Our Pontcysyllte Aqueduct daily boat trips are back
Our Little Star trip boat offers daily skippered narrowboat trips across the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in North Wales
From Easter Friday 29 March until 31 October 2024 trips run five times a day.
Learn about the history of the site
Little Star takes passengers along the Llangollen Canal and across the UNESCO World Heritage Pontcysyllte Aqueduct to experience amazing views across the Dee Valley. Our knowledgeable team provides commentary on board about the fascinating history of the site.
Refreshments are available to purchase on board, including hot and cold drinks, and ice creams.
Group travel bookings
As well as daily 45-minute return trips, we offer bespoke cruises for groups of 20 or more. For example, we can host a two-hour return journey along the Llangollen Canal to Bryn Howel and back. This longer cruise gives visitors the chance to experience more of the 11-mile UNESCO World Heritage site.
Ticket prices
‘Little Star’/’Seren Fach’ offers space for up to 48 passengers. Adult tickets are priced at £10 each, children (aged under 16) are priced at £6. Family tickets for two adults and two children are priced at £25 each. Adult tickets for groups of 10 or more start at £9 each.
From 29 March to 31 October, trips depart daily at 11am, 12 noon, 1.30pm, 2.30pm and 3.30pm from Canal Wharf, Trevor, Llangollen LL20 7TT.
Parking
Parking is available a short walk away at the Acrefair ‘pay & display’ car park, Wrexham LL14 3SG. We advise using this postcard for your SatNav or Google maps, rather than ‘Pontcysyllte Aqueduct’.
To book tickets
For more information about Little Star boat trips and to book in advance, go to https://www.anglowelsh.co.uk/little-star/ or call our bookings team on 0117 304 1122.
We’re celebrating the Bingley 250 with a Silsden offer
Celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Bingley Five Rise Locks on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal near Bradford
To celebrate the Bingley Five Rise Locks 250th anniversary, we’re offering 15% off 2024 canal boat holidays from Silsden, booked by 23 April 2024.
Step aboard one of our widebeam boats at the Bingley 250 celebration event
We’re also going to exhibit one of our widebeam holiday hire boats at the Canal & River Trust’s public celebration event at the locks on Saturday 23 March 2024.
The 55ft ‘Helen’s Drum’ has accommodation for up to eight people. Towpath visitors will be able to step aboard the boat to see the bedrooms, kitchen and shower rooms and other facilities on board.
‘Helen’s Drum’ will be moored alongside the towpath, not far from the top of the Bingley Five Rise Locks.
Routes from Silsden
Our boat hire base at Silsden is just six miles along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal from the Bingley Five Rise Locks. We offer a choice of 17 narrowboats and six wide beam boats for hire.
On a short break, you can head east through the beautiful Aire Valley to Bingley and Saltaire. Or you can cruise west to Skipton, Gargrave and the Yorkshire Dales.
On a week’s break, you can continue heading east to Apperley Bridge and Leeds Dock, or west to Barnoldswick and Foulridge Tunnel.
Prices
2024 prices from Silsden start at £570 for a short break (three or four nights), £875 for a week.
Book your holiday
To check availability and book, go to https://www.anglowelsh.co.uk/ or call the booking team on 0117 304 1122, quoting ‘BINGLEY250’.
This offer can’t be used in conjunction with any other offer. Standard hire boat terms & conditions apply.
Treat your Mum to a day out boating for Mother’s Day
A family day out cruising gently through the countryside is the perfect way to treat your Mum this Mother’s Day
We offer day boat hire from a number of our bases across England and Wales, with prices starting at £99 for a boat for up to 10 people. Tuition is included, so it’s a great way to try canal boating.
All our day boats are equipped with the facilities you need for a day afloat – cutlery, crockery, a kettle, 2 burner hob, fridge, sink and toilet. So you can plan a picnic afloat along the way or stop off at a canalside pub for lunch. There’s indoor and outdoor seating on all our day boats, so whatever the weather, you can enjoy the ever changing view.
Here’s a guide to our Top 5 day boat destinations to celebrate Mother’s Day:
1. Cruise to Nantwich in Cheshire
You can reach Nantwich on a day afloat from Bunbury on the Shropshire Union Canal near Tarporley. The two-hour journey takes you through six peaceful miles of Cheshire countryside. You’ll pass the canalside Barbridge Inn and you’ll cross the impressive Grade II listed Nantwich Aqueduct with panoramic views across the town. There are no locks along the way, making it a leisurely day, perfect for narrowboat novices.
