There has been a rise in the number of people interested in visiting real ale pubs, which could mean more of those on Canal Boat Holidays will be enjoying visiting these sites on their trips.

Jon Howard, press officer for the Campaign for Real Ale, claims that his organisation has amassed 110,000 members, showing the country's popularity for the traditional beverage.

He says that there has been a rise of 50 per cent in this figure since the turn of the century, with a similar rise in the number of sites producing beers.

'In the past 12 months alone, 71 new breweries have opened across the UK, taking the total to over 700,' he asserts, which could mean more waterway pubs will be selling real ale to those on Canal Boat Holidays.

Recent research by the University of California has found that those on Narrowboat breaks who do stop off for pints of real ale along the way may have a lower risk of developing osteoporosis, as the drink contains dietary silicon and can increase bone density.