Guide To Road House Narrowboat Hire

We did a lot of research before choosing Road House Narrowboats for our first family barge holiday, and it was absolutely the right choice. Not only was our boat the prettiest on the canal, it was also clearly one of the most easy to manage. We saw so many of the bigger boats get into a bit of bother at times, while we navigated the narrow and shallow waterways with ease. Our boat, the Gilwern Countess, was brilliantly designed. It was so well laid out inside – every inch of space cleverly used – and it was equipped with everything we needed. Surprisingly comfortable for the three of us. And the bed was honestly one of the most comfy I’ve ever slept in.

Nigel’s thorough and clear briefing before we set off was super helpful, and all the info on the boat meant there was always an answer to your question somewhere. Our holiday coincided with a May heatwave – and there was no better place to be than cruising along the tree-lined, shady canal. The canal offers just the right mix of tranquility and activity. The locks at Llangynidr were a lot of fun! We swam in the River Usk, visited the lovely villages of Talybont, Llangattock and Crickhowell and also had a lovely night in Brecon (the cathedral is definitely worth the walk up the hill!). Our favourite mooring was an idyllic, peaceful spot at Penperlleni.

It really was a wonderful holiday – chilled, peaceful, interesting, mildly challenging at times (!) but thoroughly enjoyable. Even our 16-year-old daughter loved it! Don’t hesitate to book with Road House Narrowboats!

Canal boats from Nigel are fantastic, fully equipped and a training session if you want it prior to setting off, really friendly, this was my 2nd trip with them and still blown away by the journey up the canal. The beautiful scenery as well as a few pubs along the way. Also shower blocks along the way should you wish not to use the shower on boat. Would totally encourage anyone to have a go, what a stress relief and made all the better by being with friends.

We just returned home after a week aboard The Countess with Roadhouse Narrowboats and we cannot say enough good things about our experience. As first time narrowboaters, we were a bit apprehensive about navigating such a long boat through bridges and locks, etc. However upon arrival we were given lots of instruction, Nigel answered all our questions with patience and humour and we set out feeling thoroughly confident. We learned the boats here are shallower on the draft making them very easy to handle. In speaking with boaters hiring from other companies, I can confirm that many were having issues with running aground and general navigation, mainly due to how shallow the canal is. We felt like pros though! Because of this, the week was everything a narrowboat holiday should be: relaxing, engaging and an opportunity reconnect with nature. The Welsh countryside is truly something special, and this was a perfect way to savour it! Thank you Nigel and Sally, we will remember our trip always!

Two of us had ‘Gilwern Princess’ for a full week, Apr-May 2025.

Nigel was a professional right from the start – the handover was in depth, without feeling condescending, and throughout the week there were a few occasions where we felt that perhaps we had been given more instruction and advice than boaters who had rented through other companies on the canal. This gave us confidence to handle the boat with ease on our journey from Gilwern up to Brecon and back, including managing the 5 locks as a two-person team, and passing though the tunnel at Ashford.

We took a very leisurely pace, and made sure we stopped every day for long walks and pub stops, but never felt like we were running short of time to get the boat back for the return handover.

As you pass up and down the canal, there is almost always somewhere to stop and see something, and you are never that far away from somewhere you could get food or supplies – we particularly suggest the Dragon Inn at Crickhowell, and the Canalside cafe at Talybont as good places to stop. This was made even easier by the canal and boat guides that were provided by Nigel and Sally with the hire.

We took the opportunity to walk 3 of the hikes in the guide book, and would recommend them for the views and the scenery – although we would suggest good walking footwear for each!

Princess was immaculately clean and fully equipped when we picked her up – the oven and the hob worked perfectly to cook meals while we were on board, the fridge kept stuff cool, even though we had a week of full sunshine and heat, and the bathroom and toilet were clean and perfectly adequate for use while we were away from shoreside facilities provided at convenient locations up and down the canal.

At 36ft, Princess was the perfect size for us as a couple – the bed was always set up so no having to move anything to go to sleep, and the same with the small split tables at the rear. She was small enough that manoeuvring her was easy, but large enough as to not feel cramped.

All in all, would 100% recommend hiring from Road House Narrowboats on the Mon & Brec canal – i’m sure we’ll be visiting again in the future.

Two of us spent almost a week on The Dutchess, soaking up the wonderful scenery around the Mon and Brec canal.

Nigel and Sally were very helpful, with Nigel providing us with a detailed introduction to the boat and the route we would be taking, including locations of water filling points

The boat itself was very clean with all the kitchen items we needed.

There were a few different types of locks which were easy enough for one person to operate, whilst the other navigated the boat.

The route we took was not too crowded with other boats, meaning we could take our time to moor up and explore the towns and villages around the beautiful canal.