Testimonials

  Fantastic 3/4 days on beautifully fitted out boats, warm despite it being February. 3 couples on 3 boats, a wonderful adventure!

  The Beautiful Marbled White Experience! - 5days aboard a Narrowboat in late December wouldn’t be everyone’s cuppa, butwe booked it, turned up, dumped the car and threw the bags on board! Marbled White is one beautiful... read more Narrowboat, the design, the finish and the handling of this 60footer is stunningwe have a little experience of the life and have been looking at Narrowboats for a while nowso to travel up the foxton flight and onto Welford in the cold, rain and windy weather aboard this beauty was a treat bestowed. The whole experience was stunning, the area, the sheer relaxation of being on the cut, even through our first tunnelall was just magical!!
Thank you Boutique Narrowboats, fabulous service and company..were be back for sure??.
Ben&Shirley.

  Another top star holiday with Boutique Narrowboat  - We had a superb holiday on narrowboat Chalkhill Blue. The boat was clean and had everything you needed including the warmest wood stove. Boutique narrowboat has great friendly staff who... read more make sure you know what you are doing. When they wave you off down the canal they are only a phone call away to help and nothing is a bother to them. They make sure you have a good holiday and are genuinely pleased that you did. This was our second holiday with them this year. We can't wait to go out again.

  Being only a couple we were looking for an upmarket canal boat experience and after much research Boutique Narrowboats seemed to tick all our boxes. We booked the boat called... read more Marbled White, which is a 60ft boat, which as it was our first ever narrow boat experience did seem a little daunting at first! After around two hours of very informative instruction and having done all the recommended homework prior to arrival we headed off on our weeks vacation. The boat was as good as if not better than the pictures and videos we had seen and after a couple days we were cruising and mooring very happily. The route we took, South towards Crick was a very scenic and serene route. I wouldn't hesitate in recommending Boutique Narrowboats and will be

  Best Holiday in Years! Luxury promised and delivered!  - WoW! Just returned from a one week holiday onboard Chalkhill Blue. What a beautiful narrow boat. The layout and finish of this boat is definitely superior.

We have... read more done alternative luxury canal boat holidays over the previous 5 years and this one has exceeded all of our expectations.
1st class in every aspect of the holiday from booking through to completing the actual holiday.

Comprehensive, thorough and friendly collection of the boat and smooth, easy handover/ delivery back. What more do you want??

The planned routes on offer are well thought out and cater for all levels of experience without detracting from the enjoyment to be had whilst trying them!

We have been lucky with the weather aside from the first morning rising up the Foxton locks. Wet through to the skin! Hey, it’s the UK on a narrow boat. Part and parcel of the fun!

I can’t say enough great things about our holiday experience with Boutique Narrow Boats.

If you want some wonderful fresh air, a slow pace, great eateries, new places to explore all with lots of fun, I cannot recommend this more!

You will come home with at least one great memory if not memories from every day!

We have immediately booked again for 2024 on Marbled White! Want to try all the boats now!

  Best weekend!  - Incredible weekend on the beautiful Marbled White. We slept so well and loved every minute - got used to the locks really quickly and felt as though we could... read more have stayed for weeks. We bought a portable speaker with us because we can’t really function without music and it was lovely to drift along having a little bit of a boogy ?- thank you Boutique Narrowboats

  Lots of laughs on the Watervole - On Saturday 26th August 2023, we hired the 'Watervole' for a work outing. The Watervole is a beautiful boat, so well laid out and perfectly equipped.

The induction... read more was very thorough, and we were even accompanied for a few minutes out of the yard - just to ensure we knew what to do.

We had a great time cruising up the river towards Foxton Locks. The bridges were slightly heavier than anticipated to move, but still great fun and provided plenty of laughs.

We thoroughly enjoyed our day out on board the watervole and would definitely recommend.

  Best nights sleep in Britain - We hired Woodland Grayling - a boat for two and small well-behaved (but capable of barking for 1 hour through Foxton Locks) dog. Foxton Locks was daunting for just... read more two, but the Lock Keepers are just FANtastic. So supportive and helpful, that it felt like an achievement getting through. Pre-departure advices were invaluable. The boat is wonderfully kitted out, everything you need and the crisp cool bed linen just sumptuous to sink into after a day in the fresh air. Ultimately, the best bit, mooring in the middle of the countryside, dark, quiet, peaceful and a comfy bed - best nights sleep you could have.

  Gosling - We have just had a week on Gosling and I can say we had a lovely time the kids loved the locks and tunnels! We had an issue when the... read more toilets were full and there was nowhere to get a pump out but Andy came out and emptied both toilets and wouldnt take any payment for it, he even moored the boat up for us so we could eat in the resturant in the wharf. Five stars from us!

