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Canalability - Canal Boat Day Trips and Holidays for People with Disabilities

COVID-19 UPDATE: WE ARE NOW OPEN!! (SUBJECT TO SOME RESTRICTIONS)READ MORE

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//Boating Without Boundaries
CanalAbility boat and Parndon Mill

Sights and Attractions: Harlow to Dobbs Weir

19 May 2019
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Wildlife and villages Starting your journey from the edge of Harlow at the CanalAbility base is your first lock, Burnt Mill Lock.  Passing the huge climbing wall, the river meanders through beautiful meadows and wooded areas, onto Parndon Mill Lock. The building you see nestling...
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CanalAbility Open Day a Huge Success!

30 Apr 2019
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 CanalAbility welcomed over 100 people at it’s free Open Day on Sunday 28th April, with many new faces visiting the charity for the first time and enjoying the free mini canal boat cruises. The Open Day was organised by our team of dedicated volunteers and visitors could...
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Volunteering with CanalAbility

Ever wondered what it’s like to volunteer for CanalAbility?

10 Apr 2019
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John Thorn joined CanalAbility last year as a new volunteer, and is keen to share his motivation to join us, and his experiences so far: I first went on canal boat holidays with my parents, sister and our Jack Russell dog when I was (much, much) younger. We went every year for...
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CanalAbility Open Day visitors

CanalAbility Free Open Day on Sunday 28th April 2019

18 Mar 2019
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CanalAbility Free Open Day – all welcome! Find out more about CanalAbility at our Free Open Day on Sunday 28th April 2019, 12 – 6pm. Last year’s Open Day was a huge success and we welcomed people from all over the region, many of whom enjoyed a free cruise on...
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Race The Sun – Sponsored Walk

10 May 2017
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On Saturday 24th June 2017, Volunteers from CANALABILTY, along with friends and family will be “Chasing the Sun” from the Head of the River Stort at Bishops Stortford to its end near Dobbs Weir, a distance of  24 kilometres. In doing so the group will be  raising...
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River Stort – Parndon Mill

15 Aug 2016
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As you wind your way downstream along the beautiful River Stort, you will be struck by the picturesque scenes along the river and greeted by the sound of chattering ducks and moorhens and the sound of reeds and grasses rustling in the breeze. As you drift along at a gentle pace,...
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Stort Challenger Disabled Canal Boat

New Year Offer – Half the Price but All The Fun!

08 Jan 2016
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A New Year Break is a Total Steal with 50% Off The Christmas holidays might be over but that doesn’t mean you don’t deserve a break for recover from all the festivities… why not start the year with a tranquil cruise along the river to recharge your batteries and...
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Disabled Canal Boat - Winter Snow

Celebrate Christmas on the River on a Christmas Cruise

30 Sep 2015
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The countdown to Christmas is on – which means it’s time to start planning your Christmas celebration!  Are you fed up with the same old, same old, for your Christmas party? Another bar, hotel or restaurant? Do you want to give a unique Christmas gift to all your staff,...
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Ramps and lifts for wheelchair users

No Tranquillity at CanalAbility: Two weeks – 2 Awards

04 Jun 2014
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No tranquillity at CanalAbility – Why? – Lots of Excitement… Two weeks – 2 Awards At 19.30 on Tuesday 4th June, representatives from 26 organisations mustered at the Rhodes Centre in preparation for the Daniel Robinson Cash for the Community Awards. CanalAbility, a...
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25th Anniversary

25th Anniversary Announcements

30 Jan 2014
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Let’s celebrate! It’s 25 years since CanalAbility registered as a charity! So we are going to be celebrating with our loyal customers. 2014 is going to be a fantastic year and we want to involve as many of you as we can. So we are announcing a number of special offers...
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LATEST NEWS

Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse Gone Fishing

CanalAbility Have Gone Fishing with TV’s Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse!

29 Aug 2020

We are now open to support our disabled clients again! You can now book a day trip or holiday on our adapted canal boats

27 Jul 2020

Explore the waterways from the comfort of your sofa

19 Apr 2020

Win BIG and support CanalAbility as we launch our Essex Lottery page!

