Wily Fox

We really enjoyed our four days with Foxhangers. The boat was clean and comfortable and equipped with everything you could possibly need. The views from the canal were spectacular and it was a privilege to be in such close contact with ducks, geese, swans and other wildlife. We found a couple of great pubs close to the canal and loved our visit to the picturesque Bradford on Avon. We would definitely recommend this holiday.

You have a great team and top class holiday boat, Wily Fox we'd gladly have had out for longer. Great housekeeping and presentation of boat. Very professional and friendly at all stages. Really comfortable. Hope to be back to take WILY out again.

We booked 4 nights cruising on the Kennet and Avon canal with Foxhangers who were an excellent friendly organisation. The online booking process was easy and straightforward with an abundance of useful information provided well in advance of our arrival. All the staff were friendly and helpful and there’s a secure parking area on the site where the car can safely be left. The onboard handover tutorial by Mike, was excellent and thorough and even included a demonstration of how to work the locks. A comprehensive manual is also available onboard. The boat, Wily Fox, was immaculate and fully equipped and everything on the boat worked flawlessly. We definitely recommend Foxhangers to anyone intending to have a canal holiday. Well done Foxhangers.

We’ve just got home after spending 4 happy days on Wily Fox. We were delighted to get a prompt handover from the friendly, enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff who clearly work well as a team. With good weather and being prepared to do a full day of cruising with all four of us able to undertake any aspect of the canalling, we were able to get to Bath and back and still have time to stop to explore Bath and Bradford on Avon, including lunch next to Pultney Bridge and coffee and cake in The Shambles in Bradford. We were really pleased we saw the Tithe barn and Anglo Saxon church in Bradford too. The boat was easy to steer and going west there is about an hour to practice before the first swing bridge – they are a marvel of low-friction bearings but we soon found it was worth having someone walking ahead to open them as stopping to drop and pick up the crew was quite time-consuming. As to the boat itself – we were really pleased to find a full-sized fridge and cooker so cooking even in the oven was easy. The storage is cleverly set up so there is plenty of room for everything. We valued having our own loos and showers and a roomy living area.

Hi Sharon, Many thanks for an incredibly wonderful weekend. Thanks to everybody involved in the booking and preparation teams but especially to Patrick on handover. We had to return early sadly due to my work commitments and wished we could have all stayed till Tuesday morning. I suspect we will all be returning very soon It has truly been the best 3 days of my life from the past last three years - say thanks from me to everyone involved

As complete novice boaters, only one of us had driven a small boat before-we were given a comprehensive instruction on arrival which was absolutely perfect. The barge was immaculate and fitted out with everything we needed for our 3 days trip We soon were confident at locks etc we all found it very relaxing and I’m sure we will be back again Thankyou

Just a short note to thank you for a brilliant week on Wily Fox. We were blessed with good weather which only enhanced the experience. We had 17 people coming and going at different times and Foxhangers were brilliant in making sure our bedding needs were met.

Dear Sharon and the Team at Foxhangers, Thank you so much for a fantastic weekend on Wily fox. Everything has been superb. The information pack was very helpful, the warm welcome on board couldn’t be better (this was much appreciated for November boating), and the boat was absolutely spotless, big thanks to your housekeeping team. We had a minor problem with the lighting which was dealt with straightaway, and Lars was helpful and professional.

Thanks Foxhangers for a great canal break. Our boat Wily Fox was extremely well kitted out. My wife and I have been on many narrowboats and after a couple of days we were still finding useful extra blankets and quilts in some of the many storage places onboard. A very well equipped boat- we wanted for nothing . The same goes for the information sent prior to the holiday as Foxhangers have everything covered from detailed boat inventory to details of local shops and pubs on your route. The welcome and instruction and send off was smooth and very efficient. The boatyard is also well positioned on the Kennet & Avon a gem of the waterways. Going west from Foxhangers you get the best of John Rennie’s masterpiece through Bradford on Avon to Bath. We thoroughly recommend everything. Many thanks

Highly recommend Foxhangers. We’ve booked with them twice now and will definitely be back. Really friendly welcome and very professional training. The boat was immaculate and very comfortable.

This was a weekend break planned to celebrate significant birthdays and anniversaries across three generations but was held on tenterhooks by Covid-19 and the cautious lifting of lockdown measures. Foxhangers couldn’t have been more helpful through all the uncertainty, offering us four quality boats so that all four families could enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime get-together as we emerged out of lockdown. The knowledgeable staff, the training and handover all gave us the confidence to make the most of our time which we did, leaving us with unforgettable memories and the pleasure of being able to recommend such a generous, efficient and considerate company.

We have been on many of the canals and rivers around the country with a range of boatyards. Unfortunately, this time we managed to pick some really wet weather for our first trip on the K & A, but the boat from Foxhangers was warm, dry and cosy. The initial handover was very smooth, and the staff covered all we needed to know so we could head down river to our first mooring. Our return was equally smooth, and we were very quickly disembarked and away with the minimum of fuss. So different from hanging around in airport terminals. All in all, a successful and enjoyable trip

We had an amazing mid-week break on board of the Wily Fox. We were a group of 8 guy’s (sensible party) and we had a great time and we have fellow boaters respect and we had respect given back to us as it’s a normal cliché to expect a stag group to be rowdy. The staff were great, and nothing was ever too much trouble and we all enjoyed a week away. Many thanks Foxhangers’ crew and I will be booking another trip with the family’s again later this year!

A wonderfully relaxing holiday. Billy was both entertaining and informative during the handover and told us everything we needed to know about locks, bridges and how to handle the boat to avoid embarrassing hiccups. The canal system feels like a Crystal Maze Challenge to the uninitiated, but we quickly got the hang of it. The boat was comfortable and well kitted out. The local pubs were excellent and other canal users friendly and willing to help. The secret chocolate stash was also very welcome! We’ll be back! Thanks!

Wily Fox is a very comfortable boat, and everyone is very friendly and helpful at Foxhangers Wharf. We had a very enjoyable short break and would certainly recommend the company to friends

6 of us have just been on The Wiley Fox for the August bank holiday weekend. Yes the weather was fantastic, and the Wiley Fox was a great narrow boat too, which all added up to a fantastic memorable holiday, our first on a narrow boat.Foxhangers made the booking clear and easy and supported the process from first contact to the detailed instruction at pick up. Comparing notes from other company boat hirers we met along the way from Foxhangers to Bath we certainly had better information and instruction than those we met. Thank you Foxhangers for such a great holiday from all of us. We will definitely do it again.

We had a lovely time and were greatly impressed by the room, layout and stocked kitchen (even sharp knives). Very important when you are feeding 6 and we managed some pretty tricky meals. Major tip is buy or organise food to be delivered beforehand. A little tricky getting used to doing the first few locks despite the very good introduction given by the Foxhanger team, but everyone passing by are all friendly and helpful and generally a great atmosphere. A great stay away with an activity involved. Would highly recommend and return to do the 'stairs' next time. Lovely young lady (sorry forgotten her name) but she was super too. Great experience. Karen

Thoroughly enjoyed our week on Wily Fox. Love the relaxed way of life and frequent canal side pubs. Boat excellently appointed. Second trip this year and plan again for September.

This was our first canal boat holiday and myself, my husband, children and parents all thoroughly enjoyed it.  We can’t praise Foxhangers enough.  All the staff we dealt with from start to finish were really friendly and helpful, we had all the information and instruction we needed and the boat was extremely well equipped.  We would not hesitate to use this company again and cannot recommend them enough.

Terrific but tiring holiday. Service and help outstanding. Boat was very comfortable. Would be my first choice for another narrow boat holiday.

We thoroughly enjoyed a long weekend on Wily Fox which was delightfully designed and very comfortable. A trip to Bradford-on Avon and back has everything we could hope for with locks, swing bridges, pubs, fellow travellers, anglers, cyclists, runners and endless wildlife to give us a journey at a walking pace. It was a perfect way to celebrate a special birthday. I would like to mention that we were very impressed with Ray who greeted us & showed us 'the ropes' on Wily Fox last Friday on our arrival. Also, the gentleman whom we handed back the narrowboat to on Monday morning was very welcoming & friendly. You obviously have a good team there. Thank you Foxhangers and we will happily recommend you.

This experience was excellent from initial booking through to handover and support - it is very rare these days to get such excellent customer service - I thought this would be a once off holiday but I will be back.

We have just finished a fantastic week on your lovely boat Wily Fox. The whole experience from booking the trip with Sharon and Richard’s tutorials was an extremely positive and enjoyable process. My Father flew from Australia to join myself and my two sons to make it a very memorable 3 generation boys’ holiday. We did the Bath and back trip in a week and found it to be perfect for what we were after, lovely places to moor up and stay overnight, lovely Bradford on Avon and Bath to explore, and the odd pub on the water to add that extra stop off when needed. We all would have happily turned the Wily Fox around on our last day and done it all again, we will be back.

Despite the grim weather and the passage of storm ‘Katie’ over Easter we had a wonderful 4 Days aboard ‘Wily Fox’ travelling between Foxhangers, at the foot of the Caen Hill flight of locks, to the Claverton Pump turning circle near Bathampton. Yes, the locks were challenging but the swing bridges were a doddle and being active winding ‘Paddles’, opening and closing the lock Gates and meeting and sharing passage through the locks, with other boaters was both companionable and a delight. Cut off from the mobile phone and the laptop in the peace of the countryside, it was so easy to find an isolated spot to moor up for the night - stress was an aeon away. There was the odd pub that we could have visited, for a pint and a meal, but we chose to 'cook in' using the amazing facilities aboard, with a chance to chat before snuggling down for a comfortable nights sleep -no problem! Our boat ‘Wily Fox’ was brand new and had been properly run in and serviced beforehand. Pickup and briefing was on time taking only half an hour and hand-back with checks at the end of our trip a mere ten minutes. Everything went like clockwork, all details were taken care of by 'Foxhangers ‘ staff with smiles all round. Will we do it again well, what do you think? The Caen Hill flight of locks beckons.