We’ve just come back from an amazing October break with Bloomsbury Canal Boats. Think “wild camping in a 5-star hotel”. The boat itself is just perfect; loads of space (two adults, two teenagers), very comfortable and warm. The wide-beam is a good choice, especially at this time of year when you are inside all evening – the sofa/wood-burner combination is a winner. All the systems are reliable and easy to use; electrics, heating, water….etc. Angus gave us a very thorough 2-hour lesson in all of that, plus of course, driving the boat. We were complete novices, but Angus took us into Bath and back on our first morning, giving us the confidence to handle the boat and the locks. We later found out that this particular stretch of canal is sometimes referred to as “crash corner” because it is so narrow and busy. If you can do this bit, you can do anything! The rest of the canal was pretty quiet. We got to the middle of Devizes by the morning of day 4, took the rest of the day off, and then arrived back in Bathampton by Friday evening. There are a LOT of locks to do on this route, but we loved it! Caen Hill is spectacular. Highly recommend eating at the Barge Inn, Seend, where you can moor up in the pub garden :-). Brilliant holiday!