25 of the UK’s best places to stay by the water

The UK’s rivers and lakes invite relaxation, whether it’s a rush of water across a small burn, a beck or a loch. And there’s nothing nicer than holidaying right beside them. Stay at the Boathouse at Knotts End on Ullswater and you’ll be able to wake up to the sound of water lapping at the shore and spot kingfishers from the balcony.

A houseboat is even more immersive. In Cornwall, the Floathouse Amelie will make you feel like part of Penryn’s boaty set without actually having to set sail. For added away-from-it-all allure, Blackbird in Devon is on its own private lake.

The Thames starts as a stream in Gloucestershire before widening out to become London’s greatest divider (and unifier), and you can choose between rowing along it in a Victorian camping skiff, or staying in the hipster floating Good Hotel near Poplar. In Scotland, rainwater powers down mountains to gather in glorious lochs; the Falls of Dochart Inn is a fly cast away from one of its best fishing spots. Wales has its own glorious rivers and canals with electric narrowboats, while Northern Ireland has unspoilt loughs, some with islands in the middle, including Lusty Beg, which has cabins and hotel rooms.

And then there are the newer areas of freshwater. Rutland Water is a 1970s creation built with conservation and recreation in mind. You can learn to sail on it, see rare birds or swim from its beach — smart Hambleton Hall hotel will help you to dive in.

Our waterways are a hot topic — waders off to Feargal Sharkey for speaking out on the need to protect our chalk streams and to The Times’s Clean It Up campaign to improve water quality. But you don’t need to be an angling enthusiast to admire the glint of trout as they dart through the water.

If there’s a better way of spending a hot afternoon than by a riverbank with a glass in hand, I can’t think of it, and Britain’s riverside pubs are one of its great joys — Ye Old Ferrie Inn, for example, sits on one of the Wye’s most enchanting stretches.

We’ve highlighted the very best places to stay by the water, including those where you can enjoy the added thrill of arriving by boat.

Bird reserve and Michelin-starred restaurantDine on a Michelin-starred feast on the terrace and an osprey might swoop over the water right next to you. Hambleton Hall — now in its fourth decade of family ownership — is on a beautifully tended peninsula just above Rutland Water. The emerald reservoir, created in 1971, stretches over five square miles, has a world-class reputation for birding, and there are dinghies and windsurfers available to hire with tuition. You can wild swim too, or take the plunge in the hall’s outdoor swimming pool.Details B&B doubles from £390 (hambletonhall.com)

Posh island estate with boating and spa funReached by footbridge from foodie Bray, this tiny Thames isle has a rich history of offering the well-heeled the chance to mess about on the river. The white stucco mansion has 41 rooms and suites alongside impressive dining in the brasserie. Spa treatments take place in a cute narrowboat, and guests can head to Boveney Lock, Windsor Racecourse and Windsor Castle in motorboats from the island’s jetty. However, it’s just as pleasing to settle down on the banks and watch the less zippy river traffic — rowing boats and paddleboards — amble by.Details B&B doubles from £255 (monkeyislandestate.co.uk)

Characterful Yorkshire Dales retreat by Malham Beck Forget the grandiose name, this hotel started life as an 18th-century workman’s cottage. With piecemeal growth over the centuries, the newest part is a colourful restaurant — particularly good on veggie food — with bi-folds that open out onto delightful Malham Beck. Head upstream a little and the water becomes even more photogenic, especially at Janet’s Foss, 20 minutes away on foot, where there’s a pool deep enough to swim in and a crashing waterfall. Beck Hall has 21 rooms, all furnished with panache and ten of them overlooking the water. The bar serves an Ilkley Brewery ale bearing the hotel’s name; grab a pint and take a pew in one of the deckchairs by the water.Details B&B doubles from £160 (beckhallmalham.com)

Five-star country house hotel with its own vineyard The chef-owner Michael Caines’s vision of a working vineyard on the banks of the River Exe — he planted vines here in 2018 — will come to fruition this year, with the release of the first bottles of Lympstone Manor Cuvée sparkling wine. Location holds huge influence; this country house hotel is perched at the point at which the Exe becomes tidal (there’s an estuary tasting menu in Caines’s restaurant showcasing the delicious local seafood). Feeling active? Borrow two wheels to follow the Exe Estuary Trail, or take in the view from the water on a paddleboard or kayak.Details B&B doubles from £350 (lympstonemanor.co.uk)

