Frequently Asked Questions

Yes there are plenty of interior photos of the narrowboats for hire on the ‘our boats’ section of the website. You can also see more photos on Facebook.

No, canals undergo a maintenance programme over the winter season from about mid October to the end of March. The programme can be viewed online at the Canal and River Trust so you can see if any stoppages will effect your narrowboat holiday. Occassionally work also needs to be carried out during the holiday season due to emergency such as flooding or lock damage. Again check with the Canal and River Trust before you set off for any last minute stoppages.

The system on board is a 240v system so does operate a number of electrical items. However we ask that no other electrical items are brought without prior consent. The electrical items already provided onboard include: hairdryer, microwave, dishwasher, TV, DAB stereo/CD player and fridge/freezer. The oven and hob are gas operated and a whistling kettle is heated via the gas hob. Mobile phones can be plugged in and charged with no problem at all. We would recommend only using the dishwasher and microwave whilst cruising as the engine is generating power.

es, all our guests are greeted by a member of our handover team and once you have unpacked you will get a full run through of your narrowboat, so you know how everything works. Then the allocated skipper will cruise the narrowboat to Church Minshull Lock and back (about 2 hours) whilst undergoing narrowboat handling tuition. In addition, your full crew will be shown how to work a lock. You should be confident to handle your narrowboat at the end of the handover period and be able to fully enjoy your canal boat holiday. We also recommend that you read the following guide books before your canal boat holiday begins:
The Boater’s Handbook By Canal River Trust: Download Handbook
The waterways code By Canal River Trust: Download Waterways Code

Yes if you are an experienced narrowboater, then you are able to go along the river section on your canal boat holidays, please speak with the team at Cheshire Meadow first so we can ensure you have an anchor onboard.

Yes we are happy to book canal boat holidays up to 3 weeks. We don’t usually take bookings for a longer period than this. 

It is unlikely that your canal boat will break down as we maintain our narrowboats to the highest standard. However if this does happen, or you are concerned about anything whilst onboard you can call the office during opening times Tel 0333 772 7286  or the marine repairs team on a mobile phone number provided within your boat handbook. Your marine engineer will assess your situation via the phone, in many cases the problem is resolved at this stage. If the problem is not resolved a marine engineer will visit your canal boat as soon as possible. There are no charges for a marine engineer callout unless in connection with a toilet blockage which is caused by misuse ie wipes blocking the toilet. Please see our terms and conditions for further details.

There are lots of canal routes to choose from as we are based in the heart of the North West canal network. If your canal boat holidays is one or 2 weeks long then you can choose from many of the canal rings on the system including the Cheshire Ring, Four Counties Ring and The Llangollen and Montgomery Canals. For canal boat holidays of less than a week, then you can take advantage of the many short runs including Chester, Middlewich and Nantwich. See our canal routes page for ideas.

Cheshire Boats are based Aqueduct Marina on the Wardle branch of the Shropshire Union Canal.

Please see our terms and conditions about cancelling your canal boat holiday.

You need to add the details of all the people who will be joining your narrowboat holiday when booking, even if they will be joining for only part of the holiday. The maximum number of people at any one time should not exceed the stated limit, therefore if the boat is a 4 berth, the max is 4 people. For safety and insurance reasons we cannot exceed this limit.

Yes, enough food for a two to three days, remember storage on board a narrowboat is limited. We do provide a welcome pack of tea/ coffee and milk. There are places where you can buy food nearby. There are many places to shop as you are cruising along the canals and many of our guests like to eat out at the many pubs, restaurants and tea rooms as part of their narrowboat holidays. Recommendations can be found in the visitor books onboard the  narrowboat.

You will need to bring your clothing, be sure to pack a variety of warm and cool clothing as the weather can change throughout the week, waterproofs are especially useful as a narrowboat holiday is very much outdoors. Suncream is an essential item even if it doesn’t look sunny, you can easily get burned when cruising along. Binoculars can be useful for spotting birds along the canals, a torch can be useful although there are some onboard too and a camera for capturing the memory of your narrowboat holidays. You will also need to bring enough food to last a couple of days. Lastly good footwear such as walking boots is best, but wellies or other good walking shoes are also suitable.

If you would like to bring a bike, please contact us first to discuss arrangements. It very much depends on the capacity of people onboard and your security arrangements. If we do agree please be aware that you are bringing your bike at your own risk.

Yes, pets are welcome on all of our narrowboats. We ask that you bring your pets own bedding and ensure they don’t go on the beds or seating.

The price shown online includes the hire of your narrowboat, all bed linen and duvets, towels, a welcome pack of tea/coffee/milk and hygiene products (washing up liquid, hand soap, toilet paper, dish cloths and tea towels), fuel and gas for the duration of your narrowboat hire, free parking for up to 2 cars and free boating tuition as part of the handover.

Your narrowboat hire period starts from 2pm on your collection day. All narrowboats need to be disembarked by 9am on your day of departure.