Weekends on the canal

Choose to cruise through the beautiful Cherwell Valley:

North to Banbury with its thriving canalside shopping centre and Museum, or south to the Dreaming Spires of Oxford, or the tranquil Upper Reaches of the Thames.

Oxford and Banbury are just a comfortable day's cruising from us and, if you head south, you could also complete one of the shortest canal 'Rings' in the country as you travel one way via Dukes Cut and the Thames, and the other by the main Canal.

Shop until you drop, immerse yourself in culture, party the night away, or simply tie up, relax, and absorb the quintessential Englishness of this country canal...

Click for Oxford Canal map

Midweeks on the canal

With an extra day for the same price, why not venture a little further?

Just three hours north of Banbury lies the pretty canalside village of Cropredy, 'home' of the annual 'Fairport Convention' in August, and scene of one of Britain's Civil War battles.

South of Oxford you could try out the Royal River Thames downstream to the riverside market town of Abingdon, or if you love tranquillity head upstream toward the Head of the River at Lechlade - totally unspoiled countryside......

Don't forget that we can offer 4 or 5 night breaks starting on Saturdays in Spring/Autumn - see the Prices page.

Short breaks on the Thames

Enjoy relaxing, rural, unspoiled cruising than on the Upper Thames.

Our NEW Radcot base offers the ideal location to start as you mean to go on; relax, recharge your batteries, discover a whole new way of life...and all just 90 minutes or so from much of London and the South East.

Click for Thames map

At Radcot you can choose to hire for four or five nights i.e. from Saturday pm to Wednesday or Thursday am, with no pressure to return the boat early in the day - our return time here is 11am for these short breaks only. Just a few hours cruising takes you upstream to the Head of Navigation at Inglesham with opportunities to stop off in the countryside, visit Kelmscott Manor, Buscot House, historic Lechlade.

Take a short taxi ride to the Cotswold Wildlife Park or nearby Burford famed for its antiques and Cotswold giftshops. All ideal for a short break.

Watch the planes come and go from RAF Brize Norton, or use the boat as a floating base for the Royal International Air Tatoo - the world's largest military airshow, held at RAF Fairford.

If you prefer the sights and sounds of a busier river, why not choose to head downstream to Oxford or beyond - you could reach Abingdon or even Wallingford if you wish - but remember that Oxford is one of Britain's most visited cities so don't try to cram too much in.