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Boat Hire

Adelaide Marine: Hire boats based in London.
Alvechurch Boat Centres: Holiday narrowboat hire from 4 bases. Also boat building and brokerage.
Andersen Boats: Boat hire based at Middlewich on the Trent & Mersey Canal.
Anglo Welsh: A large narrowboat hire company with a good choice of bases and boats.
Arlen Hire Boats: Four narrowboats from 3 to 6 berth based on the Lancaster Canal.
Ashby Boat Company: Hire boat company on the unspoilt and lock-free Ashby Canal.
Banks Hire Boats: Based in Selby.
The Bath & Dundas Canal Co: Marina and boat hire based on the Somerset Coal Canal.
Bath & Dundas Canal Company: Boat hire and bed & breakfast at Dundas on the Kennet & Avon and Somerset Coal canals.
Bath Narrowboats: Cruises on the Kennet & Avon Canal.
Beacon Park Boats: A small family run narrowboat hire company on the Monmouth & Brecon Canal in South Wales.
Berrybrook Boats: Based at Burghfield on the Kennet & Avon Canal.
Bidford Boats: Hire boats based on the Warwickshire River Avon between Stratford-upon-Avon and Evesham.
Black Prince Holidays: Five bases, covering the canal system of England and Wales, with 80 narrowboats for hire.
Blackwater Boats: Canal holidays on the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation, the secret waterway of Essex.
Blisworth Tunnel Boats: Narrowboat hire on the Grand Union Canal
Bridgewater Boats: Narrowboats for hire, based at Berkhamsted on the Grand Union Canal.
Butterfly Boats: Narrow boat hire on rivers of the Great Ouse and Cam.
Calcutt Boats: Boat Hire and marina facilities based on the Grand Union Canal near Napton.
Cambrian Cruisers: Boat hire on the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal.
The Camelon Boat Company: Hire craft for use on the Forth & Clyde or Union canals
Canal Cruising: Canal Cruising is one of the oldest hire companies on the canals and after 50 years is still operated by the Wyatt family.
Canalboat Holidays Ltd: Narrowboat hire based at Weedon on the Grand Union Canal.
Capercaillie Cruisers: Canal Boat Hire in Scotland
Castle Narrowboats: Hire boats, including electric powered boats, based on the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal.
Challenger Stealth Canal Hire: Challenger Syndicateships, long established as share boat operators, now offer hire boats.
Chas Hardern Boats: Narrowboat hire based at Beeston on the Shropshire Union Canal.
Chertsey Meads Marine: Thames boatyard with all the usual services plus boat hire.
Cheshire Cat Narrowboat Hire: Based at Venetian Marina Village.
Claymoore Navigation: Hire boats based at Preston Brook in Cheshire, where the Bridewater Canal meets the Trent & Mersey.
Clifton Cruisers: Narrowboat hire based on the Northern Oxford Canal near Rugby. Also boatyard services and boatfitting.
College Cruisers: Narrowboat hire based in the centre of Oxford on the Oxford Canal.
Constellation Cruises: Constellation Cruises Limited specialises in the hire of boats for short breaks on the Macclesfield Canal.
Copt Heath Wharf: Barston Lane near Catherine de Barnes, Solihull, West Midlands.
Country Craft Narrowboat Holidays: Holiday boat hire.
Countrywide Cruisers: A family run canal boat holiday operator based at Brewood in Staffordshire.
De Vrouwe Alida: Classic 1905 Dutch sailing barge for charter between Cambridge and Ely.
Empress Holidays: Narrowboat hire based at Nantwich, Cheshire.
Evesham Marina: Boat hire on the River Avon and the Stratford Canal.
Fox's Marina: Boat building, marina and hire boats based at March in the Middle Levels.
Galleon Marine: Narrowboat hire on the Basingstoke Canal.
Glevum Boat Hire: Day hire and short breaks on the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal.
Guildford Boat House: Narrowboat hire on the Wey and Godalming Navigation.
Halcyon Boating Holidays: Offering hire boats from Coventry and Oxford bases.
Jannel Cruisers: Marina services and boat hire based at Burton upon Trent.
JD Boat Services: Produce narrowboats to all stages of completion and have hire boats and share boats.
