Messing about on the river

There is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats,' declared Ratty in The Wind in the Willows. We and countless other holiday sailors would certainly agree. Hiring a canal narrowboat to explore England's peaceful inland waterways offers entry into a fascinating world.

A network of canals criss-crosses the country from the Pennines to Oxford, the Cheshire plain to the Welsh hills, all playing a vital role in the industrial history of Britain. Lumbering, horse-drawn wagons, which for centuries had carried the inland commerce of Britain, proved inadequate to cope with the growth of trade brought about by the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century. The answer was found in canals, and from 1760 to 1840 more than 4,000 miles of navigable waterways were engineered and built.

In recent years the canals have witnessed a resurgence of interest with narrowboat enthusiasts paving the way.

Imagine waking up to the sounds of water slapping idly against the bow and the sight of a flotilla of moorhens, swans and ducks all confidently waiting to share breakfast. Our introduction into canal life begins on the Calder and Hebble Navigation – one of Yorkshire's most scenic waterways. We leave the Pennine town of Sowerby Bridge on a Monday afternoon for a four-day canal jaunt. It's like leaving the world that we knew behind. The canal is a ribbon of green running between the bricks and mortar of everyday life.

Nigel and Susan of Shire Cruisers put us through our paces at the three locks at Salterhebble. Simply and patiently they explain the technicalities of lock operation. It all sounds rather complicated but in turns out to be dead easy. "Plain logic," says Nigel who has been into boats for some 35 years. "It's doing everything in the right order, that's all. Practical experience is worth a thousand words. You'll be right."

A typical lock is a watertight compartment with gates at either end that are generally constructed from well-seasoned oak or elm and sometimes still fashioned with the old carpenter's tool, the adze. The gates can only be opened at one end or the other when the level either side is equal. The only reason for opening the gates is to let a boat in or out of the lock. When the boat is in the lock, the gates form a watertight chamber.

A special tool called a windlass is used to open paddles to allow water into the lock from above, or out into the lower level, depending on which way the boat is going. When the water is level with the lower (or upper) level, the gates at that end can be opened to let the boat out. It's an ingenious idea that enables canals and boat traffic to cross up and down over hills and dales. From Salterhebble we are on our own; slipping along the canal ablaze with autumn colours, dropping down off the Pennines through a valley on a secret course among the trees.

To begin with the canal seems impossibly narrow, more so because of the reeds that grew on either side. Above these, in rich profusion grow small woodlands of birch, hawthorn, willow and alder orchestrated with the liquid song of robin, wren and blue tit. This, and the winding towpath flanked by a drystone wall are typical of the scenery we would become familiar with.

In the late afternoon we pass through the mill town of Elland.

Remnants of the old mills border the canal banks with stonewalls complete with mooring rings and graceful archways of former cargo loading bays. As the light thins we begin to search for a snug mooring. The Colliers Arms, a canalside pub provides the answer with its free visitor moorings. What better way to end a day's canal run than enjoying a pint? In the coming days we settle into a leisurely pace, popping ashore when we want to investigate a canal-side village, shop for provisions for a picnic or to seek out a local hostelry for a Boatman's Lunch.

Most towns we pass through sport a cluster of narrowboats in a colourful combination of tradition and modern. A hundred years ago few boats were built from anything else other than wood. Oak sided, elm bottomed narrowboats slid silently along the canals hauled by gentle-natured horses trudging along the towpath. In recent years however, motors have replaced the horses and steel has become the favoured structural material .

We find that one of the great pleasures of our canal holiday is enjoying the friendly community spirit that prevails among canal folk. There is never a shortage of invitations for cups of tea aboard another boat or for a few brews down the local. A highly sociable life and a most agreeable holiday.

All aboard the narrowboat

EASY HANDLING: Simplified controls make narrowboat handling easier, and even if you are a novice, the trial run given to everyone before setting off independently, should turn you from landlubber to seasoned sailor in half an hour. Driving a car is 10 times more complicated. If you are prone to seasickness, it's a pleasure to know that life on the canals is smooth sailing, no waves – no motion sickness.

CHILDREN: Children take readily to a boating life, especially when encouraged to take part in manoeuvring and lock work. Sensible precautions should be taken and most boat hirers provide life jackets free of charge. Toddlers will be a liability unless there is someone to watch them constantly.

COMFORT: There's no roughing it on a narrowboat. Most come fully equipped with bed linen, cooker, fridge, pots and pans, hot and cold water, shower, stereo, toilet, television and central heating. Times have changed a bit since the working narrowboats.

For further inquiries for narrowboat hire in the Yorkshire Pennines contact:

Shire Cruisers: www.shirecruisers.co.uk