10 Mar 2020

Sights and Attractions: Dobbs Weir to Hertford

27 Nov 2019

Facebook Reviews

CanalAbility
CanalAbility
5.0
Based on 48 reviews
powered by Facebook
Tracey Church Mullens
Tracey Church Mullens
2019-12-15T18:58:43+0000
We had the most wonderful day with the very helpful and friendly crew of Andrew,John and Mike!! The whole family were... able to get involved with steering the boat and helping with the locks. This was our second day out with CanalAbility and we will definitely be back again!! Thank you very much to Andrew,John and Mike for making our day so enjoyable!!!read more
JoJo Bailey
JoJo Bailey
2019-11-11T09:36:22+0000
Lovely trip with friendly informative staff.
Nicky Rodley
Nicky Rodley
2019-09-16T09:22:31+0000
large comfortable boats kitted out for people of any disability with all facilities. The staff (all volunteers) are... helpful, friendly and knowledgeable. They really make the day special for the group.read more
Claire Jones
Claire Jones
2019-08-26T10:01:20+0000
Brilliant day out, relaxing, fun and informative. Our crew were lovely and made sure that everyone got the chance to do... everything from steering the boat to opening and closing the locks. Great value for money too.read more
Sharon Smith
Sharon Smith
2019-07-27T15:19:44+0000
What a fantastic trip out on the river , staff are so friendly, helpful and informative. Would highly recommend for a... relaxing trip.read more
Tracy Banks Jones
Tracy Banks Jones
2019-07-18T17:45:38+0000
Posting late as we did this in April but a fantastic team and such a lovely experience. The boat we had was very... accessible for our two wheelchair users and we had a lovely picnic at the front. Thanks so much to the team we will come againread more
Nicola Anson
Nicola Anson
2019-07-17T07:10:15+0000
Had an amazing day out. The crew were so thoughtful and really allowed the children to take an active part! We also... ticked off one of my dads bucket list. A really enjoyable family day, where lots of lovely memories were made. Thank you.read more
Stephen Brunning
Stephen Brunning
2019-07-15T16:46:17+0000
Delightful 4 hour trip with a group from Sanctuary Housing today. The crew were very friendly and most accomodating.... Have no hesitation in recommending this excellent charity.read more
Jenny Lee Norwood
Jenny Lee Norwood
2019-06-16T20:11:05+0000
fabulous day. Even the rain in the morning didn't spoil the day.
Tracy White
Tracy White
2019-05-08T18:41:06+0000
CanalAbility gives access to the pleasures of cruising the waterways to those who would otherwise miss out on the... experience. The boats are adapted for and well equipped to cater for the needs of wheelchair users and differently abled children and adults and their carers so that they may enjoy the many pleasures of time on the river.read more
Maggie Hawkins
Maggie Hawkins
2019-04-28T15:40:12+0000
brilliant trip on the Stort, with lovely friendly volunteers. nothing was too much trouble. we will be back!
Simon Harris
Simon Harris
2019-04-28T15:10:32+0000
thank you guys . Made to feel very welcome . Whole family had a great day . would highly recommend !
Karen Fraser
Karen Fraser
2018-10-02T18:06:12+0000
I can’t praise the volunteer skippers enough . They were absolutely fantastic giving their time on what feels like... the one and only wet and windy weekend in the last 6 months ! They were kind , caring and professional and took a lot of stress out of the weekend when I thought we’d struggle with managing Redwatch on our own . Thank you - you made the trip .read more
Mike Richardson
Mike Richardson
2018-08-06T23:15:13+0000
This was a birthday surprise (well, almost) and could not have been better. Wonderful day on the river, glorious... sunshine, lovely friends and excellent crew. I would recommend this to anyone.read more
Pauline Bliss
Pauline Bliss
2018-08-06T17:12:36+0000
The Residents, some of their relatives and the staff at Cuffley Manor Care Home had two lovely trips on The Stort. a... huge thank you to the excellant crews especially our skipper today Ken with help from Mary and John. Very informative, kind and careing people. we would recommend Canalability for a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Well done to all these voluntees you do a great job.read more
Dawn Cardenas
Dawn Cardenas
2018-06-30T16:37:44+0000
Lovely day out - thank you �
Susannah Waciorski
Susannah Waciorski
2018-06-30T15:50:37+0000
We’ve just returned from a fantastic day out on the Stort Daybreak with our fabulous crew members Barry, Tony &... Chris. What a wonderful experience and the crew were brilliant with our children from Upwards with Downs. The boat was spacious, could easily accommodate buggies and was well equipped for the journey. The crew were brilliant at teaching us to steer the boat as well as how to work the locks. Would highly recommend xxread more
Michaela Baker
Michaela Baker
2018-06-29T00:52:28+0000
