Fancy a lock-in?

Float away on a summer break exploring the best pubs by waterways, says NIGEL THOMPSON

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WHAT better place to be in summer than by one of Britain’s beautiful, historic canals with a cool drink to hand?

Our 3,000 mile network of navigable inland waterways has hundreds of great canal and riverside pubs to explore. And with names such as The Lock Inn, The Navigation Inn, The Narrowboat, The Tunnel and The Bridge, many of them date back to the days when our canals were the transport arteries of the industrial revolution.

These inns provided refreshment for working boat families and their horses, as well as professional leggers who propelled boats through tunnels.

We asked rental firm Drifters which offers more than 550 boats from 10 hire companies at 40 bases across England, Scotland and Wales for its favourite canal and riverside pubs for outdoor dining and drinking...

THE BRIDGE INN

Chirk Bank, Shropshire