Narrowboat Holiday on the M&B Canal

My wife and I decided to have a week on a narrowboat on the Mon. and Brec. Canal, considered to be one of the most scenic of Britain’s canals. Having done some research, we chose to rent our narrowboat from Road House Narrowboats, based in Gilwern, whose fleet of boats are specifically designed for this particular waterway, being an ideal length, around forty feet, with a shallow v-shaped hull profile, to easily handle the tight turns and shallow waters of the canal, which makes them far easier to manoeuvre than the longer 50-60 foot boats. Nigel and Sally Curtis, the owners, were very welcoming and helpful, and gave us excellent tuition in handling the boat and its layout, facilities etc., so we were quite confident when we cruised away from their base. The boat itself, Gilwern Princess, a 36 footer, had masses of storage space, so it didn’t feel cluttered, and quickly proved easy to handle. In a week, and spending no more than four hours a day at the tiller, we cruised north to Brecon, then back south to Goytre Wharf, enjoying beautiful scenery, lovely pubs, and very friendly Welsh hospitality en route. We hope to return and discover the far southern end of the canal, and we’ll most definitely choose Road House Narrowboats once again.

Robert K. Bexley