2. Head to Rugeley in Staffordshire
On a day out from Great Haywood on the Trent & Mersey Canal you can cruise to the historic market town of Rugeley. It’s a four-mile journey through the Staffordshire countryside. You’ll pass through two locks and you’ll travel through the Cannock Chase Forest area of outstanding beauty. You can moor up at bridge 68 for a pub lunch at The Wolseley Arms.
3. Travel to Whitchurch in Shropshire
From Whixall on the Prees Branch of the Llangollen Canal, you can reach the historic market town of Whitchurch. You’ll pass the Hadley Farm Café along the way and there’s a good choice of places to eat in Whitchurch, including the Black Bear pub. The journey to Whitchurch and back takes around five hours.
4. Navigate to Wilmcote in Warwickshire
From Wootton Wawen you can cruise south along the Stratford Canal to the village of Wilmcote and back. The journey will take you across the Edstone Aqueduct, the longest aqueduct in England, with views across the Warwickshire countryside. From moorings at the top of the Wilmcote flight, it’s a short walk into the village to the Mary Arden Inn. The journey to Wilmcote and back takes five hours.
5. Boat to Llangollen in North Wales
From our day boat hire centre on the Llangollen Canal at Trevor, you can reach the historic market town of Llangollen. The journey to Llangollen, where there’s a great choice of places to eat, takes around two-and-a-half hours and there are no locks.
To view day boat availability and book, please follow this link
Cruising the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct by Narrowboat
The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct carries the Llangollen Canal across the Dee Valley in North Wales
Nicknamed ‘the stream in the sky’, Pontcysyllte Aqueduct was built in 1805 by pioneering canal engineer Thomas Telford, and was granted World Heritage Status in 2009.
Pronounced ‘Pont-ker-sulth-tay’, the Welsh for ‘the bridge that connects’, it’s considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the Waterways. And travelling across the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is a ‘bucket list’ experience for canal boat holiday-makers.
Our canal boat hire base at Trevor is right next to the Aqueduct. And you can cruise to it in around 10 hours from our base at Whixall Marina.
We also offer boat trips across the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct.
Standing 38 metres high and 307 metres in length, it’s the longest and highest aqueduct in Britain.
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct carries 1.5 million litres of water, enough to fill 16,666 baths.
It’s formed of a cast iron trough, supported by iron arched ribs and carried on 18 stone pillars. It has over 11,000 bolts and iron used to make the trough was cast locally at Plaskynaston Foundary
The stone piers holding up the iron trough are hollow at the top to reduce their weight. As well as lime and water, the mortar used in the building of the aqueduct contained ox blood, believed to give it strength.
Designed by Thomas Telford, it was built using wooden scaffolding and simple cranes. It took over 500 men and 10 years to build the aqueduct and 8,000 people came to the opening ceremony of the aqueduct in 1805.
It’s a Grade I Listed structure and a Scheduled Ancient Monument and is cared for by national waterways charity the Canal & River Trust.
The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct & Canal World Heritage Site stretches for 11 miles from Gledrid in England to Llangollen in Wales.
UNESCO describes the site as ‘a masterpiece of creative genius’ and ‘an outstanding piece of industrial and engineering heritage comprising of embankments, tunnels, viaducts and aqueducts.’
The whole length of the site has also been designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument of National Importance and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
10-day and two week canal boat holidays from Bunbury
You can cruise the Four Counties or the Cheshire Ring from our base at Bunbury in Cheshire
The Four Counties Ring (115 miles, 98 locks, 63 hours)
This popular circuit takes you on an unforgettable canal boating journey through the counties of Staffordshire, the West Midlands, Cheshire and Shropshire. Highlights include: the 2,670-metre long Harecastle Tunnel, the flight of 15 locks at Audlem, views of the Cheshire Plains and the Roman town of Middlewich.
