Parking places on the Llangollen / Shropshire Union / Middlewich Branch

[Emerald Fox]

Thinking of lurking around the Llangollen Canal area next Winter - what moorings are available for a few weeks/months at a time? I have found Chirk Marina, Whitchurch Marina, Barbridge Marina and Aqueduct Marina so far. Which are the nicest marinas (and why?) and which are the nastiest marinas (and why?).

Are there any 'private places' that offer moorings? Non-live-a-board (although there might be the occasional night or two).

 

What are the good things in this part of the canal world, and what things should be avoided? (Cheshire/Shropshire/Wild Wales).

[Southern Star]

The only one I have any experience of is Aqueduct Marina, from where we bought our boat. The restaurant is superb, and there's a good chandlery. I don't think they do short term moorings though, and it is a bit pricey.

[MHS]

Aqueduct is pricey. We enjoyed 2 1/2 years there with our shared boat, then 1 year with our own boat.

 

You're paying for really good service. They have a large number of very helpful staff. I can thoroughly recommend it.

[Pie Eater]

Nantwich marina, Venetian marina, Whixhall marina, Blackwater Meadow? marina at Ellesmere.

 

Steve

[sultan derocco]

We spent a winter at Chirk Marina but it was 5 years ago. It was a friendly place with a few liveaboards who had been there for years. Most services in Chirk and buses nearby. The golf course has gone but the club-house is now a restaurant.

The marina was getting in need of a bit of tlc then. Could have been improved or may have deteriorated- who knows!

[churchward]

Thinking of lurking around the Llangollen Canal area next Winter - what moorings are available for a few weeks/months at a time? I have found Chirk Marina, Whitchurch Marina, Barbridge Marina and Aqueduct Marina so far. Which are the nicest marinas (and why?) and which are the nastiest marinas (and why?).

Are there any 'private places' that offer moorings? Non-live-a-board (although there might be the occasional night or two).

 

What are the good things in this part of the canal world, and what things should be avoided? (Cheshire/Shropshire/Wild Wales).

There is Swanley Marina on the llangollen 6 bridges down from Hurlseton locks at the Nantwich end of the branch. They are OK with liveaboards. Nice Marina we have found and some nice folk about.

 

I have heard a couple of not so good stories of intimidation from a couple of bad sorts and their dogs at Venetian marina but only second hand but one of the people I spoke to had just moved out because of it late summer last year. I can't verify if there are any issues there just now.

Edited January 15, 2016 by churchward

[The Toad in the Hole]

I moor at chick. Have done for years. I really like it but I don't live there, and its location really suits me for walking/ climbing as well as the boat. The Boathouse is really nice now, good food and beer. The marina have always been good for work etc and the pontoons have been improved recently.

 

You could always just go for a winter mooring at llangollen

[Emerald Fox]

Thanks for these comments - they have helped, and I have hatched a Cunning Plan. That's what I like about this boating lark, all the plotting & planning and looking at timetables and making timetables.

This is a part of the country I'm not familiar with, so it's all interesting.

I wonder does the Llangollen Canal freeze often in Winter?

[Southern Star]

 

I wonder does the Llangollen Canal freeze often in Winter?

I don't know, but my guess would be that it would be less likely to freeze than most other canals simply by virtue of the fact that it has a current, it is used to feed the reservoir at the inland end.

[churchward]

Thanks for these comments - they have helped, and I have hatched a Cunning Plan. That's what I like about this boating lark, all the plotting & planning and looking at timetables and making timetables.

This is a part of the country I'm not familiar with, so it's all interesting.

I wonder does the Llangollen Canal freeze often in Winter?

Probably less so than some canals as Southern Star says it has a flow (about 3 mph) due to the water feeding the reservoir as the canal is used as an open pipe. Just don't fall in it is chuffing freezing even in the summer especially at the Llangollen end where the water is brought in from the river Dee.

[tree monkey]

Thanks for these comments - they have helped, and I have hatched a Cunning Plan. That's what I like about this boating lark, all the plotting & planning and looking at timetables and making timetables.

This is a part of the country I'm not familiar with, so it's all interesting.

I wonder does the Llangollen Canal freeze often in Winter?

in the10 years i moored on the Llan it froze twice and both of those times it was a very cold winter and they had reduced the flow because of some winter maintenance, so the answer is not often but occasionally