Debdale Wharf Marina

We are a family run business that has been operating at Debdale Wharf Since 1974. The narrowboat marina is set in 25 acres of quiet, secluded, rural countryside 25 minutes cruising from Foxton Locks, on the Leicester section of the Grand Union Canal with 14 miles of lock free cruising. The marina has grown over the years to its present size, and can now accommodate approx 150 berths on secure, straight, linear style staging made of galvanised steel. In addition to the water berths, we also have a large hardstanding area with electricity and water points nearby.

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We offer marina moorings, in a linear style, for any size Narrow Boat, as well as all the usual immediate services of Electricity to all moorers i.e. Water points, Calor, Coal, Diesel, Pumpout facilities; we also have experienced engineers and joiners that can see to any servicing or maintenance issues. This can be anything from yearly engine services to full fit outs, as well as everything in between. We also specialise in electric propulsion.

We are very proud of our Blacking facilities. Our static gantry has the ability to lift and safely secure a boat to above head height in order for bases to be blacked. Boats are then lowered onto sleepers for the sides to be accessed comfortably. It is fallacy to say that boats’ bases are kept clean by scraping the bottom of the cut, pitting is a huge potential problem that can be kept in check with regular blacking thus lengthening the life of the base plate considerably. We can take the hard work away from owners and black boats during the week to suit their cruising schedules or alternatively DIY weekends can be booked. Grit blasting is available also.

Another recent addition is our hard standing area. This extensive area can offer electricity to those who need it to carry out work ashore. For those who are intending to carry out longer term fit out ashore, we can offer the hire of a container that would be alongside the boat and can act as a workshop. Hire of many useful tools is also available. We use a 40 tonne travel hoist that transports the boats safely to their hard standing spot. Some of our customers use our hard standing for winter storage, which enables them to carry out winter maintenance at their convenience. They then go back into the water for their summer cruising.

And it doesn’t stop there! We are currently in the process of constructing a new building that will enable boats to come undercover for blacking, painting and/or maintenance work. We hope to have this facility up and running for next year.

Debdale Wharf Marina

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Debdale Wharf Marina Review

Kylie the narrowboat mover at Debdale Wharf

I visited Debdale Wharf marina a month ago now. I should have written this review while it was still fresh in my mind. I thought I had time. I visited owner Nick Goode seven days before I was due to go on holiday for a fortnight. Unfortunately I had a problem with my visa which I only managed to resolve at the eleventh hour (actually, 24 hours before the flight) I wasn’t able to add this information to the site. I’ll do my best though.

I arranged to visit the marina after two very positive comments (below) by site subscribers. I asked Alan who made the initial comment to talk to Nicky to see if she was interested in spending an hour or so with me to show me the site. Nicky was interested and she was incredibly helpful from the moment I arrived.

The marina is located about 10 miles south east of Leicester on the Leicester section of the Grand Union canal roughly half an hour’s cruise from Foxton Locks. There are several ways to reach the marina by road but the most direct route, and the one I took, is via the busy A6 running from Leicester to Market Harborough.

As soon as you turn off the A6, you are on a single track gated road. I liked this. Getting in and out of the car to open and close three of four gates before reaching the marina can be viewed as a bit of a pain. However, I always think of gated roads as very rural, peaceful and quiet. The road helped to separate me mentally from the busy A6 so by the time I reached the marina I was in a very good frame of mind.

Nicky Goode enhanced that feeling. She gives the impression of a very kind, caring and accommodating marina owner. After a chat and a leisurely cup of coffee she gave me a guided tour of the site.

I have to say, if you are looking for a mooring based purely on aesthetics, Debdale Wharf probably isn’t for you. There are acres and acres of hardstanding adjacent to the marina. There are dozens of boats stored on the original hardstanding and a huge open space that has been developed to accommodate more boats. The storage is popular with boat owners who cruise infrequently and who want a cheaper option than in-the-water moornings. The hardstanding is also available for boat owners who want to work on their boats while it is out of the water.

There’s space at Debdale Wharf for up to 150 boats but the moorings are very close together. You need to do a bit of shoehorning to squeeze your boat in and probably need a little co-operation from your neighbour.

Linear moorings are close together

That’s the negatives out of the way. On a positive note, and my feelings where overwhelmingly positive about the marina, the facilities here are second to none. There’s a full time professional and highly respected painter on site, expert marine engineers and a highly skilled carpenter. Without exception, every member of staff I met here was extremely friendly. This is a very important consideration if you expect to spend extended periods on your mooring. Miserable marina staff can be a real pain in the neck.

