Take me to the water

Want a simpler, not to mention cheaper, way of life surrounded by nature? Meet those who have taken the plunge to live on our waterways

- Caroline Thain

To live a more relaxed lifestyle, close to nature and at a fraction of the cost of a house, it’s easy to see why some Hertfordshire residents move from mortar to water.

Actor Bob Golding lives with his 34-year-old wife Nikola and their one-year-old Nella on their 70ft by 12.6ft wide beam boat (like a traditional narrowboat but wider), that was specially built for them.

Bob spent many years living in St Albans before deciding to move to the water thanks to a love of boating holidays and a desire to be nearer to wildlife.

The 49-year-old, who usually works in Hertfordshire studios and theatres, as well as around London, says it was after a long walk along the Grand Union Canal in 2015 that they decided that life on the water was worth looking into. ‘We researched wide beam life and loved the sound of it. We’ve not looked back since.

‘I just wish we had done it sooner. We recently designed and commissioned a brand new boat build and took delivery of it in February. I can honestly say we will never move back on land. It is quite simply the best thing we have ever done.’

The Goldings spent four years living on a Bedfordshire marina on their old boat, Honking Goose, and moved to a marina in Northamptonshire on their new boat Glenfinnan, named after the hamlet in the Highlands of Scotland where Bob and Nikola got engaged.

Bob says living in a rich wildlife habitat is a wonderful thing: ‘Waking up to kingfishers, otters, herons, great crested grebes and all the wildlife and flora that comes with river life is the sweetest gift to the human soul.’