Boatyards and canalside services

Note that none of these entries are paid advertisements. The webmaster includes them in this page in good faith and provides no warranty as to the competence of the individuals or companies nor any guarantee of quality for their services, products or work.

In order from north to south (map):

• Top Lock Training (0161−427 5712, email) Malcolm & Alison Allcard; 5 Lime Kiln Lane, Marple SK6 6BX; Boat handling courses.
• British Waterways; Top Lock, Church Lane, Marple SK6 6BN; sanitary station and wharf (no customer service here). The length between bridges 1 and 2 is managed by BW North West Waterways, Waterside House, Waterside Drive, Wigan, WN3 5AZ (01942−405700).
• New Horizons (0161−430 8082); Marple Wharf, Church Lane, Marple; charity boat specially built for wheelchair access offering daytime trips along the canal.
• North Cheshire Cruising Club (01663−765581); High Lane br.12; services to boat club members only. Not always manned.
• Braidbar Boats (01625−873471) Ian Bryceland; Lord Vernon's Wharf, Lyme Road, Higher Poynton SK12 1TH; br.15; boat fitters, water, gas, diesel, inspections, boat safety examiner. Andy Russell, The Boat Painter.
• Constellation Cruises (01625−873471) Ian Bryceland; Lord Vernon's Wharf, Lyme Road, Higher Poynton SK12 1TH; br.15; hire boats.
• The Trading Post (01625−872277); Lord Vernon's Wharf, Lyme Road, Higher Poynton SK12 1TH; br.15; chandlery, local books guides and postcards, food basics, ices, pump out, day boat.
• Classic Maritime Diesels (077 1205 2635); Lord Vernon's Wharf, Lyme Road, Higher Poynton SK12 1TH; br.15; builders, repairers and renovators of marine diesel engines and gearboxes. Gardner specialists. Charles Mills, proprietor.
• Lyme View Marina (01625−858176); Wood Lanes, Adlington br.18; moorings.
• Mary Sunley Canal Boat (01625−428301); Lyme View Marina, Wood Lanes, Adlington br.18; charity boat specially built for wheelchair access offering daytime trips along the canal.
• Bollington Wharf Leisure (01625−575811); Bollington Wharf, Grimshaw Lane, Bollington; boat fitters, water, gas, diesel, engineering services, day boat.
• Kerridge Dry Dock (01625−574287) John Jackson; Oak Lane, Kerridge between br.28 and br.29; dry docking; bottom painting, repairs.
• Peak Forest Cruisers (01625−424172) John Palmer; Buxton Road, Macclesfield; north of br.37; hire boats.
• Macclesfield Canal Centre (01625−420042) Ged & Marilyn Layfield; Brook Street, (off Buxton Road), Macclesfield south of br.37; moorings, slipway, engineering services.
• British Waterways; Bosley top lock. Service centre including sanitary station, self pump out, water, showers, washing machine. The lengths between bridge 2 at Marple and Harding's Wood junction are managed by BW Wales & Border Counties Waterways, Navigation Road, Northwich, Cheshire CW8 1BH (01606−723800).
• Heritage Narrow Boats (01782−785700, fax ~777526) operated by Mike Dowse for Sherborne Wharf; The Marina, Station Road, Kent Green, Scholar Green, Stoke-on-Trent; north of br.87; hire fleet and day boat, pump-out, slipway (24ft), diesel, moorings, gas, water, chandlery, repairs, souvenir shop with food basics.

Other boating services

The following businesses are not tied to any particular canal location and may provide service over an extended range. Please phone them for details.

• Rupert Smedley, Hazelhurst Cottage, Denford, Leek ST13 7JT (01538−385388, 07973 538690, email). BW Approved Boat Safety Scheme Examiner, ABSE member.

• Peak Forest Canal Carrying Company, Furness Vale (077 9134 5004, email). Brian McGuigan and his boat Alton cruise the upper Peak Forest and upper Macclesfield canals every second weekend selling coal, diesel, fenders and other consumables. When travelling further afield in summer Brian also cruises the lower Macclesfield canal. This service was previously run by George Boyle who has now retired.
• Andy Russell, The Boat Painter. Often at Braidbar Boats but also at other boatyards along the canals of the north west. 37 Barnaby Road, Poynton, Cheshire SK12 1LR (01625−850853, email).
• Barry G. Stanton BW and EA Approved Boat Safety Scheme Examiner (01663−762635). Based at Whaley Bridge.
• P & S Bent, Joiners internal joinery for boats and homes (0161−338 7623). Based at Stalybridge.
• Lewis Light Machinery service and repairs to outboard motors and generators (01625−859739). Honda spares from stock. Based at Adlington (nr. Poynton).
• "Jim" boat and engine servicing, reconditioning of inboards or outboards, fuel systems, stern drives, fibreglassing (0161−427 8155 or mobile 0378−425877). Based at Marple.
• Trevor Hunt auto engineer, boat engine servicing (0161−480 3885 or at home 01663−744700). Based at Stockport. Trevor is a committee member of The Macclesfield Canal Society and has his own steel narrow boat, Jack, normally moored on the Caldon Canal.
• Mike Frith Boat Safety Scheme Examiner (0161−737 7208 or mobile 0860−166810). Cheshire and North West.
• P.J. Hopley, Acorn Engineering boat surveyor (0161−320 8023, fax 0161−320 4039). Cheshire and surrounding area.
• Allan McGregor surveyor (tel/fax 01829−250508). Cheshire, the North West and Midlands.
• Brian Hayes and Ian Crompton BW Approved Boat Safety Scheme Examiners (Brian 01928−732444, Ian 01928−787333). Cheshire, Wirral, Merseyside, Greater Manchester and North Shropshire.
• Paul McCarthy Boat Safety Scheme Examiner (01704−892803 24hrs). North West.
• Jalsea Marine will come out and do Cert Of Seaworthiness and deal with the
  Manchester Ship Canal Co paperwork for you when you want to take your cruiser on the ship canal.
• Trafalgar Marine Services, the local specialist rope product suppliers, complete with necesary splicings, plus other related components. Day boat hire available from Whaley Bridge (Peak Forest Canal).

Other canal related services

We list here any service that has some particular interest in the canal:

• Chris J. Beard FRSA, water colour artist. Daisybank Gallery, Elm Beds Road Poynton SK12 1TG (01625−877813). The gallery is adjacent to the canal at Higher Poynton - from br.15 cross the playing field to the main gate and Elm Beds Road is on your left. Chris includes many local waterway scenes among his repertoire.

We would be interested to hear from other artists who could be included in this section together with other service providers who look to waterway users among their clients. Email the webmaster.