Cruising the Llangollen Canal with Black Prince: Chirk to Llangollen and Back

There is something very relaxing about travelling by narrowboat. You are not in a hurry to get anywhere. The pace is slow, the scenery changes gradually and much of the fun comes from the journey itself.

We had enjoyed our first narrowboat holiday on the Llangollen Canal, cruising between Whixall and Ellesmere. We loved the experience, so when the opportunity came up to try another section of the canal with Black Prince Holidays, we were keen to get back on the water.

This time we started from the Black Prince base at Chirk and headed towards Llangollen for a three-night break. It was a very different experience from our previous route. There were no locks to tackle, but we had tunnels, a lift bridge, some very narrow sections and, best of all, the chance to cross the incredible Pontcysyllte Aqueduct by narrowboat.

We also had sunshine, drizzle and a proper spell of Welsh rain along the way. But that is all part of a narrowboat holiday in the UK!

Our narrowboat holiday was hosted by Black Prince Holidays | Ad

Our Black Prince narrowboat holiday at a glance

Operator: Black Prince Holidays
Starting point: Chirk Marina, Wrexham
Duration: 3 nights
Boat: Daisy, a 52ft Duchess 2 narrowboat
Route: Chirk → Trevor → Llangollen → Chirk → Chirk Aqueduct → Chirk
Main highlight: Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
Locks on our route: None

Black Prince describes Chirk to Llangollen as an easy, lock-free route and recommends it for beginners and anyone looking for a relaxing short boating break. The wider Chirk short-break route can be extended beyond the marina if you have time, which is exactly what we ended up doing on our final full day.

Starting our Black Prince holiday at Chirk Marina

We arrived at Chirk Marina at around 2pm. The base is in a lovely, quiet setting and was easy to find. There was also plenty of parking.

Check-in was straightforward. We gave the team our booking number, completed a little paperwork and were shown to our boat. We were then given some time to take our luggage onboard before the handover began.

Our handover was done by Kevin and I have to give him a special mention.

It was probably the most comprehensive narrowboat handover we have had. He took his time and went through everything clearly and patiently. It wasn't just steering and basic safety. He showed us how things around the boat worked, including the hob, TV and radio, and talked us through the engine and the important safety information.

Even though this was our second narrowboat holiday, there was plenty of useful information. By around 3.10pm the handover was complete and we were ready to leave Chirk Marina.

 

Our narrowboat, Daisy

Our home for the next three nights was Daisy, a Duchess 2 narrowboat.

The Duchess 2 is 52ft long and can sleep between two and four people. It has one shower and toilet, central heating and 240V electric power. Black Prince boats also come with a cooker, fridge, TV and radio. Wi-Fi isn't provided, so we used our mobile data when needed.

For the two of us, Daisy was just right.

The bedroom was cosy and comfortable and we slept well throughout the trip. The bathroom was clean and practical, while the kitchen had everything we needed for our meals onboard.

There was also ample storage. Even with everything we had brought for our three-night break, we had no problem putting our luggage away.

The saloon gave us a comfortable place to relax, particularly when the weather wasn't playing along.

 

Most importantly, the boat was spotless and well prepared when we arrived. There wasn't anything we felt was missing.

Our 3-night Chirk to Llangollen narrowboat route

Day 1: Chirk Marina to The Sun Trevor

We left Chirk Marina shortly after our handover.

As this was our second holiday on this type of narrowboat, it didn't take long to get comfortable with the steering again. Within a few minutes, we had settled into the familiar slow pace of canal life.

Our first afternoon took us through Whitehouses Tunnel and towards Trevor. The canal wasn't particularly busy, which made for a relaxed start to the holiday.

And then came one of the experiences we had been looking forward to most, crossing the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct by narrowboat.

We had walked across the aqueduct many years ago, but travelling across it on a narrowboat was completely different. It was amazing. As Daisy slowly made her way across, we had wonderful views over the Dee Valley and plenty of time to take everything in.

Bhavin was steering and found the crossing quite straightforward. I could simply enjoy the views, and surprisingly, the height didn't bother me at all. I found the whole experience mesmerising.

In fact, our only complaint was that we wished the aqueduct was longer! We had been looking forward to the crossing so much and it seemed to be over far too quickly.

We passed Trevor Basin at around 5pm and continued a little further before stopping at the moorings near The Sun Trevor. We arrived at around 6.15pm.

This turned out to be a great choice for our first night. There were mooring rings, we found a space easily and the pub was very close to the canal. 

Once we were tied up, that was us done for the evening. Dinner, a quiet canal and time to simply relax.

It was wonderfully peaceful overnight.