Head south along the Shropshire Union Canal passing Barbridge Junction, with its Olde Barbridge Inn. Continue south along the Shropshire Union Canal and you’ll pass over the Nantwich Aqueduct on the outskirts of Nantwich. Two rural miles later, there are two locks at Hack Green, close to the Secret Hack Green Nuclear Bunker, once one of the nation’s most secret defence sites, and now a fascinating museum. Three miles on at Audlem, you’ll pass the Shroppie Fly pub and Audlem Mill, selling canal gifts, crafts and the locally made Snugbury’s Jersey Ice Cream. Then the Audlem flight of 15 locks takes the canal 93ft downhill to a lock-free mile, before another flight of five locks at Adderley. Next you’ll travel through Betton Cutting, past Brownhills Wood before reaching the historic market town of Market Drayton, home of the gingerbread man. Then there are five locks at Tyrley. After that, the canal is lock free for 17 miles, passing through a series of cuttings, embankments and villages with excellent pubs. Places to stop along this 17-mile stretch include: Goldstone Wharf with its Wharf Tavern pub; Staffordshire Wildlife Trust’s Loynton Moss Nature Reserve at Grub Street; the Old Wharf Tearoom at Norbury Junction; the Royal Oak at Gnosnall; and the Hartley Arms and Mottey Meadows Nature Reserve at Wheaton Ashton.
There’s just one lock at Wheaton, then the route is lock-free again for eight miles, passing the Bridge pub at Brewood. Then you’ll go under the M54 motorway and pass close to Pendeford Mill Nature Reserve, before meeting Autherley Junction Stop Lock and the southern end of ‘The Shroppie’. You’ll transfer onto the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal, passing through Gailey, and then Penkridge, where there are several shops and pubs, including the Star Inn and the canalside Boat Inn. Cruise on through the Staffordshire countryside, passing the canalside Catch Corner pub at bridge 98. Then you’ll reach Tixall Wide, a beautiful stretch of water where the canal widens before reaching Great Haywood junction. Head north along the Trent & Mersey Canal to the old market town of Stone, travelling for five hours and passing through four locks. Along the way, the route passes the village of Weston, with The Woolpack and Saracen’s Head pubs. Next, canal boat holiday-makers can enjoy views of the imposing Sandon Hall, its 400 acres of rolling parkland, and Grade II* listed Pitt’s Column, erected in 1806 by the first Earl of Harrowby in memory of the great Prime Minister Pitt the Younger.
The canal then passes along the outskirts of Burston, where the family-run micro-brewery Greyhound pub is well worth the short walk to. On arriving in Stone, there are visitor moorings at Westbridge Park, opposite the Swan pub, and a little further along past the Star pub on the left. Stone is considered to be the food and drink capital of Staffordshire, with regular markets, a diverse choice of cuisine and annual Stone Food & Drink Festival. Continue north from Stone along the Trent & Mersey Canal to Stoke-on-Trent, first travelling through Meaford Locks, and past Neil Morrissey’s canalside Plume of Feathers pub at Barlaston. Just before Trentham Lock, you can stop to explore the World of Wedgwood, with a factory tour, afternoon tea in the Wedgewood tea room, woodland walks and award winning museum housing a UNESCO protected collection. Just under five miles later, after travelling through the Stoke flights of five locks, the canal reaches its junction with the Caldon Canal at Etruria, in Stoke-on-Trent. Here you can stop to visit the Etruria Industrial Museum, Spode Visitor Centre and the Waterworld indoor aqua park. Continuing north along the Trent & Mersey Canal, you’ll pass through the mighty one-and-three-quarter-mile long Harecastle Tunnel, re-emerging at Kidsgrove, and Harding’s Wood Junction, where the Macclesfield Canal meets the Trent & Mersey. Here you’ll meet the summit of ‘Heartbreak Hill’ – the series of 31 locks between Middlewich and Kidsgrove, that raise the canal 280ft up from the Cheshire Plains.
The next village is Rode Heath with its Royal Oak pub and Rode Hall, one of Cheshire’s most exquisite country houses. The South Cheshire Way crosses the canal at Lower Thurlwood Lock, one of a flight of three, then it’s the two Pierpoint Locks, and then there are two more at Hassall Green, just before the canal passes beneath the M6 motorway.
At Wheelock, where there’s a choice of pubs, including the canalside Cheshire Cheese, and eight more locks to negotiate. From Wheelock it’s a mile-long walk into the historic town of Sandbach, with regular markets, a Waitrose supermarket and plenty of places to eat and drink. Next there’s a three-mile break from locks as the canal winds round Ettiley Heath and the Sandbach Flashes, a group of 14 wetlands designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Four miles and another four locks on, the canal reaches the historic market town Middlewich, famous for its salt industry which dates back to medieval times. Here the Four Counties Ring route leaves the Trent & Mersey Canal, heading to Barbridge along the Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal. This quiet waterway travels peacefully through the Cheshire countryside, with just four locks along its 10-mile length. Along the way, the Badger Inn at Church Minshull is a short walk from the canal.