  It's over two months since we spent a weekend on Marbled White, which for one of us was the first narrowboat we'd driven for over 30 years, and whilst it... read more took a little time to get used to it and its size, it was an amazing weekend which we recall with fondness. The boat is brilliantly appointed, and it was a joy to pootle along the canal, be guided up the staircase of locks at Foxton, through the tunnel of Husbands Bosworth and moor for quiet nights. Only a few awkward moments, but we found many barge owners happy to help us (either turning around or getting out of some tight spots). We think we were fortunate; it was the coronation weekend, with rainy start, and perhaps quieter than usual - wouldn't have been so confident on a busy canal (and a few barge owners, perhaps understandably, appear to resent 'day-trippers' given some comments we heard). Upon returning to Union Wharf, we realised that we should have refilled with water en route (we hired Marbled White for three nights), and that getting back to the Wharf in time to return the boat suggests mooring up the night before a little closer than we did (by Foxton village), as barges and small boats start sailing out from the basin from 9-ish making the canal a little crowded over the final kilometre. It was a wonderful experience, and we intend to book again some time in the future, but perhaps on a smaller boat.

  Our second time and just as impressed with the boat - We picked up the boat and had a helpful advice session from the manager.
This is our second time taking a boat out from Boutique Narrowboats. We are return... read more guests. We went up the Foxton flight last time so this time we decided to go to Leicester. We wanted to see what cruising on a river is like and also we wanted to moor in the city and see the Richard III exhibition.
The itinerary was 46 miles long, with 2 tunnels and 48 locks.
A warning that the swing bridge and locks were stiff at the time of writing this review, and we were told that this route is known for the stiff paddles. If this is a concern for you then you would be better doing the Foxton flight. The locks there are very easy to navigate, and it is very picturesque too.

There are some pubs on this route. The Navigation has a great selection of beers, but be aware it is not currently serving food. Leicester is a really great city. You sail right past the football ground. The locks are bigger and there is a weir too, so perhaps not a route for a complete novice, but it’s easy to navigate. The Castle Gardens moorings are okay, but the ones at Friars Mill are preferable, and have water but no pump out. Having said that, we didn’t need to pump out all week. Both moorings are secure and fully gated off using the BW key. A short walk into the city gives you access to many nice pubs and restaurants and was bustling in the evening. There is a big student population, a thriving arts scene, with lots of street art, and no trouble at all. There was a buzzing atmosphere too. Also, the King Richard III visitors centre is really first class - well worth a visit. We would have liked to do the space centre too, but didn’t have time in a week.
On the way back, we moored near Newton Harcourt where, if you look on Google maps, someone has put a marker “lovely mooring spot” and it was lovely there.
We also moored at Kings Lock, it is a short walk to the town which has pubs, takeaways and a Tesco Extra which is open late. Very safe overnight, and lots of fish in the canal, as it is mostly river there, so you can see and feed them.
The only thing to be aware of is where you might pump out. You need a card to pump out at one place so make sure you have one before you set off, because there is no way round it. The boatyard will give you great advice and help you with this.
As for the boat itself, we took the Woodland Grayling and it was beautiful with a lovely bathroom and proper shower. We appreciated the wine cooler too. The bed is exceptionally comfy. You wouldn’t know you were on a boat at all.

  Luxury canal cruising at its best - Boutique Narrow Boats offer an excellent canal experience in the most opulent boat we have hired and we love it.
There are several routes from the marina and route advice... read more and maps are provided as well as boat equipment and handling the boat.
Now if you are a beginner don't let it put you off boaters are a lovely lot and very forgiving and a steel boat is very tough. I am not saying charge about but you will catch a bridge or lock side hear and there. I have just been stuck broadside in a Winding hole trying to turn a 60 ft boat take your time and everything can be managed.To offer an excuse I had to turn in late while another boat waited for me to pass. Have ago. We are moored up beer opened about to cook tea with the birds singing.
A Boutique boat is modern very well appointed ,central heating, shower, toilet electric hob and oven ,TV it's beautiful.

  Boutique Narrow Boats - Marbled White is a beautiful Narrow Boat, so spacious and comfortable, it really is a Boutique boat. Boutique Narrow Boats are a brilliant company to work with and we will... read more certainly be coming back for another holiday.

  Tavel in style and comfort - Fantastic boats it’s even got a wine fridge, Very comfortable boat easy to steer and navigate the locks at Foxton this has been the best narrow boat I have been... read more on to date and it got lots of admiration from the public
Highly recommended the handover is informative and relaxed and the base marina is great with a bar and restaurant within touching distance of the stern of the boat

  Magical 50th birthday with friends - We arrived 5 narrowboat novices and left with all body parts intact and a wealth of good memories! We stayed on Gosling which was well kitted out and functional. All... read more arrangements getting the boat and handing it back were easy. The itinerary up through Foxton locks and Welford was perfect and we moored all 3 nights near food options at pubs and a curry house in Market Harborough. Being in nature and slowing down the pace of life, spending time with friends and learning something new are all highlights.

