Glamping On The Water – Barge Holidays Just Got Cool
The ultimate in mobile glamping; canal boat holidays are a fantastic way to see some amazing scenery and water wildlife and get right into nature from the comfort of a fully equipped floating home. Anyone who has read Three Men in a Boat may be understandably put off the idea of a holiday on the water, but things have come a long way since rudimentary boat canopies for boat camping, and provided your dog isn’t too similar to the dishonourable Montmorency you should have a great time exploring the waterways of the UK. Termed “gloating”, glamping on a boat is a relatively new idea which builds on the traditional canal boat holiday, and readers familiar with Three Men in a Boat will know that there is a lot of gloating that goes on during a holiday on the water.
With a canal boat you have all the comforts of indoor living, with easy access to the outdoors. Many boats have a cosy deck where you can sit and watch the world float by, but it’s just as easy to find a nice quiet towpath and set up on dry land if you need to get off the water for a while. There are also floating homes and waterside glamping sites where you can row yourself off into a lake and simply drift along looking at the sky, or get absorbed in a good book.
There is a boutique “flotel” room in Hartlepool which affords direct access to the water and comes with a deck for relaxing of an evening, or for jumping into the water. There are more and more waterside and floating holiday spaces becoming available in the UK, such as Milford Waterfront in Pembrokeshire where several floating cabins are available to hire. These are ideal for watersports enthusiasts, keen rowers or those looking for something a bit different. Water can be incredibly calming, so if you’re looking for a getaway with a difference and you want that natural sense of calm then waterside or floating glamping is for you.
Not all boating holidays need to be on a canal boat – some people find the long narrow structures a little cramped and if you’re very tall you may find that a narrow boat is too small to be a comfortable place to sleep. There are also yachts and river cruiser boats to choose from, so if you’ve been put off in the past why not try a different type of boat? Boating in the Norfolk Broads is a popular destination choice, as is the river Thames. The nationwide network of canals also provides ample opportunity for glamping on the water and exploring stretches of waterways that you wouldn’t otherwise see. A boating glamping holiday can be centred on historical attractions, industry (for example around the Midlands) or nature, and it is quite easy to pick up the basics to put you in control of your journey.
AirBnB has plenty of boutique waterside or on-water accommodation options, why not have a look at what is out there and expand your horizons? Oyster, a boat in Devon, offers a compromise between on-land glamping and proximity to the water. The boat is tethered to the bank, and there is a compost toilet, shower and fridge on the land for your personal use. Marshala, a 36-foot boat at Tirbach Farm in Wales offers the fun and novelty of staying on a boat, with none of the water. Ideal for families with younger children this is a great way to test out boat living without the worry of a child overboard. The natural surroundings make for a memorable family holiday, with a private deck with fire pit and BBQ for those long summer nights ashore.