The Llangollen Canal
Llangollen Canal Boat Hire & Narrowboat Holidays
Experience one of Britain's most popular narrowboat holiday routes. Cruise from Cheshire into Wales to cross the World Heritage Pontcysyllte Aqueduct.
Britain's Most Popular Canal
The Llangollen Canal
Currently closed due to a major breach, as seen in the national news. It is expected to reopen as a route next year and cannot be explored past the breach.
Still want to explore this area? Even if a route has a stoppage, you can often enjoy magnificent out-and-back journeys along the open sections. Please contact us for expert advice on tailoring an amazing adventure!
Route at a Glance
60 (Return) Locks
3 Subterranean Tunnels
7+ Night Route
Featured Discovery
Whitchurch Heritage & Tourist Information Centre.
Grindley Brook and Whitchurch
The Llangollen Canal is justifiably one of the more popular boating holiday canals in Britain, offering a purposeful journey from the pastures of England straight into the rugged mountains of Wales.
Leaving Middlewich by way of an arm of the Shropshire Union Canal, the route has fine views over the valley of the River Weaver before making its way directly through an area full of Cheshire's famous 'black and white cows' to the main line of the canal. Here a short deviation would take you to the magnificent 'black and white buildings' of Nantwich.
Turning off at Hurleston Junction, the Llangollen Canal itself then ascends a short flight of locks, beside a reservoir that stores drinking water piped all the way from the River Dee, and sets off across open country, winding its way through Wrenbury under quaint old wooden lift bridges.
Through Rural Cheshire Towards Wales
It is worth pausing at Marbury for a short walk up to its remarkable church. As a bonus, several of the locks on this section have good pubs adjacent. At Willeymoor you don't have to walk at all, because there's a delightful pub slap bang alongside the lock.
Gradually you become used to locks, but at Grindley Brook half a dozen come all at once. The top three are telescoped together as a 'staircase', overlooked by a splendid round-bayed lock-keeper's house typical of Thomas Telford's architectural style. This flight can be something of a bottleneck in the summer season, especially on Thursdays when all the boats that have travelled towards Llangollen from the English end of the canal are busily heading back to base.
Boaters have been in the habit of taking a taxi or catching the bus from Grindley Brook into nearby Whitchurch, but part of the old arm which once led right into the town has been restored to provide visitor moorings. It is difficult to resist mooring up here and walking into this interesting old country town, famous as a centre of cheese-making. In the heyday of the canal a special cheese boat left here daily for Manchester, its hold covered with white canvas to keep the Blue Cheshire cheese as cool as possible.
Beyond Whitchurch there are no more locks for many miles, though there are a number of lift bridges to be raised and lowered with the same windlass you use for operating locks.
Ellesmere & The Montgomery Canal
Passing briefly in and out of Wales, the canal reaches Shropshire's very own 'Lake District'. Here it skirts several charming, tree-lined meres that were formed at the end of the Ice Age. One of them, Blake Mere, is separated from the canal by the slenderest of margins, making it a truly beautiful spot for a picnic.
A short tunnel precedes Ellesmere, a timeless town offering excellent shops and a historic canal maintenance yard where you can still see the original blacksmith's forge and stone dry dock.
The Montgomery Canal
Popularly known as 'The Monty', the Montgomery Canal is often a forgotten canal as narrowboats on the Llangollen canal rush past the junction at Welsh Frankton with hardly a second glance at the white signpost and its finger pointing to the top lock. The Montgomery Canal had been abandoned after a breach in 1936 having previously suffered poor ground problems and leaks. It decayed, unnoticed and abandoned, until those who cared, backed by the Inland Waterways Association, persuaded British Waterways that The Montgomery Canal could be saved for future generations and Frankton Locks were restored in 1987 but stood idle for almost 10 years.
The Montgomery Canal now has a relatively short stretch of 7 miles navigable by canal boat with several formidable obstacles still to overcome. Hope continues that one day The Montgomery Canal will become one again and the whole length to Welshpool, and perhaps Newtown beyond, will be available for canal boats to cruise. This really is a totally different canal from the Llangollen Canal and, to cruise its length whilst on your canal narrowboat holiday is akin to turning off the motorway and taking to the country lanes instead.
Into Wales: Aqueducts & Tunnels
At New Marton you pass through the last pair of locks on your way to Wales. Suddenly, the canal turns a wooded corner and you are confronted with a breathtaking sight: the 70ft high Chirk Aqueduct carrying the canal across the River Ceiriog, directly alongside a towering railway viaduct. Border crossings don't come much more dramatic than this!
Reaching the far side, the canal plunges almost immediately into the 459-yard Chirk Tunnel (one of the first in the country built with a towpath inside). From here, it's a short walk into the town of Chirk, where you can explore a magnificent 14th-century National Trust castle.
