You may find the answer to your question below. We've included all the questions that we're asked by our customers. If you cannot find the answer to your question, please contact us and we'll do our best to answer your query. We may even add it to the list below.
No, as one of the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal's more unusual features is its large lock size, which is 65 ft. by 9 ft.
One possible explanation for this wider gauge is that the standard 72ft canal boat used in the 19th century would have been unable to navigate the Monmouthshire & Brecon canal due to the contour nature of this waterway. So in order to maximise cargo carrying capacity and cope with shallow draught, the width of boats on this canal was increased from the standard 6ft 10inch to 9ft. To answer the question though, all our wide beam boats can easily navigate the entire Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal. At only 8ft 6inch wide they are 6 inches narrower than the boats originally used to transport cargo on this canal.
You can arrive at the wharf from 2.30pm to check in for your holiday.
Expect to take up to two hours to find out where everything is and put your belongings on board, get acquainted with the safety rules and learn how to manoeuvre the boat. If, due to unavoidable delays, you are likely to arrive later than 5.00pm, please call us to let us know. If you do arrive later than 2.30pm it may only be possible to go a short distance from our Wharf. The boat must be returned by 9.00am to disembark by 9:30am on the final day of your holiday. You are welcome to moor at the wharf on the evening before handing back your canal boat.
Occasionally, if boats are still available just a few weeks before the hire date.
We sometimes offer these holidays at a special rate and promote the offer via social media or our e-newsletters. To subscribe to our occasional e-newsletters, simply add your email address to the Newsletter Signup box which you'll find on the right-hand side of each web page.
Yes. Up to two pets (usually dogs) are allowed on each boat, and we do not charge a supplement for them.
It’s a perfect holiday for dogs and dog lovers. The path alongside the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal is in excellent condition, making dog walking a pleasure. We provide a dog towel for you to wipe their muddy paws or dry them off after that unexpected swimming lesson. Please remember to bring your dog’s bed, bowls and food, and please ensure that they do not lie on the beds or sofas. When you go out you must take your dog with you as they are not allowed to remain on the boat unattended.
The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal is blessed with wonderful villages and towns along its entire route which have fantastic pubs either alongside the canal or just a short walk away.
If you’re looking for something extra special then there are some splendid places that are worth a taxi ride, including
- The Felin Fach Griffin
- Gliffaes
- The Angel Hotel
- The Walnut Tree
Please use the interactive map to find websites of all the recommended places. You will need to prebook your meals before you arrive.
If coming by car or taxi you may wish to do a large shop at a supermarket just before arriving.
In Abergavenny you'll find Aldi, Tesco, Morrisons and Waitrose.
In Brecon, there's Aldi and Morrisons.
For daily items, you’ll probably find all you need at these shops, which are close to the canal:
- Brecon: Morrisons
- Talybont-on-Usk: Talybont Stores & Post Office
- Llangynidr: Walnut Tree Stores & Post Office
- Crickhowell: independent butchers, bakers, grocers and off licence
- Gilwern: Dell Stores, and Spar
- Govilon: Village Store
- Abergavenny: Waitrose, Tesco and Aldi
- Goytre Wharf: Spar in Penperlleni/Goytre.
- Pontypool: Tesco superstore
We will allocate the correct number of car parking spaces for you and your guests in our car park at the wharf.
The cars are parked, free of charge, within a secure gated area.
You can book and pay online or by telephone +44 (0)1873 858277.
You need to pay 25% of the total price as a deposit at the time of booking and the balance is be paid eight weeks before the date on which the holiday is due to start. If your holiday starts within 8 weeks the total price is payable at the time of booking.
We will always try to be flexible as we can. If you have to change anything about your booking please phone us to discuss on +44 (0)1873 858277.
If you wish to cancel a confirmed booking you must give us notice in writing as soon as possible; an email is fine.
On receipt of the written cancellation we will endeavour to re-book the boat for the holiday period and, if successful for the whole or part of the period, we will refund the relevant proportion of the money paid less £50 to cover office administration. Please see point 21 of our Conditions of Hire.
All prices are per boat in £ sterling, and are totally inclusive.
Unlike many holiday companies we do not charge extra for diesel for the boats, boat insurance, gas and electricity, logs for the stove, bed linen and towels, pets or for parking your vehicle in our car park. We even provide a pack of essentials including cleaning materials, dishcloths, tea towels and toilet rolls. Remember unlike most other holidays once you have paid for your boat and bought some food, you can holiday with no further costs. There are no surprise add-ons to your boat hire, and therefore no painful credit card bill to go through, listing all those unplanned extras when you get home!
There is a full-size fridge (108 litre) with a small 3-star freezer box (10 litre) at the top. ;
Everything you could possibly need on your holiday!
For details of the hundreds of items aboard, please take a look at this inventory.
Yes. All beds have high quality white cotton sheets, duvets with cotton covers and two feather pillows per person. Micro fibre pillows are available on request.
There's also a cosy blanket for each bed, in case the weather's very chilly. Fluffy towels are provided - 1 bath towel and 1 hand towel for each person. And on Owl, which has a hot-tub on the deck, we provide extra towels and bath robes.
Gilchrist & Soames toiletries (shampoo, conditioner and hand soap)
- Toilet rolls - one in each toilet and one spare for each toilet
- Kitchen roll
- Bin liners
- Condiment set
- Tea, coffee pods and sugar
- Washing up liquid, two tea towels, oven glove, dish cloth and sponge.
