Boating along the Trent & Mersey Canal

With connections to most of the Midlands' important waterways, the Trent & Mersey Canal fully deserves its original name of the 'Grand Trunk Canal'. There can be few boaters who have not spent an evening in a Trent & Mersey pub.

The Cheshire Locks, the long flight of locks which drops the canal down from Stoke-on-Trent to the Cheshire Plain, have been mischievously renamed 'Heartbreak Hill' by generations of leisure boaters. This is because the locks are close enough for the lock crew to stay on the towpath, rather than getting back on board... but far enough apart to make serious inroads on your shoe leather. Think of it as a character-building experience.

The long tunnels at Harecastle and Preston Brook are narrow, with no room for boats to pass. A timetable operates at both, and Harecastle is operated by British Waterways staff.

Other boating attractions include the Anderton Boat Lift, the historic Dove Aqueduct, and miles upon miles of slowly winding waterway through the Potteries and the peaceful countryside.

Bridge & lock opening times

Find detailed information on local services, moorings and stoppages by using the drop down menu on the left.