Day 2: The Sun Trevor to Llangollen

We left our mooring near The Sun Trevor at around 8.30am the following morning and continued towards Llangollen.

It was a relatively short cruise, but as we got closer to Llangollen, the canal became noticeably narrower.

Navigating The Narrows into Llangollen

The final approach to Llangollen includes a stretch known as The Narrows, and the name is very appropriate. For around 500 metres, the canal is extremely narrow in places, with sections where there simply isn't enough room for two narrowboats to pass comfortably.

We had checked ahead before entering and started making our way through. About halfway along, however, we spotted three boats coming towards us.

There was nowhere for us to pass each other, so we had to reverse Daisy back along the canal until we reached a wider section. We waited there and let all three boats come through before continuing towards Llangollen.

Reversing a 52ft narrowboat along such a narrow stretch might sound a little stressful, but it actually wasn't. Everyone was patient and nobody was in a hurry. That is one of the nice things about canal boating.

It did slow us down a little, though, and this is worth keeping in mind if you are planning the same route. You can't always judge your journey purely by distance. On narrow sections like this, you may need to stop, wait or even reverse to allow other boats through.

We reached Llangollen at around 10am, roughly an hour and a half after leaving The Sun Trevor.

We went into Llangollen Basin to turn Daisy around and then came back to the linear moorings just beyond Llangollen Wharf and the tea shops.

Although we weren't moored inside the basin itself, this was still within the paid mooring area, so we later bought our mooring ticket (£13 for a 24-hour stay) from the tea shop.

I really liked this spot.

It was quiet, and Llangollen town centre was within easy walking distance. Once the boat was secure, we headed into town to pick up some food & drinks and have a wander around.

The weather had been wet while we were making our way towards Llangollen. We had rain jackets and waterproof footwear, so the moderate rain didn't cause us too much trouble.

Later, however, it became much heavier.

Rather than trying to force plans around the weather, we simply stayed on Daisy and relaxed until the worst had passed. By around 3pm it had eased considerably.

That is one of the things I like about narrowboat holidays. Your accommodation is travelling with you. If the weather turns, you can make a cup of tea, sit down and wait it out.

Walking to Horseshoe Falls

At around 4pm, with just a light drizzle remaining, we decided to walk to Horseshoe Falls.

The walk from our Llangollen mooring was easy and pleasant. We had umbrellas with us and the drizzle really wasn't a problem.

 

Horseshoe Falls made a lovely addition to the day and I would definitely recommend the walk if you have time while moored at Llangollen.

Afterwards, we walked back to Daisy, enjoyed our dinner and settled in for a quiet evening.

Day 3: Llangollen to Chirk and beyond

We left Llangollen at around 9am the next morning and began retracing our route.

This meant negotiating the narrow stretches again and, of course, getting another crossing of Pontcysyllte Aqueduct.

We reached the aqueduct at around 10.30am. This time we did have to wait for other boats before crossing.

Crossing in the opposite direction didn't feel particularly different to me. The views were equally impressive both ways, and I certainly wasn't complaining about getting to experience it twice.

A little later, after passing Tŷ-uchaf Culvert, we found a mooring and stopped for brunch. There was no rush. We ate, relaxed for a while and then continued towards Chirk.

But reaching Chirk Marina wasn't quite the end of our day's cruising.

Chirk Tunnel and Chirk Aqueduct

We still had plenty of time, so we made a last-minute decision to continue beyond the marina. This took us through Chirk Tunnel. It was long, cold and dark, but also a lot of fun. We sounded the horn before entering and thankfully didn't meet another boat inside.

Chirk Tunnel felt noticeably longer and darker than Whitehouses Tunnel, so it added another completely different experience to the trip.

Emerging from the tunnel brought us to Chirk Aqueduct.

The aqueduct carries the canal across the Ceiriog Valley and sits alongside the railway viaduct. That neighbouring viaduct makes the crossing particularly interesting. Unfortunately no train appeared while we were crossing. I would have loved to have seen one passing alongside us.

Pontcysyllte is undoubtedly the more dramatic of the two aqueducts, but I am very glad we added Chirk Aqueduct to the trip.

After crossing it, we continued until the next large turning point, turned Daisy around and did the whole thing again in reverse: Chirk Aqueduct, Chirk Tunnel and back towards the marina.

We finally moored near Chirk Marina at around 5pm. It had turned into quite a full day, but never felt rushed.

Day 4: One last quiet morning on the canal

Our final morning was deliberately slow.

We made coffee and enjoyed those last quiet moments beside the canal before it was time to return Daisy. After calling the marina, we entered at around 8.45am. By 9.45am we were packed up and leaving Chirk. Three nights had gone surprisingly quickly.