Roomy barge retreat moored on the River AldeA 19th-century Dutch barge has new life as a dog-friendly three-bedroom holiday rental on Suffolk’s River Alde. Nearly 100ft long and 18ft wide and still with its original masts, portholes and panelling, it sprawls over two floors. There’s a bathroom for each room, two kitchens and plenty of open plan seating, plus a sofa bed and places to perch outside. Onderneming’s mooring at Snape Maltings offers the best of both worlds; enjoy the nearby restaurants and concert hall but wake up with tranquil marshland views and quacking ducks.Details Five nights’ self-catering for eight from £1,256 (woodfarmbarges.com)

Historic riverside hotel with balcony views over the River DeeGuests checking in at this striking Victorian hotel can pick rooms with views of the serene Llangollen Canal or opt for a vista of the more tumultuous River Dee. Those staying in the latter will also spy the footbridge designed by the fabulously named Exuperius Pickering in 1817. Restored and reopened in 2015, it’s thought to be the oldest chain bridge in the world. Adding to the celebratory Industrial Revolution vibes, steam trains occasionally puff past. Of the 33 rooms, 20 have balconies and there are plenty of water-based activities nearby, including canoeing. The food? Find hearty portions in its restaurant, the Chainbridge.Details B&B doubles from £120 (chainbridgehotel.com)

A slice of Lakeland history, with its own jettyPleasing for architecture fans and waterbabies alike, this mansion, designed by Charles Voysey, was built on Windermere’s eastern shore in 1898. Now the headquarters of the Windermere Motor Boat Racing Club, it has been beautifully preserved and, best of all, much of the year you don’t have to be a member to stay there (just a few weekends are ring-fenced for members). Set in seven acres, there are just six bedrooms at Broad Leys, three with en suites. The private water frontage feels exclusive, granting access to the lake via its own jetty.Details B&B doubles from £160 (wmbrc.co.uk)

Bijou Launceton houseboat perfect for a romantic digital detoxWith no wi-fi and very little phone signal, this bijou houseboat on a private freshwater lake north of Launceston puts relaxation front and centre for couples. A moody noir exterior gives way to a bright, open-plan interior, with a double bed, kitchen and wood-burning stove. There’s a shower on board, but a gorgeous nearby bathhouse, with a slipper bath and soft robes, is hard to resist (although you’ll need to book it). The lake — with rainbow trout — can be fished, and walks will take you through beech and oak trees on 30 verdant acres of land.Details Two nights’self-catering for two from £430 (tregullandandco.co.uk/blackbird)

Remote Loch Awe boathouse bolt hole for two Loch Awe is Scotland’s longest freshwater loch and this holiday boathouse allows you to sneak away to a very private corner of it; the only road access is via a farm track. Everything you need, including kayaks, paddleboards and a canoe, can be borrowed here. It’s spacious, but definitely just for two people. You can spot otters from a first-floor terrace and your own slipway while the six acres of grounds around the boathouse are home to red squirrels, pine martens and barn owls. Fishing rights are available.Details Seven nights’ self-catering for two from £1,350 (unique-cottages.co.uk)

Fun cruise — with impressive malts — from Inverness to Fort William Traverse the 60-mile length of the Caledonian Canal, from Inverness to Fort William, through a series of natural lochs and man-made sections in this eight-passenger hotel barge. A week-long cruise takes in Cawdor and Urquhart castles, with other pitstops, including Fort Augustus, a whisky distillery and Neptune’s Staircase — the longest staircase lock in the world. The hotel barge has a restaurant, plenty of tartan in the decor and, joy, a bar filled with single malts.Details Six nights’ full board with wine from £3,750pp (europeanwaterways.com)

An away-from-it-all island resort and spa in KeshDon’t get too excited, Lusty Beg comes from the old Irish name Lóiste Beag and means “little lodge”, and in this case said lodge sits on an island in the middle of reed-fringed, freshwater Lough Erne. There’s a mix of rooms and self-catering lodges across 75 acres; the chalets are the closest to the water and have private verandas and picnic tables, as well as full kitchens. Reach the isle via a ferry that has space for just two cars at a time; disembark to a family-owned resort with a spa and indoor pool where watery activities, including kayaking and boat rides — abound.Details B&B doubles from £165 (lustybegisland.com)

