Our picturesque marina provides the perfect home for residential moorers and also leisure moorers wanting a secure and well-serviced base for their boats. We have 150 fully-serviced modern berths with water and electric hook-up, diesel sales, pump-out, elsan disposal, Wi-Fi, slipway, dry dock maintenance and repairs, launderette, toilets, showers and secure parking.
Our special location for canal cruising
Whixall Marina lies on the Prees Branch of the Llangollen Canal, part of the Shropshire Union Canal. The Llangollen runs from the Shropshire Union main line, around 19 miles to the north east, to Llangollen around 25 miles to the West, and crosses the breathtaking and famous Pontcysyllete Aqueduct along the way. Road access is from the M6 and M54 motorways and the market towns of Wem and Whitchurch are just a few miles away.
We are in a very special, peaceful and secure location in the stunning Shropshire countryside.
Next to us is Whixall Moss, part of the world-renowned Fenn's, Whixall and Bettisfield Mosses National Nature Reserve and the habitat of a number of rare species.
Our unique location presents the opportunity to experience some of the finest canal cruising in the country. It’s just a half-hour cruise down the Prees Arm to join the main line where you can choose to turn left for Llangollen itself, or right to Hurleston Junction to join the Shropshire Union Canal.
Having chosen the left turn you are initially rewarded with seven miles of quiet winding canal leading to the market town of Ellesmere, Shropshire’s ‘Lake District’ with its series of impressive meres, created by the retreating ice age some 10,000 years ago.
After 19 miles and just two locks, you will reach the pretty and historic town of Llangollen. This journey encompasses three exceptional and unforgettable canal experiences: the 70-feet (21m) high and 710-feet (220m) long Chirk Aqueduct which takes you across the border into North Wales; the 459 yards single-width Chirk Tunnel; and finally the breathtaking Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, one of the most amazing feats of waterway engineering and a World Heritage site. Built in 1795 and perched 126 feet (38 metres) above the Dee Valley, the 1,000 feet (307 metres) long aqueduct took ten years to complete.
Turn right at the main junction and you won’t be disappointed. A pretty countryside cruise takes you through the bustling market town of Whitchurch and beyond to Grindley Brook’s flight of six locks with a three-tier staircase descending through 20 feet. To help you on your way, there is a lock-keeper on-hand to guide you.
Then there’s six miles to relax before your next challenge, the Wrenbury Lift Bridge, an electrically operated bridge requiring your waterways key. A sharp left turn at Hurleston Junction takes you onto the Shropshire Union Canal and a northerly route towards Chester.
The double-width staircase lock at Bunbury is the only interruption within the flat green fields of the Cheshire Plain. Next it’s the historic and much-admired city of Chester where there is much to take-in including the cathedral, castle, racecourse, Roman walls, the famous zoo and an abundance of cafes and restaurants.
For those wanting to invite family and friends to visit, we have a range of holiday accommodation at the marina to suit all budgets – canalside shepherds huts and high-specification lodges, two stunning barns and a luxury four-bedroom country home.
Facilities for moorers in a nutshell
We have residential, leisure and winter moorings for all sizes of narrowboats available. For full details and prices, call 01948 880420 or email enquiries@whixallmarina.co.uk. Alternatively, please complete the enquiry form below and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
