The 108-mile Avon Ring takes narrowboat holiday-makers on a journey through Shakespeare country and along the magnificent River Avon.

What can you See & Do in a week?

To complete this popular circuit in a week, you will need to cruise around eight hours each day, giving time to visit canalside villages and pubs along the way, and perhaps one or two major attractions.

To create more time for visiting destinations along the way, we recommend booking a 10-day or two-week holiday to travel this route.

The Avon Ring

Take a delightful waterway tour through the English counties of Warwickshire and Worcestershire

Passing through 130 locks, this circuit takes around 58 cruising hours. It can be done in a week, but setting aside 10 days or two weeks allows more time for visiting attractions along the way.

The Avon Ring takes boaters along parts of the Stratford Canal, River Avon, River Severn and Worcester & Birmingham Canal. Places of interest include: Stratford-upon-Avon and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre; panoramic views along the River Avon; the beautiful Vale of Evesham; the medieval town of Tewkesbury in the Cotswolds; the magnificent cathedral at Worcester; and the awesome flight of locks at Tardebigge.

GBB Hire Base
Numbered Attractions

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UK Canal map

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Things to see & do

From quiet country pubs and village churches, to exciting historic attractions where history and culture come to life, you’ll find plenty of places to visit on your canal journey.

Alternative rings:

Worcester Cathedral

Overlooking the River Severn, complete with Royal tombs, medieval cloisters and magnificent Victorian stained glass, Worcester Cathedral is one of England’s most famous and iconic cathedrals.

Royal Worcester Museum

Housed within the historic Victorian buildings that used to be home to the Royal Worcester factory, the Museum of Royal Worcester holds the largest collection of Worcester porcelain in the World.

Hanbury Hall

This William and Mary-style country house in Worcestershire, is owned by the National Trust. The formal gardens were designed by George London, and there’s also an orangery, orchard, walled garden and parkland with walking trails to explore.

Tardebigge Lock Flight

Made up of 30 locks, spread over just two and a quarter miles, the Tardebigge Lock Flight on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal is the longest flight in Britain and takes boaters up (or down) 67 metres.

Royal Shakespeare Theatre

One of three Royal Shakespeare theatres in Stratford-upon-Avon, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre has 1,040 seats. It is owned by the Royal Shakespeare Company, and is dedicated to the English playwright and poet William Shakespeare.

Shakespeare Birthplace Trust credit low res

Shakespeare's Birthplace

This 16^th century half-timbered house in Stratford-upon-Avon, is believed to be where William Shakespeare was born in 1564, and spent his childhood years. It’s now a small museum run by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

Evesham Abbey

Once one of the wealthiest Benedictine Abbeys in England, Evesham Abbey was destroyed during the dissolution of the monasteries. Today, visitors can explore its remains and impressive 16^th century bell tower.

Tewkesbury Abbey

The Abbey Church of St Mary the Virgin in the Gloucestershire town Tewkesbury, was once a Benedictine monastery. It has the largest Romanesque crossing tower in Europe, and is one of Britain’s finest examples of Norman architecture.

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