'Bluebell', our 41ft 4-berth self-drive holiday boat, is available all year round for your special time out on the river and is ideal for a couple, young families or two couples who want a 'back-to-basics' boating adventure.

Tie up on a pretty river bank to enjoy your own alfresco picnic, cook for yourself on-board, or head for one of our riverside pubs for a leisurely meal. Whatever the length of your break, you will feel exhilarated, refreshed and relaxed at the end.

The boat features a fixed double bed, 2x 5ft long kid's singles which can be converted to a king-size double bed, shower/toilet/washbasin, solid fuel stove and push-button central heating to keep you cosy, plus full cooking and dining facilities. And at only 41ft long she is easy to handle and will turn (almost) anywhere.

Bedding and 'Rosie & Jim' for illustration only

More photos on our Gallery page

We aim to give you a waterways experience. Many other hire fleets include all the modern wizz-bangs, and charge you accordingly. We believe that boating is to get away from it all, not take it with you. Bluebell therefore has NO tv, WiFi, microwave, hair drier or anywhere to plug them in. Instead we have a selection of books and board games etc. on board. Our only concession to technology is a dual USB socket to recharge your phones or tablets if you must, and this is reflected in our competitive pricing.

Also to keep costs down for you, we do not supply towels or toiletries. We do, however, supply all the cups, glasses, crockery, cutlery, cooking utensils etc. you will need plus a starter quantity of tea, coffee and sugar.

SAVE £50.00! For those of you who like the familiarity of your own bedding (like us!) you may bring your own and save £50 off your hire fee. You MUST notify us of this at the point of booking!

The supplied bedding is pillows & duvet etc for the fixed double, and sleeping bags for kids, or pillows and king size duvet etc for the lounge.

Lifejackets are available free of charge on request, we have a wide range from toddler to adult.

So now there is no excuse not to get away from the bustle of modern-day living.

SPRING/SUMMER/AUTUMN PRICING 2023

Holiday times are:
Short Break 1: Friday 12 noon until Monday 4pm
Short Break 2: Tuesday 12 noon until Thursday 4pm

Other periods of hire may be possilble, minimum 2 nights.
Please call to discuss your specific requirements.

Where a booking crosses charging periods, the price at the start date of your holiday applies.

Car Parking: We have space in our yard (locked at night) for one car at no extra charge. You must leave your keys with us should we need to move it. Alternatively, there are no parking restrictions in Old Parvis Road.

Booking: Please telephone or visit in person to make your booking. A deposit payment of £150.00 secures your booking with the balance payable on the day. Payment may be by cash or debit card. An additional £150 cash security deposit (this is not an insurance waiver) against safe return of the boat and inventory or third party damage is required. Assuming all is good at the end of the hire, this will be returned.

Novice or expert? On your arrival, we will give you a comprehensive introduction to the boat and general safety procedures. This is then followed by hands-on tuition with escort and instruction to and through the first lock.

Hirers should click on the links below for our full Terms and Conditions, and for further information about boating and locking procedures. Although we will go through these on the day, reading through them before hand would be an advantage. Laminated copies of these and other documents are on board for on-going reference during your time out.

The files are in .pdf format and require an appropriate reader. If you do not have one, Adobe Reader is available from get.adobe.com/uk/reader free of charge. Some 'built-in' readers within web browsers do not display these correctly. If so, <right click> on the link then save the document for off-line reading.

  Terms and Conditions of Hire for Holiday Boats

  General boating procedures

  Going through locks

Another useful document is: The National Trust Guide for Boaters

See our Contact/Map page for location maps and the National Trust map of the Navigation.