Shire Cruisers

Tucked into the historic wharf at Sowerby Bridge, this long-standing family boatyard hands you the tiller and lets the pace of the water do the rest. From here the canals climb into the Pennines through stone-built locks, wooded valleys and mill-town heritage, the countryside unfolding at three miles an hour. Days are measured in herons, hillsides and the click of a lock gate; evenings in the quiet of a mooring far from anywhere. It's the rare kind of holiday where the journey truly is the destination — and everyone learns the ropes along the way.

A genuinely memory-making way to explore the Pennine countryside, run by an independent boatyard with a superb reputation. This is exactly the sort of slow adventure worth travelling for.

• Weekend Escape
• Adventure
• Peace & Quiet
• Nature Lovers