Boutique hotel celebrating local produce on the River Tay Between the pretty town of Dunkeld and the Tay River lies this small, stylish hotel with a garden that stretches right down to the river and hosts an outdoor cinema and alfresco pizzeria in the summer months. Inside the Taybank’s white mansion is a restaurant that keeps things very local: beef comes from a nearby farm and there’s regular live music in the bar. Stay in one of the five bedrooms and two apartments, all decorated with finely honed simplicity to match the generous proportions.Details B&B doubles from £190 (thetaybank.co.uk)

Eco-conscious family houseboat close to Falmouth Light floods in from every angle on this unique houseboat that floats on the Penryn River near Falmouth. Sleeping four in three cabins, the roomy top deck has two outdoor spaces and a pitched roof, with sofas, floor-to-ceiling windows and gently minimalist decors. Biomass heating, composting loos and electricity from renewable sources means this is a stay without a huge footprint. There’s a rowing boat to explore in, and you’ll find decent fish and chips at the Muddy Beach café, just along the quayside.Details One night’s self-catering for four from £145 (canopyandstars.com)

Chilled north Norfolk gastro hideaway Locals — and their dogs — pack out the bar and restaurant of this rambling former watermill near Fakenham. The food is very good — including lobster from nearby Brancaster — but with pleasingly little fuss. Meandering River Wensum and the weeping willows that fringe it add to the gentle, relaxed atmosphere, with deckchairs to recline in and the occasional DJ appearance. Stir yourself and there are gentle walks galore, including to Sculthorpe Moor nature reserve where you might spot hawks and owls. Sculthorpe’s seven bedrooms come with vintage furniture and on-trend bathrooms that tip a hat to the 1970s.Details B&B doubles from £150 (sculthorpemill.uk)

Field-to-fork pub grub and classic rooms in the Cotswolds From the outside, it feels like a typical posh Cotswolds village boozer. Head past the flagstones, heritage-minded paintwork and well-stocked bar though and find a setting that might have been conjured up by Kenneth Grahame. You can drive here but narrowboaters have the nicest approach; the pub has free moorings for people who drift along the Thames for lunch or dinner. The Tadpole’s food is cheery, including British charcuterie, fish battered with Butcombe beer, and great local cheeses. Six bedrooms keep things classic, with iron bedsteads and roll-top baths. The Thames Path, just over Tadpole Bridge, allows you to explore on foot.Details B&B doubles from £110 (butcombe.com)

Eclectic riverside pub with three rooms and a global menu Glastonbury vibes have floated north to the Sheppey Inn in Wells, as this offbeat pub feels more like a village hall with idiosyncratic artwork. The three bedrooms are large and fun — think paisley wallpaper and repurposed telephone booths for cupboards. The main restaurant is in a lofty 17th-century cider press, but in fair weather everyone wants a table by the river. Ducks paddle by, farmers work the fields and then pop in for a pint, often staying to take in a DJ set or live band. The menu straddles the globe but it’s continental only at breakfast. If you want to drift away from the Sheppey, hyper-cool Bruton and Glastonbury are less than 30 minutes’ drive.Details B&B doubles from £110 (sawdays.co.uk/thesheppeyinn)

Waterside cottage with its own boat in the New Forest Sitting pretty on a bend in the River Avon, in the New Forest’s northwest, sits Undercastle Cottage. A vision of characterful beams with a sturdy thatch atop, the property sleeps four in the main house and two in the adjacent fishing lodge, all in stylish comfort. There are hammocks and sunloungers in the garden plus three springs that point the way to the Avon. A rowing boat is on hand between March and October; the water’s cold but suitable for strong swimmers. Fancy something more high octane? The New Forest Water Park, which has wakeboarding and inflatable obstacle courses, is a ten-minute drive away.Details Four nights’ self-catering for six from £3,458 (undercastlecottage.co.uk)

Hip hotel with a conscience on the water in London’s East EndA floating hotel towed from its native Amsterdam in 2017, this charcoal-black 148-room retreat is now docked near Poplar in the Royal Victoria Dock, perfect for exploring the East End and the summer lido that’s open from July 31 to August 20. Plenty of locals come here too, to the rooftop bar to sip IPAs brewed near by in the rooftop bar. Other highlights include a plant-centric restaurant, co-working space and minimalist Scandi-style interiors.Details Room-only doubles from £89 (goodhotel.co/london)