If you like doing your own alterations and maintenance, the site has all the facilities you could ask for. You can work on you boat out of the water on the hardstanding or in the water in an area away from other moorings so you can hammer and saw away to your heart’s content. And once you’ve finished with your repairs and maintenance, you can black your own boat too.

Inside the working boat

Of course if you want to leave all the hard work to the professionals, they’ll be more than glad to help. Debdale Wharf don’t fit out many boats but they had one under cover that they’ve been working on for the last twelve months. It’s an old working boat on the outside and a super luxurious floating home with superb quality woodwork on the inside. True craftsmanship.

I said that the moorings are close together. They are. But the residential moorings, although still very close together, have a very tranquil feel about them. The marina landscaping was done by Mike Goode’s father forty years ago. The landscaping has matured now and has been further enhanced by nature loving moorers. There are bird feeders, and consequently birds, everywhere. Even though the marina isn’t the prettiest on the world, it may well be the friendliest. So if you like the sound of a really friendly marina with more facilities than you can shake a stick at, you need to pay Nicky and Mike Goode a visit. Be warned though, moorings are secured by invitation only. If Nicky doesn’t think you’ll get on with the rest of the moorers, you don’t stand a chance!

The tranquil residential corner of the marina

Milton Keynes Marina

Welcome to Milton Keynes Marina

Milton Keynes Marina is a modern city centre marina nestling in a 15 miles lock free stretch of the Grand Union canal. The Marina is owned and run as a family business, aiming to offer a friendly and professional service.

All facilities are on hand including a workshop, slipway, and secure car parking. The jetties are in the process of being fully upgraded and laundry facilities have been added. We can accommodate, Narrowboats, Widebeams and Cruisers of any length. The small chandlery/brokerage/office is open 7 days a week between 10am and 4pm.
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The Marina is approximately 10 minutes from Milton Keynes mainline train station (London 30 minutes), and 10 minutes from junction 14 of the M1. Milton Keynes indoor shopping centre, theatre district, and the many other sports & leisure activities that form an integral part of Milton Keynes are close by. There is a Chinese and Indian takeaway, hotel, pub with restaurant onsite.

Milton Keynes Marina

Willowtree Marina

Willowtree Marina, located on the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal in West London, offers that rare combination of easy accessibility, security and attractiveness for so many canal based activities.

There is a quiet pride in what is on offer here and we hope you will feel this too. Willowtree Marina has set its sights on becoming a leader on the Inland Waterways. A desire to uphold the best of our canal past has been coupled to a management commitment for Customer Care, Quality Assurance and Environmental Protection.

Whatever it is you are looking for – be it moorings for boats, locations for filming, a centre for canal events, wildlife photography, walking, etc. – Willowtree Marina should be your first port of call.

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Willowtree Marina

Gayton Marina

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The attractive marina is well equipped with a shop selling boat spares, canal maps, guides and confectionary. On the site there are boats for sale, moorings with electric hook ups, wi fi and full marina services including a Crane for out of the water repairs.The marina is operated by ABC Leisure Group one of the leading companies on the UK canal network who have another eight marinas

strategically placed around the canal network, they have an excellent reputation for building high quality bespoke narrow boats, and can provide everything for the canalboat owner, or potential owner .
The marina provides cruising on the famous Grand Union Canal (The M1 of 200 years ago) south towards London or north toward the junction with the Oxford canals or East out towards the Fens. Just south of the marina is the famous Blisworth tunnel which at 3,076 yards (2,813m) long it is the third-longest navigable canal tunnel on the UK canal network and on the other side the interesting Stoke Bruerne Canal Museum.

Gayton Marina

Bugbrooke Marina

Bugbrooke Marina is a small friendly marina situated in the Northamptonshire countryside not far from Weedon and on a 15-mile lock-free pound stretching from Whilton Locks to Stoke Bruerne.

Facilities on site include water and electricity points, toilet facilities, portapotti disposal, rubbish disposal and a resident security warden. There is a village shop within easy walking distance and a pub which also serves food almost next door. There are no boatbuilding facilities or hire fleet on site so the peaceful atmosphere of the marina is maintained.

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Pump out facilities, diesel, coal and gas are available at nearby boatyards and at Tarry’s coal yard at Nether Heyford.

Bugbrooke Marina

Yelvertoft Marina

The Yelvertoft Marina project encompasses the establishment of an inland Marina, initially catering for 150 boats.

It is situated on land within the boundaries of Flint Hill Farm, Yelvertoft, in the heart of the picturesque Northamptonshire countryside. The marina is a new development alongside the existing Grand Union Canal. This historically and environmentally important canal is fairly unique due to its dimensions and has been officially identified as having potential to be a significant visitor attraction in the area. The Local Authority approved design of the intended marina is very environmentally sympathetic.

