Looking for a new berth

[badgerbag]

Hi,

We’ve been at our present marina, in the Napton area for a few years and are thinking about moving up to the Shroppie/Llangollen area. Has anyone any experiences/recommendations of marinas. We’re not looking for anything fancy, or residential, just quiet and secure. I see that Sawley Bridge seems well thought of, and there is an ABC place at Nantwich, but I’ve not been that way for a few years and can’t remember what it’s like.

cheers

Tim

[robtheplod]

Tattenhall is nice! 

[Pie Eater]

I think you mean Swanley Bridge not Sawley Bridge - on the Llangollen Canal.

[badgerbag]

Yes that’s the one I was thinking of. Thanks 

[Slim]

1 hour ago, Pie Eater said:

I think you mean Swanley Bridge not Sawley Bridge - on the Llangollen Canal.

I left my boat there for several weeks some years ago. Considered re- locating there but as I recall the pub was some distance away. 😉 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

4 hours ago, robtheplod said:

Tattenhall is nice! 

I think Tattenhall is a good call. 
Had its own small café and a new bar when I dropped by 4(?) years ago. 
Is the Shady Oak Pub still ok?

 

[Stroudwater1]

Tattenhalls advantage is that you can moor if space allows in one of their other marinas. Ive heard good things about them from someone who moored temporarily there in the Summer. 

 

The same for ABC at Nantwich. They have only recently taken them on. It seemed quite a nice small marina when we went past last year, pre take over. The chandlers there was well stocked but I am not sure what the intention is with that. ABC probably have a better spread around the country for that, I thought they were quite pricey for fees when I last looked. 

 

Im surprised some of the independent marinas don't join together for temporary boat moorings in each others marinas, it may increase business perhaps? 

 

 

 

 

[robtheplod]

1 hour ago, beerbeerbeerbeerbeer said:

I think Tattenhall is a good call. 
Had its own small café and a new bar when I dropped by 4(?) years ago. 
Is the Shady Oak Pub still ok?

 

The Cafe/bar is still onsite and doing very well, as is the Shady Oak (recently re-opened)......

[PeterF]

1 hour ago, beerbeerbeerbeerbeer said:

I think Tattenhall is a good call. 
Had its own small café and a new bar when I dropped by 4(?) years ago. 
Is the Shady Oak Pub still ok?

 

I am moving to Tattenhall towards the end of the year, seems a good choice for the cost and they did have a few vacancies when we sorted this out in early September. Swanley Bridge and Overwater are nice but were full in early September with no vacancies on the horizon, Aqueduct may have some vacancies but 25-30% more expensive than the others in the area. Venetian Marine had vacancies and were competitive, some like the location, others do not like the open basin. They said they had dredged it as it was shallow as most people in the area know. The one downside of them is the electricity is not metered but included but if you have a leisure mooring you are not allowed to keep your boat permanently hooked up nor have heaters on board over the winter, which made it a no no for us. We did not try the ABC marina at Nantwich, seems OK but may not have much space either, it was pretty full in there last week when we visited the Cafe.

 

Regarding the Shady Oak, I believe it shut after lockdown but is now open again under new management. We called in early September and had an excellent meal and some good beer.

[Annie cariad]

Depending on size Nantwich may be too small my 60 ft NB was tight on the mooring offered . That said it's nice as is the town .

[tizzy]

We moored at Tattenhall for nearly 9 years and on the whole were quite satisfied but ....... everywhere you want to go there are 5 BIG HEAVY WIDE LOCKS including the staircase at Bunbury 😐 I got so fed up we moved to the Midlands and the bliss of narrow locks !