Canal Central in Shropshire

Stayed in flat above. Old tourist attraction leaflets in plastic wallets. An old folilo folder with more old crap in. Everything old and mostly unnecessary. No idea where to put rubbish bags when full. No welcome pack. Just stupid questions on initial phone call asking if we sleeping in separate rooms due to snoring or in the same room as a couple ???? And some old advice on Sat Nav that was not an issue and does NOT take you through Ford. Clearly some idiots have come this way. No politeness. Just moaning if you ring on a Sunday evening and the owner wants "quiet" time after only working 3 days a week. Yet was going to ring on the Monday morning. What when people are driving travelling to location??? ??? 🙄. NOT a quiet location as a local hanging out place even 7pm in the evening. With cars honking to each other. Delivery van honking every morning going next door. Motorbike next door starting in morning and returning 10pm at night. Who ever the imbecile is with heavy boots/footfalls that keeps on going into cafe when it is shut and slamming door every day. Neighbouring property busy and constant visitors. Ridiculous. Definitely would not stay again. Same idiot owner who asked stupid questions half way through holiday knocked on the door and asked us to move our vehicles into a field just for the customers over the weekend. Even though the cafe shuts at 4pm so no-one will be here. And we have paid for the parking as advertised on hoseasons. Only good points. Well equipped with necessities. Value for money.

Very friendly but only open Friday, Saturday and Sunday (don't blame them)

The wife had a chocolate brownie just out of the oven. I had a wonderful cheddar and chive scone. Both were fresh and scrumptious. So we both had another scone. Well worth a visit. One thing it needs is better signage to find it. It's a gem.

Lovely little cafe, tucked on the edge of the canal. Fantastic scones and small range of homemade cakes. Dogs 2elcome in the garden area which has a couple of small shelters if the weather isn't great.

This was a lovely stop for a break during our walk along the canal. We enjoyed tea with scones and clotted cream. Everything was delicious. The owners are very friendly and we enjoyed chatting with them. We ate outside and had the company of some very friendly birds. They enjoyed the crumbs of the scones as well.

Had a long,very enjoyable walk along the canal to Queens Head and back. We arrived back and found the cafe still open. We had a much needed cuppa and cake sat at an outside table with our dog. As we sat there a Robin landed on our table, just inches away and hopped around looking at us as we talked to him. We will be back, with the grandchildren next time.

Nice, quality place. Quirky and right next to the canal.

Fantastic place amazing scones and tea the best in the country, go most week's, Ian and Fiona brilliant couple of of people, makes are weekend.

The gluten free brownies were delicious 😋. I would definitely going there again with my family. Lovely place for walk and relax by the canal

This fabulous little cafe is a great find, we discovered it a few years ago & have been coming back ever since. Serving a variety of freshly made home made scones (including cheese varieties & fruit) also beautiful cakes complimented by a good range of teas & coffees (including decaf), whats not to like? All set in its own grounds adjacent the canal tow path. A perfect location.

What a great place for a real pot of tea and delicious homemade cake. I can definitely recommend the lemon cake and ginger cake. Welcoming staff and friendly resident dog, Raymond. Looking forward to a return visit very soon!

Friendly staff, interesting books, cards, calendars for sale. Very limited and expensive choice of cake and drinks. Nice walk outside along the canal. Lots of wild birds chirping. Large free car park. Outside seating. Scenic countryside views. Dog friendly with friendly resident dog Raymond in situ.

Might be a touch quiet on the canal at this time of year but lovely scenery

Rude and aggressive behaviour from the owner. Not sure how the business is still running. Definitely not a place to visit.

Pleasant surroundings and delicious scones. A very limited food selection served with distinctly weak coffee. Should have opted for an extra shot or two!

Outstanding. A lovely tranquil oasis with delicous food and a genuinely interested and friendly team. Check out the carefully curated books and greeting cards selection, but mostly you will love the relaxed ambiance of this delightful canalside gem.

I really enjoyed the coffee and the scone. Really nice and relaxing place to either start you canal walk or enjoy it when you finished the walk. This place is to good to be missed.

We have been visiting Canal Central for many years. We love everything about it from the delicious home made scones, perfectly brewed tea, excellent service to the wonderful location.

We had no idea that Canal Central existed, and came upon it during a canal walk. It was late morning and time for a coffee, so we went in. Loved the building, internally and externally, and had friendly and helpful service. Sat outside in the sun for coffee and hot chocolate, and scones to die for - try the Walnut and Stilton ones - they're gorgeous. Would definitely recommend, and will return next time we're in the area.

Lovely walk along the canal towpath. Well maintained.

