Blackwater Meadow

Canal boat hire from Blackwater Meadow in Ellesmere in Shropshire.

This is one of the most popular Waterways in Europe, and includes the famous Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, which is one of the most spectacular and amazing feats of engineering on the Canal system.

Built by Thomas Telford in 1805, the Aqueduct is 126 feet high, and spans over 1000 feet across a valley with the River Dee thundering away in the distance below your feet.

The Chirk Aqueduct is another impressive structure built by Thomas Telford, and is 70 feet high, and beside it at 100 feet high is an impressive Viaduct built in 1848 to take the Shrewsbury & Chester Railway cross the valley.

The Chirk Tunnel is 1,377 feet in length, and once through this you can moor up and walk to Chirk Castle, a 700 year old Castle managed by the National trust. Llangollen, at the Western end of the Canal, in Wales, is easily reached from our marina in a couple of days, and is a pleasant base to moor up for 24 hours.

Those who fancy a few more locks can cruise eastwards towards Grindley Brook, a set of 6 locks just past the bustling market town of Whitchurch.

View our full canal boat hire cruising notes (pdf).