Narrowboat saloon seating can be tricky. Folk see the kinds of sofas we use on our holiday boats and wonder if they can replicate the look on their own boat. But the solution to a common narrowboat problem (space vs comfort vs appearance) is not straightforward. As an interior designer of narrowboats I’m always very conscious of the fact that people need to be comfortable sitting in a room just 6’10” wide. Often the client Read more…
If airport delays, rail strikes and the general state of world stability is putting you off trips abroad, perhaps you are considering a holiday close to home. A narrowboat holiday is certainly one way to see England from a new angle. Whether you are meandering through our rural landscapes or winding your way through the towns of our industrial past, the canals can give you a whole new perspective on this wonderful country. Up close Read more…
English canal boat holidays in the autumn are among the best ways to see the countryside. As the air cools and the light changes, the canal reflects the beautiful colours of autumn as if you are travelling right through the heart of it. The natural world is always changing and when you are travelling on a canal boat holiday, you experience it close up: the migrating birds, the reddening leaves, the scent of woodburners on Read more…
As the winter approaches, we like to offer a number of dates for our static canal boat holidays. We trialled the idea last year and had some brilliant feedback, so we’ve decided to do the same again this year. So what kind of people are choosing a static canal boat holiday? 1. Airbnb stays for visiting friends and family This is the most popular reason for booking one of our canal boats to stay in Read more…
Eating out on a canal boat holiday is one of the joys of the whole trip. Of course, the beauty of choosing a canal boat holiday is that you take your kitchen wherever you go. We encourage our guests to bring enough food with them for their entire vacation. This is because you can never predict when a pub or restaurant will be closed unexpectedly or if a delay on your route means that you Read more…
The Boutique Narrowboats are in the news again this week, with a fabulous review from the team behind Market Harborough Living. The magazine offers news and lifestyle features, and we are delighted with their article which followed their stay on Marbled White. “As soon as we peered down the hatch,” writes Clare and Nicholas Rudd-Jones, “we were amazed by the level of finish – stylish furniture… a Nespresso machine and a wine fridge no less.” Read more…
Our canal boat holidays are nominated for a top national award!! We are so excited that our canal boat holidays are nominated for the British Travel Awards 2023. Our aim is that the Boutique Narrowboats are amongst the most luxurious canal boats on Britain’s waterways and we are delighted to be in this year’s line-up in the category of Best Company for UK Short Breaks. So now we need your help to give us a Read more…
Our canal boats are in the local news again, thanks to the fabulous Market Harborough Living Magazine. We are always so excited to see our boats in print, and this article explains a bit more about how we all got started. Unlike many of the experienced boaters we encounter daily, Aaran and I are relative newcomers to narrowboats. We love to tell how we fell in love with the canals during a mini-break from Market Read more…
We’ve signposted seven must-see canal features on a narrowboat break in the UK. Consider them a bucket list of items to tick off, as you cruise through your weekend. Setting off from Market Harborough, you will undoubtedly encounter all seven, as you learn to handle your narrowboat on your journey towards becoming an experienced boater. UK narrowboat break top 7 features Some features on our list may seem daunting at first if this is the Read more…
Our 2016 mini-break on a canal boat could have gone horribly wrong. The interior was like something from a plywood time warp, all brown varnish and stale carpet. The toilet smelled, the shower curtain was mouldy and the mattress woefully-skinny. English holiday narrowboats are not known for their contemporary styling, and this was a case in point. Our romantic weekend plans looked decidedly lacklustre. A new kind of experience But once the training was Read more…