with an Aquavista leisure mooring in the Midlands
With the boating season in full swing, it’s the ideal time to be thinking about your next cruising adventure. How about a leisure mooring at one of our marinas in the Midlands with the freedom to cruise around the network for free?
There are 9 marinas to choose as your base - from Nottingham Castle Marina on the banks of the Nottingham & Beeston Canal down to Cropredy Marina on the South Oxford Canal.
Then it’s just a case of choosing where to cruise to with your EXPLORE 100 benefit (that’s 100 free nights at our other Aquavista marinas and a safe place to moor at night).
You can reach one of our sister marinas in as little as one hour, perfect for a leisurely trip with plenty of time to relax or explore. If you’re feeling more adventurous, you can plan a longer trip with stops along the way.
If more freedom to cruise, a safe and secure place to moor at the end of the day and a warm and friendly welcome sounds good, carry on reading to find out more about our nine marinas in the Midlands.
Choose your cruise in the Midlands
1. Nottingham Castle Waterside & Marina
This stop off on the Nottingham and Beeston Canal is so peaceful you’ll probably forget you’ve got the city centre on your doorstep – it’s just a mile’s walk away. You’ve got access to the whole waterways network, you can head to the tidal Trent, which takes you towards Newark – where our Kings Waterside & Marina is located. Or you can cruise down the navigational cut of the River Trent and stop off at our Sawley Waterside & Marina. Supervisor Katie would love to show you around.
Right near Long Eaton in Nottinghamshire, Sawley Marina has some great cruising options nearby - the Trent & Mersey canal, the River Trent, the River Soar and the Erewash Canal – so it’s safe to say you probably won’t get bored here. As one of the largest inland marinas in the UK it has a great community feel too. Manager Jon would love to show you around.
3. Kings Bromley Waterside & Marina
Sitting on the Trent and Mersey, Kings Bromley has 90 miles of waterways to explore. Fradley Junction is only a few miles away – it’s a great base to explore the Four Counties and the Cheshire Ring which wind through some fantastic countryside. On land the village is just half-an-hour’s walk or a short drive away. Manager Paul and his crew would love to show you around.
Set on a quiet spot on the Ashby canal you’ve got 40 miles of lock-free canals to explore – it’s perfect for some really chilled-out cruising. Sister marinas Kings Bromley, Wigrams Turn, Ventnor and Crick are all within easy reach or further afield you can explore the Warwickshire Ring and the East Midlands Ring. Manager Sammie would love to show you around.
5. Brinklow Waterside & Marina
Nicknamed ‘the marina of dreams’ because it’s a pretty special place, with a lively community vibe, Brinklow is also a great base to cruise the Midlands network. Set on the northern arm of the Oxford Canal – you’ve got 29 miles of lock free canal to explore. For bigger boat trips, you’ve also got easy access to the Grand Union, Ashby, and Coventry canals. Manager Dave would love to show you around.
Perfectly placed on the Leicester Line of the Grand Union Canal, Crick Marina gives you 21 miles of lock-free cruising – along with easy access to all the major cruising routes. On land you don’t need to go that far for things to do – it’s only a couple of minutes’ walk into Crick, which is a lovely little village. You’ve also got brand new facilities to enjoy thanks to its recent refurbishment. Manager Kim would love to show you around.
With its nature reserve like feel, Ventnor (a leisure only marina) is a tranquil spot to moor. It’s set in the middle of the Warwickshire countryside, so you’ve got easy access to the Grand Union Canal, making it the perfect base for exploring the Warwickshire Ring (and beyond), or simply visiting Wigrams Turn. Manager Mark would love to show you around.
8. Wigrams Turn Waterside & Marina
For endless cruising possibilities, you can’t do better than Wigrams Turn Waterside & Marina. Set on the junction of the Oxford and Grand Union Canals, you’ve got three cruising directions and miles and miles of open countryside to explore. The closest Aquavista marina is Ventnor, only a few hours cruise away. Manager Marc would love to show you around.
9. Cropredy Waterside & Marina
A great little hideaway (but it’s still got loads going on), Cropredy is ideally positioned on the southern Oxford Canal, for short and longer cruises on the southern half of the English canal network. There also access to the Thames at Oxford whilst sister marinas – Wigrams Turn, Ventnor and Crick are only a short cruise away. Manager Sarah would love to show you around.
