October half term and Halloween days out on the canals
With ghosts galore, bats and frogs aplenty, creepy tunnels, spooky locks and misty towpaths, Britain’s 200-year-old canal network provides the perfect backdrop for a haunting Halloween.
Halloween events at Standedge
From hidden gems and rural retreats to UNESCO World Heritage sites, iconic lock flights and museums, there are hundreds of places to visit in England and Wales for great days out by the water.
Nicky Lister says: “Centuries old and over 2,000 miles long, our historic network of canals and rivers are steeped in ghostly legends. They provide free to visit outdoor open spaces and this October half term there are dozens of low-cost family-friendly events, including spooky boat trips, ghost tours and craft activities.”
1. Experience the spine-chilling Halloween ‘Scarecastle’ event at Harecastle Tunnel
Harecastle Tunnel on the Trent & Mersey Canal near Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, stretches almost two miles underground and is one of the longest tunnels on the canal network. Opened in 1777, it played a vital role in connecting the Midlands canal network to the Potteries and beyond. The Tunnel’s atmospheric setting provides the perfect backdrop for the Trust’s popular annual ‘Scarecastle’ boat trips, with Halloween-themed surprises and spooky scenes to experience along the way. ‘Scarecastle’ boat trips are running daily 25-31 October.
‘Scarecastle’ tickets are £5 each and need to be booked in advance (from 5 October).
2. Enjoy Halloween fun at the National Waterways Museum Ellesmere Port
Occupying the old dock buildings of Ellesmere Port, the National Waterways Museum Ellesmere Port in Cheshire (CH65 4FW) tells the story of the fascinating history of our canals and the people who worked on them. The Museum is hosting Halloween fun this October half term (daily from 26 October to 1 November, 10am to 4pm), including ghost tours searching for the Museum’s six ghosts, Halloween trail, fiendish crafty activities, scary snacks in the Waterside Café, ghoulish costumed staff across the site and frighteningly fun boat trips (daily at 11am, 12 noon, 3pm, 2pm and 3pm).
Museum admission is £13.25 for adults, £9.95 for children aged 5 to 15, under 6’s go free. Family tickets (2 adults, 3 children) £32.50 Concession (65+) £9.95.
Halloween events at National Waterways Museum Ellesmere Port
3. Take a boat trip into the eery darkness of Standedge Tunnel at Marsden, West Yorkshire
At just over three miles long, Standedge Tunnel is the longest, deepest and highest canal tunnel in Britain and possibly also one of the most haunted. Visitors and staff have reported seeing strange lights, hearing unexpected sounds and there are rumours of a mysterious robed figure. Groups of enthusiasts have even undertaken a paranormal investigation within the tunnel. This Halloween (30 & 31 October, 10am to 3pm), in partnership with the Huddersfield Canal Society and to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the restoration and re-opening of the tunnel, we're offering daring visitors the chance to take a special boat trip into the darkness of Standedge Tunnel with ‘Convict Con’ telling the story of ‘Mad Millie’.
Visitors can also venture on a haunted walk to find the gravestones of 12 lost souls to unlock some magic words. For those who fancy a ghoulish transformation, there’s free face painting and Friends of Standedge will be serving up a selection of fiendishly good treats at the Creepy Crawly Café. The Huddersfield Canal Society will transport passengers aboard the scary shuttle, running between Marsden station and Standedge Tunnel, 11am to 4pm.
Boat trip tickets are available from Canal & River Trust’s Tunnel Office, next to the Watersedge Coffee House, Waters Road, Marsden, Huddersfield HD7 6NQ or book online. Adult tickets are £12, Children £10, Concessions £10 and Family tickets are £36.
4. Experience a Halloween boat trip across ‘The Stream in the Sky’
Standing at 39 metres high above the Dee Valley, the UNESCO World Heritage Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is the highest aqueduct that you can still take boats across in the world, and it is the longest aqueduct in Britain. Departing close to the Trevor Basin Visitor Centre, near Wrexham in North Wales (LL14 3SG), special Halloween boat trips across the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct will be running daily from 26 October to 1 November. The 45-minute trips will depart at 11am, 12 noon, 1.30pm and 2.30pm.
