Rivers
Berths available
Bishop Meadow L1
Loughborough, Leicestershire · River Soar
£3,272 a year for a 10m cruiser
Narrowboat moorings that allow liveaboards in the Midlands
Places that take narrowboats. Up to 7ft (2.13m) beam. Moorings where the site says you can live on board, outright or by arrangement. Residential moorings often need planning consent and pay council tax; we show the terms as each site states them.
27 sites · 3 with space now · 2 with a waiting list · typical £3,618 a year for a 57ft narrowboat (£2,250–£4,460 across 8 published tariffs)
At a glance
- 27 sites: 19 on canals and 8 on rivers.
- 3 of the 27 told us in the last six weeks they have space: Bishop Meadow L1, Hockley Port and Whixall Marina.
- Keeping a waiting list: Saltisford Canal Centre and Sileby Mill Mooring Basin.
- For a 57ft narrowboat, published prices run from £2,250 a year (Lilford Marina) to £4,460 a year (Alvechurch Marina); the middle of 8 is £3,618 a year.
- Longest boat taken: 22.9m (75ft) at Woodford Riverside Marina.
- Of the 27, 25 have electric hook-up, 16 a pump-out, 13 diesel, 1 a boat hoist and 3 visitor berths.
- Groups running more than one: ABC Leisure Group (5), Aquavista (5) and Canal & River Trust (5).
Canals
Berths available
Hockley Port
Birmingham, West Midlands · Birmingham Canal, Soho Branch
Prices not published
Canals
Berths available
Whixall Marina
Whixall, Shropshire · Llangollen Canal (Prees Branch)
Prices on request
Canals
Waiting list
Saltisford Canal Centre
Warwick, Warwickshire · Grand Union Canal (Saltisford Arm)
Prices not published
Rivers
Waiting list
Sileby Mill Mooring Basin
Sileby, Leicestershire · River Soar
Prices on request
Canals
Full
Cambrian Residential Moorings
Birmingham, West Midlands · Birmingham & Fazeley Canal
Prices not published
Canals
Full
Shireoaks Marina
Worksop, Nottinghamshire · Chesterfield Canal
Prices on request
Canals
Full
Stoke Bruerne (Residential) L1
Stoke Bruerne, Northamptonshire · Grand Union Canal
Prices not published
Canals
Alvechurch Marina
Alvechurch, Worcestershire · Worcester & Birmingham Canal
£4,460 a year for a 57ft narrowboat
Canals
Blackwater Meadow Marina
Ellesmere, Shropshire · Llangollen Canal
£4,158 a year for a 57ft narrowboat
Canals
Gayton Marina
Blisworth, Northamptonshire · Grand Union Canal
£3,565 a year for a 57ft narrowboat
Canals
Kings Orchard Marina
Huddlesford, Staffordshire · Coventry Canal
£3,671 a year for a 57ft narrowboat
Rivers
Lilford Marina
Oundle, Northamptonshire · River Nene
£2,250 a year for a 10m cruiser
Canals
Mercia Marina
Willington, Derbyshire · Trent & Mersey Canal
£3,803 a year for a 57ft narrowboat
Canals
Springwood Haven Marina
Nuneaton, Warwickshire · Coventry Canal
£3,243 a year for a 57ft narrowboat
Canals
Ashwood Marina
Kingswinford, Staffordshire · Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal
Prices not published
Canals
Barton Marina
Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire · Trent & Mersey Canal
Prices on request
Rivers
Blackthorn Lake Marina
Ringstead, Northamptonshire · River Nene
Prices not published
Canals
Brinklow Waterside & Marina
Brinklow, Warwickshire · Oxford Canal
Prices on request
Canals
Crick Waterside & Marina
Crick, Northamptonshire · Grand Union Canal, Leicester Line
Prices on request
Rivers
Evesham Marina
Evesham, Worcestershire · River Avon
Prices on request
Canals
Nottingham Castle Waterside & Marina
Nottingham, Nottinghamshire · Nottingham and Beeston Canal
Prices on request
Rivers
Sawley Waterside & Marina
Long Eaton, Leicestershire · River Trent
Prices on request
Canals
Wigrams Turn Waterside & Marina
Napton on the Hill, Southam, Warwickshire · Oxford Canal and Grand Union Canal
Prices on request
Canals
Willowbrook Moorings
Shardlow, Derbyshire · Trent and Mersey Canal
Prices not published
Rivers
Woodford Riverside Marina
Woodford, Northamptonshire · River Nene
Prices on request
Rivers
Wyre Marina Boatyard
Pershore, Worcestershire · River Avon
Prices on request
Compared: prices for a 57ft narrowboat
| Site | Where | A year, 57ft narrowboat | Liveaboard | Space |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bishop Meadow L1 | Loughborough, River Soar | £3,272 | Residential moorings with planning consent | Berths available |
| Hockley Port | Birmingham, Birmingham Canal, Soho Branch | – | Residential moorings with planning consent | Berths available |
| Whixall Marina | Whixall, Llangollen Canal (Prees Branch) | On request | Residential moorings with planning consent | Berths available |
