Watch House Cruising Club

Canal Bank Hawthorn Road, Stretford, Manchester, M32 8WE

Telephone 0161 865 3270

The club was founded in 1964 and  has grown in size over the past years so that at present we have 38 full members with boats and 25 associate members.

Watch House was the fifth club to join the Federation of Bridgewater Cruising Clubs.

We operate a full cruising programme throughout the year with many weekend cruises and attendance at various rallies during the season.  When we are not out cruising, the clubrooms and bar are open Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evenings as well as Sunday afternoons.  

The Watch House is the oldest building in Stretford, also the oldest on the canal and was, in fact, here before the canal was built.   In those days it was a farm building but since then it has had a chequered history as stables for the canal horses, as a coffin store, saddle manufacturing, cottages and now our club premises.  Gradually the members have improved the building and upgraded the facilities.  The major improvements undertaken over the last two years have been the extension into the old stables block, which has been turned into a concert room with a stage and a refit to the kitchen area.

The club is situated on the towpath at the end of the Hawthorn Road aqueduct between Sale and Stretford close to Sale Water Park, the River Mersey and the Mersey Valley Country Park.  Apart from the bar, the services available are toilets, water, phone, battery charging and a fund of help and advice from our many long serving members.

We have a fairly full entertainment programme especially during the off season weeks and passing boaters are sure of a warm welcome if they drop in for drinks and snacks.  We still produce a regular newsletter which outlines in detail the activities and interests of our members and now we have a web site.

Last Updated 5th October 2002

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