Whilton Marina

Whilton Marina has mooring facilities for approximately 200 boats, each berth has 240 volt hook-up with all piers having water taps. Our aim is to try and offer mooring on a temporary basis to everyone who buys a boat from us. Longer term moorings are dependant upon availability and are at the discretion of the marina owners – just ask at the time of purchase for more information.

Whilton Marina

Whilton Marina Review

By Jim Shead: First published in Waterways World April 2004

Whilton Marina is located beside Whilton Bottom Lock at the foot of the Buckby flight. It was built in 1971 by David Steele who had a background in construction and civil engineering but no previous connection with the canals. At that time there were no services here and the site was just an empty field between the canal and the railway. Seeing the business potential of a site so well placed on the waterways network, and having the skills to manage the digging out of the large marina, David Steele acquired the land and established the marina.

The water space is still the same size as when the marina first opened although buildings and facilities have been added over the years.The marina is still owned by Steele family and is now in the hands of David Steele’s two sons, Nigel and Richard. I spoke to Richard Scowen, the Sales Manager at Whilton Marina, who explained the history and present day operations of the company. It started off as general moorings and then, very soon after the marina was built, boat sales were started. There was a period in the 1970s when they constructed fibre-glass river cruisers. This only lasted for about 3 or 4 years as it came at a time when canal boaters were turning from plastic to steel.

They have 200 moorings to let for private use plus 50 moorings dedicated to boat sales. Moorers at the marina can join the Whilton Marina Cruising Club. Boat brokerage and sales is the main part of the business employing six people. The marina office is dominated by displays of boats for sale and the water space immediately outside is packed with boats for sale. No wonder that they sell over 200 boats every year ranging from relatively cheap to top of the range new boats. They advertise in the major waterways magazines and have a website which they manage and keep up to date from their office on site.

In addition to the boating side of the business they have storage for 450 caravans at Whilton and also own Cosgrove Park – a 180 acre caravan and leisure park next to Cosgrove Lock.

The facilities at the marina are impressive and include two slipways, two wet docks and access to all the usual engineering facilities as they have an electrical engineer, gas engineer as well as general diesel engineers. There are eight people employed on the engineering work. Over plating, boat stretching and major repairs are done by contractors on site. They now have three boat fitters on site – Evolution Narrowboats, Ebony Narrowboats and Geoff Corbett who was about to retire and in September 2003 and was finishing his last narrowboat. The Sales Office also represents two other manufacturers of new boats – New Boat Company and George Morris Narrowboats.

The whole of this busy marina employs around 20 people in the various businesses. The excellent Whilton Chandlery on the site is run as a separate business by Richard Saillet and is well stocked to serve the boater, the tourist and the passing walker. A stop at the marina can provide all the usual services, such as pumpout, diesel, water and overnight moorings as well as the opportunity to buy a wide range of products and services, from a newspaper to new boat.

Update 23rd March 2013

I received an email today, reproduced in its entirety below, which voiced concerns about the way that Whilton marina operates. Coincidentally, I was given the same information yesterday by a boat builder. I have no proof that the claims are true. I have included the information here so that you can make up your own mind.

Weltonfield Narrowboats

Welton Hythe and Welton Haven are set in open countryside just a short distance from Norton Junction. Being at the heart of the canal system, our customers have a vast choice of cruising routes whether for weekend or longer use. Easy access from the major motorway and rail networks mean that your weekend can be spent on your boat and not in your car. We have a resident caretaker – who can be contacted in the event of an emergency, and provides extra security for your boat. Our moorings facility is a modern purpose built marina with non-slip staging walkways, easy car parking and full marina facilities set in a landscaped environment.

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weltonfield marina from the air

weltonfield marina

Weltonfield Marina Review

Written by Jim Shead – First published in Waterways World April 2005

The marina at Welton Hythe is the home of Weltonfield Narrowboats on the Leicester Section of the Grand Union Canal about half a mile from the main line at Norton Junction. It is a base that offers a good choice of cruising routes as it is less than a days cruising from three other major canal junctions at Gayton, Braunston and Napton. The day to day running of the business is in the hands of Sarah-Jane Page and her brother-in-law Nick Mellor who are both directors as are her parents Hugh and Judi Mayes who founded the company in 1975.

When Sarah-Jane was a child the family had a holiday on a narrow boat called Sir Tarquin from Countrywide Cruisers at Brewood and went up the Llangollen Canal at Easter. It snowed and they built a snowman on the roof of the boat but this does not seem to have put the family off canal boating.

