A canal-faring couple have returned to their Keighley home from Berkshire by narrowboat – a journey which has taken them six-and-a-half weeks.

Phil and Christine Coleman set up their first home together in East Morton more than 30 years ago and their two sons were born at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

After moving to Berkshire in 1978 the couple frequently revisited their home town to see family, but it was four years ago, when Mr Coleman retired, that they decided they wanted to make the challenging canal voyage.

In total their round trip will be 400 miles long and will take 12 weeks with the couple navigating a total of 394 locks.

Setting off from where their boat was moored at Harefield, Middlesex, they have journeyed through Northamptonshire via the Grand Union Canal, skirted Coventry, travelled east of Wolverhampton, up to Nantwich and along to Wigan where they reached the Leeds-Liverpool Canal.

They then travelled through Skipton to reach Bingley and then Saltaire.

Mr Coleman said yesterday: “Last night we moored at Crossflatts – we used to live in East Morton, we walked up there to look at my old house and the Busfeild Arms, the first pub I went to.

“Today we are going to Saltaire and to walk up to Haworth Road where my wife lived, where she was brought up and where her family lived for 50 years.

“It was where we had our first house when we got married.”

Mr Coleman said it was the first time the couple had travelled by barge on the Leeds-Liverpool Canal.

“The Lancashire end was a bit industrial, but once we got to Yorkshire, it was absolutely gorgeous, beautiful scenery,” he said.

“Tomorrow we’re going to do a bit of tourist stuff and go up Shipley Glen.

“When we were in the car we didn’t notice it all, but in the boat it is totally different.

“It’s almost as if it is somewhere new – very nostalgic.”