UK Canal Boating

Cruising north from the Marina the Canal meanders through the flat but green Cheshire landscape, the Cheshire cycleway following the canal here, and continues all the way into Chester.
Off to the left by bridge 113 there is a pub- the Poachers Pocket.

Continue through the quiet countryside there are no stores until you get to Waverton where there is a shop and pub- The Black Dog with family friendly Carvery to the west of Bridge 119. There is a Pizza takeaway east of Bridge 119 , it is an hour from Tattenhall marina to here so a good place to stop if you had a late start. There is a large Grade II listed Mill building which was once steam powered and includes bays from which boats were loaded on the canal.

Just past Waverton off to your left was the site of the Battle of Rowton Moor in 1645, where one of the last major battles of the Civil War took place, with the Parliamentarians beating the Royalists.

You soon approach the outskirts of Chester and its 5 locks to take you down into the City.
After Bridge 123g you reach the Northgate staircase locks, which were cut out of solid rock and take you down another 33 feet.
You will pass various places to moor in the City centre, but it might be noisy and revellers may continue into the early hours!
You can moor by the Lock Keeper pub near Waitrose before the Northgate Staircase, but keep away from the Telfords warehouse pub which can be quite noisy.
Other Moorings in Chester are as follows:
Chester after Bridge 123D to The Frog and Nightingale PH (14 days)
Chester after Cow Lane Bridge 123E to Chester City Walls (48 hrs) Good access to City from Bridge 123e
Chester between Bridge 123L and water point before dry dock (7 days on rings)

It is 3.5 hours from the Marina to Chester.

CHESTER-
There is a wealth of things to do in this Roman City which can be seen on foot, because of the amazing survival of the old city wall. You can walk right round Chester on this superb footpath.
There has been a church on the site of The Cathedral for over 1,000 years originally a Saxon Minster then rebuilt as a Benedictine Abbey this magnificent building is a national treasure in the heart of the city. Visitors can view the Norman arches and Gothic columns and the medieval shrine of St. Werburgh. The Cloisters and Church form one of the most complete medieval monastic complexes in the country.

Handel gave his first public performance of the Messiah here in 1742.

Discover 1,000 of shops behind the façades of the black and white buildings, find high street brands to designer boutiques. Shop in Chester's Rows where 21st century stores thrive in a Medieval setting. Take home some Cheshire cheese which is one of the oldest recorded cheeses in British history and is even referred to in the Domesday Book.

Discover 2000 years of Chester life in the Grosvenor Museum see the impressive collection of Roman tombstones and displays depicting Roman Chester - look out for the Roman soldiers on the way. Discover the world of the famous naturalist Charles Kingsley and explore hands-on the geology and natural history of the area. Also visit the Cheshire Military museum situated inside the tower of Chester castle. Little of the Castle remains but the 13th century tower is open to the public.

Grosvenor Park miniature Railway is one of Chester's premier attractions for 9-90 year olds!. Open April to Oct Sat Sun & school holidays, where you can experience this steam railway laid out in the Grosvenor Park amongst the ducks, moorhens & geese.

Lying outside the town is Chester Zoo is home to 7000 animals including some of the most endangered species on the planet.

Take a journey through the Butterfly house a 400sq meters tropical house and is home to more than 30 species of butterfly from South America, Africa and South East Asia. One of the most critically threatened species around, the Philippine Crocodile is new to Chester Zoo and a breeding programme is in place for this species to ensure its long-term survival.

The Chester Visitor & Craft Centre is open Mon-Sat 9-5, and has working craft shops and cafe.

Chester Heritage Tours- – see highlights of Historic Chester from an open top 1930s vintage omnibus. Or experience Chester in an open top bus -www.city-sightseeing.com, the tour takes 55 minutes.

Chester Market in Princess Street is that site of an undercover market with up to 100 stalls selling fresh produce, and continues the tradition of a market in the city that started in the 14th Century.
Open Mon-Sat 8am to 5pm.

At the bottom of the Northgate locks staircase is a sharp right turn to Tower Wharf. There is a handy store next to Bridge 128.

Sweeping northwards along the lock free pound from Chester to the Mersey, the canal enters open country as it crosses the Wirral.

Turn around near bridge 147, as you cannot go onto the Manchester Ship Canal.
It is 3.25 hours to here from Chester.

In Ellesmere Port part of the old Dock complex is home to the Boat Museum. Exhibits, models and photos trace the development of the canal system from early time to its heyday in the 19th century.

When you arrive at the National Waterways Museum on the Shropshire Union Canal you'll find Canal & River Trust visitor moorings in the upper basin, near the museum entrance.
To stay overnight, please contact museum reception to book, open:

10.00am to 5.00pm everyday April to October
10.00am to 4.00pm November to March
Prices
1 night per person on board (or the normal museum entrance price) £9.75
Subsequent nights £4.00 each

A boat arriving with two people and staying a week would therefore pay £19.50 for day one and £24 for the next six days moorings.

The Museum will usually direct you to the lower basin, through two sets of Whitby Locks, within the museum complex. Please report to reception before descending the locks. Dogs welcome. As well as secure moorings, you'll find fresh water and refuse facilities. Boaters can use the shop, cafe and toilets.