After travelling for a further two miles to Barbridge Junction, with its Olde Barbridge Inn. Head south down the Shropshire Union Canal. The route passes over the Nantwich Aqueduct on the outskirts of Nantwich. Two rural miles later, there are two locks at Hack Green, close to the Secret Hack Green Nuclear Bunker, once one of the nation’s most secret defence sites, and now a fascinating museum. Three miles on at Audlem, you’ll pass the Shroppie Fly pub and Audlem Mill, selling canal gifts, crafts and the locally made Snugbury’s Jersey Ice Cream. Then the Audlem flight of 15 locks takes the canal 93ft downhill to a lock-free mile, before another flight of five locks at Adderley. Next you’ll travel through Betton Cutting, past Brownhills Wood before reaching the historic market town of Market Drayton, home of the gingerbread man. Then there are five locks at Tyrley. After that, the canal is lock free for 17 miles, passing through a series of cuttings, embankments and villages with excellent pubs. Places to stop along this 17-mile stretch include: Goldstone Wharf with its Wharf Tavern pub; Staffordshire Wildlife Trust’s Loynton Moss Nature Reserve at Grub Street; the Old Wharf Tearoom at Norbury Junction; the Royal Oak at Gnosnall; and the Hartley Arms and Mottey Meadows Nature Reserve at Wheaton Ashton.
There’s just one lock at Wheaton, then the route is lock-free again for eight miles, passing the Bridge pub at Brewood. Then you’ll go under the M54 motorway and pass close to Pendeford Mill Nature Reserve, before meeting Autherley Junction Stop Lock and the southern end of ‘The Shroppie’. You’ll then travel north up the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal back to Great Haywood.
The Cheshire Ring (122 miles, 104 locks, 65 hours)
This epic journey will take you right through the heart of Manchester and into the Peak District via the Ashton, Macclesfield, Peak Forest, Rochdale, Trent & Mersey and Bridgewater canals. Highlights along the way include: the incredible Anderton Boat Lift; stunning views of the Peak District; and Manchester’s China Town.
Head south down the Shropshire Union Canal, through the Bunbury Locks and onto the Middlewich Branch via Barbridge Junction, with its Olde Barbridge Inn. Cruise to Middlewich Junction, passing close to the village of Church Minshall and The Badger Inn. Transfer onto the Trent & Mersey Canal and head south through the Cheshire Locks, to Harding’s Wood Junction, home of the Broughton Arms. Travel across the Pool Aqueduct onto the Macclesfield Canal and then shortly afterwards cross the Red Bull Aqueduct. Cruise on through the countryside and woodland, past numerous canalside towns and villages, including Congleton.
Go through the 12 locks at Bosley and continue on through Macclesfield to Marple Junction and the Ring O’Bells pub. Next join the Peak Forest Canal and go through the 16 locks at Marple, experiencing amazing views of the surrounding countryside. Next you’ll cross Marple Aqueduct, carrying the canal across the River Goyt. The scenery starts to become more industrial as you approach Manchester. Join the Ashton Canal at Dunkenfield Junction. You’ll cruise through central Manchester, through Picadilly and then past Canal Street, close to Chinatown. There are lots of places to eat near the canal, including The Wharf pub in Castlefield. At Castlefield Junction, you’ll join the Bridgewater Canal and start heading away from the city.
Travel south to Lymm, with great views of the Pennines. There are lots of places to eat in Lymm, including Eighteen The Cross and the canalside Golden Fleece. Join the Trent & Mersey Canal once again, going through the 1,239 yard long Preston Brook Tunnel. There are two more tunnels to go through before you reach the Anderton Boat Lift, one of the Severn Wonders of the Waterways and also known as The Cathedral of the Canals. Pass by the lift and cruise on to Middlewich, where you turn back onto the Middlewich Branch, heading to Barbridge Junction. Turn right at the junction onto the Shropshire Union Canal and back through the Bunbury Locks.
To check availability and book click here or call us on 0117 463 3419.
