Meet our Team

We’re showing you just a few of our team here (the ones you are most likely to meet)
Behind the scenes, we have around 100 team members. Including Engineers, Boat Builders & Cleaners. The team pull together to build and maintain our boats and holiday homes ready for you to use. Just ask and we’ll do our best to help

Daniel Thwaites

Director

Daniel keeps an eye on the pennies. Managing the financial and administrative side of the business.           

He should know the business well by now, his first day in the office, was in a cot, whilst Jill was dealing with customers on a turnaround day

  • Joined the team in: 1998
  • Favourite spot on the broads: Thurn
  • Favourite boat: Brinks Encore

Matthew Thwaites

Director

Matthew oversees all the work going on in the boatyard. Inc design, build and maintenance.
His party trick, amongst others we won’t mention, is identifying a boat by the window shape or bathing platform.
His encyclopaedic knowledge of all things boats is incredible
  • Joined the team in: 1998
  • Favourite spot on the broads: S Walsham
  • Favourite boat: Brinks Tempo

Sian Pearce

Administrator & Bookings Clerk

Sian is our amazing office manager. Keeping us all on our toes

Don’t worry about asking her about the Norfolk Broads though, she’s a fully-fledged boat owner with loads of local knowledge

  • Joined the team in: 2021
  • Favourite spot on the broads: Horning
  • Favourite boat: Brinks Sonnet

Tom Lawn

Yard Manager

Tom’s the guy who’s responsible for the day to day running of the boatyard. Making sure each boat is “turned around” ready for your arrival
On a busy day in summer, Tom tells us he records over 30k steps a day! He reminds us of this quite often
  • Joined the team in: 2006
  • Favourite spot on the broads: Coltishall
  • Favourite boat: Brinks Melody

Philip Baker

Head Engineer

Philip co-ordinates our team of electrical and mechanical engineers. He started his first stint working for Barnes Brinkcraft as an apprentice. Something obviously stuck, Philip was the brains behind our hybrid boat Brinks Rhapsody.

  • Joined the team in: 2009
  • Favourite spot on the broads: Ranworth
  • Favourite boat: Brinks Rhapsody

Sara Thwaites

Marketing & Customer Services Manager

Sara looks after our social media accounts, keeps the website up to date, places our advertising and organises any events or festivals that we attend. Sara also takes a keen interest in customers holiday experiences and is your point of contact if you have any suggestions on how we can improve your Norfolk Broads holiday.

If you meet her in a sailing boat steer clear, she’s only just learning to helm!

  • Joined the team in: 2018
  • Favourite spot on the broads: Black Horse Broad
  • Favourite boat: Brinks Encore Plus

Sheila V

Head Housekeeper

Sheila stepped up to head housekeeper very recently and manages her team of nearly 50 with ease.
Her sharp eye keeps everyone on their toes -including the Engineers. Who wouldn’t dare leave any mucky hand prints behind them
  • Joined the team in: 2015
  • Favourite spot on the broads: Hickling
  • Favourite boat: The smallest one

Latest News & Information

How Hill to Ludham Bridge

How Hill is a great place to start a walk, there is a car park and plenty of mooring for boats, making it an ideal starting point however you arrive. Walkers should walk out to How Hill Staithe, a public mooring place for boats and from here, head south along ...

Learn more

Latest News & Information

How Hill to Ludham Bridge

How Hill is a great place to start a walk, there is a car park and plenty of mooring for boats, making it an ideal starting point however you arrive. Walkers should walk out to How Hill Staithe, a...

Learn more

Last minute availability and offers!

"Been with BarnesBrinkscraft on numerous occasions.Online booking process very easy. When i have had to contact Barnesbrinkcraft while on holiday ,any issues were dealt with quickly. Found they would try to accommadate any special requests, not always possible , but you appreciate them trying. For Broads holidays ,whether boating or in a cottage ,find them to be highly competitive pricing, and there cottages do come with a dayboat outside school holidays ;which is an extra bous"
- Peter L
"A good experience and easy to ride. Friendly staff Loved it"
- Pritam S
"Fantastic holiday - many thanks"
- David H
"This is the 4th time we have stay at apartments at barnes brinkcraft. This time we stayed at Heron. Has previous stays the customer service is excellent and friendly, all encounters with members of staff has been of the same standard. Heron was very clean inside and outside the lodge. The interior and garden space very spacious. The bed was comfortable has were the sofas. The kitchen full equipped. The views over daisy broad and basin is so chilled, watching the world go by, seeing people come and go both staff working in the boat yard and holiday makers a like. There plenty of outside seating. First night we wanted to use the oven but the oven door didn’t close properly and didn’t heat up. The following morning we reported it and within 5 minutes somebody had come and fixed it. That was the only minor issue but there responds was excellent. We love coming here, it’s relaxed with everything you need. Unfortunately this time we didn’t use the day boat has I had fractured my collarbone and my wife had injured her knee, but the day boat is a big bonus, which we’ve made use of in the past. Again another great holiday with barnes brinkcraft. We booked heron again for next June. Thank you from the Fletchers and the very noisy beagle"
- Alan F
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    Barnes Marine Units Ltd, Riverside Road, Wroxham, Norwich NR12 8UD. Registered in England & Wales Reg 1321482