Thorn Marine
Thorn Marine
5
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Full view
About
Thorn Marine Boat hire on the Bridgewater canal, dayboat hire and short break hire. Why not spend the day or weekend cruising the Bridgewater canal aboard one of our canal boats. The boats are fully equipped with all you need for your break be it a day, weekend break or mid week break, see out website for more information. Located between Manchester, Liverpool and Chester we are in the heart off Cheshire and the north west.
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5.0
55 reviews
Excellent
51
Very good
2
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
2
Dale C
1 contribution
Oct 2023 • Family
Fantastic experience, friendly staff, the boat has all you need (cutlery, glasses, cooker, fridge, sink) for a great stay.
We have booked again for 2024.
We have booked again for 2024.
Written 7 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lynne R
1 contribution
Sep 2023 • Family
My husband and I flew from St. Petersburg, FL to Manchester, England to fulfill a bucket list item - a canal trip. We Ubered from the airport to Thorn Marine, about a 20 minute ride. Nigel met us and gave us a review of Home James, our home for the next two weeks. He took us on a short ride on the canal, reviewing the basics of steering a 58' narrowboat. Nigel was very helpful, answering questions from steering to turning on the stove.
We headed to Llangollen, 76 miles, 30 canals and 6 tunnels away, stayed the night in Llangollen before turning around and heading back to return the boat. Steering the boat and navigating the narrow canals proved more challenging than we expected, particularly with the strong winds the first few days. We called once to inquire about the heating system and got an immediate helpful response. Boat return was an easy process. Since Home James wasn't hired out the following day, we did not need to stick to a firm return schedule and even offered us the option of staying on the boat an extra night before returning to the airport the following morning.
Our experience was consistently positive with Thorn Marine. The folks are casual yet extremely competent and experienced with all aspects of narrow boating.
We headed to Llangollen, 76 miles, 30 canals and 6 tunnels away, stayed the night in Llangollen before turning around and heading back to return the boat. Steering the boat and navigating the narrow canals proved more challenging than we expected, particularly with the strong winds the first few days. We called once to inquire about the heating system and got an immediate helpful response. Boat return was an easy process. Since Home James wasn't hired out the following day, we did not need to stick to a firm return schedule and even offered us the option of staying on the boat an extra night before returning to the airport the following morning.
Our experience was consistently positive with Thorn Marine. The folks are casual yet extremely competent and experienced with all aspects of narrow boating.
Written 4 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sarah A
1 contribution
Sep 2023 • Friends
Fantastic experience, friendly staff and the barge has all you need (cutlery, glasses, cooker, fridge, sink). Really wonderful day cruising the canal and enjoy the Autumnal view. Rambling Thorn was a delight.
Written 24 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carl N
5 contributions
Jun 2023 • Family
I really can't recommend this company enough. I hired Cheshire Cat with my two children and we had the most fantastic time. The boat is brimming with charm and character, the staff at Thorn Marine are an absolute delight and incredibly helpful. Everything you could need is provided and the staff can't do enough to help. Really looking forward to hiring from here again.
Written 19 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Philip J
1 contribution
Oct 2022
My wife and I hired the Cheshire Cat for a week in early October and had a fabulous holiday. The boat was spotlessly clean and the owners were very helpful and friendly. The hour-long training session we had before we set off was thorough and useful and we had no problems running the boat for the week. The "Cat" was well equipped with everything you would need to make yourself at home. In terms of size, the boat was comfortable enough for two adults.
The Bridgewater Canal is an excellent start for beginners like ourselves as there are no locks. Even as someone who doesn't drive a car, I found steering the Cheshire Cat extremely easy. I managed to turn the boat around, moor it and fill the water tank without any problems.
We enjoyed the family of swans inches away from our kitchen window on our first morning and later on seeing kingfishers on the opposite bank. There are plenty of interesting villages with lots of great pubs and other places to eat along the way. The meticulously-kept back gardens of Lymm and the open fields of Oughtrington and beyond provide a nice contrast in scenery. There are also great sites to visit such as Dunham Massey Hall.
All in all, there are a few more relaxing holidays than sailing the Cheshire Cat along the Bridgewater Canal.
The Bridgewater Canal is an excellent start for beginners like ourselves as there are no locks. Even as someone who doesn't drive a car, I found steering the Cheshire Cat extremely easy. I managed to turn the boat around, moor it and fill the water tank without any problems.
We enjoyed the family of swans inches away from our kitchen window on our first morning and later on seeing kingfishers on the opposite bank. There are plenty of interesting villages with lots of great pubs and other places to eat along the way. The meticulously-kept back gardens of Lymm and the open fields of Oughtrington and beyond provide a nice contrast in scenery. There are also great sites to visit such as Dunham Massey Hall.
All in all, there are a few more relaxing holidays than sailing the Cheshire Cat along the Bridgewater Canal.
Written 29 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dave S
3 contributions
Oct 2022 • Couples
Lovely few days on a very clean canal boat, friendly helpful staff and very knowledgeable, will definitely go back and hire a boat for another break.
Written 14 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alan580428
Runcorn, UK6 contributions
Aug 2022
Another very enjoyable break aboard ‘Home James’'
The boat is very clean, well equipped and has has everything you need.
Nigel is incredibly helpful, and enthusiastic about imparting his local knowledge.
Thanks to all of the staff at Thorn Marine for help making this break so enjoyable.
We will definitely be booking again next year.
Highly recommended
The boat is very clean, well equipped and has has everything you need.
Nigel is incredibly helpful, and enthusiastic about imparting his local knowledge.
Thanks to all of the staff at Thorn Marine for help making this break so enjoyable.
We will definitely be booking again next year.
Highly recommended
Written 22 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
UKjulieh
Liverpool, UK29 contributions
Aug 2022 • Friends
We hired ‘Home James’ for a week and had an absolute ball. Having never been on a narrow boat before, Nigel was incredibly helpful, and patient, showing me the ropes. The boat was very well equipped and had everything we needed for our time on the boat. We headed towards Middlewich, which is a great route for enjoying the countryside. I’d highly recommend this company.
Written 9 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GEOFF G
1 contribution
Jul 2022
Staff was very helpful from booking to end of our holiday. I have booked another holiday with thorn marina I would recommend booking with them. Many thanks to the thorn marina staff.
Written 29 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tony
Cardiff, UK2 contributions
Jun 2022 • Family
Had a disaster with traffic and the team were so accommodating taking the stress out of the journey on arrival time. Handover and explanation and trial of boat for safety etc was great. Book to navigate canals and work out route and times was very useful. Everything you could need on board was there and nothing was to much trouble for them.
Written 5 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
