Canal Boat Holiday Base Information - Base 23

Base 23 is in Chirk on the Llangollen Canal in Wales. It's a small, busy boatyard run by a friendly, professional team. There is easy access by road or rail.  The marina is situated on the site of the Chirk Golf & Country club. The Llangollen has a lot to offer both first time and regular holidaymakers. It meanders gracefully through the beautiful countryside where the world famous "stream in the sky" - the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct spans the Dee Valley, such a feat of engineering is sure to snatch your breath away! You could also visit the walled City of Chester.

There is the opportunity to cruise the Montgomery Canal, recently reopened to boats for the first time in over fifty years, giving you the chance to be one of the first to cruise this once dormant sleepy waterway.

ONE-WEEK ROUTES

Llangollen and Whitchurch:
60 miles, 4 locks, 3 hours cruising per day. A very pleasant and easy route. Travelling first to Llangollen you cross the famous Pontcysyllte Aqueduct 120 feet above the River Dee. After this the canal perches on the side of the lovely Dee Valley up to Llangollen itself.
Retracing your steps you encounter the more robust Chirk Aqueduct and through to the lovely small town of Ellesmere after encountering the only two locks on your trip.
After Ellesmere you travel through the Shropshire Lake District with its meres to the market town of Whitchurch.

Llangollen Canal:
78 miles, 42 locks, 6 hours cruising per day. About 40 hours. A trip along the full length of this lovely canal. Travelling towards Hurleston you cross the Chirk Aqueduct and down the first two locks. After passing Ellesmere and its lakes, you come to the less hilly Whixall Moss to Whitchurch.

After this, undulating countryside sprinkled with locks takes you down to Hurleston with its reservoir, which provides the water for Chester. Retracing your steps cross the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, and up the Dee Valley to Llangollen. A delightful week.

Chester and return:
111 miles, 70 locks, 8 hours cruising per day. An arduous route, you should not be disappointed if you do not reach Chester. Travelling down the canal you go through the towns of Ellesmere and Whitchurch to Grindley Brook with its three locks in a staircase. From here the locks become more frequent taking you down through lovely country to the Shropshire Union at Hurleston

The rural atmosphere continues through to Chester. You should remember that the Llangollen flows so it will take longer to return, and a visit to Llangollen itself is also well worthwhile.

TWO-WEEK ROUTE

Four Counties Ring:
188 miles, 131 locks, 6 hours cruising per day. For the more experienced crew. Travel down the Llangollen to Hurleston where you join the Shropshire Union and travel southwards through small towns and villages to join the Staffordshire and Worcestershire. This is a more meandering canal still travelling through pretty countryside up to Great Haywood. Here you join the Trent and Mersey and travel towards the more built up area of Stoke.
Continuing up to Middlewich through a series of locks, you take the Middlewich arm to Barbridge, and back via the Llangollen.