Amazing crew, boat and views along the stort
Jo Charlton
Jo Charlton
2018-06-19T18:30:05+0000
Nice way to explore a lesser known river, including a couple of locks on our day trip. The crew are terrific and made... sure our group had a great time.read more
Mandy Reid
Mandy Reid
2018-06-18T16:24:10+0000
Dan Cliff
Dan Cliff
2018-06-10T20:45:45+0000
Had a lovely day spending my sisters 40th. My son who is in a wheel chair loved being up top watching the canal views.... All the crew were all so lovely ��read more
Lee Watts
Lee Watts
2018-04-11T22:32:11+0000
Had a lovely unique experience for our daughters birthday treat, the crew were outstanding
Sarah Louise Wess
Sarah Louise Wess
2018-04-08T12:55:53+0000
It was a nice relaxing day thank you for having us
Jackie Holland
Jackie Holland
2018-02-17T17:28:59+0000
Thank you so much to the crews of both Daybreak and Challenger. Members and staff from Grapevine Essex had a fantastic... day cruising along the River Stort yesterday. This was our fouth trip and we've already had requests to 'do it again'. A lovely relaxing day and the river was beautiful.read more
Dawn Ashworth
Dawn Ashworth
2017-12-18T16:24:42+0000
Fantastic day out as always our Christmas wouldn’t be the same without it now .... thank you to our wonderful crew .
Sarah Elizabeth
Sarah Elizabeth
2017-11-12T21:01:38+0000
Brenda Pegrum
Brenda Pegrum
2017-09-11T20:44:56+0000
Brilliant afternoon on the river . Thank you for our certificate for steeering the river boat .. xx .. Highly... recommend. .read more
Jon Ford
Jon Ford
2017-07-29T08:51:09+0000
Great afternoon on the river with skipper Barry, first mate Jon and Harriet, Children loved it. Thank you. Highly... recommend �read more
Bradley Chapman
Bradley Chapman
2017-07-27T07:00:00+0000
Andrew Emerton
Andrew Emerton
2017-05-12T11:02:26+0000
I had a great time with our crew of John, Andy & Pete, they were very helpful & friendly. Will recommend to others for... sureread more
David Crowe
David Crowe
2017-02-24T17:09:27+0000
Mike Colbert
Mike Colbert
2016-10-31T08:11:53+0000
Robert Baker
Robert Baker
2016-09-17T15:25:32+0000
I had a wonderful day out with canalability on Thursday 15th of September 2016. A big thank you to Barry are skipper... for the day for making are day out so much fun. The weather was beautiful and sunny and me and all of us from Stevenage Mencap all enjoyed are ice creams at the ice cream shop outside Harlow before we turned back for Harlow. Also I like to thank Barry for his instructions while I was steering the canal along the river Stort after our ice creams. I am so very pleased I kept the canal boat in the middle of the river with his help and I really enjoyed it so very much. I hope Mencap will book another trip with you again very soon. Many Thanks Robert Baker.read more
Norman R. Hunt
Norman R. Hunt
2016-09-04T13:29:39+0000
Tree across at Latter lock wide beams cannot get through. Turned and now heading down river
Jennifer See
Jennifer See
2016-09-02T18:28:49+0000
Amazing crew, funny, kind and caring. Cannot thank you guys enough for making our trips out so memorable. Thank you. XX
Douglas Noel
Douglas Noel
2016-08-27T13:50:50+0000
Had a day trip today with canalability very nice people had a great time. Doug
Kerry Wilson
Kerry Wilson
2016-06-16T19:38:17+0000
An amazing team of very kind and helpful volunteers. A superb day out. Highly recommend
Fred Vyse
Fred Vyse
2016-06-15T21:23:13+0000
Great venue & charity that supports all the patrons with caring staff.
Sonja Castle
Sonja Castle
2016-05-14T15:05:40+0000
What a lovely day a big thanks to the crew for today ☺
Deborah Kane
Deborah Kane
2015-12-08T14:51:06+0000
We have had many trips and we always have a great time and are well looked after by the crew
Donna Redding
Donna Redding
2015-12-04T18:07:41+0000
Had a great time today. With my friend Marlene and her friends cruising up to Roydon Mill. Enjoyed steering the boat... (mentored) and helped with the lock gates. The staff are very friendly and all three that looked after the boat, Stort Daybreak, do a fine jobread more
Adele Khan
Adele Khan
2015-11-26T12:37:07+0000
Great crew! Lovely day....would recommend! ✌
Nigel Atkins
Nigel Atkins
2015-07-19T13:54:30+0000
Hi just to say we spent a fabulous Father's Day with these guys the staff are exceptionally friendly and helpful, the... facilities are great. These guys are doing a grand job and I recommend this to anyone who through a disability wouldn't normally be able to have a trip on the canal. Splendid work people we are much appreciative and we will be back!read more
Tamz Clegg
Tamz Clegg
2014-10-02T16:17:00+0000
Bev Sherlock
Bev Sherlock
2014-06-04T16:06:09+0000
What a great day!! Thank you to the 3 members of staff we had today... Even under pressure they made our day! Would... recommend to all xread more
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Google Reviews

