Llangollen Canal Route

Description of the Route

Mainline

The Llangollen Canal leaves the Shropshire Union Canal at Hurleston junction and runs for 45 miles to Llangollen.  Unusually, for a canal, there is a continual flow of water along its length.  Water enters the canal at the Horseshoe Falls above Llangollen and flows along the canal to be stored in Hurleston reservoir before being used as the water supply for the residents of Nantwich and the surrounding area.

From Hurleston Junction the canal immediately climbs through the four Hurleston Locks.  These are said to be the narrowest of all narrow locks.  There are signs instructing boaters to raise their fenders - and tales of boats getting stuck when their owners thought they knew better.

The canal gently climbs through several single locks as it passes through the English countryside.  At Grindley Brook there's a flight of three single locks followed immediately by a staircase of three locks.  Unlike single locks, which work best with boats alternately up and down, the staircase is usually operated with three boats up, then three down.  There's a lock keeper on duty at busy times and plenty of signs to follow at other times.

A mile or so past Grindley Brook the Whitchurch Branch diverges to the left.  The turn is too sharp for all but the smallest of boats so continue towards the next bridge and use the winding hole to return for a gentle right turn.  The branch has its own visitor moorings and winding hole.

Continuing along the mainline the canal crosses Whixall Moss on an unusually straight section and the ambitiously named Prees Branch diverges to the left.  It never reached Prees and today it terminates at the Marina, although it's possible to walk a little further through a nature reserve along the former towpath.

Passing the attractive Blake Mere on the right - an attractive overnight mooring spot - we reach Ellesmere Junction where branch goes straight on to the visitor moorings and Ellesmere Basin.  The left turn takes us towards Llangollen, passing Frankton Junction where the Montgomery Canal diverges to the left.   

Continuing through the increasingly hilly countryside the canal has several narrow, twisting sections.  Rounding a gentle right hand curve the canal strides across the River Ceiriog on the Chirck Aqueduct as it enters Wales, then immediately passes through Chirk Tunnel.

A little further on we reach Whitehouse Tunnel and curve left to run high above the River Dee which can be glimpsed below through the trees.  Eventually a right turn takes us over the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct to Trevor where the sharp left turn under the bridge takes us on the final leg towards Llangollen.

The last few miles to Llangollen are unusually twisting and there are several narrow sections where it's impossible to to pass another boat and it's advisable to send a crew member ahead with a radio or mobile phone.  There's a fee for mooring in Llangollen, either along the towpath or in the basin, which is at the limit of navigation for most boats.  The canal continues as a feeder to the Horseshoe Falls, with navigation permitted only for the Horse Drawn tourist boats.

History

Authorisation in Parliament in 1793 followed considerable local debate about which route the canal should follow.  The proposed route would join the River Mersey at a place called then called Netherpool and now better known as Ellesmere Port.  Construction started with the section between Ellesmere Port and Chester which opened in 1795, and is now now part of the Shropshire Union Main Line.

The great aqueducts at Chirk and Pontcysyllte opened in 1801 and 1805 and the navigable feeder was constructed to Llangollen to supply the canal with water.

After mergers of several canal companies in 1813, and further mergers with railway companies in 1845 and 1846 the canal was owned by the Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company which, in turn, became part of the London & North Western Railway in 1922.

Traffic gradually declined and stopped in 1939.  The canal formally closed in 1944 but the route was maintained as a water supply for Hurleston Reservoir.

Now the route is restored as one of the most popular and attractive of all routes and known as the Llangollen Canal.

Dimensions and Features

Operator

Links

Boat Hire Companies

• Alvechurch Boats  Wrenbury Mill, Cholmendeley Road, Wrenbury, CW5 8HG
• Anglo Welsh  The Canal Wharf, Trevor, Llangollen, LL20 7TX
• Black Prince Chirk Marina, Chirk, Wrexham, LL14 5AD
• Canaltime  Blackwater Meadow Marina, Birch Road, Ellesmere, Shropshire, SY12 9DD
• Cheshire Cat Narrowboats  Swanley Bridge Marina, Springe Lane, Swanley, Nantwich, CW5 8NR
• Maestermyn & Welsh Lady Cruisers & Mid Wales Narrowboats  Whittington, SY11 4NJ
• Marine Cruises  Chirk Marina, Chirk, Wrexham, LL14 5AD
• Viking Afloat  Wrexham Road, Whitchurch, SY13 3AA

Boat Trips

• Llangollen Wharf  Llangollen, Denbighshire, LL20 8TA

Marinas

• Blackwater Meadow Marina  Birch Road, Ellesmere, Shropshire, SY12 9DD
• Swanley Bridge Marina  Springe Lane, Swanley, Nantwich, CW5 8NR