Canal Boat Hire Northamptonshire England
Northamptonshire's beautiful waterways, including the Grand Union Canal and River Nene, provide some of England's most tranquil and historic narrowboat cruising. These ancient routes once carried iron ore and coal through the heart of England. Now, they’re surrounded by rolling countryside, charming villages like Stoke Bruerne, and cosy canalside pubs.
Canal Holidays Northamptonshire
Our Gayton Marina is based in Northamptonshire. Multiple boats are available across different styles and lengths, capable of sleeping 2 to 12 people.
Why Choose Our Canal Boat Holidays?
No Experience RequiredYou don't need a licence or any previous boating experience. We provide comprehensive training before you set off, covering everything from steering to lock operation. |
Fully Equipped BoatsOur narrowboats come with everything you need for a comfortable stay: Full kitchen with cooker, fridge, and all cooking utensils. Comfortable beds with fresh bedding and towels. Shower and toilet facilities. Central heating for cosy evenings TV and Wi-Fi to keep everyone happy. Safety equipment and first aid kit. |
Day Boat Hire OptionWith our day boat hire option, you can experience the beauty of Northamptonshire canals without needing to stay the night. |
International VisitorsWe make canal boating accessible for international guests with straightforward processes. All of our bases are easily accessible, and we provide free parking for your entire stay. Give us a call on our international number +44 1905 610660. We take calls every day during our opening hours. |
Popular Canal Routes in Northamptonshire
Featured routes from Gayton Marina
Aylesbury & return
A good route for the first timer. Through delightful countryside, taking in the Great Ouse Aqueduct at Cosgrove, Milton Keynes. Then arriving at Aylesbury, with the attractive old town centre just a short walk from the canal basin.
MORE INFORMATIONBanbury & Return
Your route will lead you through glorious disputed territory before meandering lazily along one of engineer James Brindley’s renowned contour-hugging canals. A journey of trade and heritage, accompanied by the rhythms of music and nursery rhymes.
MORE INFORMATIONCoventry or Snarestone & return
With only 17 locks each way between Gayton and Coventry, this is one of the easiest one-week routes. The remote and rural Ashby Canal for Snarestone offers 23 miles of lock free cruising after Marston.
MORE INFORMATIONLeicester or East Midlands Ring
A varied route taking in parts of the Grand Union Main Line & Leicester Line, the Oxford Canal, the River Soar, a short section of the River Trent, part of the Trent & Mersey Canal, and the Coventry Canal. This route includes five tunnels, several aqueducts, and 113 locks - can be done in 14 nights.
MORE INFORMATIONMarket Harborough & return
Market Harborough and return is a tranquil rural route through rolling Northamptonshire countryside. It is a 7 day cruise and has 48 locks. It is popular with those seeking something different – there are at least 4 moveable bridges, 20 small aqueducts/underbridges and 4 tunnels including Crick Tunnel and Husband’s Bosworth Tunnel.
MORE INFORMATIONOxford & Return
Your route will lead you through the disputed territory of two rival canals, the Grand Union and the Oxford, and will meander lazily along a contour-hugging canal. You’ll hear of rivalries and wars, nursery rhymes, brickwork and heritage boats, ending in a world-famous city of learning.
MORE INFORMATIONThe Grand Ring
Take in the delights of the southern waterways including Oxford, Banbury, Leighton Buzzard, but then follow a similar route to Limehouse and return for another aspect.
MORE INFORMATIONThe Warwickshire Ring
A route mixing rural and urban which takes in parts of the Grand Union Main Line, the Oxford Canal, the Coventry Canal, the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal and the Stratford Canal. This route from Gayton includes six tunnels, several aqueducts, and 145 locks - can be done in 14 nights.
