SUGGESTED CRUISING ROUTES
Home | Boats | Routes | Booking | Contact Us
Cheshire Cat Narrowboat Holidays © 2008/9
These are just suggestions of the many routes available. Combinations of routes and part routes are possible
if you aren't sure, just ask us – we have cruised them all ourselves!
1 week very active 2 weeks relaxed
59 hours, 116 locks
Places of interest:
Audlem village and lock flight
Market Drayton – interesting canal town
Norbury Junction – historic junction with Shrewsbury and Newport Canal (under restoration). Canalside pub, cafe
Shelmore Embankment – massive earthworks carrying the canal across the Shelmore valley
Gnosall and Brewood – pleasant canalside villages, good pubs
Autherley Junction – Staffs and Worcester Canal
The Bratch Flight – 3 lock flight (not a staircase) with side pounds – lock-keeper assisted
Kinver – canalside village, pub. Holy Austin rock dwellings
Kidderminster – canal town, canalside supermarket, interesting converted warehouses and canal buildings
Stourport – gateway to the River Severn. Shopping, pubs, banks, newly restored historic canal basins, locks down to the river.
If you are planning to cruise on the river, please advise us as additional equipment is required.
Chester and return
One week - relaxed
23 hours 32 locks
Places of interest:
Nantwich – historic market town, fine church,
shopping, banks, pubs and restaurants.
Bunbury staircase locks (wide 2-lock staircase)
Beeston Castle – English Heritage property, well worth the climb on a clear day.
Admission charge.
Historic City of Chester (easily accessed by bus from Christleton, or by boat into
Tower Wharf basin).
City centre shopping and The Rows, Cathedral, city walls, Chester racecourse
Chester staircase locks (3-lock wide staircase)
Chester Zoo
Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet Village (Ellesmere Port)
Blue Planet Aquarium (Ellesmere Port)
Ellesmere Port Boat Museum
25 hours 32 locks
One week – relaxed/moderately active
To continue to Preston Brook and return,
add 6 cruising hours, 2 locks
Cruising on the River Weaver (Not recommended for beginners.)
add at least 10 hours, depending on time spent on river.
Please advise us before setting out, as additional boat equipment is
required.
Places of interest:
Nantwich – historic market town, fine church, shopping, banks, pubs and restaurants.
Middlewich – salt town since Roman times, shops, library, pubs
Billinge Green Flash – shallow lake remaining after salt extraction (not navigable) good
spot for wildlife/bird watching
Lion Salt Works (under restoration)
Marbury Country Park – pleasant walks in nature reserve
Barnton tunnel, Saltersford Tunnel, Preston Brook Tunnel (All three tunnels are crooked,
with limited visibility
Anderton Boat Lift – historic boat lift linking the Trent and Mersey Canal to the River Weaver
Saltersford and Preston Brook operate a timed one-way system)
Frankton Junction and Montgomery
One Week Active or two weeks relaxed
Active
40 hours 58 locks
Places of interest
Nantwich – historic market town, fine church, shopping, banks, pubs and restaurants.
Wrenbury village, electric lift bridge, pubs
Grindley Brook Staircase locks. Internet cafe at locks
Whitchurch – historic Shropshire market town
Shropshire Meres
Ellesmere Town – Shopping, pubs, library, banks
Frankton staircase locks – advance booking essential
7 mile restored section of the Montgomery Canal, currently terminating
at Maesbury Marsh.
See the ongoing restoration works at Gronwen Bridge
1 week active, 2 weeks relaxed
47 hours 46 locks
Places of interest
Nantwich – historic market town, fine church,
shopping, banks, pubs and restaurants.
Wrenbury village, electric lift bridge, pubs
Grindley Brook Staircase locks. Internet cafe at locks
Whitchurch – historic Shropshire market town
Shropshire Meres
Ellesmere Town – Shopping, pubs, library, banks
Chirk Aqueduct and tunnel, Golf at Chirk Marina
The world-famous Pontcysyllte Aqueduct – over 1000 feet long, carries the canal 126 feet above the River Dee.
Llangollen town – shopping, pubs, horse drawn boat trips, steam railway, International Eisteddfod (July),
Valle Crucis Abbey (ruins of Cistercian abbey), Castell Dinas Bran
(ruins of castle, 1100ft climb).
Mooring charges apply in Llangollen
One week very active or two weeks moderately active
50 cruising hours, 94 locks
Places of interest
Audlem Locks (flight of 15)
Market Drayton – shopping, pubs
Norbury Junction – historic maintenance yard, pub, boat services
Shebden embankment
Woodseaves cutting (said to be haunted)
Gnosall – pretty canal side village
Autherley Junction – turn onto Staffs and Worcester Canal
Tixall Wide and Shugborough Hall
Great Haywood Junction
Stone – interesting canal town
Potteries and Stoke-on-Trent
Harecastle Tunnel (controlled by tunnel keepers, booking required at certain times of year)
Heartbreak Hill paired locks
Middlewich – salt town since Roman times, shopping, pubs, and library
Wardle canal (Britain's shortest!)
Nantwich – historic market town, fine church, shopping, banks, pubs and restaurants.
Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker
Two weeks active
64 cruising hours, 104 locks
Visit Peak Forest Canal and Bugsworth Basin,
add 6 cruising hours
Visit Barton Swing Aqueduct and return,
add 3 cruising hours
Places of interest:
Middlewich – salt town since Roman times, shopping, pubs, and library
Heartbreak Hill paired locks
Hardings Wood Junction
Mow Cop (well worth the climb on a clear day)
Bosley Lock flightLook out for Snake bridges – allowed towpath to change sides without unhitching the horse
Macclesfield – centre of silk industry, many fine historic mills
Bollington – interesting town, fine mills
Marple – canal side town, shopping, pubs, historic junction, Marple locks, stunning views
Peak Forest Canal – Bugsworth Basin – restored historic canal transhipment basin
Portland Junction and Industrial Heritage Museum
Manchester Piccadilly, Trafford Centre, Old Trafford
Divert over Barton Swing Aqueduct, spectacular aqueduct over the Manchester Ship Canal
Little Bollington – Dunham Massey Hall (National Trust)
Lymm – pretty canal side village
Preston Brook tunnel and Saltersford tunnel (crooked, timed one-way operation)
Anderton Boat Lift – historic boat lift linking the Trent and Mersey Canal to the River Weaver
Lion Salt Works (under restoration)
Billinge Green Flash – shallow lake (not navigable) resulting from salt extraction. Excellent for wildlife and bird watching
Middlewich
Wardle Canal – Britain's shortest!
Some suggested routes for your holiday. Remember you can choose how much or how little you do. Narrowboats travel at approximately 3mph, and this is a holiday, not an endurance trial.
Relax and enjoy yourselves, choose a route to suit the amount of activity you want to do. Afterward you can head over to one of the nearby manchester hotels for a bite to eat and a drink, or even book there for the weekend. You should consider this a leisure trip. The further you choose to cruise, the less time you will have to stop off and visit places of interest