Kate Boats: Well established firm of boatbuilders and hire boat operators.
Kris Cruisers: Twenty cruisers for hire at Datchet on the River Thames.
Lowland Narrowboats Ltd: Boating on the Scottish Lowland Canals
Maestermyn Cruisers: Together with Welsh Lady Cruisers hire boats from their base on the Llangollen Canal
Middlewich Narrowboats: Hire boats based on the Trent & Mersey Canal.
Moonraker Narrowboat Company: A new hire boat company on the Kennet & Avon Canal.
Napton Narrowboats: Hire boats based at Napton Marina on the South Oxford Canal.
Nationwide Narrowboats: Holiday hire on the Grand Union Canal and the Great Ouse.
Otter - Day Boat Hire: Self-steer canal day boat hire for up to 12 people. Based at Stalybridge
Oxfordshire Narrowboats: Two to twelve berth narrowboat holidays on the South Oxford Canal.
Pennine Cruisers: Boat hire based at Skipton on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.
Private Canal Boat Hire: A 64 foot narrow boat based around Foxton Locks on the Leicester Arm of the Grand Union Canal.
Reading Marine Company: Boat builders and boat hire.
Red Line Boats: Boat hire on the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal.
Road House Narrowboats: Boat hire based at Gilwern on the Mon & Brec.
Rose Narrowboats: A fleet of 23 boats based at Stretton-under-Fosse, near Rugby, on the North Oxford Canal.
Sally Boats Ltd: Sally Boats, based in of Bradford on Avon on the Kennet and Avon Canal, has a fleet of 16 narrow boats
Sherborne Wharf: Based in Birmingham city centre Heritage Narrow Boats offer hire boats from here and from Scholar Green on the Maccelesfield Canal.
Shire Cruisers: Hire boats based at Sowerby Bridge where the Calder & Hebble meets the Rochdale Canal.
Silsden Boats: Canal boat holidays on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.
Snaygill Boats: Hire boats based on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal at Skipton.
Starline Narrowboats: A small Boat Building & Hire Company run by Pauline & Ian Cundy since 1980. They build and fit out narrow and wide bean steel boats, both for private sale.
Sunset Holidays: Narrowboat hire from Hilperton on the Kennet & Avon Canal.
Suzy q: A 4-6 berth, 50ft canal boat based on the beautiful Kennet & Avon Canal
Teddesley Boat Co: Narrowboat hire on the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal.
Thistle Hire Boats: Thistle-Down is the only holiday hire boat operating on the Union Canal in Scotland. She is a four berth, steel narrow boat.
Tradcraft: Have two brand new fully fitted traditional tug-style narrow boats named Thomas and Brunel.
Union Canal Carriers Ltd.: The Adventures fleet of 2-12 berth boats for everyone from a small family to a large school party.
Valley Cruises: A small family operated business based at Nuneaton on the Coventry Canal.
Viking Afloat: Four bases (Worcester, Whitchurch on the Llangollen Canal, Rugby and Gailey) hiring narrowboats.
Water Babies Luxury Holidays Afloat: Holiday hire on the Lancaster Canal.
Water Travel: Boathire based in Wolverhampton.
Waterway Holidays UK: Offering holidays on canals, rivers, lochs and the Norfolk Broads.
Waterways Holidays.com: Searches a database of self-drive hire boats to check availability instantly for preferred holiday dates.
Weltonfield Narrowboats Ltd: Hire boats based at Welton Hythe on the Leicester Section of the Grand Union Canal. Also marina and boatbuilding services.
Wessex Narrowboats: Hire fleet on the Kennet & Avon Canal at Trowbridge.
White Horse Boats: Boat hire operating from Devizes Wharf on the Kennet & Avon Canal.
Willow Wren Cruising Holidays: Group hire of 10 or 12 berth narrowboats and Hotel boat holidays. Based on the North Oxford Canal at Rugby.
Wiltshire Narrow Boat Company: Hire out the Belle of Devizes a single 67' narrow boat, privately owned and built to the very highest specification.
Wyvern Shipping Co Ltd: Narrowboat hire based at Leighton Buzzard on the Grand Union Canal.
York Marine Services: Boating services on the River Ouse including holiday hire cruisers and day-hire boats.

