Self-drive day-hire

A group of up to eight people can enjoy the freedom of the Kennet and Avon canal with self-drive day-hire on our traditional style 9m (30ft) narrow boat, Cygnet, which is built to a very high specification. Everyone gets a great view, the main passenger area can be opened up to enjoy the fresh air, and there is a toilet on board for your comfort. It is available for hire most of the year.

A memorable way to see the Berkshire countryside
Ideal for a birthday or anniversary treat
A great day out for a family or group of friends

Cygnet is very easy to steer, with single lever controls and a quiet, modern diesel engine. And of course we’ll give you thorough tuition in handling the boat and operating the locks. Click to view our Self drive narrowboat price list.

On board facilities include

Large open sided fore deck with roll down waterproof screens
Seating for up to 8 people with large dining table
Fully fitted galley
Sink with hot & cold water
4 Burner cooker with grill and oven
Electric refrigerator
Fully equipped with kettle, pots and pans, crockery and cutlery
Tea Towels and hand towel
Cloakroom with domestic style flushing toilet with hot and cold water
Background heating via radiators for chilly days

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Birthday or special event

Cygnet

Getting together on Cygnet is a terrific way to celebrate a birthday or special event, entertain the kids and grandparents, carry out team building or just have a very different and memorable day out.

For more information, please call 01488 658 866 or email us

Terms and conditions
For full hire terms and conditions, click here.

Enjoy your canal cruise with us!

Enjoy your canal cruise with us

Leaving from Kintbury, you’ll have time to cruise a picturesque section of the Kennet and Avon Canal, towards Hungerford or Newbury, enjoying the beautiful Berkshire countryside, spotting wild life, and stopping off wherever you wish, for a picnic beside the canal.

The Kennet and Avon Canal

The Queen reopened the Kennet and Avon Canal in 1990, after it had been extensively cleared and refurbished by dedicated waterway enthusiasts and local volunteers. It runs through what is often spectacular scenery for 140km (87 miles) between the Thames at Reading and the Avon at Bristol. The canal section is 92km (57 mile) long and was constructed between 1794 and 1810 to link the Avon and Kennet rivers.

We were a couple on the Kevendy's coach that visited you on Tuesday. We would just like to say how much we enjoyed the trip on your horse drawn barge and the lovely afternoon tea you provided. You certainly worked hard in getting the lovely Monty to keep going in the darker parts of the tow path! Again thank you for a lovely relaxing afternoon.

Kind regards John and Sarah Sarling.

I should like to thank you all at Kennet Horse Boat Company, including of course the magnificent Freddy, for the lovely trip we had on the canal last Tuesday. Our members had a wonderful time and we are grateful for the kindness and consideration shown to those needing a steadying hand getting on and off the barge. We appreciated being able to get off at the lock and watch proceedings from the lovely old bridge, and were much impressed by the nonchalant manner Steve and his assistant leapt between the barge and the bank - do they ever fall in?

We were lucky in it being a lovely afternoon but the welcome and friendliness shown to us made the afternoon very special - thank you.

With best wishes, Ann Ireland

On behalf of 'Downton Good Companions' I should like to thank you all at Kennet Horse Boat Company, including of course the magnificent Freddy, for the lovely trip we had on the canal last Tuesday. Our members had a wonderful time and we are grateful for the kindness and consideration shown to those needing a steadying hand getting on and off the barge. We appreciated being able to get off at the lock and watch proceedings from the lovely old bridge, and were much impressed by the nonchalant manner Steve and his assistant leapt between the barge and the bank - do they ever fall in?

We were lucky in it being a lovely afternoon but the welcome and friendliness shown to us made the afternoon very special - thank you.

With best wishes, Ann Ireland

I would like to thank you, Steve and the other colleagues who gave us such a very pleasant trip on the canal on Saturday. All the guests enjoyed it very much and some are intending to return again when they have the opportunity. I will certainly recommend it to anyone looking for a "different" trip.

Please pass on my thanks to Steve with whom I caught a few words at the beginning and end. I think most of my guests would have been very happy to have returned on the boat! Thanks again.

John Hicks, Russet Lodge, Brimpton

I just wanted to say my husband and I really enjoyed our trip along the canal yesterday, made more interesting by the difficulties caused by the wind, making us more aware of the problems faced years ago by the early canal users. The young man leaping on and off other barges seemed to have an enviable amount of energy!! He certainly needed it for the return trip, oh to be young again. The scones and cake were beautiful.

It was our first trip out for a few weeks, my hubby is terminally ill, and had been very ill with a chest infection which had bowled him over, making us pretty well housebound for a period of time, I was so pleased when he said he felt able to do the trip yesterday, and even more pleased that we both enjoyed it so much. Thank you so much, and big hugs to Freddie too!

Marion Kemp

Thank you to the whole team. It was the most pleasurable experience through from booking to going on the trip and to coming back and discussing it. We’ve had the most fabulous time and it is thanks to your wonderful team that it is so smoothly run and such a successful day out.

Many many thanks and hopefully we will do it next year and the year after and for many years to come.

Esther Redhouse

On July 21st we had the great pleasure of being aboard your horse drawn boat...what an amazing day for us. We wish to thank you all for a memorable time celebrating my husbands' 80th birthday with friends and family. You even had a word with the "Man upstairs and got the weather right!! Without exception all said what a great experience it was for them.

I would like to say a big THANK YOU to you all..Steve, Shirley and the young man "steering" at the back...sorry but your name eludes me at the moment.

We really had the most wonderful time and please give and extra pat for Freddie who was indeed a STAR!

Thank you very much all of you from the Young family and friends