Tried again to visit the tea room, but yet again we turn up with guests, having checked this site and Google, both of which say that you are open, to discover that again you are closed! I understand that there are occasions that it is unavoidable, but this is quite a regular occurrence. It would be really helpful if you had someone who can keep your social media updated to actually inform people, especially when you are only open 3 days anyway. We were not the only people to turn up disappointed today!

Excellent place for tea, coffee and homemade scones. Lovely location and lovely service

Barges gently making their way along the canal. Lovely calm sunny Seotember day. Quaint bridges to view from or enjoy endless canal and countryside walks. The last of this years butterflies making the most of a perfect day, dodging the dragonflies dancing at speed before skimming tbe surface of the waters beneath. The nearby cafe with its delightfil cresm teas seating in and outdoors is a bonus not to be missed

Lovely cafe, great location and very nice and welcoming owners. The scones and cakes are all freshly baked and they serve excellent tea and coffee. It also has a great picnic area which is lovely in the summer.

Fantastic place to visit. The staff are very welcoming and friendly. Perfect place to stop for Tea and a chill out while walking the Canal. While camping nearby we visited both days to hire Kayaks to explor . Lovely and peaceful waterway. Worthy of a visit if you're travelling through.

Owners so welcoming and friendly. They serve a lovely pot of tea and the most delicious chocolate brownie and bakewell tart. Hope to visit again when in the area.

Very clean and tidy site. Staff really friendly and knowledgeable

Very friendly staff, nice atmosphere and excellent tea!

A nice stop off point for teas,coffees and home made cakes during the walk along the canal

They sell the best scones on the planet. We take a break half way through our dog walk to stop for these scones and a good cup of coffee.

This is the second time we have rented canoes a brilliant after noon on a peaceful canal, very good price too, we will definitely be back again

Came across this place whilst walking along Montgomery canal in maesbury, stopped for coffee and found there is a small camping and caravan site as well as horse drawn canal boat and what appears to be a narrow gauge railway ,though this wasn't running but maybe in summer it will be

Open Friday, Saturday & Sunday only Laid back, freindly people.

A lovely stop-off on our cycle ride last Friday. Have not had chance to visit for some while. Will not leave it so long next time. Excellent bakewell tart and scone - worthy of bake-off!

Great place for a coffee and cake while walking along The Monty canal.

Great friendly place and great drinks 😁

An out-of-the-way tea room experience. A warm welcome received. Excellent access to canalside walks after coffee and cake.

Best cup of tea had for a while, beautiful cakes and friendly staff. Worth a visit.

Nice campsite with easy access to the Montgomery canal & friendly owners

Canoe hire £10 for the day !! Brilliant . Great coffee and cake too .

All a bit strange! No obvious opening times on their website. Made trip to find it thinking of returning with family later. Arrived 9:15. There was a car in the car park. But no signs of life. No sign I could see to say what opening hours or even where the entrance is. Door was open upstairs but that looked like accommodation. Had a wander around, couldn't see anyone so left. It does look to be a lovely spot. Someone told me they do Kayak hire which I was hoping to clarify but that remains a mystery too. Hopefully they will get a bit more organised as it looks a great location with much potential for relaxation and activities.

We loved Canal Central. The cakes are delicious - especially the Bakewell Tart! And the staff are charming. Sadly only open Friday, Saturday & Sunday. Better signposting from the canal bank and a more appealing name would do wonders but more visitors would eat all the cake!

Very nice place by the canal. Volunteers working hard and good fresh scones. Thanks

Really good coffee, excellent cheese scones.

Lovely spot for a canal dog walk, boat trip or food. Great visit, dog went a little potty over a resident cat so unable to enjoy a cuppa.

Try the handmade cakes & scones... Delish

Pieceful indoor/outdoor space next to a canal Nice homemade cakes Friendly people

Very warm welcome as usual. Very nice peaceful campsite

After 2 years of lockdown the world starts again. We booked for the horse-drawn canal barge trip with our old friend Cracker. The rain was falling, but it didn't matter. We just sat under cover and let it drift by. Lovely border country views, the Montgomery canal, and the Shropshire villages. An hour and half later we returned to the resteraunt, had a pot of real Tea, and the most divine carrot-cake ever. OK I exaggerate a teensie bit, but we love this place and we've missed it.

Asked for tap water, the person working took a used glass out of the dishwasher, rubbed it with her thumbs and kindly gave me the water. There was a little white chunk on the edge of the glass.

Great for me I like it it nice and peaceful

Best baking in this area. Great location by the canal, good selection of cakes,scones and beverages. Dog friendly . So pleased to see the cafe open again. Definitely on our list for a revisit after a canalside walk .

Isn't it nice when the tea is still hot in the pot for your second cup? I had a freshly baked cheese and chive scone with mine,sat in the shade outside overlooking the canal.And yes they sell local honey. Heaven.

