Colin and his crew briefed us on the functioning of the boat, and having had a previous trip years ago, it all came back, especially how the locks work.The trip itself was fantastic and just a few minor hiccups (lock closures) on the way were quickly resolved by a phone call to Colin.

He himself is an absolute trooper, and being a smaller business, he had a good grip on everything…even dropping us back to the Railway station after our trip, that personal touch!. (Things like that really count when you’re in a different country).

I would ‘wholeheartedly’ recommend Twyford Boats to anyone who wants a leisurely, carefree adventure exploring England’s beautiful rolling countryside and villages.

We had two weeks on the Oxford Canal, and we both agreed we could easily have gone another week…

Thanks, we had a great day!! It is our second time and we will be back. Such a great way for a group to meet up.

I will pop over to TripAdvisor and leave a review. I cannot think of anything you could add to the boat. It had all we needed for sure.

This was by far the most comfortable and well-equipped boat that we have stayed on.  We had a lovely week cruising down to Oxford and back and were blown away by the beautiful Oxford Canal.

We would not hesitate to book again with Twyford Wharf Narrow Boats.

Booking was fairly straightforward once we sorted out the pay bit.

The instructions that you sent in advance were good. The instructions that you gave on the day were also good. We did manage to run aground twice but after some advice from a passing boat managed to get ourselves off. I had read in the pamphlet in the boat that this could happen so I wasn’t worried that it was our ineptness.

Everything on the boat was provided and worked perfectly. As a day hire it worked really well and we would be more confident taking a longer journey now.

The handover on return was without drama.

We had an amazing time on the boat, it was our 2nd time with you. Well, that’s why we came back as everything was perfect the first time.

I cannot fault anything, so thank you very much.

Dear Colin,

A short note to say a big thank you for organising our wonderful weekend on Comet. It was a brilliant weekend and as an introduction to narrow boating it could not have been more perfect. The boat was truly excellent and we thoroughly enjoyed the company of skipper Mark who really made our weekend; so knowledgable and helpful. The stay at the Brasenose Arms pub was an excellent suggestion. We would love to do the same thing again sometime.

Thank you again. Still grinning about the adventure…

A brilliant Day, the forecast rain didn’t appear and everything else was above expectations, it was probably 10 years ago we last hired a narrow boat but we soon got back into the relaxed way of travelling, and seeing everything from a different perspective, and our grandson now has first hand experience of working a lock – and how a lock works!

The photo record of Constructing Comet was fascinating – why use a factory when you have a perfectly acceptable field next to the Canal! And the result is very impressive and Mick was  very helpful – a mine of useful information.

I really do need to thank you for allowing us to change our boat hire from a really miserable rainy Saturday to a sunny & warm bank holiday Monday!  I was amazed when Mick called us early Saturday morning to offer us the opportunity to change as I must be honest I was dreading spending the day in the rain with our NZ relatives who we had booked this as their first ever canal trip!

Mick was so accommodating!

Also great advice on the email to book the Great Western – we had a wonderful meal there.

Colin and Louise are helpful and friendly. Booking a holiday with them is very straightforward. Our family has been on two week-long trip on their two boats, which are perfect for a family of up to 6, and the comfiest boats out of the 8 I’ve hired. They are located about halfway along the South Oxford canal, so they are in a great spot to either travel south to Oxford and back, or north to Braunston and back over the course of a week. Which is what we’ve done now. Both trips were great: lots to see, a beautiful, picturesque canal and a decent number of locks. Thank you, Colin and Louise for two lovely weeks.

Just wanted to say what a fabulous day we had on the canal on 15th August. Comet was perfectly equipped for our family day cruising along the north Oxfordshire canal and our Skipper, Mick, was an absolute star. His skill at manoeuvring into a very tight space just so we could disembark for ice cream was very much appreciated! We look forward to doing this again soon; a great way to spend precious time with the family making memories.

Thanks again for a very special day out.

Thank you, Colin

We had an excellent trip on your boat Comet, it provided us with everything we needed for a relaxing and enjoyable trip.

The boat is perfect for two people and we slept well on the double bed.

I can’t think of any way we could improve it that you haven’t already done.

I highly recommend using your company in future.

We had an absolutely brilliant day. The boat, the canal route, the weather made it a truly fantastic day. We really loved Comet and she did have everything we needed. If pushed for any improvement, it would only be for a second tea towel as we were trying to dry up for 10 people (a very minor thing indeed)

We would also like to give some great feedback on our skipper Mick who was brilliant. He was great explaining the locks to the kids, finding a perfect spot to stop for a picnic and very knowledgeable about the canal.

We will definitely look to book another time.