Week-long canal boat holidays from Bunbury
Cruise through the beautiful Cheshire and Shropshire countryside from our narrowboat hire base at Bunbury
Norbury Junction and back (58 miles, 58 locks, 31 hours)
Travel slowly through the countryside to Norbury Junction and back, visiting canalside pubs and the historic market town of Market Drayton along the way.
Head south from Bunbury to Barbridge Junction and the Olde Barbridge Inn. Continue along the Shropshire Union Canal past Hurleston Junction and then cruise over the Nantwich Aqueduct, with great views across the historic town, with a choice of shops, pubs and restaurants. After the two locks at Hack Green, stop near Bridge 85 to visit the Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker. Here you can explore the labyrinth of rooms and equipment and watch the previously banned ‘The War Game’ film. Continuing along the Shropshire Union Canal, next you come to Audlem where you’ll find a flight of 15 locks and the iconic canalside Shroppie Fly pub. At Adderley there are five more lock before you arrive at the historic market town of Market Drayton, home of the gingerbread man. Continue heading south, passing through the five locks at Tyrley. Cruise on through the Cheshire countryside past the Wharf Tavern at Goldstone Wharf. Cross Shebdon Aqueduct and soon after you’ll pass the historic Anchor pub at Old Lea. After Grub Street, you’ll pass Loynton Moss Nature Reserve and then you’ll reach Norbury Wharf. Here you can turn and moor up. There’s a choice of places to eat, including The Junction Inn.
Llangollen and back (97 miles, 46 locks, 47 hours)
Cruise through the countryside, the Shropshire Lake District and the Welsh Mountains, passing through the historic market towns of Whitchurch and Ellesmere and cruising across the UNESCO World Heritage Pontcysyllte Aqueduct.
Head south through Bunbury Locks and on to Barbridge Junction, where the Middlewich Branch meets the Shropshire Union Canal. Continue to Hurleston Junction, where you’ll travel through Hurleston Locks and on to the Llangollen Canal. Cruise on through the countryside and stop at bridge 12 for a walk to the Farmers Arms in the village of Ravensmoor. Climb through Baddiley Locks and soon after you’ll reach Wrenbury, with the canalside Dusty Miller and Cotton Arms. Continue on to Marbury, home to the Swan Inn and on to Grindley Brook Locks and historic Whitchurch, with independent shops and restaurants, way-marked walks and award-winning Black Bear pub. Cruise on through the Shropshire Lack District, past Whixall Moss nature reserve. At Ellesmere there are plenty of visitor moorings, giving you the chance to explore this pretty market town with a mix of Tudor, Georgian and Victorian buildings, as well as its famous Mere, with woodland walks. Continue on past Frankton Junction where the Montgomery Canal meets the Llangollen Canal. Cruise on through the countryside, going through two locks at New Marton. The canalside Lion Quays restaurant is next to Moreton Bridge no.17 and soon after the Poachers Pocket pub is canalside at Gledrid. From here, the next 11-miles of the Llangollen Canal is designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. You’ll pass The Bridge Inn at Chirk Bank just before you cross over the magnificent Chirk Aqueduct, the railway viaduct alongside. Opened in 1801, Chirk Aqueduct carries the canal 21.3 metres above the English/Welsh border. The National Trust’s medieval fortress Chirk Castle is upon the hill. Continue on through Chirk Tunnel then Whitehouses Tunnel. You’ll pass the Aqueduct Inn at Froncysyllte and then you’ll cross the spectacular Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, with its jaw-dropping panoramic views of the Dee Valley 38 metres below. You’ll pass Trevor Basin next and from there it takes around two hours to cruise to the ancient Welsh town of Llangollen. Nestled in the Berwyn Mountains, Llangollen is home to the annual Eisteddfod international music festival. You’ll pass the canalside Sun pub along the way. Once in Llangollen, you can moor up in Llangollen Basin to explore the town, including the Llangollen Steam Railway, Plas Newydd house and gardens and the Horseshoe Falls. There are many independent shops and places to eat, including the popular Corn Mill with stunning river and mountain views.
To check availability and book click here or call us on 0117 463 3419.