Lovely canal side cafe, tea and cakes in the garden. Recommended 👍

12th June. Lovely sunny day and their amazing home made scones jam cream, and a lovely pot of tea. We always love our regular visits to this canal side garden. We walked along the canal and did a loop back to the car at Canal Central. a lovely 2 hours and a great place to chill. It really doesn't get much better than this! Our dog is always welcome and seems a great place for cyclists, 5 mins from the centre of Oswestry.

Covid Pandemic update. Opening to a reduced weekends only service with a limited menu of hot drinks, cake and scones. But still an essential stop if you're in the area.

Canal central is absolutely beautiful, the staff at the cafe are so welcoming and friendly the food is amazing, we enjoy the canoe hire

We stopped off after a walk along the canal and had the homemade scones with jam and cream, they are amazing just out the oven still warm and the jam was delicious sat out on the decking at the back a lovely garden and surroundings definitely a must !!!!

What a quaint venue - a cream tea & coffee, all for £5.30 - absolute bargain as the food & the service was first class by very pleasant & polite owners. Thank you

Nice hour with the grandkids, able to run round and look at the boats. Lovely cup of tea and cakes. Ice cream for the children. No train or boat ride.

Great place in the garden for an afternoon treat of delicious scones with lovely jam and cream. And teapot full of real tea! Our second visit in two days . Will be back . Lovely people and dog!!

Great cafe and location. Perfect for a walk along the canal followed by a pot of tea and a cake. Very dog friendly and nice big garden. Highly recommend it.

Found this cafe by virtue of Tripadvisor, and was glad we did as we would not have found it just by walking along the Montgomery Canal towpath! It’s well hidden and not signposted at all at bridge 80 on the towpath. Absolutely excellent stilton and walnut scones ...had two! Also good selection of arty greetings cards for sale. Recommend!

Couldn't be more helpful. However toilet block closed,presumably due to covid 19.

What a great tearoom , the cakes are absolutely marvellous nice people.

The owners were friendly, the coffee good, regular scones came with cream and jam but the cheese scones are delicious. Will go back again to hire canoes.

Lovely little place for a scone or ice cream and can't complain at canoe hire for £10 for the whole day!

I love canal central and can't wait for it to be back open fully! As it was, they were super friendly when we rocked up to put the yak in the water. Hope to see them again soon :)

Spent a week here as a family with teenage boys. The location is great. Right next to the canal with passing barges, open fields and so peaceful. Large field and outside area to explore and sit with a coffee. Limited cafe opening and menu at the minute due to Covid, but the scones are the best we’ve ever had. Seriously never had better. We were greeted on arrival by the owners who made us very welcome with fresh scones. The lodge is excellent, immaculately clean and has all you need. Sitting on the balcony looking out was really peaceful. The cafe was busy when open with regulars and visitors which is a good sign. We will Definitely return here. Ian and Fiona are great hosts, left us alone but reminded us they were there if we needed anything. There is space for camping and motor homes and canoes available. Lovely pub just a short walk away and a couple more a little further. Had a great time, thank you.

Hired a canoe, great value for money. The centre was actually closed but they opened up just for us. Wonderful service.

My sister and I heard about this place,I have just bought a canal boat and its moored not too far away,we fancied a quick bite to eat. Firstly we were shouted at to use the main doors which we were on our way to use anyway,then when going to dispose of a poo bag in the bin got told that "we dont recycle dog poo" the man reiterated this to me again when I asked if they have a dog poo bin.He made us feel awful and ruined what was supposed to be a lovely day.He clearly doesnt like women.I did feel for the poor women who offered us a scrappy bit of paper, with the biro scrawled menu of not much to offer.

Nice stop off for a scone & tea

Have been a regular visitor to this beautiful, charming and serene location a number of times and have had fantastic food in the cafe, freshly cooked and prepared. Very friendly staff and owners, never feel rushed. Impressed with the building and grounds, wish I could have spared time to do the canal trip and always missed the railway open days.

Very nice food and friendly atmosphere, Scones were great.

Great food and accommodation. Friendly and welcoming atmosphere.

Great coffee after our lovely walk along the canal, interesting seeing the new bits of canal

Simply the best scones, cakes, tea and coffee. Great place to come after a walk along the canal. So relaxing and friendly. We keep coming back.

Lovely food very friendly owners and good for a stroll along the canal.

This is not my first visit and it definitely won't be my last. They are very friendly and the food is lovely. And there dog Ray always gives you a lovely welcome.

The surroundings were excellently maintained. The cafe was homely and welcoming. We were 2 adults, 2 kids; 7&4. We were shown the shed where al the kit is. Chose Life jackets and oars, lifted a boat, and we were off! Picnic packed, Great adventure, wildlife to see and lots of laughter! The couple who run it donate all the money From boat hire to the canal trust.... this impressed me. Want to visit again very soon!

