Cheshire Narrowboat Base

Suggested Routes From Cheshire Acton Bridge:

•  Short Break to Lymm & return – Perfect Beginners Break
• One week to Wigan & return – Nature Spotters Paradise
• One week to Manchester & return – Great Family Break with Teens
• One week to Chester & Return – Countryside & Town Cruise
• One or two week on the Cheshire Ring – An Active Boating Holiday 
• Two weeks to Manchester and Wigan & return – Suits All Abilities
• Three week to Albert Dock, Liverpool & return – Experienced Boaters Trip

Narrowboats available to hire from Cheshire Acton Bridge:

Below are the boat types that are available to hire from this base.  When you start your Holiday Search all the boat options and dates that closely match your desired departure date and party number will be presented to you.

Sat 2.30pm – Tues 9.30am | Tues 2.30pm – Sat 9.30am

Princess 2 | Princess 4 | Shakespeare 4 | Duchess 4 | Princess 6 | Duchess 6 | Duchess 8

Fri 2.30pm – Mon 9.30am | Mon 2.30pm – Fri 9.30am

Duchess 4 | Duchess 6

General Information

Based near Northwich, our Cheshire Acton Bridge hire base is a great place for exploring a number of routes. Travelling north, you meet the canal where it all started – the Bridgewater Canal, which takes your narrowboat lock-free to Manchester. From there you can travel to the Leeds-Liverpool Canal to Liverpool’s Albert Dock, travelling across the flat landscapes of Lancashire, or continue on the Cheshire Ring via the Peak Forest and Macclesfield.

Alternatively you can head south along the Trent and Mersey Canal, heading west for a trip to the historic Roman city of Chester, or continue south to access the Four Counties Ring. The Four Counties meanders through Nantwich, through Market Drayton down to Autherley Junction just north of Wolverhampton. From there you continue east to Penkridge and Great Heywood before heading back north through Stone in Staffordshire and back to Middlewich.

Both the Four Counties and the Cheshire Ring offer a mix of countryside and urban cruising and suit guests looking for a more active holiday.

Harecastle Tunnel

For guests departing from our Stoke on Trent or Acton Bridge and wanting to cruise the Four Counties Ring it is necessary to book slots for passage through the Harecastle tunnel. Slots are available for seven days a week, from 8 am until 5 pm. We will send you details on how to reserve your slot prior to your holiday.

Access to Marple & Bosley Locks

Please be aware that there is a timing restriction to access the flight off locks at Marple and Bosley, both on the Macclesfield Canal which forms part of the Cheshire Ring. The team at your base can help you plan your route to ensure that you meet these times during your handover.

• Bosley Lock Flight – Daily
  Open from 8:30am to allow passage through the flight. Last entry to the flight will be at 1pm, and all boats must be off the flight by 4pm.
• Marple Lock Flight – Daily
  Open from 8:30am to allow passage through the flight. Last entry to the flight will be at 12 noon, and all boats must be off the flight by 4pm.

Cheshire Acton Bridge Reviews:

Blog posts about Acton Bridge: