About Kinver Boat Services

The owners' story

John & Elaine had no idea what the future held. John, an accomplished trumpet player and Elaine, who sings and plays piano, met whilst playing in a local band. The couple married, and combined their five children into one family.

Always on the look out for a new project, John & Elaine bought a new 58’ Narrow Boat shell and with John’s practicality and Elaine’s eye for detail set about fitting out the interior. Such was the success of the fit out and the response from other boaters that John & Elaine were asked to fit out other boats and a company was formed, Kinver Boat Services Limited., with all members of the family, including the kids as share holders.

The company's growth

Kinver Boat Services is a company born out of necessity. Finding the necessary elements to fit out their own and other clients narrow boats become a passion, working with a small number of quality shell builders to provide customers with a range of styles.

In addition to operating a thriving Narrow Boat fit out and refurbishment business the Repainting facility and Soft furnishing range Kinver Boat services now offer provides the customer with the natural first choice partner for their Fit out.

About the beautiful rural setting of Kinver, South Staffordshire

We’d be glad to show you around Kinver, an area of outstanding natural beauty with a history worthy of investigation.

With a variety of architecture & walks on national trust ‘Kinver Edge’ we also benefit from a selection of top class restaurants all within striking distance of our premises.
Kinver was listed in the Doomsday book, King John visited the area many times before his death. The area was a royal hunting reserve with Stourton Castle keeping watch over the huge area of forest, Henry VIII enjoyed deer and hare coursing in the 16th century.

Up until the beginnings of the industrial revolution the area was made prosperous by the wool trade, a fact made obvious by some of the fine 17th century houses that line the High Street.

As this trade fell away, the opening of the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal breathed new life into the area. The High Street boasted five malt houses to cater to the seven pubs, five of which are still serving excellent local beer. One original malt house still stands behind the pharmacy.

One of the most fascinating aspects to Kinver is the almost permanent occupation since iron age times of Kinver Edge, the local forest and sandstone escarpment area, that has the remains of an iron age fort and many cave houses carved into the red sandstone rock. These houses were lived in until the late 1950’s and show that environmentally friendly living is not a new invention but one born out of necessity.

Nearby is also a huge network of caves and silos built during the second world war as an underground bomb proof manufacturing plant for engine parts. It has had many uses over the years including a nuclear shelter and document store. It now stands unused, although regular trips are organised to see the tunnels in their natural state.