Northwich to Nantwich
River Weaver, Trent & Mersey Canal and Shropshire Union Canal
Anderton Boat Lift
£832pp (£1664 per charter)
Cruise 9 - 12th - 16th June 2026 (4 nights)

2

This trip will start from Northwich Quays on the River  Weaver where hopefully Ellis will have spent a couple of days with the luxury of shoreline.  If not, we'll be the opposite side of the river - don't worry, if you aim for the Marina (well Waitrose carpark) and give us a ring, we'll come over to help with your bags.

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​Guests will arrive approximately 1.30pm on day one and after an introductory blah blah (and most probably glass of something fizzy) we’ll chug off to begin our adventure.

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The aim will be to make it up as we go along.

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That said, we'll have a booking for the 1st morning to go up the boat lift - with that in mind, we'll probably cast off from the marina and head down to the floating pontoons to overnight at the foot of the lift.  There's a walkway up along side so guests can explore if desired.

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Next morning after a leisurely DIY breakfast, we'll move on to the holding area and await our passage slot.  The lift has a reputation for breaking down... 'Ellis' (and crew) have spent many an hour sitting in the caissons waiting for a sensor to realise it's just got a bit of mud or a mollusc of some sort indicating a 'false fault'...  we'll make the best of it and hopefully be UP by lunchtime with no problems.  Our journey will take us towards Northwich on the Trent & Mersey canal  - perhaps stopping off at Lion Salt works if desired before mooring for the night in Middlewich - hopefully just after 'Big Lock'... Actually, thinking about it, we might be better pressing up through the Middlewich 3 lock flight and making the right turn on to the Middlewich branch of the Shroppie.

 

Day 3 will see us chug along Middlewich branch of the Shropshire Union Canal.... we'll probably stop off at Church Minshull for lunch and then continue to Barbridge Junction, where we turn left on to the mainline and chug our way into Nantwich.  We'll TRY and moor just before the Marina arm (to make taxis easier) but we may have to take Hobson's choice - it'll all depend on what time we arrive.

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At the end of the trip,  we’ll have travelled a total distance off 25 miles and 8 locks and guests will depart following breakfast on the final morning around 9.30 am.