New £2m marina to open in South Cheshire

A NEW £2m marina is due to open at the end of March in a village in South Cheshire with the creation of eight jobs.

The Overwater Marina – complete with 227 berths – will opened in Audlem providing electricity and Wi-Fi access to every boat.

The venue will also have a launderette, shower facilities and a coffee shop that has been leased to a family which operates another business in the village. 
 
The marina is the brain-child of environmental scientist Janet Maughan, her farmer husband Angus and his father Richard. 

The family was supported with funding from NatWest and a grant from the North West Development Agency (NWDA).

The 227-berth marina has been constructed by excavating 80,000 tonnes of soil from the family’s Monks Hall Farm. 

The Maughan family have owned Monks Hall farm since the 1960s and will continue to operate a successful dairy business on the remainder of the farm’s land. 

Janet Maughan said: “Whilst Monks Hall Farm remains a successful dairy farm, the industry as a whole is suffering economic challenges and it made sense to diversify.

“The land which a family member acquired made the building of the marina a reality and we knew it would make economic sense not only for us, but also for the local community.

“The marina is very much a business which will provide canal boat owners and tourists with modern facilities including Wi-Fi access but it will also become an important part of the landscape.”

The marina, has been named after the farm’s original title of ‘Over the Water’.

It secured the backing of British Waterways and the family hope it will become a major tourist attraction for South Cheshire.

NatWest Business and Commercial Banking provided the funding for the project.

Paul Blurton, relationship director at NatWest, said: “Janet, Angus and Richard really have put a great deal of time and effort into this venture and the results of their work are really impressive.

“Overwater Marina should prove to be a great attraction for the local area and we are delighted to be supporting this project.”