FREE canal boat holiday taster sessions are being offered at several Llangollen boating centres next month.

The sessions, which are being offered by Drifters Waterway Holidays and the Canal & River Trust charity on Sunday, April 7, will take place at three centres, including ABC Boat Hire at Whitchurch Marina, Blackwater Meadow Marina, Ellesmere, and Anglo Welsh at Trevor Basin, near Wrexham.

Visitors will be able to enjoy free boat trips on skippered narrowboats between 11am and 4pm, as well as boat tours and holiday discounts with all ages are encouraged to take part and no advanced booking is required. The centres are part of a national boating open day taking place in 17 locations across England and Wales on the same day.

Nigel Stevens, director of Drifters Waterway Holidays said: “Travelling at just 4mph through peaceful countryside, sleepy villages and vibrant waterside towns and cities, canal boat holidays are often described as ‘the fastest way to slow down’.

“Each year around 352,000 people enjoy holidaying on Britain’s canal network and last year, around 3,000 people got afloat at our one of our National Open Day events. We look forward to welcoming thousands more visitors this year for the chance to find out what makes canal boat holidays so special.”

Gareth Stephens, national boating business manager at the Canal & River Trust said: “We believe that waterways have the power to make a real difference to people’s lives. Spending time by water makes us all healthier and happier and early research is showing evidence of this.

“Thousands of people already enjoy boating holidays on our beautiful 2,000-mile network of inland waterways, and these free canal boat taster sessions are a great way to see if this sort of holiday could be for you.”