Kennet and Avon Canal Trust
5
5
Date of visit: August 2015
Overall Rating
Excellent
We had an amazing family barge holiday 2015 on the Avon and Kennet canal. The barge was fully fitted for a wheelchair user. My grandson uses an electric wheelchair. There is a hydraulic lift on board, up/down single bed and a large wet room with sliding door entrance. The whole vessel allows for easy wheelchair access. We saw an abundance of wildlife, herons, swans, cormorants, kingfishers etc. The locks were fun and good exercise! The pubs along the canal were great for meals and the moorings were plentiful. We did make sure that the moorings we chose were flat and easy for transfer from barge to bank. The Trust Staff gave us a good talk and demo on how to use the barge and Health and Safety rules before we set off. I would advise anyone going on these barges to take adequate grocery supplies as shops were a distance from the canal.
Disabled Access In and Around
Excellent
Parking & Transport
Excellent
For the barge holiday, users may park their cars by the canal boat station.
Accessible Toilets
Excellent
Staff
Excellent
Additional Information
The handover of the barge was professional and thorough. Steering a barge is a bit tricky at first, but at a maximum speed of 4mph everything is done at a slow pace. Obviously one has to be careful regarding Health and Safety upon a barge. Life jackets etc are supplied. Using locks is fully explained at the handover.
