Bath Narrowboats Canal Experience Centre

The Bath Narrowboats Canal Experience Centre is a long established boat hire business on the Kennet and Avon Canal situated at the heart of the beautiful heritage city of Bath. Here at the Canal Experience Centre based at Sydney wharf, Bathwick Hill, we specialise in memorable day trips cruising the Kennet & Avon Canal from Bath to Bradford-on-Avon either on The John Rennie, Bath's most luxurious floating restaurant, our exclusive mini narrow day boats, our fleet of Anglowelsh holiday narrowboats , exploring the area with our mountain bike hire or just watching the canal life go by on the wharf from our soon to be opened cafe .

We can show you a different way to enjoy life along the canal.

At the Bath Narrowboats Canal Experience Centre, we have a commitment to excellence and are proud of our reputation for quality, reliability and value for money. Our aim is to give you, the best quality canal experience out of Bath.?We want you to experience the magic of the Kennet & Avon canal and for your day out to be your best memory of Bath.

The Bath Narrowboats Centre has available for you a private luxury restaurant boat, private day narrowboats, Anglowelsh holiday narrowboats all for hire, mountain bike hire, a soon to open canalside cafe and other wharf facilities that include the sale of diesel, bottled gas, chandlery and experienced engineers.?With over thirty years of experience entertaining all from families to white weddings, corporate launches to birthday parties, we look forward to welcoming you to Bath’s historic wharf and experiencing the hidden beauty of the canal.

The “John Rennie” is our prestigious floating restaurant offering you and your guests a unique cruising experience along the canal in edwardian elegance with a contemporary feel whilst enjoying high class gourmet cuisine and the beautiful countryside for up to 56 guests. At your service is a personal crewed boat that navigates along the stunning Kennet & Avon canal with its diversity of historical, cultured and picturesque scenery.

We offer the perfect combination of effortless comfort, relaxing indulgency, bespoke service and gourmet food. Lots of restaurants lay claim to stunning views and a prime location, but how many can say that their surroundings are ever-changing? It’s a characteristic that the “John Rennie“ restaurant boat can certainly lay claim to have. A fine dining entertainment venue for private parties of 20 - 56 guests. Step on board and experience some of the Georgian glamour the Bathonians of Jane Austens era did back in those days and relive the splendour of the canal, boat, gourmet food and service. A trip out on the canal through the Limpley Stoke Valley was a major outing in those days. No matter how you decide to celebrate your special day, you can be assured that we will make it a day to remember for the rest of your lives.

The “ John Rennie” is a broad beam boat so there is ample space on board for everyone. Inside, a richly finished oak panelled dining room seamlessly fuses historic elegance with contemporary flexibility. Enter through the bow, onto the solid oak floor and find a fully stocked bar with beer on tap, wine & bottle fridges, soft leather chairs, real wood tables with cream linen runners, brass lights, granite tiled toilets, a professionally equipped galley kitchen, a discreet 150 watt sound system with disco lights and dancefloor. There’s a flexible seating layout in the main saloon, which is glass sided, affording stunning views of Bath as the countryside drifts past and there’s also an open deck at the front where you can enjoy the sunshine and fresh air.

“The John Rennie” offers the perfect venue for every occasion, whether it be a social club outing, office party, wedding reception, anniversary celebration, stag / hen party, school educational trip, coach party, business conference or corporate entertainment. Bath Narrowboats has over thirty years experience of organising and hosting events on the Kennet & Avon canal in Bath. We can accommodate groups from as small as twenty through to fifty six guests. Whether it is a small family gathering, summer ball, New Years Eve, Birthday, Christmas party, or up to a large corporate event, Wedding, coach party etc we have the party boat for you.

Don’t worry about the cold on a chilly day as the main saloon is centrally heated offering the opportunity to cruise all year round. There’s also a range of specially themed evenings available offering everything from murder mystery, casino entertainment , horse racing, wacky races evenings, Christmas parties and more.

For more information on the John rennie follow this link : www.bath-narrowboats.co.uk/welcome-john-rennie

For the more adventurous, we have the largest dayboat fleet on the Kennet & Avon Canal so if you want to explore the historic canal from Bath to Bradford on Avon we have a choice of seven mini narrowboats available for half day, full day or overnight / weekend hire.?

For a special day out with family, friends or business colleagues take a day trip on board one of our self-drive narrow boats.

Hiring one of our day boats for a day trip is a great way to get a taste of the Kennet & Avon canal whilst having a great day out with friends and family. With each of our day boats holding between 6 to 10 people for the whole day, it offers great value for money too.

If you want a day out with a difference, or simply to relax with your family, or to celebrate something special, then hiring one of our self drive narrowboats would be the ideal solution.
If you have thought about taking a holiday on a canal boat and are not sure if you would like it, then this is also the ideal way to find out.

For businesses, our day boats are perfect for team development activities or a just a day out. For a small hen party, what a great way to have some fun with the girls along the canal.

We currently have the largest selection of dayboats available on the Kennet & Avon canal. There are five boats for you to choose from with another two arriving soon. Our dayboats are available for hire throughout the year and will each accommodate up 6 to 10 people.

Your boat is ready for collection with a choice of starting times 9.00 am., 9:30am, 10.00 am.and 10.30a.m. You can choose to book half day, full day , lunch till evening in the summer and overnight for one, two days or more. Before you set off you'll be given full instruction on the handling, features and safety of your craft. Your time on-board will allow you time to explore the Kennet and Avon canal and countryside. Stop off for a bite to eat at a pub, cafe, restaurant for lunch, bring your own picnic, drink or order a gourmet hamper from us.

New for this year is our “ Lady Victoria “ day boat . This is our only day boat that is designed to sleep four people for one, two or three nights. It is very popular with hirers who would like to spend a longer day on the canal, ideal for a weekend or just a couple of days.

Just remember your booking is only confirmed when you pay a deposit so if you have a special date in mind, please send an email or telephone as soon as possible.

For more information on our different day boats that are available follow this link : www.bath-narrowboats.co.uk/our-boats