LOCATIONS

The majority of our boats are based in Chirk Marina on the beautiful Llangollen Canal. Chirk is dominated by the ancient Castle on the hill, the seat of the Myddelton family since the sixteenth century, and we are both honoured and privileged to have the exclusive right to display the Myddelton family Coat of Arms on our boats. The castle is open daily and is both a fascinating and interesting day out for all the family.

Chirk is also in the middle of the 11 mile canal corridor granted World Heritage status by U.N.E.S.C.O. in July 2009, only the third site in Wales to achieve this status and putting it on an equal footing with such iconic structures as the Taj Mahal and Statue of Liberty. This site encompasses the majestic and unique Pontcysyllte Aqueduct completed in 1805, the masterpiece of engineer Thomas Telford rising, at its highest point, 126 feet above the River Dee. His other impressive aqueduct at Chirk is also part of the new site and your journey ends along the magical Dee Valley with its “jewel in the crown”, the town of Llangollen, waiting to greet you like a pot of gold at the rainbows end.

Our other base at Festival Park Marina Etruria in the middle of the historic Potteries offers you no less a choice of history and dramatic scenery situated, as it is, on Brindley’s Trent & Mersey Canal. The routes available can take you through 4 of the most scenic counties in England, the 4 Counties Ring, or an equally memorable trip through Cheshire on the Cheshire Ring and for the less adventurous a leisurely “potter” along the lovely Macclesfield Canal, or the secluded Churnett Valley of the Caldon Canal. Also well within a days cruising you will be able to visit the Wedgwood Museum at Barlaston, a real must see housed in its £10 million state of the art building opened last October that has just been declared winner of the UK’s biggest single arts award, the Arts Fund Prize .