Stafford Boat Club

Great location, lovely surroundings, friendly members, good facilities.

The club is in a beautiful setting with a workshop and slipway on site. I was driving up to help a friend who had mechanical problems with his boat. He'd arranged access with the club and arranged a repair at their site. I drove up from the Grand Union canal enroute to Cheshire. He had also run out of gas and needed water and kindling. He had a toddler onboard and his partner is expecting another baby. One of the moorers kindly helped me carry the water to his boat. As soon as we'd finished ...

Lovely, private well laid out club

Not brilliant. Checked the website beforehand and non-member boaters seem welcome, however there are charges for rubbish disposal and for water. I'm not sure about elsan emptying. These charges are not on the website or displayed on the dock so a boater can decide to pay or leave. Also diesel sales only to members. I won't be back.

The Club was created in 1964 with a mission to restore and promote canal boating. From its humble beginnings, and near closure in the late 60s, its dwindling members persuaded the Stafford Borough Council into allowing them to use the then derelict Hazlestrine Canal Arm as a base. The members of the Club worked hard to restore this section of the canal but dwindling membership threatened them once more. By 1976 there were only three left and as a last resort they arranged a meeting to "Save t...