10-day and two week canal boat holidays from Great Haywood
You can complete the Black Country Ring or the Four Counties Ring on a longer break from our Great Haywood base near Stafford
The Black Country Ring (75 miles, 79 locks, 42.5 hours)
This circuit cruises sections of the Birmingham & Fazeley, Birmingham Main Line, Coventry, Staffordshire & Worcestershire and Trent & Mersey canals. Highlights include: Birmingham’s Gas Street Basin; the 21 locks at Wolverhampton; and the peaceful waters at Tixall Wide.
At Great Haywood Junction, join the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal and head west. You’ll pass a small aqueduct before reaching Tixall Wide, a beautiful stretch of water where the canal widens. Cruise on through the Staffordshire countryside, passing the canalside Radford pub at bridge 98. Next you’ll reach the market town of Penkridge, where there are several shops and pubs, including The Boat and The Cross Keys. You’ll pass Gailey Wharf. Turn at Aldersley Junction and then you’ll go through the Wolverhampton flight of 21 locks on the Birmingham Canal Navigations Main Line. It takes around three or four hours to go through the locks, then you’ll join the New Birmingham Main Line Canal, which will take you to Gas Street Basin in the centre of Birmingham. Here you can moor up and explore the city, including nearby Brindleyplace with its Sea Life Centre, Mailbox Shopping Centre and great choice of waterside restaurants. You can also walk to other city centre attractions, including the Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery with its wonderful collection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings. Next you’ll join the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal, and you’ll go through a flight of 11 locks. At Fazeley Junction you’ll join the Coventry Canal, where it’s lock-free until Fradley Junction. Here there’s a Canalside Café and The Swan Inn to visit, and you can enjoy spotting wildlife along the woodland trail and boardwalk at Fradley Pool Nature Reserve. From Fradley, transfer onto the Trent & Mersey Canal and head north going through the historic town of Rugeley with its canalside Colliers pub. You’ll then pass through Cannock Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Wolseley Bridge, with canalside Wolseley Arms pub and access to the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust’s Wolseley Centre. Next you’ll cruise past Little Haywood, with Red Lion and Lamb & Flag pubs. And then the National Trust’s Shugborough Hall is close by, with riverside gardens dotted with fascinating monuments and follies before returning to Great Haywood.
The Four Counties Ring (110 miles, 94 locks, 60 hours)
This popular circuit takes you on an unforgettable canal boating journey through the counties of Staffordshire, the West Midlands, Cheshire and Shropshire. Highlights include: the 2,670-metre long Harecastle Tunnel, the flight of 15 locks at Audlem, views of the Cheshire Plains and the Roman town of Middlewich.
Head north along the Trent & Mersey Canal to the old market town of Stone, travelling for five hours and passing through four locks. Along the way, the route passes the village of Weston, with The Woolpack and Saracen’s Head pubs. Next, canal boat holiday-makers can enjoy views of the imposing Sandon Hall, its 400 acres of rolling parkland, and Grade II* listed Pitt’s Column, erected in 1806 by the first Earl of Harrowby in memory of the great Prime Minister Pitt the Younger.
The canal then passes along the outskirts of Burston, where the family-run micro-brewery Greyhound pub is well worth the short walk to. On arriving in Stone, there are visitor moorings at Westbridge Park, opposite the Swan pub, and a little further along past the Star pub on the left. Stone is considered to be the food and drink capital of Staffordshire, with regular markets, a diverse choice of cuisine and annual Stone Food & Drink Festival. Continue north from Stone along the Trent & Mersey Canal to Stoke-on-Trent, first travelling through Meaford Locks, and past Neil Morrissey’s canalside Plume of Feathers pub at Barlaston. Just before Trentham Lock, you can stop to explore the World of Wedgwood, with a factory tour, afternoon tea in the Wedgewood tea room, woodland walks and award winning museum housing a UNESCO protected collection. Just under five miles later, after travelling through the Stoke flights of five locks, the canal reaches its junction with the Caldon Canal at Etruria, in Stoke-on-Trent. Here you can stop to visit the Etruria Industrial Museum, Spode Visitor Centre and the Waterworld indoor aqua park. Continuing north along the Trent & Mersey Canal, you’ll pass through the mighty one-and-three-quarter-mile long Harecastle Tunnel, re-emerging at Kidsgrove, and Harding’s Wood Junction, where the Macclesfield Canal meets the Trent & Mersey. Here you’ll meet the summit of ‘Heartbreak Hill’ – the series of 31 locks between Middlewich and Kidsgrove, that raise the canal 280ft up from the Cheshire Plains.
