Ashby Canal

The tranquil Ashby Canal meanders through a very level, rural environment, and so needs no locks at all. It is the perfect destination for first-time boaters, or walkers in search of a gentle and pretty route.

This peaceful canal travels through the countryside, barely touching a village in the whole of its 22-mile length. Hedgerows and reeds add to a green landscape, rich in wildlife, including herons, kingfishers and moorhens.

Coarse fish species include bream, roach, chub and pike. From Snarestone to Carlton Bridge, the canal is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, supporting aquatic plant life and several varieties of dragonfly.

The Ashby Canal also passes the historic scene of the Battle of Bosworth, where Henry Tudor defeated Richard III to become Henry VII.

For more information about the Ashby Canal, and why it's the place to go if you're looking to get away from the modern world, read our feature about the canal that time forgot.

Find stoppages, restrictions and other navigational advice for this waterway