What is it like crossing Pontcysyllte Aqueduct by narrowboat?

If there is one experience that defines this route for me, it is Pontcysyllte Aqueduct.

Black Prince promotes this as one of the big highlights of its Chirk route and I completely understand why. Walking across the aqueduct and travelling across it by narrowboat are two very different experiences. From the boat you are moving slowly enough to properly take in the Dee Valley around you.

Steering across wasn't particularly difficult for us. The bigger consideration is other boats. Depending on how busy it is, you may need to wait before crossing.

Would I recommend it if you're nervous about heights?

I think it is still worth considering. The towpath runs along one side, so staying on that side of the boat may feel more comfortable. But ultimately you know how you react to heights better than anyone else.

For us, it was fantastic.

Is Chirk to Llangollen suitable for first-time narrowboaters?

I think so.

One big advantage is that the Chirk to Llangollen section is lock-free. Black Prince itself recommends it as an easy route suitable for beginners. 

That doesn't mean there is nothing to do.

You still have tunnels, Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, a lift bridge and some very narrow sections approaching Llangollen. 

The Narrows require a little patience and occasionally some reversing if you meet boats coming the other way. But none of it felt particularly stressful to us.

The canal was relatively quiet during our trip, even though we travelled in August. The section between Trevor and Llangollen was slightly busier, but other boaters were friendly and there was generally a very relaxed atmosphere.

Physically, I found the route fairly easy too. There was only one lift bridge for us to deal with and no locks.

If this is your first narrowboat holiday, pay attention during the handover, don't rush and remember that everyone else is travelling at roughly the same slow pace.

Is three nights enough for Chirk to Llangollen?

For us, three nights was about right.

We reached Llangollen without rushing, had time to explore the town, walk to Horseshoe Falls, enjoy plenty of downtime onboard and still had enough time on our return journey to continue beyond Chirk Marina to Chirk Tunnel and Aqueduct.

If your main aim is the boating experience, three nights works very well.

If you want more time to properly explore Llangollen, I would consider four nights instead. That would allow you to spend longer in town without watching the cruising time quite as closely.

A few practical tips from our trip

Pack waterproofs. I think waterproof jackets and suitable footwear are essential on any UK narrowboat holiday. Weather changes quickly. Our rain gear meant the moderate rain on the way to Llangollen didn't stop us cruising.

Eating out along the route is easy. There are pubs and places to eat along the way, including The Sun Trevor, while Llangollen has a much wider choice of cafés, pubs and restaurants. If you prefer to cook, the narrowboat has a well-equipped kitchen and you can stock up on groceries in Llangollen.

Mobile data worked for us. Most narrowboats don't have Wi-Fi, so plan to use your own mobile data if you need to get online.

Allow for slower progress near Llangollen. The narrow sections mean you sometimes have to wait or reverse to let other boats through. Don't plan your timings too tightly.

Take your time. This isn't a journey where getting from A to B quickly matters. Some of our nicest moments were simply stopping for brunch, having coffee beside the canal or sitting onboard waiting for the rain to pass.

Would we recommend a Black Prince Chirk to Llangollen narrowboat holiday?

Yes, we would happily recommend it.

Our three nights with Black Prince were both fun and relaxing, which is exactly what I want from this type of break.

The Chirk to Llangollen route also offered something quite different from our previous narrowboat holiday. The canal felt narrower, the Dee Valley scenery was beautiful and the tunnels and aqueducts added a little more adventure.

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct was the star.

Crossing it by narrowboat is one of those experiences that is difficult to properly capture in photographs. You need to be there, slowly travelling across the valley with those views opening up around you.

I would happily recommend this route to couples, families and first-time narrowboaters. Three nights works well if the journey itself is your focus. Add another night if you want more time in Llangollen.

Would we travel with Black Prince again? Yes.

Next time I would probably choose another route simply because there are so many waterways still to explore. But I would also happily return to this one with family or friends who haven't experienced it.

I wouldn't mind another crossing of Pontcysyllte Aqueduct either.

Ready to Plan Your Own Narrowboat Holiday?

If our trip has tempted you to try a narrowboat holiday for yourself, take a look at Black Prince Holidays.

They have a choice of routes and bases around the UK, so you don't have to follow the same itinerary we did. Whether you fancy crossing the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, exploring a completely different canal or simply spending a few slow days on the water, there are plenty of options to choose from.

We thoroughly enjoyed our three nights cruising from Chirk to Llangollen and would happily book another Black Prince narrowboat holiday in the future.

Have a look at the available boats and routes and start planning your own narrowboat adventure.