CanalAbility
CanalAbility
4.8
Based on 35 reviews
powered by Google
Chelle H
Chelle H
18:25 10 Aug 19
Fantastic for children with sen. Great and gave them the opportunity to help steer or with locks if they wanted. Was a... wonderful day out.read more
GRAHAM O'NIONS
GRAHAM O'NIONS
18:34 13 Jul 19
Canal ability for physically challenged people worth a visit also close to the canal boat lock and the moorhen pub
Dunc Banks
Dunc Banks
17:36 02 Jul 19
Most helpful great fun for all
Conal McGuirk
Conal McGuirk
12:16 17 Jun 19
Fun for all, great way to relax
joanne hoyles
joanne hoyles
13:10 10 Jun 19
son love it, great day out
Selina Ciccarelli
Selina Ciccarelli
18:55 30 Oct 18
We went when the weather had turned, but they had heating on board so we weren't cold. The crew were very good with our... elderly residents and had a good back up plan when the boat broke down. Well done. We had a good laugh. Well worth another go in the summer months.read more
Jennifer Steadman
Jennifer Steadman
22:18 17 Jul 18
Thoroughly enjoy my trips out with canalability. Everybody is welcome to have a go at steering & operating the locks.... The crew are all volunteers who happily give their time for the enjoyment & inclusion of others.read more
Sue Laroche
Sue Laroche
13:32 26 Jun 18
Lovely trip. Friendly and helpful staff. A beautiful day. So nice they do this for disabled people who otherwise... wouldn't be able to enjoy this. Thankyouread more
Weleshboat Ian
Weleshboat Ian
12:47 17 Aug 16
Mobility friendly making the most if you are disabled ♿. Great fun
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LATEST NEWS

Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse Gone Fishing

CanalAbility Have Gone Fishing with TV’s Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse!

29 Aug 2020

We are now open to support our disabled clients again! You can now book a day trip or holiday on our adapted canal boats

27 Jul 2020

Explore the waterways from the comfort of your sofa

19 Apr 2020

Win BIG and support CanalAbility as we launch our Essex Lottery page!

10 Mar 2020

Sights and Attractions: Dobbs Weir to Hertford

27 Nov 2019

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