In the Museum vessels on display include a diverse array of narrowboats and some restored period cottages.
This exciting and expanding venture in a splendid setting beside the canal is not to be missed.

Blue Planet Aquarium is west of bridge 140a . It is a new aquarium with 2 floors of interactive exhibits, themed restaurant, Caribbean reef, Amazon Jungle and shop.

Easily reached by bus from Ellesmere port, Birkenhead is worth a visit. Birkenhead Park has benefited from an £11m restoration, and the gardens inspired the designs for Central park in New York.

At Birkenhead Tramway & transport Museum you can travel back in time on either a genuine Hong Kong Tram or the beautifully restored 1901 Birkenhead Tram. Also see the Baxter collection of cars and motorcycles. . Open April to Oct Sat & Sun 1-5pm, also Wednes – Friday during School summer holidays & Easter.

German U Boat at Birkenhead-View the amazing life on board a German U Boat, you can look into the U boat and discover well preserved artefacts and a rare Enigma machine. The U Boat story is at Woodside ferry terminal inn Birkenhead.

Trace your steps back the marina and then continue southwards.

From Wharton Lock is an excellent view of Beeston castle- a massive ruin dating back to the 14th century which is visible from 30 miles away. The castle was built by the Earl of Chester in 1337, & is situated on the top of a steep hill dominating the surrounding countryside. It is open April to September.

Beeston Castle is also known as the the formidable ‘Castle of the Rock’. Climb to the top of this impressive crag with incredible views over eight counties, from the Pennines to the Welsh mountains. Legend has it that Beeston still guards King Richard II’s lost treasure – maybe your family can find it? An exciting exhibition details the secrets of 4,000 years of Beeston Castle’s history, from Bronze Age settlement to Iron Age hill fort, the Castle itself was begun in 1225.

With over 40 acres of unspoiled woodland trails to explore and an abundance of wildlife Beeston Castle and Woodland Park makes for a truly exhilarating and enchanting day out for all the family.

At Bunbury Wharf, 2 staircase locks require thought before action, they are 14 feet wide like all locks between here and Chester. The village of Bunbury is 1 mile south west of the Locks and has stores, butcher & take away fish & chips & a couple of pubs.

Bunbury Water Mill is up the hill from Bunbury Wharf, & is open Easter-Sep & gives guided tours around its fully restored watermill.

The Davenport Arms is at Calveley by bridge 104. The countryside is flat, rich farmland. The Olde Barbridge Inn is Canalside at the Barbridge Junction. Turn left along the Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal, this is an attractive and wonderfully tranquil canal, with some rural moorings.

The canal crosses the River Weaver over an aqueduct as it approaches the village of Church Minshull which can be accessed by bridge 14.

Moor by Bridge 14 and walk into the village on Church Minshull, to your left, the Badger Inn is in the village and serves lovely food and ales.

The canal continues through quiet farmland interspersed with woods until it reaches Middlewich, there are good moorings at the boatyard to the left of the junction.

The town centre is in easy walking distance from the canal and is known for its heritage events and festivals. Once a thriving centre for the excavation of salt, the canal played an important part in the success of the industry in the town. Since the decline of the salt industry, the town is a friendly place with a good range of shops and pubs to be found.

The town is home to a popular folk and boat festival which runs for three days every year over a bank holiday weekend. It has been going since 1990 missing only one year due to foot and mouth. Folk musicians play at a number of venues, and it is estimated to bring in 30,000 visitors and 400 narrowboats over the course of the weekend.

Moving on from Middlewich, you will be in the pretty countryside again, the canal being overhung by trees as it meanders along the hillside, following the valley of the River Dane. Moorings along the route are bedecked with picnic tables and barbeque facilities, supplied by Broken Cross Boating Club.

On the opposite side of the canal is open parkland.

You will be heading to Northwich, which is at the junction of the Rivers Dane and Weaver.

Northwich is another salt mining town, typical of this area. The town centre is close to the wharves near Town Bridge, and there are good moorings here. There is a relatively new shopping precinct in the town and a variety of pubs and restaurants.

Leaving here, you will soon see Anderton come into view, with its iconic boat lift. For lots of interesting information about the boat lift, visit www.andertonboatlift.co.uk or call 01606 786777.

There is a cafe at the lift, serving hot and cold drinks and light snacks. It's opening times are the same as the lift.

If you arrive at the boat lift in season, you can just turn up & wait for a slot, as the glass-topped trip boat goes up and down the lift all day, but you might have to wait in the high season, but it is no hardship, as it is fascinating to watch the amazing structure of the Boatlift.

The Lift connects the River Weaver with the Trent & Mersey Canal. There is a large Operations Centre housing an extensive interactive exhibition, and a shop and a cafe with a seating area offering good views out over the River. There is also a pub opposite the Boatlift- The Stanley Arms, where children are welcome & they have outside seating and childrens play area Tel 01606-75059.

Once you have gone down and then back up the boat lift you need to start your journey home, its 13.5 hours back to the Marina

 

NB: This route has been provided as a guide only. Information may become inaccurate or out of date. You should always check with the marina that the route is possible within your time frame, current weather conditions and canal stoppages etc.