Jones Family Cruising
ENTRY
from £45
WHERE
Penkridge
What it’s like
Hire a narrowboat for the week and let the kids take turns steering and working the locks on the Staffordshire and Worcester Canal.
This is a whole-boat hire rather than a day trip, so the plan is you take Maddison out for a minimum of three nights outside peak season, or a full week in July and August, and potter along the canal working locks and swapping who's on the tiller. Kids get properly involved, there's guide books on board showing where the locks, shops and pubs are, and nobody's phone signal or homework is going to interrupt that.
It's £190 a night for the whole boat, up to eight people, plus £65 insurance on top, so a short break isn't nothing once you add that up. What softens it is that the rate is the same all year, no markup for school holidays, which is rare enough to be worth pointing out. Bedding, towels and mattress protectors are all sorted for you, and there's a fridge-freezer aboard plus tea and coffee to get you started, so packing is really just clothes and food.
You'll need two adults over 21 to actually run the boat, which is worth knowing if you were picturing one parent doing the honours while the other minds the kids. There's no travelling after dark either, the boat has to be moored before sunset, so your days have a natural rhythm to them whether you like it or not. Dogs are welcome for £45 a week, but no cats, no bikes and no canoes, there just isn't the storage.
Nearest station is Penkridge, a short taxi ride from where you pick up the boat, useful if you're not driving down.
Facilities
Need to know
- Booking
- 10% deposit (minimum £100) secures booking
- How long to allow
- Minimum 3 nights outside peak season, 7 nights in July-August
- Food
- Tea, coffee and sugar provided
- Dogs
- One medium or two small breed dogs welcome
- Getting there by bus or train
- Penkridge Railway Station, a few minutes taxi ride away
- Worth knowing
- No price increases for school holidays or peak seasons
- You need two adults aged 21 or over to operate the boat between you
- No large electrical appliances allowed on board
- Boating season runs March to the end of October, closed over winter for canal maintenance
- Mooring along the towpath is generally free, though some spots have 24 or 48 hour limits
- A 10% deposit, minimum £100, secures the booking, with the balance due two months before
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
£190 a night for the whole boat, sleeping up to eight, plus £65 insurance per booking. The rate stays the same all year, so peak season and school holidays don't cost more.
How long do we need to book for?
Minimum three nights outside July and August, and a full week in those two months. There's no discount for booking late.
Do we need any boating experience?
No, they show you how to steer and work the locks before you set off, and there are guide books on board for planning your route as you go.
Can we travel at night?
You're restricted to daylight hours and need to have the boat moored before sunset.
What's provided on the boat?
All bedding, towels and mattress protectors, plus a fridge-freezer and tea, coffee and sugar to start you off. You'll want holdalls rather than suitcases, storage is tight.
Can we bring the dog?
One medium or two small dogs are welcome for £45 per dog per week or part week. No cats or other animals.
Can we bring bikes or a canoe?
There's nowhere safe to stow them on board and anything left on the decks can block the doors in an emergency.
How do we get there without a car?
Penkridge Railway Station is a few minutes away by taxi.
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