Boat Share and Timeshare Boating

Alibi Owners Web Site: Alibi is a 57ft 6ins narrow boat built in 1999 and is owned by a group of boating enthusiasts and run on a private multi ownership basis.
The Boatshare Company: Shared ownership narrowboats.
Canal Cruising Society: Information about Freedom, a share boat owned by Canal Cruising Society
Canaltime: Timeshare narrowboats.
Carefree Cruising: A new and different narrowboat shared ownership scheme
Challenger Syndicateships: Share boat scheme covering the UK canals, France, Holland, River Thames and the Norfolk Broads.
Crosby Narrowboats: Shared ownership narrowboats.
Holiday Property Bond: A variation on timeshare holidays in the UK and overseas including narrowboats from 3 english bases.
JD Boat Services: Produce narrowboats to all stages of completion and have hire boats and share boats.
Jemima D Narrowboat Co-operative: A 37 foot narrowboat owned, operated and used by a co-operative group of twelve shareholders.
Ownerships: A leading share boat scheme operating on UK rivers and canals. Now expanding into mainland Europe.
The Scruffy Fox Owners Club: A private (non-commercial), shared ownership scheme that operates the vessel on behalf of its owners
Shakespeare Classic Line Limited: Offering a fleet of timeshare narrowboats based at Barton Turns Marina (Staffordshire).
Smart Vacations: AN opportunity to purchase a share of a luxury canal boat based on the River Thames
Stratford Court Cruisers: Timeshare narrowboats available from Timeshare Direct.

Community Boating

Accessible Boating Association: Operate 2 boats, Dawn (available for self steering by experienced Helmsmen but usually hired with a skipper) and Madam Butterfly (self-steer only). Both craft have facilities for disabled passengers.
The Beatrice Charity: Aims to give children with special needs a pleasant, interesting and memorable outing.
Boating for All: Boating on traditional working narrowboats under canvas.
The Bruce Charitable Trust: A registered charity which provides four wide-beamed canal boats on the Kennet and Avon Canal.
Camden Canals and Narrowboat Association: A registered charity, who operate Tarporley, Camden's community narrowboat. CCNA is run by volunteers, who work with this traditional antique narrowboat.
The Canal Boat Adventure Project: A registered charity for the development of young people through the provision of canal boats and canal based activities. Based at Preston Brook
The Canal Boat Project: Operate Stort Challenger, a specially designed and fitted to meet the needs of people with a wide range of disabilities.
Dacorum Narrow Boat Project: Narrowboat trips for schools, colleges and youth groups for education, self development and recreation.
The London Narrow Boat Project: A registered charity, voluntary organisation based at Braunston, the project offers inexpensive holidays to schools and youth groups throughout the country.
The Lyneal Trust: A registered charity that provides canal holidays for people with disabilities with their families, friends from Lyneal Wharf near Ellesmere, which is on the Llangollen Canal.
Mary Sunley canal boat: The boat was specially built to provide daytime trips for the physically or mentally disabled. Other groups may use the boat for a small additional charge.
The National Community Boats Association: Non profit organisations providing boating to the community.
Next Generation Boat Project: A non profit making organisation operating boat trips on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal for children and young adults
Seagull Trust: The Seagull Trust was formed in 1978 to provide free canal cruising for disabled people and to help revitalise the Scottish Lowland Waterways.
South Staffordshire Narrowboat Company Ltd: A registered charity operating a 70ft long narrowboat on the historic waterways of the West Midlands.
The Stockport Canalboat Trust: Day trips and holidays for the disabled on the Trusts own narrowboat.
Tideway Adventurers Narrowboat Project: The narrowboat "Michael" is owned and operated by Tideway Adventurers an independent nautical youth organisation, based in South London.