  We’ve just returned from the most amazing time on Marbled White, one of Boutique Narrowboats’s canal boats. Marbled White is stunning and immaculate and most definitely boutique! From the... read more boat-wide double bed in the aft cabin with its deep and luxuriant bedding, to the tiled rainforest shower in the middle through to the comfy lounge area. And the kitchen has everything you need to be self sufficient. Aside from the stunning and light interior, her battery power and solar panels mean you can moor up anywhere and have enough power for the evening - even using the oven. So no need for marinas - you can stop as and when you like in the beautiful countryside around the Grand Union canal. An added bonus was the friendliness of the boating community - everyone you pass says hello or waves. Missing you already Marbled White!

  Relaxing weekend on unique narrowboat - We had a wonderful weekend on Woodland Grayling, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend Boutique Narrowboats. From the pre-arrival pack which helped us prepare and ultimately get the most from our... read more trip, to the induction with Colin and the quality and luxury of the boat itself, everything contributed to creating a relaxing and memorable break. We opted to complete the Foxton Locks - a brilliant experience with the help of the lock volunteers, and then pootle to the first winding point to turn and moor up - it made for a really gentle boating experience where we enjoyed the journey, but also relaxing in the comfort of the boat.

  Weekend Narrowboat trip - The whole experience, from the quality of the narrowboat to the friendly welcome and induction. We had a very peaceful, relaxing few days. Will definitely be back

  Narrowboat holidays are brilliant! - I couldn't recommend Boutique Narrowboats highly enough; from the first enquiry to sadly returning the boat after the weekend the experience was fantastic.

A family weekend of grandparents, siblings... read more and a very excited 6-year-old, we absolutely loved it and the boats are beautiful.

Thank you, for all the information in advance and thank you to Chris for a very calm and comprehensive training session, you are right, everything fell into place as you said it would.

I cannot wait to holiday with you again.

  Birthday Trip - Just wonderful, the boat was gorgeous and everyone we met was friendly and welcoming.
It was everything I hoped for, even the terrible weather was no trouble as our... read more boat had a drying cupboard so wet coats and boots went in and lovely warm dry coats and boots came out.
It was completely different from anything either of us had done before and I would highly recommend it

  Wonderful experience - We stayed on Marbled White for a week and what a beautiful boat, spotlessly clean, very well equipped and a huge comfortable bed. We were there in November and... read more experienced some rainy windy days but the boat was cosy and warm. There were thoughtful touches such as the raincoats which were most welcome. It was our first time on a narrowboat and the staff took their time to make sure we were happy handling the boat and how everything on board worked. They gave great advice on how far we would get in the time we had and places to visit. The area is lovely and peaceful and going through Foxton locks was a great experience. We would highly recommend Boutique Narrowboats to anyone

  Lots of laughs on the Watervole - On Saturday 26th August 2023, we hired the 'Watervole' for a work outing. The Watervole is a beautiful boat, so well laid out and perfectly equipped.

The induction... read more was very thorough, and we were even accompanied for a few minutes out of the yard - just to ensure we knew what to do.

We had a great time cruising up the river towards Foxton Locks. The bridges were slightly heavier than anticipated to move, but still great fun and provided plenty of laughs.

We thoroughly enjoyed our day out on board the watervole and would definitely recommend.

  Best nights sleep in Britain - We hired Woodland Grayling - a boat for two and small well-behaved (but capable of barking for 1 hour through Foxton Locks) dog. Foxton Locks was daunting for just... read more two, but the Lock Keepers are just FANtastic. So supportive and helpful, that it felt like an achievement getting through. Pre-departure advices were invaluable. The boat is wonderfully kitted out, everything you need and the crisp cool bed linen just sumptuous to sink into after a day in the fresh air. Ultimately, the best bit, mooring in the middle of the countryside, dark, quiet, peaceful and a comfy bed - best nights sleep you could have.

  Gosling - We have just had a week on Gosling and I can say we had a lovely time the kids loved the locks and tunnels! We had an issue when the... read more toilets were full and there was nowhere to get a pump out but Andy came out and emptied both toilets and wouldnt take any payment for it, he even moored the boat up for us so we could eat in the resturant in the wharf. Five stars from us!