MORE INFORMATIONFeatured Locations in Northamptonshire
Stoke BruerneThe jewel of the Grand Union, this picture-perfect canal side village feels like stepping back in time. Pop into The Boat Inn for a pub lunch while watching other narrowboats navigate the locks. |
Blisworth TunnelThis tunnel is one of England's longest navigable canal tunnels. Kids love the adventure of chugging steadily along in the darkness, and adults love to marvel at this amazing feat of engineering. |
What Our Guests Say
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Your recent holiday on Wagtail - Yellow Wagtail from Gayton Marina
Great contact before we went to make sure everything was set up as we wanted it, a follow up call just before and a nice welcome when we arrived. Tony did a brilliant job of explaining the locks and how to operate the boat, a quick lesson on board and then we were off. So relaxing, pottering around the countryside, realising just how long Blisworth Tunnel is, and visiting friendly pubs in picturesque villages on route. All 8 of us loved it, especially the kids (the boat had WiFi). Back a week and we’re already talking about doing it again. Thanks to everyone at ABC.
31 May 2026
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Your recent holiday on Wagtail - Yellow Wagtail from Gayton Marina
A good weekend route with a few locks, the tunnel, the aqueduct and some lovely places to stop and take it all in.
31 May 2026
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Your recent holiday on Sandpiper - Marsh Sandpiper from Gayton Marina
Lovely part of the Grand Union out of Gayden going north
31 May 2026
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Your recent holiday on Sandpiper - Marsh Sandpiper from Gayton Marina
Helpful and good advice
31 May 2026
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Your recent holiday on Swift - Little Swift from Gayton Marina
Everything went according to the plan.
26 May 2026
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Your recent holiday on Swift - Little Swift from Gayton Marina
The responded well when we accidently shut off the hot water pump. Diagnosed with a phone call. They held a package from Amazon for us with no problems.
26 May 2026
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Your recent holiday on Warbler - Grasshopper Warbler from Gayton Marina
Great to spend time with family out on the canal
26 May 2026
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Your recent holiday on Warbler - Grasshopper Warbler from Gayton Marina
Good customer service from start to end, very easy to deal with. Thank you.
26 May 2026
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Your recent holiday on Swift - Little Swift from Gayton Marina
Faultless service, definitely use this service again
02 May 2026
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Your recent holiday on Swift - Little Swift from Gayton Marina
Can't fault abc hire ,lovely clean boat with everything you need on board and very helpful staff
02 May 2026
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Your recent holiday on Wagtail - Yellow Wagtail from Gayton Marina
Everything about our trip was 5/5. The staff, the boat, the car parking, the cleanliness. It was all brilliant. We have already recommended to family & friends!
26 Apr 2026
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Your recent holiday on Wagtail - Yellow Wagtail from Gayton Marina
We booked a last minute mid-week break for our family of 4 from Gayton Marina. The following day we received a friendly call from the marina confirming the booking details and asking about our preferred layout & bedding requirements. Customer service at Gayton Marina was A*. The office/shop staff, the housekeeper and the technicians were all very friendly and very welcoming. What a lovely place! The boat was clean and all fixtures and fittings were in good condition. A very comprehensive folder provides instructions for everything you could think of on board. The handover instructions can contain a lot of information so this is perfect if you haven't much experience and want to refer back to instructions given, or if you need instructions to work an appliance on board. The boat had plenty of items supplied such as tea towels, sponge, dish soap, matches, multiple toilet rolls, hand soaps in bathrooms and shampoo & body wash in the showers. There was also a tea/coffee tray set up for our arrival. We had a brilliant time, we always do! Although we have hired canal boats several times before, this was our first time with ABC and we would certainly book with them again. If you have little or no experience, I would highly recommend booking with ABC from Gayton Marina. They will give you the confidence to enjoy your holiday.
26 Apr 2026
Featured Boats
Featured boats from Gayton Marina
Six to eight berth Boats
Two to Five berth Boats
Up to twelve berth Boats
FAQ
Do I need a boat licence or experience?
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No licence required and no previous boating experience needed. We provide comprehensive training before you set off.
What's included in the price?
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Everything listed in our inventory comes as standard, from kitchen equipment to bed linen. The only extras are fuel costs.
