through the leafy and peaceful Brockhall Park, then past Weedon and Bugbrooke. Entering a deepening cutting, we reach Blisworth tunnel: when we emerge into daylight again, we are at Stoke Bruerne, the home of the famous Canal Museum. More locks here are followed by a lengthy stretch without any locks as we pass Cosgrove and then Milton Keynes (which is best seen from the canal). After the pleasant quiet stretches of canal around Leighton Buzzard, we climb to Marsworth, with its reservoirs, which are havens for wildlife. Then we cruise through the deep, wooded Tring cutting and start our descent to Berkhamsted with its motte and bailey castle.

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23. Berkhamsted to Windsor (Canal and River cruising). 13th October to 20th October. (7 nights)
A relaxing cruise which incorporates many interesting stretches of both the Grand Union canal and the Royal River Thames. Heading south from Berkhamsted on the Grand Union canal, we pass through the wonderful Cassiobury Park with its ornate bridges and glimpses of kingfishers and cruise on down the peaceful Colne valley before reaching Brentford, where we join the River Thames. We journey upstream on this Royal River, passing Henry VIII's royal palace of Hampton Court and on to historic Runnymede before boating past the Crown Estate and into Windsor with its famous castle overlooking our mooring.

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24. Windsor to Newbury (River and Canal cruising). 20th October to 27th October. (7 nights)
This autumn cruise combines the River Thames with some fine stretches of the Kennet & Avon canal, to offer you a very varied cruise. We travel up stream from Windsor, passing Cookham, Marlow, Henley and the sleepy village of Sonning. At Reading, we leave the Thames and join the Kennet Navigation to travel through a very rural autumn landscape. There are a number of unusual locks and bridges on this section: the turf sided lock at Old Monkey Marsh, the huge lift bridge at Aldermaston and the crazy swing bridge at Woolhampton. A series of isolated locks eventually brings us to our mooring in the market town of Newbury.

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25. Newbury to Newbury (Canal cruising). 27th October to 3rd November. (7 nights)
This very rural cruise will be a special treat in Autumn. We start out across water meadows, passing Hungerford and the quaint Bedwyns and slowly wind our way towards Crofton locks, where we can see the steam pumping engine which formerly supplied water to the summit of the canal. The short canal summit passes through Savernake Forest and tunnel, then we drop down a flight of locks to the charming village of Wootton Rivers. Onward to Pewsey wharf, where we turn and retrace our steps back to Newbury.

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If you’re having difficulty deciding which cruise would suit you best, please call us and we’ll be happy to assist you in making your choice.


Thames & Chilterns Holiday Cruises, Pine Cottage, Canalside, Abbey Road, Llangollen, LL20 8SW
 Tel: 07966 248079