EXCELLENT Based on 170 reviews Posted on Tripadvisor thetandys2021Verified Well done Ashby A wonderfully relaxing holiday on one of Britain’s most peaceful canals. Ashby Boats offers an excellent range of well-equipped narrowboats from its base on the Ashby Canal. Emma and Matt provide clear pre-trip instruction along with a genuinely warm and helpful welcome. We spent a week aboard the 55ft Ashby, a beautifully presented boat with a luxurious feel throughout. The comfortable saloon seating, excellent shower room, and 230-volt power supply for appliances made life on board especially easy and enjoyable. The location is perfect for exploring the lock-free Ashby Canal or connecting to the Oxford and Coventry canals. Peaceful cruising, lovely countryside, and a smart reliable boat — a superb canal holiday.Posted on Tripadvisor Stephen LVerified Very enjoyable week on a lovely narrowboat We were on Carlton. Clean, very well equiped boat with all the things you would expect from a good hotel provided, inc washing up liquid. Fresh flowers were a nice touch!! Tea, coffee and milk to get you started but the mugs were too small ( picky!!). No locks on the quiet Ashby canal made for a relaxing break. The Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre is well worth a visit as is the Battlefield Railway., both close to the canalPosted on Tripadvisor Stay591482Verified A wonderful trip Our first experience on a canal boat couldn’t of worked better.Posted on Tripadvisor Charles hVerified Excellent value and great fun Friendly and welcoming on arrival. Good detailed brief for newbies to barges and nice chat about navigation options (and pub stop offs). Clean and tidy with everything we needed provided on board and all in good working order. Umbrellas and 2 x Bluetooth speakers were the only extra things we took with us apart from inside shoes to prevent muck coming in from the towpath. Small single beds but slept fine on them. Bigger people might struggle but it’s a narrow boat! Lovely location and looking forward to doing it again.Posted on Tripadvisor Mark EVerified Relaxing boating trip. Well cared for boat for a fantastic price. Ashby Canal is the perfect place to start if you are new to narrowboats as there are no locks for the first three to four hours of boating. We Booked a long weekend Friday afternoon to Monday morning (which was perfect for the May bank holiday).Posted on Tripadvisor GlenStVerified It couldn't be better. From beginning to end, our experience with Ashby Boats has been excellent. Communications before the holiday were spot on, allowing us to know exactly what to bring and what not. A telephone call from Matt in the week before our trip allowed them to set up the bed arrangements before we arrived and to discuss our previous canal experience. Some of our group arrived early on the day but the boat was ready and by the time the rest of us arrived, they had already loaded their possessions. Matt gave us a very thorough briefing on everything we needed to know to make our holiday go smoothly. He accompanied us for the first twenty minutes to make sure we were happy with handling the boat. The boat was spotless and very well equipped with everything you could possibly need. Matt and Emma were there to greet us on our return a week later and check everything had gone smoothly. We would thoroughly recommend hiring from Ashby Boats and hope to return in the future.Posted on Tripadvisor nathan pVerified Well worth the go. This was our 3rd time using Ashby boat company for a family break, they are always so accommodating and the boats are so clean and comfortable if you are considering a canal holiday then you won’t go wrong trusting thesePosted on Tripadvisor Fearless67179143846Verified Narrowboat Hire at its best Excellent boat hire company (along with other things). Been using them for the last 2 years. Very friendly and helpful with extremely competitive prices. Back again this year. (2026) And Easter 2026 was no exception. An excellent week afloat on a 69' narrowboat thoroughly enjoyed by all the crew. Cheers Emma and Matt.Posted on Tripadvisor Michael QVerified Exceptional Service and a Spotless Boat – Highly Recommended ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Ashby Boat Company LTD – A Fantastic Experience from Start to Finish We had an absolutely brilliant time with Ashby Boat Hire. The boat was immaculate, beautifully presented, and fully equipped with everything we could possibly need — we genuinely wanted for nothing throughout our trip. Emma and Matt were outstanding. Their advice was spot‑on, they couldn’t do enough for us, and their friendly, welcoming approach made the whole experience even better. It’s clear they take real pride in what they do. Every member of staff we met took the time to ask how our holiday was going, and they were genuinely enthusiastic about hearing where we’d been and what we’d enjoyed. It’s rare to find a team who combine professionalism with such warmth and passion, but Ashby Boat Hire absolutely delivers on both. We wouldn’t hesitate to book again.Posted on Tripadvisor james mVerified perfect getaway for all levels. As a couple who were looking to buy a narrow boat to live on we thought it would be sensible to try before we commit. I was lucky enough to find this well established business fairly local to me but still far enough that we could discover new places while we were adventuring. We found a great selection of sizes that cater for all needs and found the couple that ran the business to be very helpful whilst there was absolutely no pressure to commit immediately. We booked very soon after and with having zero experience we were very competently guided in all aspects of solo driving and made to feel quite comfortable. The ashby canal is the perfect place for all levels having stretches that have no locks but still cover enough distance to visit many places of interest. Highly recommended and would definitely visit again.
Day boats
Enjoy a relaxing day on the water with our easy-to-hire day boats – perfect for families, couples, or friends and suitable for any occasion
Short Break and Holiday boats
Discover our full fleet of well-equipped, comfortable and affordable narrowboats. Available to book for short breaks or long holidays