‘Take a break in the slow lane and enjoy a more relaxed pace of life.’ www.marinecruises.co.uk Tel: 01244 373911 Step back into a period when speed was classed as hours per mile – rather than the other way round –cruising along a waterway that permits you to breathe the fresh, clean air that’s freely available outside our towns and cities. You’ll share the peaceful world with moorhens, coots, grebes, herons as well as the amazing kingfisher, all of whom have made the canal their home. You’ll travel when you want and stop and tie-up when the mood takes you, giving you an unparalleled level of freedom to explore gardens, parks and country houses as and when you feel inclined. Castles too, plus museums and other sites of interest are dotted along the canal’s winding miles, ensuring an ever-changing panorama –making every day different from the last. Working the locks, steering your boat and other crew activities creates a uniquely fun-working atmosphere that brings all the team on board together. The Llangollen Canal is probably the most beautiful canal in Britain, its scenery changing from isolated sheep pastures to ancient peat mosses, from tree lined lakes to the foothills of Snowdonia. There are locks, tunnels, castles, villages, pubs and the magnificent aqueducts at Chirk and Pontcysyllte which have been awarded World Heritage status. From our new Llangollen and Shropshire Union Canal base at Swanley Bridge Marina you can cruise the full length of the Llangollen canal. You can also start to circumnavigate the Four Counties Ring within a few hours, and reach Chester or be on the Cheshire Ring, Macclesfield canal or Caldon Canal in a few days. From our convenient new Kings Bromley base you can head down to the Coventry Canal and explore the lock free Ashby Canal, head north up the Trent and Mersey Canal and the infamous Harecastle Tunnel or down the wide River Trent, or circumnavigate a wide choice of canal rings including the Black Country Ring, the Leicester Ring and the Warwickshire Ring. Starting at our tranquil setting just off the national park, amongst the green pastures of Staffordshire, but within distance of some of the largest family attractions amongst the most idyllic and pretty villages, a real family holiday or a special break for two, perfect whatever you choose. And our Falkirk base is right So with all that choice, how do you choose? at the foot of the stunning Well it really depends what sort of narrowboat holiday hire you want! If you are a Falkirk Wheel, with routes first time hirer or want a relaxed holiday with time to explore your surroundings, west towards Glasgow, and think about the Shropshire Union Canal, Coventry and Ashby Canals, or the east to Edinburgh, enabling Scottish Canals. ‘Out and you to cruise to major cities back’ routes are great for first in one holiday through great timers because you don’t need Scottish Lowlands scenery! to worry about getting the The Falkirk wheel was boat back on time, just turn opened by the queen in 2002 around and start heading back and this magnificent feat of half way through the week! engineering has once again linked the forth and Clyde canal to the Union canal. The Falkirk wheel is a If you want a more energetic significant landmark rising some 115ft above the Carron valley – and could easily cruise with plenty of things to be described as a ‘Ferris Wheel for boats’! In the space of one short week you can see and do, including locks, visit Glasgow and Edinburgh, passing through the Falkirk Wheel, an experience then try the Llangollen Canal not to be missed on this amazing rotating boat lift, the first of its kind in the or the Trent and Mersey Canal. world. The Scottish canals are serene and beautiful with minimal traffic, mainly Or cross Scotland visiting both just the swans gliding by and the occasional friendly face of a British Waterways Glasgow and Edinburgh. lock operator for company with a choice of places to stop for a bite to eat or a If you want a cruising ring, rather than an out and back route, you are spoilt for canal side relaxing drink without the worry of operating any locks along the way. choice, the Four Counties Ring can be done in a week from our Llangollen or Trent & Mersey bases, if you have a little longer you can consider the Leicester Ring, Cheshire Ring or Warwickshire Ring. Our Canal Holidays Hiring a canal holiday narrow boat from Marine Cruises makes a great holiday or short break for families or