The next village is Rode Heath with its Royal Oak pub and Rode Hall, one of Cheshire’s most exquisite country houses. The South Cheshire Way crosses the canal at Lower Thurlwood Lock, one of a flight of three, then it’s the two Pierpoint Locks, and then there are two more at Hassall Green, just before the canal passes beneath the M6 motorway.
At Wheelock, where there’s a choice of pubs, including the canalside Cheshire Cheese, and eight more locks to negotiate. From Wheelock it’s a mile-long walk into the historic town of Sandbach, with regular markets, a Waitrose supermarket and plenty of places to eat and drink. Next there’s a three-mile break from locks as the canal winds round Ettiley Heath and the Sandbach Flashes, a group of 14 wetlands designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Four miles and another four locks on, the canal reaches the historic market town Middlewich, famous for its salt industry which dates back to medieval times. Here the Four Counties Ring route leaves the Trent & Mersey Canal, heading to Barbridge along the Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal. This quiet waterway travels peacefully through the Cheshire countryside, with just four locks along its 10-mile length. Along the way, the Badger Inn at Church Minshull is a short walk from the canal.
After travelling for a further two miles to Barbridge Junction, with its Olde Barbridge Inn. Head south down the Shropshire Union Canal. The route passes over the Nantwich Aqueduct on the outskirts of Nantwich. Two rural miles later, there are two locks at Hack Green, close to the Secret Hack Green Nuclear Bunker, once one of the nation’s most secret defence sites, and now a fascinating museum. Three miles on at Audlem, you’ll pass the Shroppie Fly pub and Audlem Mill, selling canal gifts, crafts and the locally made Snugbury’s Jersey Ice Cream. Then the Audlem flight of 15 locks takes the canal 93ft downhill to a lock-free mile, before another flight of five locks at Adderley. Next you’ll travel through Betton Cutting, past Brownhills Wood before reaching the historic market town of Market Drayton, home of the gingerbread man. Then there are five locks at Tyrley. After that, the canal is lock free for 17 miles, passing through a series of cuttings, embankments and villages with excellent pubs. Places to stop along this 17-mile stretch include: Goldstone Wharf with its Wharf Tavern pub; Staffordshire Wildlife Trust’s Loynton Moss Nature Reserve at Grub Street; the Old Wharf Tearoom at Norbury Junction; the Royal Oak at Gnosnall; and the Hartley Arms and Mottey Meadows Nature Reserve at Wheaton Ashton. There’s just one lock at Wheaton Ashton, then the route is lock-free again for eight miles, passing the Bridge pub at Brewood. Then you’ll go under the M54 motorway and pass close to Pendeford Mill Nature Reserve, before meeting Autherley Junction Stop Lock and the southern end of ‘The Shroppie’. You’ll then travel north up the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal back to Great Haywood.
To check availability and book click here or call us on 0117 463 3419.
10-day and two week breaks on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal
On a longer boating holiday from Silsden you can cruise along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal to Burnley or Wigan
Follow the week-long route to Foulridge Tunnel. Passage through the tunnel works on a traffic light system which allows each boat 20 minutes to get to the other end. A mile after the Foulridge Tunnel, you’ll encounter Barrowford Top Lock – a flight of seven – and begin your descent from the summit level, with views of old stone farms and distant mountains to enjoy. Soon after, Barrowford offers shops, fish & chips, restaurants and pubs, including The White Bear Inn. At the Pendle Heritage Centre you’ll find an exhibition on the famous Pendle Witches. There’s also a tea room overlooking the beautifully restored 18th century walled garden, the Pendle Art Gallery, and access to the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Pendle Hill. Continuing along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, you’ll enter the outskirts of the large industrial town of Burnley. The waterway was once the main artery for Burnley and its industries and the area around Bridge 130, known as the Weaver’s Triangle, is one of the best preserved 19th century industrial districts in the country. The three-quarters of a mile long Burnley Embankment, considered to be one of the ‘Seven Wonders of the Waterways’, carries the canal 60 feet high across part of the town, offering boaters panoramic views. There are plenty of pubs in Burnley, including The Inn on the Wharf in a weaver’s warehouse, several art centres and the Queen Street Mill Textile Museum, now Britain’s only working 19th century weaving mill. Turn at Burnley Wharf.
