Where are the Frodsham Moorings?

Sunday, 03 May 2009 17:59

Yesterday we wanted to cruise to Frodsham. Well, to as near as we could get, so that we could walk into the town to explore!

According to Waterscape Boaters Guide, there are 48 hour moorings just inside Frodsham Cut. "Beware that if your boat is more than 45ft in length you may have to reverse out".

Frodsham Cut with its shallow lock (now disused) was the old line of navigation until 1827. Then the Weston Canal was constructed to take the Weaver Navigation to Weston Point.

When booking at Anderton we were given a print out of the pages on Waterscape for information. We were using this and Nicholson to navigate the Navigation. We thought we might try this and the consequent reversing manoeuvre.

However when we got there this is what we saw

There are barriers across the Cut and although it looks as if there is a gap on the right, closer inspection showed that there is a rope or chain submerged just under the surface. Added to which there is a tree in the water just beyond the gap.

We have been known to "push our luck" when trying to moor away from Visitor Moorings, on the towpath side, as we are "allowed", but we felt that this mooring was probably a risk too far!

I suppose if you were a "Noddy" boat (remembering to take up the outboard when going over the chain!) or a rowing boat it might be OK. (As I write, John is in process of emailing Waterscape to ask them to correct this information.)

So we pressed on.

Just after Sutton Swing Bridge are the BW boat services. Well, water and rubbish anyway.

Strangely the notice says Visitor Moorings

There is just room for two 57 footers so we winded and moored

It seemed to us that this was probably the best access to Frodsham and so had no limit marked. All the moorings on the Weaver are 48 hour according to Waterscape! As there are so few boats at the moment it does not seem to be a problem if a boat stays more than this.

We took the long walk uphill into Frodsham and spent the afternoon there - more of our visit to come!

Leaving Sutton Swing Bridge about 5pm we thought we would try to moor just after Frodsham Cut.

Seeing a boat moored there already we pulled in

Some of this section was too shallow but we found a mooring with our stern sticking out a bit. As the Weaver is very wide here this was not a problem and we spent a peaceful night.

This would be a good place from which to walk the Frodsham Cut, but not for us this time - we were still recovering from the long walk into Frodsham!

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