Audlem Gossip article

Each month, the AudlemOnline team send an article to the Gossip magazines for Whitchurch and Market Drayton to help encourage visitors to Audlem.

This has been published in the April editions of these excellent magazines:

Visiting the canal at Audlem

Audlem is famous for its run of 15 locks on the Shropshire Union Canal. With its canalside pubs and attractive towpath, the walk alongside the locks is one of the finest in lowland England.

Interpretration panels by the towpath in Audlem describe the operation of locks and the canal's history. Touchscreen computers have been installed in Audlem Mill and at the Overwater Marina detailing the life and works of the canal's builder, Thomas Telford, as well as a wide range of tourist information featuring award-winning films, photographs and information.

The Audlem Lass is a boat service that operates on the canal between Audlem's Lock 15 and the Overwater Marina. It started its season at Easter which will run until the end of October at weekends and Bank Holidays.

Audlem Lass was a new initiative introduced five years ago and carries over 4,000 passengers each year to and from Overwater Marina. The service is operated by a team of volunteers, who are all fully trained RYA coxswains and who aim to make every trip on the Audlem Lass a memorable experience for all the family to enjoy!

In addition, the boat can be booked for Private trips, School parties and other organisations such as WI, Brownies, Guides, Scouts and Cubs. All Passenger donations go towards the running costs of the boat and supporting the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

The Audlem Lass team are now taking bookings for mid-week Charters which operate throughout the Season so how about booking a picnic trip to the Hack Green Picnic area, a birthday party treat, or for any other occasion. Advance bookings are needed for such trips and can be made via 01270 811926, or email hello@audlemlass.co.uk.

Don't forget, for those with special mobility needs, you can combine a trip on The Audlem Lass with the Overwater Wheelyboat, the Maughan Lass. The Wheelyboat service is a special craft with wheelchair access for groups of passengers.

The towpath provides excellent walking opportunities with the choice of a southerly walk towards Coxbank and Market Drayton which passes the majority of the locks. The walk is particularly attractive in May when the Hawthorn blossom is out while pine and damson trees also line the route. Northerly, the canal crosses the River Weaver with fine views of a series of lakes before reaching the Overwater Marina, recently winner of the Inland Marina of the Year award.

Kingfishers are seen as are herons, grey wagtails and, above, buzzards which have colonised the area around Audlem in recent years. Otters have returned to the canal in recent years. There has been extensive planting of new trees, bulbs and wild flowers along the towpath.

You can check out all the information about Audlem on the village website AudlemOnline, with news stories every day of the year.

This article is from our news archive. As a result pictures or videos originally associated with it may have been removed and some of the content may no longer be accurate or relevant.