Hotel Boats

Away 4 awhile: Hotel boat 3 or 4 day breaks from Warwick to Stratford upon Avon and Warwick to Birmingham, then to Stratford upon Avon and back to Warwick.
Canal Tours: Promote canal cruises in England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and France.
Country Hotel Narrowboats: Hotel boats Conwy and Caernarfon.
Cruise England: Represents eight of England's finest hotel boat operations
Dale and Shire Hotel Narrowboats: Purpose-built hotel narrowboats Bittel and Earlswood.
Duke & Duchess Hotel Narrowboats: Hotel narrowboats.
England Afloat: Holidays on a 70 foot hotel narrowboat.
Flagships Holiday Cruises: A collection of small family run businesses that have come together to offer a choice of hotel boat holidays
H & H Narrowboat Hotels: As well as details of the holidays they offer these pages carry a lot of details about shopping and features of interest along the routes they cover.
Heart of England Hotel Narrowboats: Hotel boats Rose and Castle.
The Hotel Boat Helen of the West: This Hotel Boat will take you for a cruise along the Kennet & Avon Canal starting from Devizes Wharf at in Wiltshire.
Hotel Boats: Information provided by Holidays in the UK.
The Hotel Narrowboat Lady Gwendolyn: Castlebridge Cruises 70ft hotel boat
Hotelboat Shirleyanne: New hotel boat in 2003 taking 2 guests.
Inland Cruising Company: Hotelboats Mallard and Dabchick.
Inland Waterways Holiday Cruises: An Hotel boat cruise with Derek and Emma on the narrowboats Taurus and Snipe.
Narrowboat Hotel Company: Hotel narrowboats Dawn and Dusk.
Pub Canal Tours: Various tours are on offer.
Rushbrooke Narrow Boats: Brackley & Ellesmere are traditional narrowboats rebuilt in recent years as a floating hotel.
Shadow Cruisers: Me and My is a 57' cruiser style narrow boat, towing Shadow, a 30' engineless butty with two guest bedrooms aboard. Both boats were built for the 2003 season.
Thames & Chilterns Holiday Cruises: Tranquil Rose offers a choice of cruises, on the River Thames and adjoining waterways, including the Kennet & Avon canal.
Thames Heritage Cruising Ltd.: Cruising the Historic River Thames with the Hotel Barge Dudley Thomas.
the-narrowboating-guesthouse: Thistle - a modern 70ft Residential Narrowboat with a very affectionate Westie called Holly is not hotel boat - It's the Val and Michael's home.
Tsarina & Tsarevna: Tsarina & Tsarevna, T & T Narrowboats.
Unrivalled Holidays: Dutch barge travel on the River Thames.
Westover Boat Company: Half and full week cruises from Bramptom, near Huntingdon on the River Great Ouse.
Willow Wren Cruising Holidays: Group hire of 10 or 12 berth narrowboats and Hotel boat holidays. Based on the North Oxford Canal at Rugby.
Wood Owl: Hotel Narrowboat cruising holidays on the canals and rivers.

Trip Boats and Restaurant Boats

Apollo Canal Cruisers: Trip and restaurant boats based at Shipley on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.
The Ashby Trip: Operators of 2 boats and from Sutton Cheney Wharf on the Ashby Canal.
The Bristol Packet: Public & Charter Boat Trips on the river Avon between Bath and the Bristol Channel and in Bristol's Floating Harbour
Busy Boats: offering cruises along the Grand Union Canal, from their base at Bugbrook, Northamptonshire.
Calder Lady: The floating, cruising restaurant boat with full bar, based at Dewsbury
City Centre Cruises: The L.S. Lowry provides restaurant and hospitality facilities on a wide-beamed boat operating from Manchester city centre.
French Brothers: River Thames Passenger Boat Operators
Jason's Wharf: The oldest trip boat operator in London, running daily cruises between Little Venice and Camden, are celebrating their 50th Anniversary in 2001.
The John Pinkerton trip boat: The Surrey & Hampshire Canal Society's trip boat on the Basingstoke Canal.
Linda Cruising Company: Cruising the Grand Union on a trip boat based at Cosgrove.
Llangollen Wharf - Canal Boat Trips: From the Wharf you can embark on a horse drawn or motorised canal boat trip along the beautiful Llangollen Canal
London Canal Cruises : Exclusive private charter daytrips on London's Regents Canal aboard narrowboat 'Helix'.
Mersey Ferries: Various cruises on Mersey Ferries including trips on the Manchester Ship Canal.
Narrowboat Trips: Trips aboard Olive Rose of Taunton on the Bridgewater & Taunton Canal.
Pennine Boat Trips of Skipton: Public trips, charters, catering afloat and educational voyages.
River Lee Cruises: Lady of Lee Valley operates Charter Cruises on the River Lee.
Salter's Steamers: A family firm with over a century's experience of boating on the River Thames
Sovereign Cruises Ltd: Have two boats, one operates on the River Weaver the other is based on the Trent & Mersey Canal
Stoke Bruerne Boat Co: Day boat hire, Boat Trips, Holiday Cottage, Contracting
Thames Rivercruise: All cruises start and finish in the Reading area, where the company is based
Weaver Valley Cruises: Boat trips on the River Weaver in Cheshire.
White Horse Boats: Boat hire operating from Devizes Wharf on the Kennet & Avon Canal.
York Boat River Cruises: Tours on the Yorkshire Ouse from York city centre

  


Text and photographs copyright of Jim Shead.

Home

Introduction

Waterways

Map

Links

Books

Video

Articles

Boats

Photo Gallery

Photo List

Features

Contact Me

Glossary A - D

Glossary E - L

Glossary M - R

Glossary S - Z

Help