A “picturesque” town in West Yorkshire has been named among the best hidden gem canal boat holidays in Britain, according to The Telegraph.

Hebden Bridge has featured among other “former mill towns” in Yorkshire that “buzz with artisan bakeries and canal-side cafés”.

The publisher commented on its new guide of "underrated" canals to explore: “Overnighting on canals for leisure began with pioneering adventurers such as E Temple Thurston, who wrote about his voyage in The Flower of Gloster in the early 1900s.

"By the 1950s, horse-drawn cargo-carrying boats were being converted into floating dormitories. Passengers helped with locks or leading the horse along the tow-path.”

@adve_nturesinyorkshire The longer video from beautiful Hebden Bridge. Featuring my love of people watching 👀 #hebdenbridge #westyorkshire #placestovisit #peoplewatching ♬ Good To Be - Mark Ambor

It added: “Today, a new generation of skippered (and motorised) hotel boats, such as Lady Teal, continues this evolution and there are more than 1,000 holiday hire boats among the 35,000 privately owned vessels on the inland waterways.

“Many hire boats belong to companies with fleets at bases across the country; however, small firms with a handful of boats, featuring characterful interiors, are beginning to emerge, such as Boutique Narrowboats.”

You can see all the best canal boat holiday hotspots here.

Why is Hebden Bridge a hidden gem for canal boat holidays?

The publisher explained: “Picturesque Hebden Bridge was the setting for the police crime drama series Happy Valley.

“Hopefully, the only drama on a narrowboat holiday here will be the Pennine scenery and Victorian architecture of former mill towns that buzz with artisan bakeries and canal-side cafés.

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“To work up an appetite, there are long hilly walks, with more miles of rights of way in one OS Explorer square here than any other.

“Lock gates are also hard work, with 36 wide ones ascending from Sowerby Bridge to the summit of the Rochdale Canal.”

Shire Cruisers offer a four-berth boat at Sowerby Bridge available to hire whether it’s your first time afloat or you’re a seasoned boater.