Canal & River Trust

Llangollen Canal

46 miles of navigable water, 20 locks, 7 named marinas and moorings. Passes Chirk, Ellesmere, Llangollen, Whitchurch.

Will your boat fit?

BoatSizeFits?
Narrowboat57ft × 6ft 10inFits
Long narrowboat70ft × 6ft 10inFits
Widebeam60ft × 10ftToo big
Widebeam60ft × 12ftToo big
Dutch barge70ft × 14ft 6inToo big

Length and beam against Canal & River Trust. “Some sections” means your boat is too big for at least one section or lock. Draught and headroom aren't checked here: see the table below.

ChirkEllesmereLlangollenWhitchurch

Published size limits

Maximum boat sizes in metres, from the Canal & River Trust's waterway dimensions (page last edited 26 Mar 2026). “–” means the Trust doesn't give a figure.

SectionLengthBeamDraughtHeadroom
Hurleston to Pontcysyllte21.952.110.762.12
Pontcysyllte to Llangollen21.952.110.752.13

Marinas and moorings

Each opens its Check a Mooring page: what's nearby on the water and ashore.

Services on the water

Mapped within 150 m of the Llangollen Canal in OpenStreetMap. Volunteers map these, so there are gaps.

Water points 1

1 more without a name in OpenStreetMap.

Elsan disposal 6

  • Ellesmere Elsan Point
  • Grindley Brook Elsan Point
  • Grindley Brook Pump Out
  • Hurleston Elsan Point
  • Llangollen Elsan Point

1 more without a name in OpenStreetMap.

Pump-out 0

None mapped.

Boat fuel 2

2 more without a name in OpenStreetMap.

Rubbish disposal 5

  • Ellesmere Rubbish Disposal
  • Grindley Brook Rubbish Disposal
  • Hurlesdton Rubbish Disposal
  • Llangollen Moorings Rubbish Disposal
  • Llangollen Rubbish Disposal

Winding holes 17

  • Grindley Brook Turning Point
  • Rhoswiel Bridge Wynding Hole
  • Sewage Works Winding Hole

14 more without a name in OpenStreetMap.

Questions

Can a widebeam go on the Llangollen Canal?

No. A 10ft-wide boat is wider or longer than the Llangollen Canal allows.

Will a 57ft narrowboat fit on the Llangollen Canal?

Yes. A 57ft × 6ft 10in narrowboat is within every published limit on the Llangollen Canal.

How long is the Llangollen Canal, and how many locks does it have?

About 46 miles of navigable water on our map, with 20 locks mapped in OpenStreetMap.