| Saltisford Canal Centre | Warwick, Grand Union Canal (Saltisford Arm) | – | Liveaboard by arrangement | Waiting list |
| Sileby Mill Mooring Basin | Sileby, River Soar | On request | Liveaboards allowed | Waiting list |
| Cambrian Residential Moorings | Birmingham, Birmingham & Fazeley Canal | – | Residential moorings with planning consent | Full |
| Shireoaks Marina | Worksop, Chesterfield Canal | On request | Liveaboard by arrangement | Full |
| Stoke Bruerne (Residential) L1 | Stoke Bruerne, Grand Union Canal | – | Residential moorings with planning consent | Full |
| Alvechurch Marina | Alvechurch, Worcester & Birmingham Canal | £4,460 | Liveaboard by arrangement | Not reported |
| Blackwater Meadow Marina | Ellesmere, Llangollen Canal | £4,158 | Liveaboard by arrangement | Not reported |
| Gayton Marina | Blisworth, Grand Union Canal | £3,565 | Liveaboard by arrangement | Not reported |
| Kings Orchard Marina | Huddlesford, Coventry Canal | £3,671 | Liveaboard by arrangement | Not reported |
| Lilford Marina | Oundle, River Nene | £2,250 | Liveaboard by arrangement | Not reported |
| Mercia Marina | Willington, Trent & Mersey Canal | £3,803 | Liveaboards allowed | Not reported |
| Springwood Haven Marina | Nuneaton, Coventry Canal | £3,243 | Liveaboard by arrangement | Not reported |
| Ashwood Marina | Kingswinford, Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal | – | Liveaboard by arrangement | Not reported |
| Barton Marina | Burton upon Trent, Trent & Mersey Canal | On request | Residential moorings with planning consent | Not reported |
| Blackthorn Lake Marina | Ringstead, River Nene | – | Liveaboards allowed | Not reported |
| Brinklow Waterside & Marina | Brinklow, Oxford Canal | On request | Residential moorings with planning consent | Not reported |
| Crick Waterside & Marina | Crick, Grand Union Canal, Leicester Line | On request | Residential moorings with planning consent | Not reported |
| Evesham Marina | Evesham, River Avon | On request | Liveaboards allowed | Not reported |
| Nottingham Castle Waterside & Marina | Nottingham, Nottingham and Beeston Canal | On request | Residential moorings with planning consent | Not reported |
| Sawley Waterside & Marina | Long Eaton, River Trent | On request | Liveaboards allowed | Not reported |
| Wigrams Turn Waterside & Marina | Napton on the Hill, Southam, Oxford Canal and Grand Union Canal | On request | Liveaboards allowed | Not reported |
| Willowbrook Moorings | Shardlow, Trent and Mersey Canal | – | Liveaboard by arrangement | Not reported |
| Woodford Riverside Marina | Woodford, River Nene | On request | Liveaboards allowed | Not reported |
| Wyre Marina Boatyard | Pershore, River Avon | On request | Liveaboard by arrangement | 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 the Midlands?
Across the 8 narrowboat moorings that allow liveaboards here that publish a price, a 57ft narrowboat costs from £2,250 a year at Lilford Marina to £4,460 a year at Alvechurch Marina. The middle figure is £3,618 a year. Check what each includes: electricity, water and VAT vary.
What are the cheapest narrowboat moorings that allow liveaboards in the Midlands?
For a 57ft narrowboat, Lilford Marina is cheapest at £2,250 a year in Oundle.
Which narrowboat moorings that allow liveaboards in the Midlands have space now?
3 of the 27 told us in the last six weeks they have space: Bishop Meadow L1, Hockley Port and Whixall Marina. Each page shows the date they told us and what they have.
Can you live aboard at narrowboat moorings that allow liveaboards in the Midlands?
All 27 say you can: Bishop Meadow L1 (residential moorings with planning consent), Hockley Port (residential moorings with planning consent), Whixall Marina (residential moorings with planning consent), Saltisford Canal Centre (liveaboard by arrangement), Sileby Mill Mooring Basin (liveaboards allowed), Cambrian Residential Moorings (residential moorings with planning consent), Shireoaks Marina (liveaboard by arrangement), Stoke Bruerne (Residential) L1 (residential moorings with planning consent) and 19 more. 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, 19 need a Canal & River Trust boat licence, 5 need Environment Agency registration (Thames, Medway, Anglian waterways), 2 need an Avon Navigation Trust licence and 1 need the navigation's own licence. Coastal marinas usually need none.
Broader
Narrowboat moorings that allow liveaboards in the Midlands, by county
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