Regional hub
North West and North Wales Marinas and Moorings
Lock densities affect mooring choice: a marina at Wrenbury gives easy weekend cruising before any committed lock-work, whereas a base on the Macclesfield commit
3 min read · Updated 2026-02-09
North West and North Wales Marinas and Moorings
What's in this region
This hub indexes marinas and long-term moorings on the canals of Cheshire, Greater Manchester, south Lancashire, Shropshire and North Wales. Waterways covered include the Llangollen, the Shropshire Union (Main Line and Middlewich Branch), the Trent & Mersey northern half, the Macclesfield, the Peak Forest, the Ashton, the Bridgewater, the western Leeds & Liverpool, and the Montgomery (where navigable).
Cruising character (and what it means for moorings)
This is the densest concentration of cruising-quality canal in the UK and unsurprisingly has the densest concentration of marinas. The Cheshire Ring touches a string of well-equipped basins; the Shropshire Union has a chain of marinas along its main line; the Llangollen has a particular cluster around Whixall, Wrenbury and Trevor.
Lock densities affect mooring choice: a marina at Wrenbury gives easy weekend cruising before any committed lock-work, whereas a base on the Macclesfield commits you to a long lock-free run before reaching the Bosley flight.
Pinch points to consider when choosing a long-term mooring: Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Llangollen Wharf can be quote tight in summer; the Anderton Boat Lift requires booked passages; the Harecastle Tunnel is one-way and weather-affected.
Marinas in this region
On the Llangollen Canal and Montgomery
- Whixall Marina (mid-Llangollen).
- Blackwater Meadow Marina (Ellesmere).
- Whitchurch Marina.
- Wrenbury Mill (Wrenbury).
- Swanley Bridge Marina.
- Trevor Basin / Llangollen Basin (Trevor and Llangollen Wharf).
- Maestermyn Marine area moorings.
On the Shropshire Union (Main Line and Middlewich Branch)
- Norbury Wharf (Norbury Junction).
- Nantwich Canal Centre (Nantwich Basin).
- Swanley Bridge Marina (above — also serves Llangollen).
- Tattenhall Marina.
- Aston Marina (Stone — also Trent & Mersey access).
- Calveley and Beeston basins along the Shroppie.
On the Trent & Mersey (northern)
- Anderton Marina.
- Middlewich Wharf.
- King's Lock Boatyard (Middlewich).
- Aston Marina (Stone).
- Stone Boat Building / Canal Cruising Co (Stone).
- Stenson Marina (south Trent & Mersey — straddles the Midlands hub).
- Mercia Marina (Willington — large, just inside the Midlands).
On the Macclesfield, Peak Forest and Ashton
- Heritage Marina / Heritage Narrow Boats (Scholar Green).
- Lyme View Marina (Higher Poynton).
- New Mills Marina (Peak Forest).
- Furness Vale Marina (Peak Forest).
- Portland Basin Marina (Ashton-under-Lyne — Ashton/Peak Forest junction).
On the Bridgewater and into Manchester
- Boothstown Marina.
- Lymm Marina.
- Castlefield Marina (Manchester).
- Preston Brook Marina (Bridgewater / Trent & Mersey junction).
On the western Leeds & Liverpool
- Liverpool Marina.
- Lower Park Marina (Lancashire side).
- Scarisbrick Marina.
- White Bear Marina.
- Reedley Marina (also see Northern hub).
- Pennington Marina.
Other notable basins and yards
- Northwich Quay Marina.
- Weaver Shipyard / Jalsea Marine Service (River Weaver, off the Trent & Mersey via the Anderton Lift).
- Westview Marina.
- Wrenbury Mill (above).
- Nantwich Canal Centre (above).
Suggested cruises from this region
Weekend (2–3 nights)
- Anderton up to Middlewich and back — Anderton Lift trip on the Saturday morning.
- Wrenbury to Whitchurch and back on the Llangollen.
Week (7 nights)
- The Llangollen end-to-end from Whixall or Wrenbury.
- Anderton onto the Macclesfield and back over Bosley.
- Liverpool up the western Leeds & Liverpool to Burscough and back.
Fortnight (14 nights)
- The Cheshire Ring from any one of a dozen ring marinas.
- The Four Counties Ring from Norbury or Anderton.
- Llangollen plus a Shroppie main-line excursion to Audlem.