Canal Boat Hire Holidays

Angus has hand crafted a fine boat that is well maintained and a pleasure to use. We had a lovely short break on it and, despite less than perfect weather on some days, enjoyed our stay ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

We have just had a super week on Larkspur. We are a family of 4 with fairly limited canal boat knowledge but Angus was patient and informative about the operations of the boat and really put us all at ease. The boat is beautifully presented and very comfortable and has everything available that you could possibly need. Angus is a super chap, lovely to deal with and the whole experience was a really fantastic break for my family. Would definitely recommend anyone to use Bloomsbury Boats. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

The wide beam narrow boat was excellent. With lots of extra’s on board. A proper home for the week. We have a son with walking difficulties. No problems with moving about. No problems getting in and out of the boat. And Angus soon gave us the confidence to trust ourselves with handling the boat. Bradford was a dream. A perfect week. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Just returned from a wonderful week aboard on the Kennet and Avon canal. Angus was a great help in the beginning with this being our first ever trip. The boat is a credit to him, lovely furnishings, comfy beds, great kitchen and bathroom. The comprehensive instructions supplied take the stress away from the experience, loads of hot water and 240v systems to charge those gadgets. The canal was busier than we expected but the sights and wildlife more than made up for it, every pub and cafe we stopped at was excellent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

We’ve just come back from an amazing October break with Bloomsbury Canal Boats. Think “wild camping in a 5-star hotel”. The boat itself is just perfect; loads of space (two adults, two teenagers), very comfortable and warm. The wide-beam is a good choice, especially at this time of year when you are inside all evening – the sofa/wood-burner combination is a winner. All the systems are reliable and easy to use; electrics, heating, water….etc. Angus gave us a very thorough 2-hour lesson in all of that, plus of course, driving the boat. We were complete novices, but Angus took us into Bath and back on our first morning, giving us the confidence to handle the boat and the locks. We later found out that this particular stretch of canal is sometimes referred to as “crash corner” because it is so narrow and busy. If you can do this bit, you can do anything! The rest of the canal was pretty quiet. We got to the middle of Devizes by the morning of day 4, took the rest of the day off, and then arrived back in Bathampton by Friday evening. There are a LOT of locks to do on this route, but we loved it! Caen Hill is spectacular. Highly recommend eating at the Barge Inn, Seend, where you can moor up in the pub garden :-). Brilliant holiday!

We had an amazing week on Angus’ wide beam barge. The vessel is kitted out superbly and is so comfortable- Angus gave us a very thorough briefing before we set off and the week went completely to plan – I would thoroughly recommend hiring from Bloomsbury Canal Boats – 5 star experience and service. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★