Her father was coming out of the air force at this time and decided that boating would be a nice business to get into. When driving up the A5 one afternoon he saw a for sale sign for the old disused farm that is now the marina. He bought the canalside property with no planning permission and then fought to get planning agreement, having to go to a tribunal to get approval to start the business.

They had a couple of hire boats built by Harborough Marine over one winter and another two the following winter. The original hire fleet was run from a small inlet in the canal bank which they built for the first four boats. Hugh Mayes then decided they could build their own boats. They went to Hancock & Lane for the hulls and started fitting-out in about 1978. They then expanded to six boats then, at its height, they had eight hire boats plus two boats that they ran for the airforce RAF Cottismore and RAF Wadington and a spinal injuries boat for the disabled which they built and hired out.

Over the winter of 1985 they built a new marina which they flooded in January 1986. They built a second marina close by at Welton Haven in 2000. There are now only three boats in the hire fleet as this area has declined and the marina has taken over as the biggest part of the business.

The mechanics, painters and carpenters that are needed for the hire fleet are still on site and available to do servicing, refits and painting for people using the marinas. They also build about four bespoke boats each year using Graham Reeves hulls. They have approximately 200 moorings on the two sites at Welton Hythe and Welton Haven.

Moorings are charged by the foot and moorers can pay yearly, half-yearly or quarterly. There is water and electricity on all the pontoons. The Welton Hythe marina has only recently been upgraded to have water on all the pontoons, previously they were on a spring water supply but now they have mains. A lot of customers have been with the marina five or six years and some since the marina opened.

The usual diesel, pumpout and gas supply services are provided but there is no laundrette or showers on site. However, they do offer a boat cleaning and laundry service to customers which is a much less common service. There is not chandlery shop on site as they are not on the main line and Braunston and Whilton are close by so they would to get sufficient turnover to compete. For security and general site maintenance they have full time caretakers. Someone is always on each of the sites and the gates are locked out of business hours.

Thrupp Wharf Marina

Thrupp Wharf Marina is a friendly family run marina situated on the Grand Union Canal, adjacent to the Navigation Inn. It is conveniently located in South Northamptonshire near to the village of Cosgrove, just north of Milton Keynes.

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At Thrupp Wharf Marina we provide 60 secure private moorings in a peaceful country setting. With easy access from major routes and close proximity to local pubs, restaurants and shops the marina provides the perfect base for cruising the canal network.

Thrupp Wharf Marina

Pillings Lock Marina

Pilling’s Lock Marina is a new breed of marina to the East Midlands area. Situated ideally for cruising any part of the canal & river network, it’s modern facilities raise the standard of a traditional inland marina and bring them into the 21st century. It’s setting is idyllic and peaceful whilst only being minutes away from main transport links. Driving from the marina will get you into the city centres of Nottingham, Leicester or Derby within 35 minutes – traffic permitting of course!

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There are some fantastic berths available here at Pilling’s Lock and we have got some great deals available to help you get any easy & stress free start to your boating experience. We have lots of helpful literature and advice on hand at the marina office so why not drop in and have a chat!

The local waterways are a beautiful jewel in the crown of rural Leicestershire. We believe that our facilties have so far encouraged many new people to take up boating and enjoy all the area offers in a very secure environment with lots of friendly faces on hand to help and advise. We have a great team of professionals in the marine industry and an experienced & capable team of staff in our restaurant to ensure all our visitors leave feeling refreshed and relaxed.

Like any “beauty spot” a little sunshine brings many visitors back to our marina time and time again, although public access is restricted to the central areas so that moorers can enjoy peace and quiet on the mooring pontoons.Life aboard a boat here at Pilling’s Lock comes with some amazing benefits too. We service fuel and Pump-Outs from a mobile barge – meaning you don’t always have to move your boat & we can do this when you’re not there. We have full facilities on-site for all moorers to maintain their boats to a high standard, plenty of car parking and very friendly atmosphere amongst all berth holders and staff.We also realise that life aboard a narrowboat suits a small family or couple – but can be difficult when planning in visits from relatives and friends. This is why we chose to relaunch our luxurious 2 bedroom apartment as a self-catering holiday let which can accommodate up to 6 adults and one baby for as little as ?16.50 per adult* per night! (*?99.00 for the whole apartment & based on 6 adults sharing). Booking is so easy with the apartment listed on Laterooms.com or you can call the office for more details on 01509 620990 & many Berth Holders have already used this great facility for Birthday Weekends, Christmas Reunions and Anniversary celebrations.

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Pillings Lock Marina

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