Red2000

Moor before Chirk tunnel and there is a train station 2 min walk. Frequent trains to Chester.

There is more to Ellesmere than a Tesco and some pubs. There are 3 meres within walking distance if your into that. Google the mere miander. There are 9 meres altogether. You can moor beside Blakemere too - one of my favourite stops on the canal. At the Llangollen end of the Chirk tunnel is a train station abour 2 mins walk away. You can be in Chesterin 30 mins and Liverpool in an hour. Llangollen is a bit pricey, but very pretty. We walk to the Horse Shoe Falls then stop at the Chain Bridge Hotel for something to eat, then get steam train back to Llangollen. ?

http://www.u-boatstory.co.uk This is based at Birkenhead, over the water from Liverpool. Worth a trip if in Liverpool. Just a couple of stops on Merseyrail.

Narrowboat Inn at Middlewich well worth a visit.10 minute walk from Kings Lock or top of Wardle Lock. The guys that run it are very welcoming, food and cask conditioned ale V good. Barbaridge Inn also worth a visit on way to Nantwich. Good food and again cask conditioned ale.

Chester is only 30 mins away from Chirk too by train.

The White Hart at Ellesmere is the best real ale pub in town. It doesn't do food but if you ask the landlady nicely she Will let you get a take out and eat it in the lounge. Dog and child friendly. There is a train station at Chirk and one stop away is the Bridge End real ale pub at Ruabon. Moor after the tunnel and the station is 2 mins walk.

The Hand Hotel in Chirk (about 15 min walk from moorings by the Bridge pub sign) do a good early doors menu and they normally have one of the Stonehose Cask Conditioned Ale on too. If you moor just past the tunnel at Chirk going towards Llangollen, the train station is only a couple of minutes away and you can get the train to Ruabon (one stop along) and go the the Bridge End Inn which is a free house and the brewery tap for McGivern Ales. http://www.mcgivernales.co.uk/page5.html Check out the opening times before you go as I think its 4 - 11 week days and 12 - 11 at the weekend. You can do a good pub crawl at Chirk. We normally have a pint in the Hand Hotel, get the train to Ruabon, couple of drinks there. Then get the train back and have a curry in the curry house opposite the Hand Hotel. Then one in the Hand Hotel and one for road in the Bridge. The Bridge End Inn at Ruabon though does not do food, but you can get good pork pies and scotch eggs. Cheers Red2000