Visited with a group of 18 walkers for coffee & cake before setting off. We had a very warm welcome & invited to set at tables where our orders were taken. Tea was served in lovely individual pots with hand-knitted cosies & "frothy coffee" was light & lovely. Scones & cakes are cooked on the premises & all scrumptious (I had the banana & walnut loaf but the scones looked equally delicious served with either butter or cream & jam). The owner, Ian, gave us a short talk about why they set up & information about their accommodation, camping & boat trips. We'll definitely be back in the summer.

After reading yesterday’s awful review of CanalCentral I wanted to add my opinion after visiting today. About a dozen of us walkers turned up for tea and cake in the afternoon and we got a very warm welcome and more than a little patience from the lovely owners. Good tea (with soya milk for us) in little pots with cosies and very good scones. Highly recommended.

Hoped for a coffee and something to eat after our walk along the canal over Xmas.Had seen a gentleman and a dog in the cafe when I initially called in for directions to get access to canal towpath so assumed the cafe was dog friendly.Not so when we went in for refreshments with our dog we were told dogs not allowed but we could sit outside. In December no chance There was a dog in the cafe wandering around which we questioned but the woman mumbled something which was not understood, so we walked out and went to a lovely pub called the green inn and had fantastic food and a warm welcome. We are on a short visit to the area and if this attitude is typical we won’t come back, we will spend our money where we are welcome.

Lovely to see the caffee doing well it's been 10 years now and still look great .

Scenic cafe with adjacent canal and pleasant walks

Great place to stop for coffee and cake after walking along the canal. The owners are very friendly and always welcome to help. The cakes that they sell are truly delightful.

Wonderful scones & very cute tea cosies

A lovely place for a cuppa and a lovely cheese scone. One of the best I have ever tasted

Lovely place had a lovely cuppa and home made scones jam and cream it was great

On holiday locally and out of season, we visited expecting things to be quiet. We asked if the dog was welcome inside and no one seemed sure. Once the owner(?) arrived, it was a no so we put the dog into the car. Not a problem.This lady proceeded into the kitchen area without washing her hands or putting on an apron and having just arrived by car with a dog.She and the gentleman had a "polite argument" and the lady serving seemed to be unsure about what to do.We had a pot of tea, which was nice, but the cakes were quite dry and, as I said, we did feel as if we were in the way so left quite quickly.

Took a horse drawn boat ride today for a little ones birthday party. The picnic they provided was brilliant, staff were lovely and very understanding of small people. The cafe looked great and books/toys on sale too it would be a lovely place to have a pit stop during a walk. I'd definitely go again.

Lovely place and lovely people, always feel welcome 😀

Had a super family lunch during our visit on our narrow boat. Great food and lovely people. Highly recommended!!

This visit was serendipity, a short drive from Maesbury, over a hump back bridge which I realized later crossed the canal and we arrived at the Canal Central, guest house, shop, cafe, hire a canal boat office etc. Relaxed atmosphere great place to rest up and let the world go by for travelers and boats people alike. A sat nav or a good map is required to find the place but well worth a visit or a great stop over during a canal walk.

A wonderful place, fabulous home baked food.We were on a canal boat and moored outside, popped in for baked goodies every day, they do take away if you want to enjoy on your boat.We also ran out of tea and coffee!! on the boat , the very kind owner provided us with tea bags to keep us going until we were back in civilisation. The Montgomery is very isolated but absolutely wonderful.

Lovely tea room with fresh home made food. Great quality and very good value. Husband and wife run business..... Highly recommended for couples and families. The canal is adjacent. Great place for a peaceful walk or hire a Canoe for a short trip along the canal

Simply one of the best cream teas I've ever had, and after a delightful walk along the canal, very welcome!

Brilliant place.... lovely service and delicious food.. well worth the vist

Highly recommend a visit to this beautiful cafe, we visited canal central today so the children could have a go of fishing with the canal and river side trust, we had some food from the cafe, the food was lovely and the staff are friendly and very helpful specially when asked for the carbohydrates for our son's food the owner came outside after we had ordered our food as he had found some muffins with the carbs on so we could give the correct amount of insulin.We will definitely be returning Thank you all ever so much for a wonderful experience Cerys

We walked along the canal in Maesbury Marsh & decided to visit this family run café again. We weren't disappointed.Very friendly staff, 2 delicious free range poached eggs on muffins & a good cup of frothy coffee.For two it cost £13.60,so very reasonable. Have had their homemade scones in the past and they are so light. This place deserves to be supported.Lovely outdoor area and a horse drawn barge to have a ride on.