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Explore the Welsh canals by electric boatThe newest narrowboats on the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal use rechargeable lithium batteries, allowing guests to explore the small canalside towns and villages that run through the Brecon Beacons National Park at a gentle purr rather than a diesel belch (although the locks still have to be operated with old-fashioned human effort). The batteries last for about 18 hours and — alongside kingfishers, dragonflies and red kites — there are charging stations throughout the canal’s route.Details Seven nights’ self-catering for four from £1,211 (castlenarrowboats.co.uk)

Romantic Lake District boathouse Knotts End boathouse has a sense of watery wilderness — it’s on a sequestered part of western Ullswater — and modern-day comforts. It’s surrounded by ten acres of private woodland and there’s a stone beach to one side. Completely open-plan with a vaulted ceiling, this is Cumbria at its most romantic; with plush bedding, a certain amount of velvet swagger and everything-for-two feel, including a tiny rowing boat. There’s plenty to anchor you here, including the picnic table under the trees and the balcony above the water, but you can also hike up Helvellyn and visit local eateries such as the 1863 restaurant in nearby Pooley Bridge.Details One night’s self-catering for two from £225 (theboathouseatknottsend.com)

A historic pub on the River WyeThere’s been a hostelry on this very beautiful stretch of the River Wye since 1473 but the latest incarnation, known to locals as Yofi, has seriously good food featuring salmon from the river, Herefordshire beef and Forest of Dean wild boar plus local ciders and beers. To the accommodation in the main pub has been joined by the Otters’ Lodge, which has two double bedrooms. You won’t have to go far for watersports. Yofi also rents out canoes and paddleboards (and the rest of the kit) with tuition if needed. The one-hour guided Night Owl session at twilight is even more relaxing than sitting on the terrace with a pint.Details B&B doubles from £130 (yeoldferrieinn.com)

Camp in a boat on the ThamesEmulate Jerome K Jerome’s Three Men in a Boat by hiring a skiff for a trip along the Thames. These 19th-century wooden boats are designed to be slept in at night with a canvas cover turning them into a tent. Most people cover between 12 and 20 miles a day, boats come with camping stoves and can be rowed on a variety of routes, including Lechlade to Oxford. Another bonus — there are more than 100 pubs on the Thames.Details Three nights’ hire for three from £430 (skiffhire.com)

Waterfall-view inn in StirlingWith an abundance of rain and uncompromising bedrock, Scotland can lay on reliably good waterfalls. The Falls of Dochart, at the western end of Loch Tay, put on a show, especially as they cascade around the village of Killin. The whitewashed Falls of Dochart Inn gives guests a ringside seat. The hotel has its own award-winning ghillie, but those who don’t want to cast a rod can explore Inchbuie island — historic burial place of the Macnabs, reached by a footbridge — plus standing stones a short walk away.Details B&B doubles from £120 (fallsofdochartinn.co.uk)

Shipshape boathouse in KingsbridgeIn summer, the Kingsbridge Estuary becomes Britain’s poshest stretch of river, as families in topsiders and shorts tack across the water in search of the idyllic pubs and crab shacks that are hidden among its creeks. Bowcombe Boathouse brings a nuanced but nautical sense of style to its place on a pretty peninsula. It has been furnished with boat building materials including mahogany and teak. There’s a dresser with handy ready-made cocktails, daybeds and squashy sofas. A balcony overlooks the water and a private set of steps takes you down to the foreshore.Details Two nights’ self-catering for two from £470 (twocabins.com)

Designer decks in the CotswoldsThis 1990s cross-fertilisation between the owner of a former gravel pit in the Cotswolds and the French designer Philippe Starck has resulted in a collection of terraced steel-and-glass holiday rentals, amid a series of reed-fringed lakes augmented by a series of family-friendly activities, including bushcrafts and raft-building. Accommodation ranges from double rooms to the aptly named six-bedroom Tardis which has its own infinity swimming pool (for those who don’t fancy diving into the lake). This summer has a new tepee restaurant and bar hosting live music sessions.Details Room-only doubles from £225 (thelakesbyyoo.com)