London's Canals & Rivers

Please note: Cruising restrictions apply on the tidal Thames. Please ask for further information from the hire company.

Cruising routes from Packet Boat Marina.

Heading north, the Grand Union Canal climbs up and over the Chiltern Hills.

Rickmansworth: 3 night round trip, 10 hours, 16 locks
The country parks of the Colne Valley and Denham have woods, mills and an expanse of lakes formed from the gravel and chalk quarries of the Chiltern foothills.

Hemel Hempstead: 4 night round trip, 26 hours, 54 locks
The canal follows the valley of the River Gade through the wooded parkland of Cassiobury Park.

Marsworth: 1 week round trip, 46 hours, 104 locks
The summit of the Chilterns is reached at the 3 mile level section past Tring - turn at the Wendover junction if you want to avoid the 7 locks down
to Marsworth itself.

Aylesbury: 10/11 nights, 56 hours, 116 locks
Enjoy the descent through idyllic countryside to the welcoming old town of Aylesbury.

Head East through London then turn north via the Rivers Lee & Stort through increasingly rural Hertfordshire countryside.

Central London (Kings Cross): 3 nights, 16 hours, 8 locks
Take the Paddington Branch of the Grand Union to discover the jewels of Little Venice, Camden Locks and Regents Park in a weekend break through the very heart of London.

Cheshunt: 1 week, 35 hours, 36 locks
Turning North onto the Lee Navigation you immediately enter the Lee Valley country park, at first dominated by the embankments of the city reservoirs. The 10,000 acre linear parkland stretches from London through Essex and into Hertfordshire with the River Lee at its core throughout.
Waltham Abbey is an ancient town, its namesake Abbey dating back to the 8th century.

Hertford: 10/11 nights, 50 hours, 56 locks
Following the Lee Navigation, and associated Country
Park, to its terminus at Hertford, just beneath
the ancient castle. (www.hertfordshire.com)

Bishop's Stortford: 10/11 nights, 58 hours, 78 locks
Many of the old working features of the canal in this area - such as mills and maltings - have been preserved and converted to luxury living accommodation. The River Stort is narrow, winding and beautifully rural, with features such as the Iron Age Walbury Camp and the old foundations of Waytemore Castle.

Upon joining the Thames you are met with the World renowned botanical gardens of Kew (0208 940 1171 / www.rbgkew.org.uk) on the southern shore. Unlike the canal towpaths, the riverbank is generally private property on both sides, so there is a charge for mooring in most places.

Weybridge: 4 nights, 22 hours, 32 locks
A fantastic taste of the Thames with a huge diversity of sights through London's suburbs. Bull's Bridge Junction marks the top of the 12 lock section of canal down to the Thames via Osterley Park (NT) and Syon Park (www.syonpark.co.uk). Cruising the popular recreational area in the region of Hampton Court Palace (www.hrp.org.uk), the river is shared with boats of all types and sizes.

Windsor: 1 week, 34 hours, 44 locks
As towns have built up around the Thames, rather than canal routes designed for efficient portal of goods between established towns, some of the prettiest and oldest parts of the riverside towns are closest to the river. Windsor Castle (www.royal.gov.uk), faces Eton on the north shore, with Legoland (08705 040404 / www.lego.com) and Thorpe Park (in Chertsey) (0870 444 4466 / www.thorpepark.com) nearby.

Reading: 10/11 nights, 60 hours, 66 locks
The countryside opens out after Windsor with the beech woodland of Cliveden (NT) and Georgian town of Marlow. Probably the most well known rowing festival in the country takes place annually at Henley-on-Thames.