Canal Boat Holiday Base Information - Base 22 on the Llangollen Canal
Location
Base 22 is in a rural market town in Shropshire on the Llangollen Canal. It is run by a large boat operator with high standards of service. It is easily accessible by road or rail.
Centrally placed on the spectacular Llangollen Canal, you can cruise to Llangollen itself, or to Chester or perhaps spend two weeks to include either the ever popular Four Counties Ring or the Cheshire Ring. The boat base lies just outside the town - a peaceful spot and a foretaste of the tranquility to be found as your holiday takes you along the Llangollen Canal into the wide open spaces of the Wales and English borders.
This base offers short breaks and one-week cruises along the Llangollen Canal. Two weeks allows time to cover the Four Counties or Cheshire Rings.
Routes from this base
Short Break routes
Whitchurch and Return: 20 locks 12 hours
Ellesmere and Return: 0 locks 11 hours
Hurleston Junction and Return: 32 locks 24 hours
These follow sections of the Llangollen Canal described in the One Week routes
One Week routes
Llangollen and Return: 58 Miles 4 Locks 28 hours
First stop on this trip is Ellesmere, a delightfully unspoilt, small country town. Shortly after leaving Ellesmere you will come to Frankton Junction which is the start of the Montgomery Canal. At Chirk, the canal crosses from England into Wales in spectacular fashion over the Chirk Aqueduct. This carries you over the river Ceiriog at a height of 70 feet, and is followed immediately by Chirk Tunnel. All this though is only the start, since what follows is a truly spectacular piece of engineering - Thomas Telford's breathtaking Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. It carries the canal 1,000 feet across the Dee valley at a height of 120 feet. The final stage of your outward journey is a channel that hugs the steep side of the valley and provides panoramic views before entering Llangollen on a high embankment. Explore the attractions here, perhaps take a steam train, or walk to the famous Horseshoe Falls. On your return journey you may have time to continue past our base and explore the canal to the east as far as Wrenbury. The canal continues to Hurleston Junction where it meets the Shropshire Union Canal.
Chester and Return: 60 Miles 66 Locks 35 hours
From the base, you head east along the Llangollen Canal to its junction with the Shropshire Union Canal at Hurleston. The locks at Bunbury signal your arrival onto the Cheshire Plain from where you get a splendid view of Beeston Castle. As you approach Chester, the canal drops down through five locks and passes right through the city. A stop here is highly recommended and there are plenty of mooring points at which to tie up. On leaving Chester you pass through the deep Northgate locks, hewn out of solid rock, and past a short branch that connects with the River Dee. The canal then skirts the northern edge of Chester within half a mile of the celebrated Zoo, making a visit possible. If you still have time, it is well worth pressing on to Ellesmere Port and visiting its excellent Boat Museum before turning round and heading back to the base.
Two Week routes
Four Counties Ring: 136 Miles 132 Locks 70 hours
This is a most popular two week trip which takes you through some delightful parts of Staffordshire and Shropshire. You cruise down to Hurleston Junction where you join the Shropshire Union Canal. From here, you head for Stoke-on-Trent, via Middlewich. South of Stoke you have the opportunity to cruise up the picturesque Caldon Canal before carrying on your journey south down the Trent and Mersey Canal to Great Haywood Junction. The next stage is along the splendidly rural Staffs. and Worcs. Canal which weaves its way southwards following the contours, to Autherley Junction where you turn north again on the Shropshire Union Canal.
Cheshire Ring: 145 Miles 137 Locks 84 hours
A fascinating trip that takes you through the heart of the city of Manchester and then up into the Peak District with its distinctive stone architecture. Head east to Middlewich where you join the Trent and Mersey Canal to head north. At Anderton you can pause to visit the historic Boat Lift. At Preston Brook you join the Bridgewater Canal which takes you into Manchester. In the centre of the city you pass briefly onto the Rochdale Canal with its flight of nine locks. After Manchester you ascend the Ashton flight of locks and at Duckinfield Junction you turn right onto the Peak Forest Canal which takes you up to the summit at Marple. Your journey continues on through Macclesfield along the Macclesfield Canal before you begin the steady descent down the Trent and Mersey Canal back to Middlewich, where you retrace your journey to the base.
