Our latest Boutique Narrowboat for hire is currently being created and we are working towards getting it ready to welcome guests in 2022. At the moment, it is still in the design and fit out stage. We have welcomed your feedback on all our hire boats over the years and this boat will be a combination of many of the “best bits” of our small fleet. We have named it after a butterfly – Marbled Read more…
Couple’s weekend getaway Making time for just the two of you is essential to every relationship, whether it be a date night at a restaurant, a trip to the cinema or a couple’s weekend getaway. It seems to be in our nature to often get carried away with the chaos of everyday life. So much so, that we sometimes forget to find the time to spend a little bit of quality time together. Our Boutique Read more…
Arriving on public transport Finding your way around an unfamiliar area can be a little daunting, especially when you are arriving on public transport. We hope the following information will make it as easy as possible for you. Boutique Narrowboats is located at Union Wharf in Market Harborough, which is about a 10 – 15 minute walk from the historic town centre and under two miles from the Market Harborough train station. Arriving by train Read more…
Christmas day boat vouchers are now available for our Boutique Electric day boat, Water Vole. They come in denominations of £150 and £200 and can also be redeemed against any of our other boats if preferred. Just get in touch if you would like a voucher of a particular amount and we will create one for you. The vouchers are emailed to you or the recipient as you wish (not sent by post). You can Read more…
Foxton Locks in the heart of Leicestershire attracts over 4000 boaters each year and is considered one of the most extraordinary heritage sites in the country. A flight of ten locks comprises the longest staircase of the English canals and whilst the feat of engineering is not in doubt, to a novice narrowboater it can be a little daunting. On a busy day, up to 40 boats can make it up and down the flight; Read more…
It strikes me every time I open a canal boating magazine and see a “modern” narrowboat interior: What’s with all the wood? It’s been well over half a century since the narrowboat leisure industry emerged and nowadays the varnish is lighter, the wood more polished. But it’s still a lot of wood. What would happen if you let the wood breathe? Gave it a little space? Could you play with paint? Or some lovely natural Read more…
A day boat hire gift can make a perfect present for the man who has everything. Often a day boat experience is purchased as a birthday present for a husband or boyfriend. We are frequently told that many people have “always wanted” to try their hand at narrowboating and a day boat hire gift is a popular taster. Bring along your friends The beauty of hiring a day boat from us at Union Wharf, Read more…
For those who are interested in narrowboat holidays 2022, the calendars are now live. Thank you for your patience whilst we updated the website. As you’ll know if you contacted us, we had a lot of work to do on the calendar to plan ahead for the maintenance all the boats inevitably need in the coming year. We’ve now worked out the schedule for blacking, painting, refurbishing, replacing and altering what needs to be altered Read more…
We are delighted to say that our first Boutique Electric Day Boat launched successfully in June and has been attracting much attention along the Market Harborough arm of the canal. For those who have been following our progress at Union Wharf, you’ll know that we have been working on Water Vole’s refurbishment for a long time now. The project has been beset with various challenges but they’ve been all but forgotten now that she is Read more…
A note for existing bookings on holiday boats Following Boris’ announcement, we are delighted to say that we will be reopening on Monday 12th April for holiday hire boats 😁🍾 So here’s what happens now… 1. If you have booked a holiday to leave in the next 8 weeks, you will receive an email from us in the next couple of days to confirm any balance owing and how to pay. Once we’ve received payment, Read more…