World Heritage Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
Winding through woodlands, you finally reach the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, the most astonishing feat of waterway engineering anywhere in the world, and a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. Completed in 1805 by Telford and Jessop, it carries the canal 127 feet above the River Dee in a cast-iron trough supported by 18 soaring stone piers. With no towpath on the sheer drop side of the boat, crossing it is quite literally tantamount to flying through mid-air!
Exploring Llangollen
You could be forgiven for thinking that the final lap into Llangollen would be an anti-climax, but on a high shelf above the Vale of Llangollen, surrounded by spectacular limestone ridges, the canal carves a scintillating path to its terminal wharf.
Twenty-six hours of cruising away from Middlewich leaves you with plenty of time to explore this vibrant Welsh town. You can take a ride along the Dee Valley on a heritage steam train, visit Plas Newydd (home of the scandalous 'Ladies of Llangollen' in the 18th century), or climb up to the romantic ruins of Castell Dinas Bran, perched over a thousand feet above sea level. Finally, take a stroll along the unnavigable end of the canal to witness the roaring Horseshoe Falls, the beautiful crescent-shaped weir designed by Telford to feed water into this entire magnificent system.
Llangollen Holiday Highlights:
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Grindley Brook Staircase: Navigate this famous trio of telescoped locks overlooked by Telford's historic lock-keeper's cottage.
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The Shropshire Lakeland: Moor beside the beautiful, tree-lined Ice Age lakes of Cole Mere and Blake Mere.
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Chirk Aqueduct & Tunnel: Cross the border into Wales 70ft in the air before plunging instantly into a 459-yard subterranean passage.
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Pontcysyllte Aqueduct: Experience the ultimate thrill of crossing the 127ft high 'stream in the sky' on this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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Llangollen Railway & Horseshoe Falls: Take a heritage steam train ride through the Dee Valley and marvel at Telford's crescent-shaped river weir.
Cruising Time
One week average cruising time per day:
Llangollen canal: 8.5 hours
Explore More Routes
Looking for a different direction? See where else you can travel from Middlewich.
Important Route Updates
While our Middlewich base offers incredible access to the network, please note the following updates to some of our famous routes.
Great news, there is still an abundance to explore! Even when a 'Ring' is temporarily closed, you can enjoy magnificent out-and-back journeys along the open sections. The UK canal network is over 200 years old, so occasional maintenance 'hiccups' are to be expected. Please contact us for expert advice on tailoring an amazing adventure around them!
The Cheshire Ring
Expected to open again as a full ring next year. However, much of the route remains open and makes for a wonderful out-and-back holiday.
The Llangollen Canal
Currently closed due to a major breach, as seen in the national news. It is expected to reopen as a route next year and cannot be explored past the breach.
Planning Your Trip
The Llangollen Canal is a deeply rewarding out-and-back return route. But if you feel a little more energetic for your next holiday, we can suggest some 'rings' where you travel around a circular route to arrive back with us: the Cheshire Ring or the Four Counties Ring.
Please Remember: if you're planning to spend a day out and about off your boat (such as exploring Chirk Castle or taking the steam train in Llangollen), please make sure you factor this into your plans when working out the amount of cruising hours required to complete your holiday route.
Choosing Your Perfect Pace
We want you to love every moment of your journey. While our route guides provide suggested times based on a steady pace and ideal conditions, we always encourage you to plan your trip around your crew's unique comfort and abilities.
Since everyone's energy levels are different, you may find that choosing a longer duration, such as 14 nights instead of 7, allows you to reach your goals while keeping the adventure inclusive, relaxed, and truly enjoyable for everyone on board. For more detailed advice on planning a journey that is safe and inclusive for everyone, please visit our Accessibility Statement.
Captain's Note: Your holiday should always feel like a break, never a task! If you are unsure about the best route and duration for your specific crew, please get in touch for friendly, honest advice.
Download Your Digital Map
We suggest downloading the free Open Canal Map while you plan. It is a fantastic interactive tool for exploring routes, finding visitor moorings, water points, and local pubs along the towpath.
Boatyard Bonus: It's incredibly helpful for pinpointing your exact location on the canal network. If you ever need to call our team for advice or assistance during your holiday, you can tell us exactly where you are!
* Disclaimer: Open Canal Map is a third-party application. It is not affiliated with Andersen Boats and is downloaded and used entirely at your own discretion.
Pearson's Canal Companions
For the ultimate captain's preparation, we highly recommend picking up a copy of Pearson's Canal Companions. These legendary guides are the gold standard for boaters, packed with beautifully illustrated mile-by-mile maps, fascinating local history, and invaluable reviews of towpath pubs and eateries.
Four Counties & Cheshire Rings
Perfect for navigating the Cheshire Ring, Four Counties Ring, and our local Trent & Mersey routes.
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Welsh Waters (featuring the Llangollen Canal)
The essential guide for anyone heading down the Llangollen Canal or exploring the Shropshire Union.
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