Coolcanals Guides & Waterways Directory

Canalside Pubs

Arrive by car, boat, train, bike, boot or bus ... In winter, snuggle up and forget the world sitting around cozy open fires inside characterful canal pubs... and in summer, stretch out in the great waterways outdoors, lolling in waterside beer gardens watching narrowboats drift by.

Great pub days out along Britain’s canals are all about taking time for long lazy lunches on the waterside, enjoying locally brewed ales and ciders, and soaking up the slow charms of some very special canalside pubs.

What is real ale? Every part of the brewing process is important - from growing the hops to how to pull a good pint. All beers start life in the same way but, after the initial fermentation, bottle and keg beer is filtered and flash-heated, whilst real ale is naturally cask conditioned. The yeast settles and the beer clears with the help of isinglass (the swim bladder of fish) or Irish moss (a seaweed). Extra hops and sugar can be added, then the cask is sealed and delivered to the pubs. It's the landlord's job to store the cask to suit the beer, and the barperson's job to pull the pint well. The rest is up to us.

It's not all just pretty rural pubs though - the regeneration of canals in cities has created hubs such as Brindley Place in Birmingham, Camden Lock in London and the largest gay village in Europe, Canal Street in Manchester. Vibrant with designer cocktail bars, real ale pubs, international restaurants and Mediterranean-style cafes, these areas are magnets for inner city life, both day and night. The reasons for gathering differ too - gongoozling, culture, romance, beer, good food, boaters getting together to share cruising stories, or just Two for One!

For us at Coolcanals, the best canalside pubs are those that have survived unspoilt by progress, nurturing the same spirit of community that makes every water traveller welcome. A good landlord or landlady’s welcome should be as warm to strangers as it is to regulars. (And we have a hunch that a pub is happiest when dogs are welcomed too, even if they might shed a hair or two on the carpet.)