Hello Colin and Louise

I just wanted to tell you that my family and I had a wonderful day on Comet on Saturday. We had great fun and Bob was very patient with my little grandsons! It was great to actually manage to get on to the water after having to cancel my birthday celebration twice last year.

Thank you so much for allowing us to change the booking.

Comet is a lovely narrowboat and it is amazing how well everything fits into the compact living area.

Perhaps you could thank Bob too as he was so helpful and we had many interesting chats about the way of life on a canal.

Hi Colin & Family

Thank you for a lovely day on The Comet

– we all had a fab time and hope to re-book in the summer.

I’ve left a review on Tripadvisor (Traineebiggles) which reflects our great experience.

Many thanks again,

Everything about the booking process and communication, through to the boat itself was excellent.

Best of the seven boats I’ve travelled on for facilities, layout and cleanliness. And a very comfortable ride.

Colin & Louise were on hand to solve any little issues we had immediately, Highly Recommended.

Our first boating holiday went smoothly, a fantastic crash course in boating set us off in good stede.

Large accommodation which was fully equipped.

Cannot of had a better, more enjoyable trip!

We, a family of three (54+54+15), enjoyed our trip with the Conqueror and Twyford Wharf Narrow Boats very much.

Although having some experience with narrow boating, we were quite excited about a narrowboat, as there aren’t such boats in Germany.

But Colin prepared us very well with information and videos beforehand. And when we took over the boat, he joined us up to the first lock, which was very nice and gave us assurance.

Once we passed the first lock, a relaxing and gorgeous week on the Oxford Canal started, with interesting people and places.

We had a wonderful time on the Oxford Canal which is so beautiful and we came away relaxed and ready for another canal cruise with Twyford Wharf narrow Boats in the near future (Warwick Ring).

Having driven all the way from North Wales we received a very warm welcome at Twyford Wharf. Having initially been a little apprehensive as neither of the group had been on a narrowboat, we were soon put at ease. We were shown the ‘ropes’ and taught how to steer, go through locks and handle the boat generally. Having a narrowboat made for a very relaxing holiday with very beautiful scenery and friendly pubs along the way. We are already greatly anticipating a second visit.

All the way to Windsor and back- marvellous, everything was simply great. Colin and his team made the handover easy and we were on our way early Sat pm. Down to Oxford onto the River Thames. Fantastic pubs to stop at and Abingdon was picturesque! The 14 days passed by too quickly and we were really sad to hand Conqueror back on Saturday morning. I cannot recommend Twyford Wharf narrow boats highly enough. Easy to book, good prices and great, well-equipped boats – even have a 22″ TV that works and a really good set of Kitchen knives plus a steel, now that’s a rarity!! Thank you TWNB’s for a great holiday – see you again next year when the Warwick Ring is on the agenda.

John (70) & John (64) & Christine (58) having hired holiday boats from a number of companies over the years, we found this boat ‘Chieftain’, as good or better than others. Lots of those little extras on board that we would normally have had to have bought with us. We found Colin & Louise, Mick, easy to deal with, friendly and very helpful. A relaxing roam around the Oxford Canal and The Grand Union Canal. The boat drew many favourable comments due to her smart appearance.

What a brilliant holiday, no time to get bored and a different view of the world as it drifts by. ‘Chieftain’ is a top quality narrow boat with everything you need on board, even tea, coffee and sugar are provided along with all the essentials such as washing up liquid, cloths, hand towels as well as bath towels. This was our first canal holiday but Colin and Mick showed us the ‘ropes’ and we were away! It will not be our last adventure on the canals – thank you Twyford Wharf Narrow Boats.

We could not find fault with the boat, it had all we needed. Excellent for a family, very clean and well organised. The double beds are very comfortable and have feather and foam pillows!! Just no faults and we look forward to booking again in April 2013. Thank you Twyford Wharf Narrow Boats.

We have had a fantastic holiday on the Oxford Canal aboard ‘Chieftain’. The boat is extremely clean and very well equipped ensuring a comfortable journey. Booking was really easy with friendly and informative advice both over the phone prior to arrival and on arrival. We would definitely recommend this boat for a wonderful family holiday. Thank you Twyford Wharf Narrow Boats.

From start to finish our second holiday on board Chieftain was BRILLIANT. Booking was easy on the web page and with no hidden charges. All bedding, towels, kitchen equipment and diesel in the price shown.We were met by the most friendly team, Louise, Colin, Mick, Sue and Brian, helping us load our luggage and food on board. The boat was very clean and ready for us. Instructions on how the boat works and locks was excellent. The Oxford Canal is really scenic with lots to see and do. Thanks to Colin, Louise & Brian. (even our first trip was made trouble free).

