Review: Starks Lark, Llangollen Canal, UK

A narrowboat holiday may not be everyone’s idea of ​​luxury. But approach it with an open mind and you might be surprised. Many canal boats these days are outfitted to a surprisingly high standard, which is probably more about lifestyle luxury anyway – a slower pace of life and the ability to explore the world. U.K.’s network of canals and the many treasures along them.

Our most recent trip was arranged through castawayis a collaborative marketing and booking alliance of 10 different UK canal boat charter companies, with a collective fleet of over 500 narrowboats, representing over half of all holiday charters on the UK’s inland waterways.

We explore the Llangollen Canal aboard the Starks Lark, a 66-foot, 20-ton narrowboat that sails from ABC Boat RentalOne of the leading members of the Drifters, known for the impeccable maintenance of their boats.

welcome

We were spotted shortly after being dropped off at Whitchurch Pier by Laurie who welcomed us warmly and escorted us into the reception and shop where we were given a detailed canal map – an absolute must if you want to know what to expect on your route and where you can actually anchor for the night. It was there that we also met Richard who introduced us to the boat and provided a thorough and much needed introduction to newbies like us. (I’ve traveled in a narrowboat before, but that was over thirty years ago.)

narrow boat

Starks Lark is our home when traveling. This is a 66-foot Lark Class boat from ABC Leisure with a semi-traditional stern design.

The layout is a clever one; given that narrowboats are by definition very narrow, the interior space is used extremely well. It can accommodate 2 to 6 people. There are two private cabins that can be configured as doubles or twins, plus there’s a salon seating area that flips out to create an extra double bed if you’re traveling with a full house.

The real surprise is the domestic specs. In addition to the two bedrooms, there are two full bathrooms on board, each with a fitted washbasin, electric toilet and shower.

The water-cooled diesel engine keeps everything running quietly, and the 2kW inverter ensures you have constant 240V power at a standard outlet to charge your laptop or run your toaster.

The rest of the facilities are not too dissimilar to those in a high-end holiday home: full central heating (definitely not needed for our trip, which coincided with the hottest June temperatures ever recorded in the UK, but certainly useful for off-season travel), a large 200-gallon water tank with double-filtered drinking water, a kitchen with a four-burner gas stove, oven, microwave and fridge.

It also offers free Wi-Fi, a TV and indoor and outdoor seating on the bow.

The boat is also dog-friendly, which meant we were able to bring our springer spaniel, George, with us (he loved the experience!).

Place

Our route followed the Llangollen Canal from Whitchurch to Ellesmere and back, winding through an area apparently known as the Shropshire Lake District. As someone who lives in Cumbria I naturally have a bit of a bias towards our own Lake District. I had been to lakes in Italy and heard about lakes in Northern Ireland, but the lakes in Shropshire were completely new to me.

It turns out to be a truly beautiful area of ​​low-lying wetlands, centered around the market town of Ellesmere, although it may not have the dramatic towering hills of the famous English Lake District in northwest England. Englandwhich is not without its own quiet cinematic charm.

It is also a fascinating place from a geological perspective. Just as Cumbria is a product of the last ice age, so is the Shropshire Lake District, albeit under different circumstances. These Shropshire lakes are actually kettle holes formed when huge chunks of ice broke off from retreating ice, became buried in sediment and eventually melted, leaving deep holes filled with water. Because they are fed by underground springs rather than fast-flowing rivers, they are rich in nutrients and teeming with birdlife. Whixall Moss along the canal is one of the largest lowland moors in the UK and is an excellent place to observe a variety of species.

The area is very peaceful and relaxing, and a gently paced narrowboat cruise is a great way to experience it all. We walked a short distance from the Sun Inn in Hampton, Wales one evening and we were served very enthusiastically even though the kitchen was almost finished when we arrived.

We walked around Colmel, took a dip in Ellesmere’s lake and watched England v Ghana’s World Cup match in the Ellesmere pub (they didn’t serve food but were glad we got fish and chips from the takeaway across the road).

Due to the very flat location between Whitchurch and Ellesmere, the entire section is completely lock-free. The only obstacles are some opening lift bridges, which you can open manually using a standard windlass, and the occasional bridge.

Other nice details

There are many understated details on Starks Lark that may seem small but show a level of care and attention to detail. Along with the tea and coffee served, a small bouquet of flowers in the kitchen, and a custom pack of playing cards to take home as a souvenir, none of this was overlooked. There was also an envelope waiting for us saying ‘Welcome to Shropshire’, filled with local information to save you a mindless Google search, and a photo on the wall told us all about the Spizocorys starki, a highly nomadic bird native to Angola, BotswanaNamibia and South Africa.

cost

Narrow boats like the Starks Lark are among the elite range of rafters. To receive this classification, a vessel must be less than ten years old or recently refitted and designed with maximum comfort in mind. During high season, it is closed midweek Monday to Friday and costs £1,999 for an equivalent boat trip. If you want the whole week (Friday to Friday), the price is £2,799, although you’ll find some products currently discounted to £2,240. If you can travel during the off-season, these numbers drop significantly to less than half.

the best bit

The highlight of our trip was the unique and collaborative nature of the experience. While modern family holidays these days sadly involve everyone glued to their own screens, narrowboat holidays force everyone to come together. From tightening the lift bridge and scanning the reeds for herons to helping maneuver the 66-foot boat through the narrow brick bridge hole, everyone has a job.

final verdict

Our experience at Starks Lark gave us a glimpse into what a luxury holiday in the UK is like. Forget any stereotypes you have about traditional canal boating and replace it with something truly comfortable and modern. Pairing a high-spec boat with the tranquil beauty of the Shropshire Moors is the perfect way to escape the frenetic pace of everyday life and truly relax for a few days. Starks Lark doesn’t just take you on a cruise along the Llangollen Canal; it transports you into a world where the scenery moves at walking pace and the only real requirement is to sit back, enjoy and watch it go by.

Disclosure: Our tours are sponsored by castaway and ABC Boat Rental.