Two-week routes from Silsden
Wigan and back (135 miles, 72 locks, 60 hours)
Follow the route to Burnley. After passing through Gannow Tunnel (559 yards long), the canal travels on through the Calder Valley and alongside the M65 motorway for a time. Hapton is the next village after Burnley, with its popular Hapton Inn. Then you’ll go through three swing bridges as the canal travels through neat green fields bordered by drystone walls, before reaching Clayton-le-Moors (a suburb of Accrington) three miles later. The canal now twists and turns on through Church, with the parish church of St James right on the banks of the canal, marking the central point of the canal. Just over a mile later, after more dramatic bends, the canal passes over the M65 using a concrete aqueduct, before arriving at Rishton, a small town that grew up around the cotton mills in the 19th century. There’s a choice of places to eat here, including Indian restaurants, fish & chips, The Rishton Arms and The Walmsley Arms.
Two miles on and the canal enters the outskirts of Blackburn, passing canopied wharves at Eanam, now converted for businesses and a pub. There’s plenty to do in Blackburn, including a visit to the cathedral with its striking 13ft sculpture of ‘Christ the Worker’ by John Hayward. The Museum & Art Gallery has a series of rooms demonstrating the development of the textile industry using full size working models. And there’s a choice of curry houses, including Thira Restaurant. It takes several hours to pass through Blackburn, but there are distant views of Darwen Hill and Witton Country Park to enjoy along the way. And everywhere there are mills, mainly redundant but a reminder of the town’s cotton history. A flight of six locks (the Blackburn locks) carry the canal nearly 55ft up on the western edge of town to 400ft above sea level with excellent views. The suburb of Cherry Tree is next, with a good range of shops and take-aways.
As the canal leaves Blackburn, it crosses a high embankment and then curls round a steep and thickly wooded valley. A mile later, the canal passes through the village of Riley Green with its excellent Royal Oak pub providing award-winning cask ales and a large menu of British pub food. Hoghton Tower is close by, a 16th century fortified hilltop mansion, noted for its dungeons, doll’s houses, picturesque gardens and magnificent banqueting hall. Just over a mile and a half later, now in a secluded wooded valley, the canal passes through Withnell Fold, a small estate village built to house workers at the canalside paper mills which once functioned there. On the opposite side of the canal is a nature reserve which has developed in the old filter beds and now provides habitats for waterlilies, dragonflies, newts and frogs. Just over a mile of beautiful scenery later, you’ll reach the top of the Johnson’s Hill flight of seven locks. The Top Lock pub is here and a boatyard with boaters’ facilities.
Soon after the canal travels under the M61 motorway and along the edge of Chorley, passing some large textile mills. The Prince of Wales pub is a short walk from Bridge 75A and The Lock & Quay. It’s also well worth visiting a bakery to try a Chorley cake, similar to the Eccles cake but sweeter and fruitier. Close to three wooded miles further, the canal reaches Adlington with a good range of shops, pubs, including The (Bottom) Spinners Arms, and a popular café at the White Bear Marina, Rivington. Here you can turn and head back to Silsden.
Sowerby Bridge & back (123 miles, 132 locks, 75 hours)
Cruise along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal to Leeds and transfer onto the Aire & Calder Navigation to continue on to Sowerby Bridge in Calderdale, passing through Wakefield and Brighouse along the way.
Follow the week long route to Leeds. Then continue heading east along the Aire & Calder Navigation to Castleford Junction. There are lots of pubs in Castleford, including The Boat Inn, The Anchor and The Junction. Continue on, passing the Canal & River Trust’s Stanley Ferry Workshops where they make locks gates. The Stanley Ferry pub is canalside here. At Fall Ing Junction you’ll transfer onto the Calder & Hebble Navigation. You’ll go through Wakefield with its canalside Ruddy Duck and Navigation Inn and the waterside Hepworth Wakefield Gallery. The journey will take you on through Horbury, Shepley Bridge (The Ship Inn), Mirfield (The Navigation Tavern), Cooper Bridge, Brighouse (Jeremy’s at The Boat House and The Richard Oastler on Bethel Street), Elland (The Barge & Barrell), and Salterhebble (The Watermill). At Sowerby Bridge you can turn and then moor up to visit The Moorings pub and explore this historic market town in Calderdale.
Click here to book a canal boat holiday on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal from Silsden, or call us on 0117 463 3419.