for groups of friends. Marine Cruises are proud to introduce our purpose built narrow boats to you, our valued customer, in mind. All are professionally fitted to the highest standard to provide both the comfort and standards you expect from a first class hire fleet operator. We have been designing and fitting boats for some years now and are delighted that we can offer you the chance to enjoy your holiday on one of the best designed and equipped hire fleets in the canal system. Swanley Routes From Swanley Trent & l M Shropshire Union a e The Four Counties r n Ellesmere Port s a e y C C Middlewich h ld a ic ie n The Shropshire Union Canal runs from the edge w f From our Swanley base you travel off the Llangollen a l e h s l a l c e n d n l Chester a d a c i r c C of urban Wolverhampton through wonderful M B a Canal down Hurleston Locks and then up the Middlewich d l M h e c i i f w h s Hurleston le c e d n l Kidsgrove d a c canal holiday scenery across some of the most Junction Shropshire Union Canal for a short distance to i r c M B a M Nantwich Hurleston rural and least populated areas of England on its Junction Kidsgrove Caldon Barbridge, where you turn right to Middlewich. On N Canal Nantwich S ml 1 2 3 4 way to the River Mersey at Ellesmere Port. Two h the Trent and Mersey Canal you have plenty of locks r Stoke km 2 4 6 8 o T p r s weeks allows the Shropshire Union Canal to be e Stoke h to climb from the Cheshire plain to reach the summit n l i r a t n e a & explored in comfort from either our Swanley U C level and the iron red waters of Harecastle Tunnel. n n M le io l n e go r Stone an base or Four Counties base. A Chester only trip C s The canal falls southwards past the Pottery works Ll a e n y a C l a N n Market is possible in one week from Llangollen. a and Wedgewood factory with its visitor centre down Drayton l This is a spectacular route of deep cuttings, Great Heywood through the pretty canal town of Stone to the al Stafford Norbury an al Junction t C an straight lines, aqueducts at Stretton and or junction at Great Heywood where you meet the C wp ort Ne l wp & a Ne bury n Nantwich and high embankments with ws a ury & hre Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal. wsb C Shre s c panoramic views over the Welsh Marches. The r The Four Counties Ring can be cruised from our o W Brewood flights of locks like the 15 at Audlem are grouped & Swanley base in a fairly busy week cruising for s f f a Autherley together and make a breathtaking descent onto Autherley t about eight hours each day, or in two weeks if you S Wolverhampton the Cheshire Plains. Wolverhampton prefer to take your time and explore. Llangollen Cheshire Ring Middlewich Branch The Llangollen Canal climbs gradually from The Cheshire Ring can be cruised from our Swanley base in a very busy week cruising Nantwich anal n C pleasant Cheshire farmlands, crosses for over eight hours each day, or in two weeks if you prefer to take your time and nio U Hurleston re explore. You can travel in either direction around the ring. Shropshi Junction ancient peat mosses and winds around Chester pretty meres to reach the foothills of The Cheshire Ring makes a great narrow boat Ashton C R an Wrenbury al . Snowdonia at Llangollen. On a one week P holiday hire route for more experienced boaters. D e e al a e Preston an k B r C canal holiday from our Swanley base you can ridgewate F On a Ring Route you don't need to retrace your Brook o r Marple e Whitchurch s T t explore the whole of the Llangollen Canal. re steps, you see somewhere new each day, but N nt & C M a n e a r l s l Whixall & The highlight of the canal for many are its e a you do have to be able to plan your time and y n a ml 1 2 3 4 Fenns Mosses C C a d n l keep to that deadline of getting the boat back on aqueducts, recently awarded World Heritage e km 2 4 6 8 a fi l s le c Centre status. Chirk aqueduct is a sturdy c Macclesfield time! Some people prefer out and back routes Pontcysyllte Prees Middlewich a Aqueduct Branch M stone built construction with ten masonry Congleton because all you have to do is turn around when Ellesmere arches, but at Pontcysyllte the cast iron you are half way through the holiday! The Frankton N Junction trough that contains the water is carried on Cheshire Ring is more suited to experienced ml 1 2 3 4 Kidsgrove Montgomery narrow stone piers 126 feet above the River km 2 4 6 8 boaters because the Ashton Canal south of Llangollen Canal Chirk Dee.