  It's over two months since we spent a weekend on Marbled White, which for one of us was the first narrowboat we'd driven for over 30 years, and whilst it... read more took a little time to get used to it and its size, it was an amazing weekend which we recall with fondness. The boat is brilliantly appointed, and it was a joy to pootle along the canal, be guided up the staircase of locks at Foxton, through the tunnel of Husbands Bosworth and moor for quiet nights. Only a few awkward moments, but we found many barge owners happy to help us (either turning around or getting out of some tight spots). We think we were fortunate; it was the coronation weekend, with rainy start, and perhaps quieter than usual - wouldn't have been so confident on a busy canal (and a few barge owners, perhaps understandably, appear to resent 'day-trippers' given some comments we heard). Upon returning to Union Wharf, we realised that we should have refilled with water en route (we hired Marbled White for three nights), and that getting back to the Wharf in time to return the boat suggests mooring up the night before a little closer than we did (by Foxton village), as barges and small boats start sailing out from the basin from 9-ish making the canal a little crowded over the final kilometre. It was a wonderful experience, and we intend to book again some time in the future, but perhaps on a smaller boat.

  Our second time and just as impressed with the boat - We picked up the boat and had a helpful advice session from the manager.
This is our second time taking a boat out from Boutique Narrowboats. We are return... read more guests. We went up the Foxton flight last time so this time we decided to go to Leicester. We wanted to see what cruising on a river is like and also we wanted to moor in the city and see the Richard III exhibition.
The itinerary was 46 miles long, with 2 tunnels and 48 locks.
A warning that the swing bridge and locks were stiff at the time of writing this review, and we were told that this route is known for the stiff paddles. If this is a concern for you then you would be better doing the Foxton flight. The locks there are very easy to navigate, and it is very picturesque too.

There are some pubs on this route. The Navigation has a great selection of beers, but be aware it is not currently serving food. Leicester is a really great city. You sail right past the football ground. The locks are bigger and there is a weir too, so perhaps not a route for a complete novice, but it’s easy to navigate. The Castle Gardens moorings are okay, but the ones at Friars Mill are preferable, and have water but no pump out. Having said that, we didn’t need to pump out all week. Both moorings are secure and fully gated off using the BW key. A short walk into the city gives you access to many nice pubs and restaurants and was bustling in the evening. There is a big student population, a thriving arts scene, with lots of street art, and no trouble at all. There was a buzzing atmosphere too. Also, the King Richard III visitors centre is really first class - well worth a visit. We would have liked to do the space centre too, but didn’t have time in a week.
On the way back, we moored near Newton Harcourt where, if you look on Google maps, someone has put a marker “lovely mooring spot” and it was lovely there.
We also moored at Kings Lock, it is a short walk to the town which has pubs, takeaways and a Tesco Extra which is open late. Very safe overnight, and lots of fish in the canal, as it is mostly river there, so you can see and feed them.
The only thing to be aware of is where you might pump out. You need a card to pump out at one place so make sure you have one before you set off, because there is no way round it. The boatyard will give you great advice and help you with this.
As for the boat itself, we took the Woodland Grayling and it was beautiful with a lovely bathroom and proper shower. We appreciated the wine cooler too. The bed is exceptionally comfy. You wouldn’t know you were on a boat at all.

  Luxury canal cruising at its best - Boutique Narrow Boats offer an excellent canal experience in the most opulent boat we have hired and we love it.
There are several routes from the marina and route advice... read more and maps are provided as well as boat equipment and handling the boat.
Now if you are a beginner don't let it put you off boaters are a lovely lot and very forgiving and a steel boat is very tough. I am not saying charge about but you will catch a bridge or lock side hear and there. I have just been stuck broadside in a Winding hole trying to turn a 60 ft boat take your time and everything can be managed.To offer an excuse I had to turn in late while another boat waited for me to pass. Have ago. We are moored up beer opened about to cook tea with the birds singing.
A Boutique boat is modern very well appointed ,central heating, shower, toilet electric hob and oven ,TV it's beautiful.

  Boutique Narrow Boats - Marbled White is a beautiful Narrow Boat, so spacious and comfortable, it really is a Boutique boat. Boutique Narrow Boats are a brilliant company to work with and we will... read more certainly be coming back for another holiday.

  Tavel in style and comfort - Fantastic boats it’s even got a wine fridge, Very comfortable boat easy to steer and navigate the locks at Foxton this has been the best narrow boat I have been... read more on to date and it got lots of admiration from the public
Highly recommended the handover is informative and relaxed and the base marina is great with a bar and restaurant within touching distance of the stern of the boat

  Magical 50th birthday with friends - We arrived 5 narrowboat novices and left with all body parts intact and a wealth of good memories! We stayed on Gosling which was well kitted out and functional. All... read more arrangements getting the boat and handing it back were easy. The itinerary up through Foxton locks and Welford was perfect and we moored all 3 nights near food options at pubs and a curry house in Market Harborough. Being in nature and slowing down the pace of life, spending time with friends and learning something new are all highlights.