- General surface cleaner, toilet cleaner and floor cloth.
We take great care when we’re designing our boats to ensure there’s suitable storage throughout the boat.
Under every bed and sofa you’ll find pull-out storage that’s easy to access. We recommend you unpack your bags before you set off on your cruise, so that your luggage can be left in your vehicle. That way you don’t take up unnecessary space on board with empty suitcases. If you haven’t arrived by car, we’ll take care of your cases while you are away cruising.
The electricity supply on board will power the appliances that guests typically wish to bring on holiday, including mobile-phone chargers, laptop, camera chargers, game consoles and hair straighteners.
But please don’t bring your own hair dryer; it will be too powerful. We supply a suitable hairdryer on each boat. Incidentally, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about the boat’s power systems during the handover at the start of your holiday.
We provide a golf umbrella.
All our boats are fitted with a combined CO2 and smoke alarm.
There’s also a torch, three fire extinguishers, fire blanket, first-aid kit and lifebuoy.
Lifejackets (suitable for age 6 months upwards) are available on request. We also have a selection of lifejackets for dogs.
Each canal boat is equipped with a comprehensive information folder which contains:
- leaflets about local attractions and activities
- details of pubs, restaurants and cafes
- contact details for doctors, dentists, hospitals, vets, taxis and bus services
- Ordnance Survey Explorer Maps OL12 and OL13
- walking guides
Each of our boats has a quiet diesel engine. You start the engine by turning a key, no different from your car, and turn the engine off in the same way.
A lever puts the boat into gear (forward or reverse) and allows you to control of the speed of the boat. Simple.
The helmsman (that's the official name for the person who's responsible for manoeuvring the canal boat) is located on the rear deck.
All our boats (except Robin) are steered by means of a tiller at the back of the canal boat. The gear lever is also located here. Generally, one person can operate the boat, though help will be needed from time to time such as when pushing off from the side (using long poles provided) or going through locks. Robin is steered with a steering wheel.
Once your booking is confirmed we’ll send you our instructional DVD which we advise you to watch prior to your holiday.
We’ll also send you some suggested itineraries so you can plan where you’d like to go, including a lock-free itinerary in case you do not wish to go through a lock. At the start of your holiday we’ll provide you with a comprehensive briefing about the safety of the boat and its passengers, the canal structures and canal environment, and we’ll be alongside you as you learn how to manoeuvre the boat. We’ll ensure that you feel confident before you set off on your cruise.
The first thing to do is to check the operating guidelines we supply on the boat. Many problems can be solved quickly that way.
If you cannot solve the problem, please telephone us and, if we need to come and see you, we can usually be at your narrow boat within the hour.
Some of our boats (and both of our canalside cottages) are available for short breaks. This is clearly indicated on each boat’s description.
Choose from a long weekend (3-nights starting on a Friday) or a midweek break (4-nights starting on a Monday). You can arrive from 2.30pm on the start date and must return the boat by 9.00am on the day of departure.
The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal is a peaceful, relaxed holiday destination and we endeavour to keep it that way.
So we do not hire to all male or all female groups, except at our discretion.
That depends on which boat you have booked or are thinking of booking.
Due to the very low bridges on the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, bikes are not allowed to be stored on the roof of your canal boat. Therefore the only place for them is on the front or back deck but not all our canal boats have sufficient space. If you do want to bring bikes please be aware that you will be comprimising your space and may not have outside seating as the bikes will need to be stored there. Please note that a maximum of two bikes are permitted.
Canal boats where there is space for two bikes but they WILL inconvenience your deck space for general seating, etc:
- Harrier
- Owl
- Kestrel
- Condor
- Osprey
- Puffin
- Drake
- Grouse
Canal boats where there is NOT enough space to accommodate bikes, unless they are folding bikes:
- Hobby
- Buzzard
- Hawk
- Merlin
- Heron
- Kite
Canal boats where there is NOT enough space to accommodate bikes:
- Robin
For details of the hundreds of items aboard, please take a look at this inventory.
We realise that many people need time to check with friends and family before confirming a booking so you can ‘hold’ a boat temporarily.
Choose the boat and dates you're interested in, then click the ‘hold’ button, which is next to the ‘book’ button. After you've filled in your details, we'll hold that provisional booking for you. If you're booking over 6 months in advance the booking will be held for 14 days, if 3-6 months in advance, we'll hold it for 7 days, and if less than 3 months, we'll hold it for 3 days. Your provisional booking will appear in yellow on the website calendar, and will automatically be released if you do not confirm the booking during the hold period. We'll email you the details of your provisional booking as a reminder, and explain how to confirm your booking online. So there's no reason to miss your preferred boat.
We offer a variety of ways to pay, depending on how far ahead you are booking.
In order to encourage advance bookings and to help you budget for your holiday, we now accept interest-free monthly payments for bookings made at least 6 months in advance. An initial deposit confirms the booking, then you spread the cost of your holiday over monthly instalments, up until two months before the departure date. There's no complicated administration. Just choose ‘instalments’ when making your booking online. We take an initial deposit from your credit/debit card and, thereafter, monthly payments for set amounts are taken from the same card. Each time the payment is taken you'll receive an email confirming the transaction. These interest-free monthly payments are available for online bookings only. Of course, you can still choose to pay an initial deposit and the full balance two months before your holiday date. Whichever suits you best.
We provide outdoor caming chairs and also a camping table.