Canals and Waterways

Canals and Waterways are a great way to explore Cheshire at a leisurely pace, as well as offering visitors the opportunity to enjoy sites of historic interest along the way.

Cheshire is home to the Cheshire Ring, consisting of 97 miles of canal and 92 locks, taking 50 hours to complete. The Cheshire Ring is made up three main canals that run through the county; the Macclesfield Canal running through Congleton and Macclesfield, the Trent and Mersey running through Middlewich and Wheelock and then the Bridgewater Canal running through Lymm in the North. The Shropshire Union Canal also skirts Chester's City Walls where you can stop off and explore 2000 years of history.

Why not stop off and explore one of the many towns and villages enroute or take a trip to see Anderton Boat Lift, an incredible edifice, perched on the banks of the River Weaver like some giant three-storey-high iron spider.

The Cheshire Ring is a circuit made up of 6 main sections of canal in the North West of England, three of which run through Cheshire and Warrington; the Macclesfield Canal, the Trent and Mersey Canal and the Bridgewater Canal.

The whole is 97 miles long, with 92 locks and takes 1 week to complete. Hire a narrowboat for a week or for the day and explore the beauty of Cheshire; many attractions, places to eat and visit are accessible from the canal side.

The Cheshire Ring provides a range of canalside scenery from the gentle rolling plains of the Cheshire countryside to the peaks of the Peak District National Park. There is a variety of canal features en-route including locks, aqueducts and tunnels plus the historic town centres of Northwich, Middlewich, Macclesfield and Congleton are within easy reach to explore.

Download the Cheshire Ring Map here.

Searching for...

Things to Do

Number of results:

Number of results: 55

, currently showing 41 to 55.

Sort By: Price - Lowest Price - Highest Grading: Highest A-Z Lowest A-Z Highest

Highest

Bollington Discovery Centre

Type

Type:

Heritage / Visitor Centre

Clarence Road, Bollington

Bollington Discovery Centre brings together the history of this and other great mills of Bollington, the Macclesfield Canal and shows their place and importance to the town.

More Details
Nelson Pit Walk 6

Type

Type:

Walking Route

Higher Poynton

The route follows the Macclesfield Canal north and then along wide country tracks before an uphill stretch into Lyme Park. The views from the highest point near Lyme Park on a good day are spectacular.

More Details
Weaver Hall Museum

Type

Type:

Museum

Northwich

Life could be very tough for the people of mid-Cheshire but never more so than for those who ended up in the Northwich Union Workhouse.
External Links
- Accessible Information
More Details
Alsager Series No. 5 – Salt Line and Canal

Type

Type:

Walking Route

Church Lawton, Alsager

This route, devised by Alsager Chamber of Trade, is one a series of walks in the Alsager area. The walks have been published in leaflets entitled ‘It’s all about Alsager - Walking Maps of Alsager’.

More Details
Nelson Pit Walk 3

Type

Type:

Walking Route

Macclesfield

One of a series of walks from the Nelson Pit Visitor Centre. One of the main features of this walk is Poynton Coppice.

More Details
Ride the Middlewood Way

Type

Type:

Riding/Trekking Centre

Macclesfield

The Middlewood Way offers a 10-mile (16-km) traffic-free route for walkers, cyclists and horse riders. It follows the line of the former Macclesfield, Bollington and Marple Railway through picturesque Cheshire countryside and between historic mill to

More Details
Nelson Pit Walk 7

Type

Type:

Walking Route

Higher Poynton

The route climbs over 1300 feet from Nelson Pit to Bowstones, and is partly strenuous. However, the views from the highest points on a good day are spectacular. This walk should be avoided on a misty day.

More Details
Nelson Pit Walk 9

Type

Type:

Walking Route

Higher Poynton

The first part of two walks making the Middlewood Challenge, a 20-mile walk in the figure of eight. The second section of the Challenge is Walk 10 which is about 12 miles long and takes around 5 hours to walk.

More Details
Walks for All - Middlewood Way

Type

Type:

Walking Route

Higher Poynton

The Middlewood Way is a 16km (10 mile) linear route following the former Macclesfield, Bollington and Marple Railway through picturesque Cheshire East countryside.

More Details
Nelson Pit Walk 4

Type

Type:

Walking Route

Higher Poynton

This is one of a series of walks from the Nelson Pit Visitor Centre. This is a flat walk along the Macclesfield Canal towpath and Middlewood Way.

More Details
NCN Route 55

Type

Type:

Cycle Route

Congleton

National Cycle Network A part of route 55 which takes in the Cheshire route, Congleton to Marple.

More Details
Swanley Bridge Marina Ltd

Type

Type:

Marina

Nantwich

Swanley Bridge Marina is a 315 berth marina. This pristine development is located on the beautiful Llangollen Canal just two miles from the junction of the Shropshire Union.

More Details
Mow Cop Loop

Type

Type:

Walking Route

Congleton

An energetic short loop climbing onto the ridge leading to Mow Cop. The path leads through beautiful woodlands and there are fabulous views from the ridge. Interesting industrial history – coal mining and Primitive Methodism.

More Details
Andersen Boats

Type

Type:

Hotel Boat

Middlewich

Based in Middlewich, Cheshire, in the UK, Andersen Boats offer canal boat holidays.

More Details
Mow Cop

Type

Type:

Walking Tour

Congleton

This prominent hill-top has been of spiritual and practical significance to man for thousands of years.

More Details