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The Best Rated UK Canal Boat Holidays - as rated by their customers.

We've compiled a list of the UK best canal boat hire bases as rated by their customers. There are over 100 different hire bases in the UK, and with reviews spread over different platforms and with the off fake review slipping in here and there it can be difficult to find the best ones. So we've compiled this list of the top rated canal boat hire, simplified their customer ratings into a single easy to compare score and provided the list below to make finding your next canal boat holiday that little bit easier.

The Method: We took each hire base in the UK and added the reviews from their Google Business Profile together with whichever other review platform has the most reviews for a given hire base. Sometimes this was feefo, sometimes facebook, sometimes tripadvisor etc etc. We then disregarded any low reviews that were from people that hadn't even used the businesses services, or seemed odd and potentially fake such as leaving a 1 or 2 star review without any text.

Finally we adjusted* for qty of reviews so that a hire base 100 5 star reviews and 2 4 start reviews would outrank a hire base with a single 5 star review. And so here you have it, the best holiday hire canal boat bases as of the Monday the 22nd of July 2024:

1

Union Canal Carriers

Final Rating:9.6433 4.7 (101 Google Reviews) / 4.9 (1148 Feefo Reviews)
2

Beacon Park Boats

Final Rating:9.6417 4.9 (225 Google Reviews) / 5 (333 Tripadvisor Reviews)
3

Andersen Boats

Final Rating:9.6313 4.7 (96 Google Reviews) / 5 (432 Tripadvisor Reviews)
4

Ashby Boat Co

Final Rating:9.5127 4.9 (198 Google Reviews) / 5 (135 Tripadvisor Reviews)
5

Grand Union Narrowboats

Final Rating:9.4753 5 (66 Google Reviews) / 5 (150 Tripadvisor Reviews)
6

The Wyvern Shipping Co

Final Rating:9.4485 4.8 (409 Google Reviews) / ( Reviews)
7

Galleon Marine

Final Rating:9.4215 4.8 (194 Google Reviews) / 5 (94 Tripadvisor Reviews)
8

Aqua Narrowboats

Final Rating:9.4205 4.8 (18 Google Reviews) / 5 (157 Reviews)
9

Duck Island Boat Company

Final Rating:9.4179 5 (170 Google Reviews) / ( Reviews)
10

The Boat Co North

Final Rating:9.4037 5 (125 Google Reviews) / 5 (35 Facebook Reviews)
Click here to view to full list.
Wave image for website styling, to give feeling of canal

By Canal

If you would like to go on a particular canal, it can still be tricky to find the right one from a list of 100 even if they are sorted by rating. That's why we've broken the list down by canal.

The Ashby Canal

  1. 1Ashby Boat Co
  2. 2Midland Mallard

The Bridgewater Canal

  1. 1Thorn Marine

The Chesterfield Canal

  1. 1Chesterfield Canal Boat Co

The Coventry Canal

  1. 1ABC Boat Hire Springwood Haven
  2. 2ABC Boat Hire Kings Orchard Marina

The Grand Union Canal

  1. 1Union Canal Carriers
  2. 2Grand Union Narrowboats
  3. 3The Wyvern Shipping Co

The Kennet On Avon Canal

  1. 1Bloomsbury Canal Boats Ltd
  2. 2Bath Canal Boat Co
  3. 3Foxhangers

The Lancaster Canal

  1. 1Duck Island Boat Company
  2. 2Crabtree Narrowboat Hire
  3. 3Water Babies Narrowboat Hire

The Leeds And Liverpool Canal

  1. 1The Boat Co North
  2. 2Silsden Boats
  3. 3Pennine Cruisers

The Macclesfield Canal

  1. 1Heritage Narrow Boats

The Mon And Brec Canal

  1. 1Beacon Park Boats
  2. 2Road House Narrowboats
  3. 3Cambrian Cruisers

The Oxford Canal

  1. 1Napton Narrowboats (Napton)
  2. 2College Cruisers
  3. 3Twyford Wharf Narrow Boats

The Rochdale Canal

  1. 1Shire Cruisers

The Shropshire Union Canal Including Llangollen

  1. 1Chas Hardern Boats
  2. 2Marine Cruises
  3. 3Whittington Wharf Narrrowboats

The Staffordshire And Worcestershire Canal

  1. 1Anglo Welsh Great Haywood
  2. 2Jones Family Cruising
  3. 3ABC Boat Hire Gailey Marina

The Stratford Canal

  1. 1Anglo Welsh Wooton Waven
  2. 2Warwickshire Narrowboat Hire
  3. 3Stratford Boat Hire

The Trent And Mersey Canal

  1. 1Andersen Boats
  2. 2Aqua Narrowboats
  3. 3Canal Cruising Co

The Worcester And Birmingham Canal

  1. 1Black Prince Stoke Prior
  2. 2Anglo Welsh Tardebigge
  3. 3Trinity Boats Ltd

The River Nene

  1. 1Fox Narrowboats
  2. 2Nene Valley Boats
  3. 3ABC Boat Hire March Marina

The River Cam

  1. 1Cambridge Narrowboats

The River Thames

  1. 1Anglo Welsh Oxford

The River Great Ouse

  1. 1Black Prince Ely

The Scottish Canals

  1. 1Marine Cruises Falkirk
  2. 2Black Prince Falkirk
  3. 3ABC Boat Hire Falkirk

By Canal Ring Route

Many people will want to do a canal ring route, so we've also broken the list down to show the best rated canal boat hire bases directly on any given ring.

The Best Canal Boat Hire Bases by Ring Route

The Black Country Ring

  1. 1Anglo Welsh Great Haywood
  2. 2Jones Family Cruising
  3. 3ABC Boat Hire Gailey Marina

The Cheshire Ring

  1. 1Andersen Boats
  2. 2Thorn Marine
  3. 3Heritage Narrow Boats

The Droitwich Ring

  1. 1Cafwin Cruises Narrowboat Holidays
  2. 2Trinity Boats Ltd
  3. 3ABC Boat Hire Worcester Marina

The Four Counties Ring

  1. 1Canal Cruising Co
  2. 2Black Prince Stoke On Trent
  3. 3Anglo Welsh Great Haywood

The Leicester Ring

  1. 1Union Canal Carriers
  2. 2Aqua Narrowboats
  3. 3Armada Boat Hire

The Northern Pennine Ring

  1. 1The Boat Co North
  2. 2Silsden Boats
  3. 3Pennine Cruisers

The Outer Pennine Ring

  1. 1The Boat Co North
  2. 2Silsden Boats
  3. 3Pennine Cruisers

The Stourport Ring

  1. 1Black Prince Stoke Prior
  2. 2Cafwin Cruises Narrowboat Holidays
  3. 3Anglo Welsh Tardebigge

The Thames Ring

  1. 1Union Canal Carriers
  2. 2Grand Union Narrowboats
  3. 3The Wyvern Shipping Co

The Warwickshire Ring

  1. 1Union Canal Carriers
  2. 2Calcutt Boats
  3. 3Kate Boats
Wave image for website styling, to give feeling of canal

For those coming in from abroad

One of the great things about canal boat holidays is that they can allow you to explore an area you call home, but from a totally different perspective. So we've put together a list of the top 5 hire bases within 75km of multiple cities around the UK.

Top rated within 75km of London

  1. 1The Wyvern Shipping Co
  2. 2Galleon Marine
  3. 3Waterways Experiences
  4. 4On The Wey Narrowboat Hire
  5. 5Farncombe Boat House

Top rated within 75km of Sheffield

  1. 1Andersen Boats
  2. 2Duck Island Boat Company
  3. 3Crabtree Narrowboat Hire
  4. 4Chas Hardern Boats
  5. 5Marine Cruises

Top rated within 75km of Birmingham

  1. 1Union Canal Carriers
  2. 2Ashby Boat Co
  3. 3Grand Union Narrowboats
  4. 4Aqua Narrowboats
  5. 5Napton Narrowboats (Napton)

Top rated within 75km of Manchester

  1. 1Andersen Boats
  2. 2Duck Island Boat Company
  3. 3The Boat Co North
  4. 4Crabtree Narrowboat Hire
  5. 5Silsden Boats

Top rated within 75km of Liverpool

  1. 1Andersen Boats
  2. 2Duck Island Boat Company
  3. 3Crabtree Narrowboat Hire
  4. 4Chas Hardern Boats
  5. 5Marine Cruises

Top rated within 75km of Bristol

  1. 1Beacon Park Boats
  2. 2Road House Narrowboats
  3. 3Cambrian Cruisers
  4. 4Castle Narrowboats
  5. 5Bloomsbury Canal Boats Ltd

Top rated within 75km of Leeds

  1. 1The Boat Co North
  2. 2Silsden Boats
  3. 3Pennine Cruisers
  4. 4Bramblewick canal boat holidays
  5. 5Shire Cruisers

Top rated within 75km of Leicester

  1. 1Union Canal Carriers
  2. 2Ashby Boat Co
  3. 3Grand Union Narrowboats
  4. 4Aqua Narrowboats
  5. 5Napton Narrowboats (Napton)

