Canal & River Trust
68 miles of navigable water, 50 locks, 11 named marinas and moorings. Passes Chester, Ellesmere Port, Market Drayton, Nantwich.
| Boat | Size | Fits? |
|---|---|---|
| Narrowboat | 57ft × 6ft 10in | Fits |
| Long narrowboat | 70ft × 6ft 10in | Fits |
| Widebeam | 60ft × 10ft | Some sections |
| Widebeam | 60ft × 12ft | Some sections |
| Dutch barge | 70ft × 14ft 6in | Too 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.
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.
| Section | Length | Beam | Draught | Headroom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellesmere Port to tail of Northgate Locks (Chester) | 21.95 | 2.95 | 1.1 | 2.44 |
| Tail of Northgate locks to top of Bunbury Locks | 21.95 | 2.95 | 1.1 | 2.44 |
| Bunbury to Nantwich | 21.95 | 2.95 | 1.14 | 2.44 |
| Nantwich to Autherley Junction (narrow) | 21.95 | 2.13 | 1.14 | 2.44 |
| River Dee Branch | 21.95 | 4.3 | 1.37 | 2.34 |
Each opens its Check a Mooring page: what's nearby on the water and ashore.
Mapped within 150 m of the Shropshire Union Canal in OpenStreetMap. Volunteers map these, so there are gaps.
2 more without a name in OpenStreetMap.
1 more without a name in OpenStreetMap.
None mapped.
None mapped.
19 more without a name in OpenStreetMap.
Partly. A 60ft × 10ft widebeam fits some sections of the Shropshire Union Canal but not all of them. Check the limits for the sections you plan to use.
Yes. A 57ft × 6ft 10in narrowboat is within every published limit on the Shropshire Union Canal.
About 68 miles of navigable water on our map, with 50 locks mapped in OpenStreetMap.
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