Boating charities and waterways attractions offer a variety of eerie entertainment choices around this time of year, for those who love narrowboats and canals.

1) Grand Union Canal

Watch out for Halloween Boat Trips run by Hillingdon Narrowboats Association near Uxbridge.

On 31st October they are running trips from 4pm until 8.45pm from The Coy Carp, Copperhill Lane, Harefield, UB9 6HZ. They will be using four narrowboats and so would love to hear from any volunteers willing to help decorate the boats, steer, crew or operate the locks. Tickets are £5 per person and children under 3 go free. Included in the price is pumpkin soup,and tea, coffee or squash. (There’s more information at their website. www.hna.org.uk)

2) Regents Canal

Camden Canals and Narrowboat Association offer a popular annual Halloween trip through the Islington tunnel, which starts at the London Canal Museum. There’ll be a friendly witch on board the decorated boat and kids will receive free sweets and a glowstick. Allow extra time to visit the canal museum too: There you will find a ghost story teller, face painting and a spooky treasure hunt, as well as the usual exhibits.

There is also a Fancy dress and Halloween Ghost Walk in Little Venice, Paddington; part of the Canal and River Trust Love London Canals Series. You are invited to come dressed in costume, avoiding cobwebs, bats, ghosts and ghouls to hear history and hearsay about local navvies, roguish boatmen, murder and hauntings. Head for Delamere Terrace, W2 6ND, on 31st October, 6:00pm - 8:00pm.

3) Huddersfield Narrow Canal

StandedgeTunnel always offers a good selection of spookily themed activities, as well as a dark and gloomy boat trip into the tunnel. This year you can expect to find staff and volunteers dressed in traditional Victorian canal folk costume on Monday 26th October. On Wednesday 28th there is an opportunity to learn how to carve a pumpkin, and on Saturday 31st the Spooky Family Fun Day includes face painting, kids activities, themed treats, haunted trail and a spooky fancy dress competition!

4) River Severn

Strictly speaking a navigation rather than a canal, the spooky Severn is offering ghost walks for kids and grown-ups. The family(children’s) ghost walk starts at 4pm in Stourport Canal Basins, and the adults ghost walk leaves at 6pm exploring thirteen ghostly locations around Stourport.The ghost walks start from the Tontine Stable and prices are £7 for adults and£4 for children.

5) Dudley Canal

The Dudley Canal and Tunnel Trust invite you to bring the whole family along for a special boat trip through Dudley’s underground caverns. See the network of underground canal routes that helped form the industrial Black Country and marvel at the fantastic Limestone Caverns. You’ll also meet the wonderful Groovy UV Entertainments Company and their amazing ‘glow in the dark’ Halloween puppets. These trips last 45 minutes to an hour, and places are limited, so early booking is strongly advised.

Are these the spookiest canals in England this year, or is there another ghostly event happening in your neighbourhood?

If you’re haunted by dreams of a life less ordinary we could have the spooky answer to your darkest desires: If you love boats there’s a business type for everyone at http://www.boatshedbusiness.com

Peggy Melmoth

Image credit: Thanks to Pedro J Ferreira for making this image available with a Creative Commons Licence.

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