Rivers
Berths available
Bishop Meadow L1
Loughborough, Leicestershire · River Soar
£3,272 a year for a 10m cruiser
Walk-ashore berths for 70ft narrowboats in the East Midlands
Berths you step off onto a pontoon, quay or bank: no tender, no rowing out to a buoy. Easier for loading, for a dog, and for getting aboard after dark. Canal marinas and moorings that take a full-length 70ft (21.3m) narrowboat. Many marinas stop at 60ft or 62ft, and some canals can't take a 70ft boat at all.
13 sites · 4 with space now · 1 with a waiting list · typical £2,802 a year for a 70ft narrowboat (£463–£3,834 across 6 published tariffs)
At a glance
- 13 sites: 7 on canals and 6 on rivers.
- 4 of the 13 told us in the last six weeks they have space: Bishop Meadow L1, Bosworth Marina, Shardlow Marina and Willow Moorings.
- Keeping a waiting list: Sileby Mill Mooring Basin.
- For a 70ft narrowboat, published prices run from £463 a year (Bosworth Marina) to £3,834 a year (Willow Moorings); the middle of 6 is £2,802 a year.
- Longest boat taken: 22.9m (75ft) at Woodford Riverside Marina.
- Of the 13, 12 have electric hook-up, 9 a pump-out, 7 diesel, 1 a boat hoist and 1 visitor berths.
- 5 of the 13 allow liveaboards, outright or by arrangement.
- Groups running more than one: Canal & River Trust (2).
Canals
Berths available
Bosworth Marina
Market Bosworth, Leicestershire · Ashby Canal
£463 a year for a 57ft narrowboat
Rivers
Berths available
Shardlow Marina
Shardlow, Derbyshire · River Trent
£1,242 a year for a 10m cruiser
Rivers
Berths available
Willow Moorings
Kegworth, Leicestershire · River Soar
£1,782 a year for a 10m cruiser (from)
Rivers
Waiting list
Sileby Mill Mooring Basin
Sileby, Leicestershire · River Soar
Prices on request
Canals
Full
Stoke Bruerne (Residential) L1
Stoke Bruerne, Northamptonshire · Grand Union Canal
Prices not published
Canals
Barby Moorings
Barby, Northamptonshire · Oxford Canal
£1,440 a year for a 57ft narrowboat
Canals
Heyford Fields Marina
Nether Heyford, Northamptonshire · Grand Union Canal
£3,020 a year for a 57ft narrowboat
Canals
North Kilworth Wharf
North Kilworth, Leicestershire · Grand Union Canal, Leicester Section
Prices on request
Rivers
Sawley Waterside & Marina
Long Eaton, Leicestershire · River Trent
Prices on request
Canals
Thrupp Wharf Marina
Milton Keynes, Northamptonshire · Grand Union Canal
Prices on request
Rivers
Woodford Riverside Marina
Woodford, Northamptonshire · River Nene
Prices on request
Canals
Yelvertoft Marina
Yelvertoft, Northamptonshire · Grand Union Canal (Leicester Line)
Prices on request
Compared: prices for a 70ft narrowboat
| Site | Where | A year, 70ft narrowboat | Berths | Longest boat | Space |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bishop Meadow L1 | Loughborough, River Soar | £3,272 | linear moorings | 21.4m (70ft) | Berths available |
| Bosworth Marina | Market Bosworth, Ashby Canal | £463 | pontoon berths, linear moorings | 21.3m (70ft) | Berths available |
| Shardlow Marina | Shardlow, River Trent | £2,331 | pontoon berths, linear moorings | 21.3m (70ft) | Berths available |
| Willow Moorings | Kegworth, River Soar | from £3,834 | linear moorings | 21.3m (70ft) | Berths available |
| Sileby Mill Mooring Basin | Sileby, River Soar | On request | pontoon berths, linear moorings | 21.9m (72ft) | Waiting list |
| Stoke Bruerne (Residential) L1 | Stoke Bruerne, Grand Union Canal | – | pontoon berths | 21.8m (72ft) | Full |
| Barby Moorings | Barby, Oxford Canal | £1,440 | pontoon berths, linear moorings | 21.9m (72ft) | Not reported |
| Heyford Fields Marina | Nether Heyford, Grand Union Canal | £3,327 | pontoon berths | 21.3m (70ft) | Not reported |
| North Kilworth Wharf | North Kilworth, Grand Union Canal, Leicester Section | On request | linear moorings | 21.3m (70ft) | Not reported |
| Sawley Waterside & Marina | Long Eaton, River Trent | On request | pontoon berths | 21.3m (70ft) | Not reported |
| Thrupp Wharf Marina | Milton Keynes, Grand Union Canal | On request | pontoon berths | 21.3m (70ft) | Not reported |
| Woodford Riverside Marina | Woodford, River Nene | On request | pontoon berths | 22.9m (75ft) | Not reported |
| Yelvertoft Marina | Yelvertoft, Grand Union Canal (Leicester Line) | On request | pontoon berths | 21.3m (70ft) | 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 70ft narrowboat cost in the East Midlands?
Across the 6 walk-ashore berths for 70ft narrowboats here that publish a price, a 70ft narrowboat costs from £463 a year at Bosworth Marina to £3,834 a year at Willow Moorings. The middle figure is £2,802 a year. Check what each includes: electricity, water and VAT vary.
What are the cheapest walk-ashore berths for 70ft narrowboats in the East Midlands?
For a 70ft narrowboat, Bosworth Marina is cheapest at £463 a year in Market Bosworth.
Which walk-ashore berths for 70ft narrowboats in the East Midlands have space now?
4 of the 13 told us in the last six weeks they have space: Bishop Meadow L1, Bosworth Marina, Shardlow Marina and Willow Moorings. Each page shows the date they told us and what they have.
Where can I keep a boat over 21.3m (70ft) in the East Midlands?
All 13 say they take a boat that long. Stated maximums: Bishop Meadow L1 (21.4m (70ft)), Bosworth Marina (21.3m (70ft)), Shardlow Marina (21.3m (70ft)), Willow Moorings (21.3m (70ft)), Sileby Mill Mooring Basin (21.9m (72ft)), Stoke Bruerne (Residential) L1 (21.8m (72ft)), Barby Moorings (21.9m (72ft)), Heyford Fields Marina (21.3m (70ft)) and 5 more. Check beam and draught too.
Can you live aboard at walk-ashore berths for 70ft narrowboats in the East Midlands?
5 of the 13 say you can: Bishop Meadow L1 (residential moorings with planning consent), Sileby Mill Mooring Basin (liveaboards allowed), Stoke Bruerne (Residential) L1 (residential moorings with planning consent), Sawley Waterside & Marina (liveaboards allowed) and Woodford Riverside Marina (liveaboards allowed). 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, 9 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
Walk-ashore berths for 70ft narrowboats in other areas
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