Canals
Berths available
Fradley Marina
Alrewas, Staffordshire · Trent and Mersey Canal
Prices on request
Pontoon berths with a dry dock in England
Walk-ashore berth alongside a floating pontoon, usually in a marina. Sites with a dry dock for blacking, hull work and surveys.
18 sites · 3 with space now · 4 with a waiting list · typical £3,249 a year for a 57ft narrowboat (£1,283–£6,476 across 7 published tariffs)
At a glance
- 18 sites: 11 on canals, 4 on rivers, 1 on an estuary and 2 on the open coast.
- 3 of the 18 told us in the last six weeks they have space: Fradley Marina, Lichfield Cruising Club and Twyford Bridge Marina.
- Keeping a waiting list: Bridport Harbour (West Bay), Hallingbury Marina, Hurlingham Yacht Club and Penzance Harbour.
- For a 57ft narrowboat, published prices run from £1,283 a year (Lichfield Cruising Club) to £6,476 a year (Pyrford Marina); the middle of 7 is £3,249 a year.
- Longest boat taken: 21.3m (70ft) at Pyrford Marina.
- Of the 18, 16 have electric hook-up, 11 a pump-out, 12 diesel, 2 a boat hoist and 5 visitor berths.
- 3 of the 18 allow liveaboards, outright or by arrangement.
- Groups running more than one: Aquavista (4).
Canals
Berths available
Lichfield Cruising Club
Lichfield, Staffordshire · Wyrley & Essington Canal and Coventry Canal
£1,283 a year for a 57ft narrowboat
Rivers
Berths available
Twyford Bridge Marina
Yalding, Kent · River Medway
£1,823 a year for a 10m cruiser
Coast & harbours
Waiting list
Bridport Harbour (West Bay)
West Bay, Dorset · Lyme Bay
Prices not published
Rivers
Waiting list
Hallingbury Marina
Little Hallingbury, Essex · River Stort
£1,881 a year for a 10m cruiser
Estuaries & tidal rivers
Waiting list
Hurlingham Yacht Club
London, Greater London · River Thames
£660 a year for a 10m yacht
Coast & harbours
Waiting list
Penzance Harbour
Penzance, Cornwall · Mount's Bay
Prices not published
Canals
Mercia Marina
Willington, Derbyshire · Trent & Mersey Canal
£3,803 a year for a 57ft narrowboat
Rivers
Pyrford Marina
Pyrford, Surrey · River Wey Navigation
£3,729 a year for a 10m cruiser
Canals
Swanley Bridge Marina
Nantwich, Cheshire · Llangollen Canal
£3,365 a year for a 57ft narrowboat
Canals
Ashby Canal Centre
Stoke Golding, Leicestershire · Ashby Canal
Prices on request
Rivers
Benson Waterfront
Benson, Oxfordshire · River Thames
Prices not published
Canals
Cowroast Waterside & Marina
Tring, Hertfordshire · Grand Union Canal
Prices on request
Canals
Crick Waterside & Marina
Crick, Northamptonshire · Grand Union Canal, Leicester Line
Prices on request
Canals
Cropredy Waterside & Marina
Cropredy, Banbury, Oxfordshire · Oxford Canal
Prices on request
Canals
Frouds Bridge Marina
Aldermaston, Berkshire · Kennet and Avon Canal
Prices not published
Canals
Portland Basin Marina
Dukinfield, Greater Manchester · Peak Forest Canal
Prices on request
Canals
Ventnor Waterside & Marina
Rugby, Warwickshire · Grand Union Canal
Prices on request
Compared: prices for a 57ft narrowboat
| Site | Where | A year, 57ft narrowboat | Berths | Dry dock | Space |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fradley Marina | Alrewas, Trent and Mersey Canal | On request | pontoon berths | Yes | Berths available |
| Lichfield Cruising Club | Lichfield, Wyrley & Essington Canal and Coventry Canal | £1,283 | pontoon berths, linear moorings | Yes | Berths available |
| Twyford Bridge Marina | Yalding, River Medway | £3,149 | pontoon berths | Yes | Berths available |
| Bridport Harbour (West Bay) | West Bay, Lyme Bay | – | pontoon berths, swinging moorings, drying berths | Yes | Waiting list |
| Hallingbury Marina | Little Hallingbury, River Stort | £3,249 | pontoon berths, linear moorings | Yes | Waiting list |
| Hurlingham Yacht Club | London, River Thames | £1,368 | pontoon berths, drying berths | Yes | Waiting list |
| Penzance Harbour | Penzance, Mount's Bay | – | pontoon berths, drying berths, quay and harbour wall berths | Yes | Waiting list |
| Mercia Marina | Willington, Trent & Mersey Canal | £3,803 | pontoon berths | Yes | Not reported |
| Pyrford Marina | Pyrford, River Wey Navigation | £6,476 | pontoon berths, linear moorings | Yes | Not reported |
| Swanley Bridge Marina | Nantwich, Llangollen Canal | £3,365 | pontoon berths | Yes | Not reported |
| Ashby Canal Centre | Stoke Golding, Ashby Canal | On request | pontoon berths | Yes | Not reported |
| Benson Waterfront | Benson, River Thames | – | pontoon berths | Yes | Not reported |
| Cowroast Waterside & Marina | Tring, Grand Union Canal | On request | pontoon berths | Yes | Not reported |
| Crick Waterside & Marina | Crick, Grand Union Canal, Leicester Line | On request | pontoon berths | Yes | Not reported |
| Cropredy Waterside & Marina | Cropredy, Banbury, Oxford Canal | On request | pontoon berths | Yes | Not reported |
| Frouds Bridge Marina | Aldermaston, Kennet and Avon Canal | – | pontoon berths | Yes | Not reported |
| Portland Basin Marina | Dukinfield, Peak Forest Canal | On request | pontoon berths | Yes | Not reported |
| Ventnor Waterside & Marina | Rugby, Grand Union Canal | On request | pontoon berths | Yes | Not reported |
From each site's published tariff. "–" means the site doesn't say. Prices change; confirm with the site.
Questions
How much does a mooring for a 57ft narrowboat cost in England?
Across the 7 pontoon berths with a dry dock here that publish a price, a 57ft narrowboat costs from £1,283 a year at Lichfield Cruising Club to £6,476 a year at Pyrford Marina. The middle figure is £3,249 a year. Check what each includes: electricity, water and VAT vary.
What are the cheapest pontoon berths with a dry dock in England?
For a 57ft narrowboat, Lichfield Cruising Club is cheapest at £1,283 a year.
Which pontoon berths with a dry dock in England have space now?
3 of the 18 told us in the last six weeks they have space: Fradley Marina, Lichfield Cruising Club and Twyford Bridge Marina. Each page shows the date they told us and what they have.
Can you live aboard at pontoon berths with a dry dock in England?
3 of the 18 say you can: Mercia Marina (liveaboards allowed), Cowroast Waterside & Marina (residential moorings with planning consent) and Crick Waterside & Marina (residential moorings with planning consent). Living aboard can need planning consent and council tax; ask each site about its terms.
Do I need a licence as well as a mooring?
On top of the mooring fee: of these, 11 need a Canal & River Trust boat licence, 3 need Environment Agency registration (Thames, Medway, Anglian waterways) and 1 need the navigation's own licence. Coastal marinas usually need none.
Broader
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