Top rated within 75km of Coventry

  1. 1Union Canal Carriers
  2. 2Ashby Boat Co
  3. 3Grand Union Narrowboats
  4. 4Aqua Narrowboats
  5. 5Napton Narrowboats (Napton)

Top rated within 75km of Nottingham

  1. 1Union Canal Carriers
  2. 2Ashby Boat Co
  3. 3Aqua Narrowboats
  4. 4Boutique Narrowboats
  5. 5Canal Cruising Co

Top rated within 75km of Glasgow

  1. 1Marine Cruises Falkirk
  2. 2Black Prince Falkirk
  3. 3ABC Boat Hire Falkirk

Top rated within 75km of Reading

  1. 1The Wyvern Shipping Co
  2. 2Galleon Marine
  3. 3Waterways Experiences
  4. 4College Cruisers
  5. 5Twyford Wharf Narrow Boats

Top rated within 75km of Bradford

  1. 1Duck Island Boat Company
  2. 2The Boat Co North
  3. 3Crabtree Narrowboat Hire
  4. 4Silsden Boats
  5. 5Thorn Marine

Top rated within 75km of Southampton

  1. 1Galleon Marine
  2. 2On The Wey Narrowboat Hire
  3. 3Farncombe Boat House
  4. 4Foxhangers
  5. 5Honeystreet Boats

Top rated within 75km of Stoke-on-Trent

  1. 1Andersen Boats
  2. 2Ashby Boat Co
  3. 3Aqua Narrowboats
  4. 4Chas Hardern Boats
  5. 5Marine Cruises

Top rated within 75km of Derby

  1. 1Union Canal Carriers
  2. 2Andersen Boats
  3. 3Ashby Boat Co
  4. 4Aqua Narrowboats
  5. 5Napton Narrowboats (Napton)

Top rated within 75km of Luton

  1. 1Union Canal Carriers
  2. 2Grand Union Narrowboats
  3. 3The Wyvern Shipping Co
  4. 4Napton Narrowboats (Napton)
  5. 5Waterways Experiences

Top rated within 75km of Bath

  1. 1Road House Narrowboats
  2. 2Castle Narrowboats
  3. 3Bloomsbury Canal Boats Ltd
  4. 4Bath Canal Boat Co
  5. 5Foxhangers

Top rated within 75km of Cardiff

  1. 1Beacon Park Boats
  2. 2Road House Narrowboats
  3. 3Cambrian Cruisers
  4. 4Castle Narrowboats
  5. 5Bloomsbury Canal Boats Ltd

Top rated within 75km of York

  1. 1The Boat Co North
  2. 2Silsden Boats
  3. 3Pennine Cruisers
  4. 4Bramblewick canal boat holidays
  5. 5Shire Cruisers

Top rated within 75km of Hull

  1. 1Bramblewick canal boat holidays
  2. 2Chesterfield Canal Boat Co

Top rated within 75km of Blackpool

  1. 1Duck Island Boat Company
  2. 2Crabtree Narrowboat Hire
  3. 3Silsden Boats
  4. 4Thorn Marine
  5. 5Water Babies Narrowboat Hire

Top rated within 75km of Crewe

  1. 1Andersen Boats
  2. 2Aqua Narrowboats
  3. 3Chas Hardern Boats
  4. 4Marine Cruises
  5. 5Whittington Wharf Narrrowboats

Top rated within 75km of Shrewsbury

  1. 1Andersen Boats
  2. 2Aqua Narrowboats
  3. 3Chas Hardern Boats
  4. 4Marine Cruises
  5. 5Whittington Wharf Narrrowboats

Top rated within 75km of Chester

  1. 1Andersen Boats
  2. 2Chas Hardern Boats
  3. 3Marine Cruises
  4. 4Whittington Wharf Narrrowboats
  5. 5Thorn Marine

Top rated within 75km of Swindow

  1. 1Galleon Marine
  2. 2College Cruisers
  3. 3Twyford Wharf Narrow Boats
  4. 4On The Wey Narrowboat Hire
  5. 5Bloomsbury Canal Boats Ltd

Top rated within 75km of Blackburn

  1. 1Andersen Boats
  2. 2Duck Island Boat Company
  3. 3The Boat Co North
  4. 4Crabtree Narrowboat Hire
  5. 5Silsden Boats

Top rated within 75km of Knutsford

  1. 1Andersen Boats
  2. 2Duck Island Boat Company
  3. 3Crabtree Narrowboat Hire
  4. 4Silsden Boats
  5. 5Chas Hardern Boats
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