Moorings on the Ashby Canal

The Ashby Canal is one of the most peaceful cruising waterways in the East Midlands, winding 35 kilometres through unspoilt Leicestershire and Warwickshire countryside without a single lock for most of its length. Managed by the Canal & River Trust, it branches off the Coventry Canal at Marston Junction and meanders north past Hinckley, Stoke Golding and Market Bosworth before reaching its current terminus near Snarestone. For boat owners, the Ashby's lock-free character makes it ideal for relaxed cruising, single-handed boating and crews new to the network — you can cover real distance without working a paddle. Long-stay moorings are available at marinas at Stoke Golding, Sutton Cheney and Market Bosworth, with informal towpath spots favoured by liveaboards seeking quiet, rural berths. The canal sits close to the Battle of Bosworth heritage centre, the Bosworth Battlefield Railway and a string of welcoming canal-side pubs. Wildlife is exceptional too — kingfishers, herons and otters are regular companions. Restoration is gradually extending the canal northward toward Moira, opening more cruising ground each year. With reasonable rail links from Hinckley and Nuneaton and easy access to the M42, the Ashby is a popular long-term home for boaters who want country cruising without sacrificing connectivity. Draught is generally limited to around 0.7 metres in places, so it suits standard narrowboats well.