We had a great 24 hours on ‘Chieftain’, despite the weather! The boat was brilliantly equipped, booking was easy and the staff very friendly and obliging. Would recommend Twyford Wharf Narrow Boats to anyone without hesitation. Thank you.

From the moment we arrived everything was perfect. Lovely helpful and friendly team, wonderful boat with great beds. The tuition was comprehensive and taught in a calm, quite fashion. Oxford City was a disappointment after the peaceful, beautiful and tranquil countryside, it was a bit of a culture shock!! We would like to head North next time, hopefully for two weeks. Our ‘Huskies’ had a great time too. Thank you Twyford Wharf Narrow Boats for everything.

Easy to book on-line and the staff extremely helpful on handover. The boat paint scheme and the sign-writing looked great in the sun. We cruised to ‘Lechlade’ on the Thames but really enjoyed the Oxford Canal much more than the River. (The stream flow was high at the time). Overall ‘Chieftain’ is an extremely nice canal boat.

We had ‘Chieftain’ for three weeks during July and August. The boat was spotlessly clean and very tidy. It looked lovely and as we are experienced boaters it was so nice that the boat looked ‘privately owned’. Many people on our journey commented on how lovely the boat looked. The handover was very easy and we were away by 3 pm. We didn’t need training as this is our 12th year narrow boating but training was available if needed. Twyford Wharf Narrow Boat’s are a very friendly ‘team’. In the three weeks, we went South on The Oxford to the Thames and onto the Kennet & Avon, reaching Hungerford. The route was challenging but ‘Chieftain’ handled beautifully and has been well looked after and is well equipped.

Despite the forecast, we enjoyed plenty of sunshine and very few showers during the day. The scenery was wonderful with open views, unlike many canals that are all wooded! The very well equipped boat behaved perfectly, we would definitely recommend it! We will be back.

Chieftian is very well equiped with all the safety and domestic equipment you would ever need (well, hopefully not the safety equipment!). We all had an absolutely fantastic holiday, the ability to moor up whenever and wherever is the main enjoyment factor. All the other boaters we met were friendly and helpful as were the ‘pub’ landlords and ladies!!

Everything about ‘Chieftain’ A+++, from her appearance and layout to the ‘frying pan’! We received many positive comments from other boaters re Chieftain’s looks – not the usual hire boats. A very smooth booking system and a clear and informative handover with guidance through our first set of locks. Would not hesitate to recommend Twyford Wharf Narrow Boats for your holiday.

Having recovered from our own New Year celebrations and having survived our first week back at work, we wanted to write to say a huge thank you to you both for all you did to make our time onboard Chieftain so comfortable. We had such a lovely time helped enormously by the comfort that we experienced onboard – one thing for sure it wasn’t the weather that contributed to our comfort!! Although Joe has been on narrowboats before, I never have, so to book your boat during the Christmas period was, to say the least, a risk! I was always very excited and keen to “have a go” and the idea of getting up on deck, cruising in the winter sunshine, possibly even snow, soaking up the fresh air and meeting other people on the canals was appealing to me. What we didn’t anticipate was the amount of rain, the high winds and the serious floods that hit the Oxford Canal. However, we were never fazed by this. Chieftain was so comfortable and fitted out to provide us with all the amenities that we are used to at home. The two double beds, in particular, were so comfortable and with radiator central heating on board, we were never cold. The galley kitchen provided us with the equipment to cook a good meal on board, although we decided not to attempt a full Christmas Dinner!

Cruising the Oxford Canal was truly amazing – the sense of freedom and the joy of meeting so many interesting people along the route was brilliant and has provided us with an enormous amount of memories to treasure. It’s a holiday for all ages; we had Mum and Dad on board who are going to turn 80 next year, Joe, who did most of the ‘driving’ is nearly 70 and then there was me, whose age shall remain a secret but certainly a lot younger! Just as well, because my job was opening the locks!! After the first couple, this became second nature and easily possible for fit healthy people.
It’s a great holiday for all ages, at any time of the year. We had some of the worst rain this year but it didn’t stop us – it only gave us more determination to cruise again in the Spring when hopefully the weather will be much better. Once again, we can’t thank you enough for the “extra” help you gave us – your hospitality and flexible attitude certainly helped to make our holiday such a memorable one.

Thanks for your email and for welcoming us aboard last Sunday. We had a lovely time aboard ‘Comet’- the arrival procedure was simple and easy – a quick safety briefing and then off we went. Our skipper for the day was chatty and friendly and took good care of us. There were tea-making facilities onboard and that’s the most important thing! With our large group, it took a few boils of the kettle to get enough water for all of us but no biggie. The GWA pub you advised was lovely and the new owners have done great things with it. Add to that having an adorable little dog on board and I’d say we were well pleased.

Thanks again,