Emma, Stroud
A dream delivered!
It is oft said that the dreams of the perfect holiday can never be delivered, but I would like to share with you that this is not always the case. With our 19 ton yacht in dock for temporary repairs down in the SW, and living as we do in the Cotswolds, we sought to have a week’s holiday nearby with a couple of old (we are all over 70!) friends, but with a difference. Many ideas were tossed around and the idea of a trip to Wales and a canal holiday mooted. Hey presto the internet delivered up what looked like the perfect offering, weather of course permitting. Over in Crickhowell, below the Brecon Beacons lay a smart new boathouse with a fleet of very 5 star canal barges (more like luxury yachts really!) attached to it.
We enquired by phone. The reaction was prompt, friendly, helpful and very efficient, with Nicky answering all our questions including, having quickly gathered the sense, some that we had not asked. A 4-night package was agreed on, running from Monday until Friday. In our case 19-23 August. We have done canals before, and also river hire, but there were pleasing differences at Beacon Park Boats (BPB) as you will discern.
Owned and run by its founder, the charismatic, charming, and very hands-on Alasdair Kirkpatrick, every aspect of the offering was well thought through, very generous and thorough. It was, uniquely with these sort of holidays, truly ‘all inclusive’, and then with many additional surprise extras coming our way! We hastened to pay by credit card and started packing. Actually, the inventory (found on the web site) was so exhaustive and comprehensive that we then needed to unpack some of our, clearly surplus, travellers’ luxuries!
Our friends came up from Devon to stay on the Sunday, and the next morning after coffee and a walk, we then jogged through the wonderful Welsh scenery to Llangattock, arriving as bidden without difficulty at just before 1430. There the welcome was noteworthy. A pretty meadow with grazing mare and foal, a winding driveway passing mown lawns and then secure and convenient parking right by the trolley park. Help from Paul, and other charming members of the team, was immediately on hand to help unload the cars, and then to stow our still considerable luggage via a short trolley trip and a simple level step onto the stern deck of our boat DRAKE (renamed HMS as we are old sailors!) We were barely allowed to lift anything and to ensure that we were diverted from doing so, a tray of chilled and dewy champagne glasses materialised, and we toasted our forthcoming adventure. The ‘boss’ then gave us a verbal hand over which was accompanied by our watching a short and excellent briefing video.
The sun shone, our glasses were recharged, (and we were then lent both them and the tray when our own stock of fizz was spotted!) and it was time to go below and explore. If the arrival experience in Llangattock harbour (belonging to BPB) had been impressive, then the descent into the body of our small ship via a wide polished wooden staircase with banisters prompted ‘oohs, and aahs’ a plenty. Each cabin was ensuite with a bathroom that would shame many an upmarket hotel, complete with expensive shampoos, tissues, flowers, towels. etc, and the comfy wide double beds were made up with expensive linen and scatter cushions.
The galley and saloon were of the same standard. Polished woods and immaculate joinery everywhere and fresh flowers, chocolates, a pot of honey and even a cut-glass decanter of expensive rare Welsh whiskey and matching glasses left us short for adequate words.
The lighting was in three tiers, with reading spots, overhead, and concealed round roof LED, all controlled by many unobtrusive buttons. There was onboard WIFI, TV and DVD with comfy upholstered bench seating, a joinery prizewinning dining table and - was that really a stove with glass door and fuel, matches etc stowed beside it? HMS DRAKE is a generous 8.5ft in the beam and could afford to be spacious.
Our online Tesco order, delivered in late morning, had all been stowed, the kettle was full, the fridge freezer cold, and it was time to go. We were assisted with unmooring, although it was very simple, and with a turn of the key and the push of a button both engine and bow thruster were at standby. We gently eased our way out from between our two neighbouring boats, and then executed a 90 degree turn to starboard into the southerly leg of the beautiful Brecon and Monmouth canal, built with huge labour and great ingenuity in the mid 1800’s. We had selected South on the basis of there being no locks. The North option is equally as attractive.
Cruising slowly along, now with mugs of tea and homemade cake, at about 1705 we found an idyllic spot and moored to the bank with two simple spikes. The gas cob BBQ was carried to the tow path, collapsible chairs and a table were discovered and rigged, and a wonderful supper was had, preceded by a dry martini for the skipper, who rather likes them at 1800 prompt! Returning onboard by just stepping from grass to deck we went below for a game of UNO and some DVD entertainments before tasting the guest whisky as a night cap under the stars. Even tea lights had been provided as we relaxed on the wide ‘quarterdeck’ in our folding chairs. The peace of it all was amazing, the views spectacular and the weather kind. A good night’s sleep followed.
We cruised slowly South through the villages of Gilwern and Govilon as far as Llanfoist, sharing the ‘driving’ and experiencing adventure all the way including a very low bridge and some tight bends. During all this, we seemed to be mostly alone, meeting only a few other (always friendly) barges, and then on the Wednesday at midday, and at our half time point, we turned around and berthed facing North ready to welcome more old naval friends to a BBQ lunch, set up on the mown grass by the tow path with a fab view. We had navigated under 17 bridges without difficulty in our 60ft flagship and berthed alongside on five separate occasions at this point.
With plenty of choice, we then slowly wound our way back towards Llangattock, stopping in a different set of always beautiful spots, and by now rather dreading such a perfect interval being over, as indeed it had to be on the Friday morning. We had BBQ’s each lunch time (using our gas cob), shopped, visited the Towpath Inn, had lovely walks under the spectacular tree canopy, and then had luxurious evening ‘cook type’ gourmet dinners down below with music, cards, DVDs, and yes even the stove - Pure bliss! We had watered daily from tow path taps, after using the superb showers extensively, and had become adept at berthing, which we did on ten separate occasions. The weather had been kind, but even in a brief period of light rain we enjoyed ourselves and were well protected and cozy. This was perhaps the best short notice weeks holiday that we could all remember having had in the UK in August.
Friday saw us being welcomed home by Alasdair, Paul and the team, offered complimentary coffee in the marina’s excellent little tramway café, and being assisted to unload and re-pack the cars. At 1000 it was most sadly time to say our farewells after a team photo and thence to go our separate ways, much the wiser about the beauties of this part of Wales, and very grateful for the wonderful experience provided by this utterly excellent company. There is even a barge called OWL with a hot tub in the bow and a four poster! Romantic? We shall do it again - so a big thank you to all the BPB team.