Charity celebrates 40 years of providing canal holidays in Shropshire

Lyneal Trust is a charity, run by a dedicated group of more than 60 volunteers, that provides affordable and accessible holidays and canal boat trips.

From its base at Lyneal Wharf, near Ellesmere, it operates a purpose-built 70-foot narrow boat on the Llangollen Canal along with a day boat and three cottages. They have all been specifically designed and adapted for wheelchair users and people with limited mobility.

The history of the charity dates back to the 1980s when John Heap, the then-owner of Lyneal Wharf made the generous decision to offer the site to any organisation that could encourage disabled people to use the canals.

The date of the wharf’s construction is not known, but the charity knows that this section of the Llangollen Canal was in use by 1806 as a depot for coal brought by canal for local distribution.

After the Second World War, the wharf passed into private hands and for some 40 years became the weekend cottage and canal cruising base for Macclesfield banker Mr Heap and his family.

In 1985, the Lyneal Trust, which was awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2008, was established and fundraising began to build a suitable boat, to adapt Wharf Cottage and create additional on-shore accommodation. In 1993, the trust added a day boat. 

Over the past 40 years, the charity has helped thousands of people spend time on the canal. There have been many highlights during that time, including having both of their boats included in the Thames Pageant to mark The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Trustee Ian Payne says the milestone anniversary was a special moment for everyone involved. 

“It’s a great achievement. It’s been a long journey but it’s been one of continued development. We’ve had a number of boats come and go and each time we’ve had a new boat, we’ve taken some of the lessons we have learned and adjusted things. We’ve also adapted with the times, for example, we now offer Wi-Fi,” he explains.

Today, day trippers and holidaymakers have a few different options.

Shropshire Maid sleeps six people and has hydraulic lift, wet room and full access for wheelchairs to all parts of the boat. Her interior colour scheme has been chosen to help those who are partially sighted.

The spacious saloon has huge windows and dropped sides to enable stunning views of the canal, countryside and wildlife. It opens out into a very large “well-deck” in the bow, with comfortable bench seating.

Standard ‘weekly’ hire is from Saturday arriving at 1pm and returning the Maid to the Wharf by 1pm the following Friday.

The canalside 19th century Wharf Cottage retains many of its original features and has been adapted for wheelchair access to all parts including kitchen, dining room and new garden room with detailed thought given to those with limited eyesight and dementia. 

There are also two recently refurbished cottages sleeping a total of eight people. Both properties provide flexible sleeping arrangements for up to eight people and each have a large wet room to accommodate wheelchair access. The entire site is accessible to enable everyone to explore the gardens and surrounding area.

The 60-foot Shropshire Lady is a purpose-built canal day boat which can accommodate up to 12 people, including two wheelchair users.

Guests can enjoy a day’s cruise on board the Lady with a trained crew provided by the trust. The boat is said to be unique on the waterways of Britain, if not the world, having been designed with the assistance of professional physiotherapists and with the needs of the trust’s customers in mind. It has a hydraulic lift and full wheelchair access, galley and toilet. It has huge windows and skylights to provide lovely views while on the canal. 

Ian says the Shropshire Lady mostly attracts day visitors from across Shropshire, Cheshire, Staffordshire and Mid-Wales while people travel from far and wide for a stay on the Shropshire Maid. 

“We’vehad people stay from all of the country and we’ve even had people from New Zealand, Europe and the USA,” says Ian who has been involved with the charity since the very early days. 

“The boats have central heating, so that means we can offer canal holidays from early March right through to the end of October. Wharf Cottage and the other cottages are available all year round,” he adds.

He believes the holidays and day trips bring a lot of joy to people who are able to have experiences they otherwise might have missed.

The trust’s volunteers carry out a range of duties throughout the year, such as meeting and greeting holidaymakers, tending to the gardens and grounds and general maintenance of the boats and cottages.

To mark the 40th anniversary, the Lyneal Trust held a celebration event at the wharf, which was attended by Lord-Lieutenant Anna Turner, High Sheriff Jane Trowbridge and other donors, trustees and officers as well as current and former volunteers.

The event was “an opportunity to get together and thank everyone”, Ian says.

 For more information, visit www.lyneal-trust.org.uk