Adult tickets are £10, children’s tickets (aged 16 and under) are £6. Family tickets (for two adults and two children) are £25 each. Call 0117 304 1122 or visit anglowelsh.co.uk to book tickets in advance.
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct from below
5. Beware the phantom at Bingley Five Rise Locks
Completed in 1774, the spectacular Grade I listed Bingley Five Rise staircase of locks on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal near Bradford (BD16 4DS) is the steepest staircase of locks in the country. The locks open directly from one to another, with the top gate of one forming the bottom gate of the next, raising (or lowering) boats 18 metres in five cavernous chambers. When darkness falls, locals whisper of a spectral figure tending to the locks. This phantom boatman appears to be real until he mysteriously vanishes on approach. Others tell of ghostly footsteps and the echo of ropes being pulled that haunt the lock flight at night.
6. Watch out for the centurion of Chester
The Shropshire Union Canal passes through the ancient city of Chester and is the perfect place to relax and unwind. Visitors can stroll along the towpath from Chester Canal Basin (CH1 4EZ) to Northgate Locks, where they may encounter the spirit of an old Roman centurion still standing at the Northgate. In the 18th century, the canal was dug into the city’s former Roman moat, and it seems the centurion never left his post.
7. See the Ghost Ships of Doncaster on the Stainforth & Kneadby Canal
On Saturday 25 October, a creepy flotilla of illuminated boats will cruise along the Stainforth & Kneadby Canal from Long Sandall to Stainforth. The ghost ships will be decorated with spooky ghosts, witches, pumpkins and dragons, and guided by terrifying volunteer lock keepers. They will gather at Long Sandall from 5pm, departing at 6.30pm, and will pass through Kirk Sandal, Barnby Dun, Bramwith Lock and The New Inn. Brave onlookers can watch the illuminated boat parade from the canal towpath and are advised to wear suitable footwear and bring a torch. The free community event raises funds for Canal & River Trust and Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
There’s more information at ghostships.co.uk
National Waterways Museum, Gloucester Docks
8. Follow the Pirates Ahoy boat trailat the National Waterways Museum Gloucester
Housed in a Grade II listed grain warehouse in the heart of what once was the bustling Gloucester Docks, the National Waterways Museum Gloucester (GL1 2EH) charts the 200-year-old history of the docks and the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal. From 24 to 31 October (10am to 4pm) the Museum will host its Pirates Ahoy! Half-term adventure. Visitors can come dressed as pirates and follow the Museum’s pirate boat trail to find the secret code word and prove they are a real pirate. On Saturday 31 October, children can get transformed with pirate face painting and there will also be sea shanties and folk music throughout the day.
Museum admission is £10 for adults, £6 for children aged 5 to 15, under 5’s go free.
Pirate Trail is free with Museum entry. Pirate face painting is £1 per child.
9.Follow the Halloween Trail at the Canal Museum in Stoke Bruerne
The ‘chocolate box’ pretty village of Stoke Bruerne near Towcester (NN12 7SE) is home to our free to visit Canal Museum. Full of interactive displays and collections that bring to life what it was like to live and work on Britain’s canals. From 24-31 October (10am to 2pm), visitors to the Museum can collect a clue sheet and go on a pumpkin hunt along the canal. Once all the letters are found, visitors can return to the Museum to claim their prize.
10. Follow the Tail Trail at the London Museum Docklands at West India Docks
Commonly known as Canary Wharf, West India Docks (E14 9YQ) were the first purpose-built docks in London and in the early 1800s the busiest port in the world. As well as strolling round the docks to see the different boats moored there and spotting wildlife, visitors can follow Riley Ratcliffe’s Tail Trail at the free-to-enter London Museum Docklands and learn what London was like in the past.
The nearest tube & DLR is Canary Wharf or West India Quay.
Great days out
We offer free regional online Places to Visit Guides and events listings, inspiring great days out on the canals this October half term. Containing maps, information about visitor facilities, museums and free activities, the guides help people get the most out of visiting over 100 different sites across our charity’s historic canal network.
