It has been a momentous year for Mercia Marina with the Grand Opening of The Boardwalk, a promenade of boutique retailers, farm shop & cafe and two storey bar & restaurant overlooking the lake. We had a record 5,000 visitors to Mercia Marina for a family fun filled weekend of live music, street performers, Shakespeare performances on the boats, face painting and the cutting of the ribbon on the band stand by local MP Heather Wheeler for the official opening of the marina’s new £1.7m waterside retail, leisure and office development.
The Boardwalk’s final retail tenant Zing Furniture, an Aladdin’s cave of gifts and home furniture, opened its doors mid-November and was overwhelmed with interest. With its beautiful lanterns and ornate mirrors on display, people were lining up to place orders before the doors opened for business. Visitors, boaters and lodge owners have welcomed the new addition of shops and facilities with open arms and are delighted to have a place to relax, share a cup of coffee with friends or family or enjoy a meal at The Boardwalk Bar & Dining restaurant (www.theboardwalkbar.co.uk).
To accompany the launch of The Boardwalk, three new circular walks have been introduced to encourage children’s interest in wildlife and the countryside, all of which start from the marina and run alongside the towpath and stop off at the neighbouring village of Willington. Pick up a free copy of the walks at the marina or download one from the website (www.merciamarina.co.uk) for a New Year’s Day winter walk.
In addition to The Boardwalk, Mercia Marina has plans for six new floating shops situated at the end of The Boardwalk surrounding the sensory garden. The Ideal Hamper Company are the first to moor up and welcome customers, stocking gift hampers, confectionary, wine and gifts.
2015 is clearly the year to be in Derbyshire! Mercia Marina will be holding a wide range of events throughout the year, from antique fairs, a classic car show to outdoor cinema screenings. Like our Facebook page and check our events page to keep up to date with the latest news. Only 6 miles from Derby city centre with free parking and admission and open all year round you have no excuse to bring the family and discover the biggest inland marina in Europe.
Here is a great recipe for mince pies to get into the festive mood:http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1813664/mince-pies or come into the marina office before we close at 5:30pm on the 23rd of December for some mince pies.
We hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
