Cruising Routes For The Llangollen Canal
CRUISE 1 - 7 DAYS CRUISE ON THE LLANGOLLEN CANAL
The cruise is for those who want to cruise the whole of the Llangollen Canal, which will take an average of 8 hours cruising every day for 6 days.The Chirk Aqueduct is another impressive structure built by Thomas Telford, and is 70 feet high, and beside it at 100 feet high is an impressive Viaduct built in 1848 to take the Shrewsbury & Chester Railway across the valley. The Chirk Tunnel is 1,377 feet in length, and once through this you can moor up and walk to Chirk Castle, a 700 year old Castle managed by the National trust.
Llangollen, a very pretty Welsh town at the Western end of the Canal, is easily reached from our marina in a couple of days, and is a pleasant base to moor up for 24 hours.
Those who fancy a few more locks can cruise back to Blackwater & then go eastwards towards Grindley Brook, a set of 6 locks just past the bustling market town of Whitchurch, and then on to Hurleston meeting more locks on the way, and to where the Llangollen canal meets the Shropshire Union canal. Then its back home to Blackwater Meadow marina.
CRUISE 2 This short cruise takes you over the 2 famous Aqueducts, through tunnels to the lovely Welsh town of Llangollen.
Llangollen, a very pretty Welsh town at the Western end of the Canal, is easily reached from our marina in a couple of days, and is a pleasant base to moor up for 24 hours.
CRUISE 3 _THE FOUR COUNTIES RING-one of the most rural rings you can do, but for experienced narrowboaters only – 2 WEEK TRIP
At Barbridge Junction the Middlewich Branch of the ‘Shroppie’ diverts from the main line through pretty countryside towards Wardle Lock. A small section of canal, the Wardle Branch, completes the connection to the Trent & Mersey at Middlewich. The locks here can be busy in summer.
Big Lock can take two boats side by side. Middlewich evolved as a result of the Romans discovering salt here, they called the town Salinea. Turning right at Middlewich the Trent & Mersey continues the rural theme but soon the long climb up ‘Heartbreak Hill’ requires some spirited lock wheeling before reaching Harecastle Tunnel. Passage is only permitted under instructions of the tunnel keeper. The brown water denotes the presence of leached minerals as the canal heads through the heart of The Potteries. At Etruria the Ski Centre, China Gardens and Waterworld immediately precede Festival Park Marina, site of the 1986 Stoke Garden Festival, shortly after which the Caldon Canal branches off towards Froghall and its famously low tunnel. Stoke City Football Club, perhaps forever associated with Sir Stanley Mathews, is to the left and Trentham Gardens merit the detour of about a mile to the right.
Great Haywood Junction takes the Staffs & Worcs Canal through Tixall Wide, an expanse of water created to mitigate objections of the resident at Tixall Hall who did not want his view spoilt. Past Shugborough Hall and the scenery remains tranquil as the canal wends its way lazily through old settlements and the occasional lock. Approaching Autherley Junction the canal narrows for about half a mile, with room for one boat only. At Autherley Junction the Shropshire Union negotiates a stop lock and then continues to a solitary lock at Wheaton Aston before a series of locks including flights of 5 at Tyrley, 5 at Adderley and 15 at Audlem drop the line back down towards the Cheshire Plain.
At Hurlston junction to the left the Llangollen wends its way towards the Welsh hills, ahead on the right lies Barbridge Junction.