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| The Captain on the Pontcysyllte Aquedict |
This is a really beautiful canal, but very busy with mainly hire boats which can be interesting at times. It is also almost lock free which makes for a quiet time for me.
On leaving the Whitchurch arm we only had a number of lift bridges to contend with, and luckily for us we met a boat going our way just as we set off, this meant we could share the bridges. The bridges are operated by using your windless, and turning and turning and turning until the bridge is full up, and then the boat can cruise through. 50 turns I counted on the one I did, it’s very good for the muscles in your arms, and that’s about all they are good for.
We didn’t do the whole 12 miles to Ellesmere in one day and spent a peaceful night in the MONW.
Ellesmere, like Whitchurch, is down a short arm and we were hopeful of finding moorings somewhere on the arm, but to start with it wasn’t looking to promising, there was a bit of git gapping (leaving silly gaps between moored boats) going on, and we did say that if there was nothing further down, we would simply ask the boats taking up too much room to move up to allow us to fit in. This wasn’t necessary, as right at the end of the arm (and next to Tesco) was a space just the right size for Avalon Two. The Captain expertly winded the boat (turned it around), and we were soon moored up.
We have been to Ellesmere before but couldn’t remember much about the town or the pubs, I checked back on my blog (yes I do have them going back that far) to see we tried the Red Lion, The White Hart and The Market, with not much to recommend any of them, but hey ho it was 8yrs ago and things may have changed. We walked round the town first, it is a sleepy quiet place with a few shops, takeaways and restaurants. There was a newish pub in town The Vaults, and it sounded like just the place for us, unfortunately it didn’t live up to the reviews we had read, quirky enough but the beer selection left a lot to be desired, well for us anyway. Only cask beer was a bitter and I had Angelo Poretti lager, it wasn’t the best pint, so we decided to try the White Hart and had a much better experience. The Captain was very happy with Phoenix Worcestershire porter by The Hop Shed, and I found a great pint of Staropramen. It was a lovely friendly locals pub and we had a great time.
https://www.facebook.com/WhiteHartEllesmere/?locale=en_GB
After a lie in the next day, and a quick shop in Tesco, we set off back down the arm and turned right heading for Trevor.
Before mooring up we passed the junction of the Montgomery Canal, this is 32½ miles long with 25 locks of which only about 8miles is navigable from the Llangollen end. We might do it on our return as we haven’t done it before.
Next day and just 2 locks to do, so I jumped ship and walked the mile or so to the first lock and helped 2 hire boats up before Avalon Two. It was nice to chat with the crew for the hire boats. At the 2nd lock there was an issue with something behind the off side gate, it wouldn’t open fully. The Captain got his trusty pole and had a bit of a poke round but couldn’t really find anything. Then when in the lock he had another go and pulled a piece of wood out from behind the gate, and this seemed to solve the problem.
The canal starts to get very narrow in places from here on, and after mooring up we had a number of boats scrape down the side of us, it cant be helped most of the time and is part of boating.
The canal is very interesting from this point, and next day we had 2 tunnels and 2 big aqueducts, all one way working. Chirk aqueduct first, swiftly followed by Chirk tunnel (459yrds long). Then a short tunnel only 191yrds long, the Whitehouse tunnel. Followed by a wonder of the waterways, the Pontcysyllte aqueduct. 18 stone arches carries the cast iron trough across the valley for 336yrds. The trough is 12ft wide with a towpath and railing on one side and a sheer drop on the other, its definitely not for some one who is afraid of heights.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontcysyllte_Aqueduct
We moored for the night at Trevor, although the number of moorings wasn’t great, as the hire boat company seemed to have taken over the one we used last time we were here. The Captain executed a near perfect turn before mooring up, showing a hire boat how it was done.
We went to the pub, The Telford Inn for tea, and the Captain treated me to a very nice steak pie and chips ,it was really delicious.
https://www.facebook.com/p/Telford-Inn-Trevor-Llangollen-Canal-100039970462218/
The final part of the journey into Llangollen involves 2 narrow sections, only wide enough for one boat. At the start of these I walked forward with my walkie talkie to let the Captain know it was clear, and to stop any boat coming in the opposite direction from setting off. We were following a hire boat full of Americans from Boston, who were lovely, but didn’t have much of a clue. All fun and games.
At the end of the navigable part of the Llangollen is a very nice basin with pontoons, electrical hook up, water and bins. But you do have to pay for them, £13 a night (£6 last time we were here). As we moored up I spotted NB Intrigue and Isadora, but no sign of their crews.
Last time we were here we walked up to Horseshoe Falls but didn’t see much of the town itself, so after a spot of lunch we headed out. We found St Collens church and had a look round inside, although there has been a church on the site since the 6C, the present one is Victorian, only the tower is older being 18C. The church is lovely inside and the ceiling is beautifully carved. There is a memorial to the Ladies on Llangollen, Eleanor Butler and Sarah Ponsonby, who lived as a married couple near the town in the late 1700’s and are buried in the churchyard.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Collen's_Church,_Llangollen
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladies_of_Llangollen
We also found a great little tavern and wine bar called Liberty for a couple of pints, and the Captain was very happy with a pint of Lost Abbey, a coffee stout by Big Hand Brewery of Wrexham, and it was happy hour, 20% off what could be better.
https://www.facebook.com/libertytavernllangollen/
https://www.facebook.com/BigHandBrewing/?locale=en_GB
On returning to the boat we managed to catch up with Pam, Darrell, Kim and Neil, and stood talking for sometime at the back of the boats. Being liveaboards we all had our slippers on as someone pointed out.
The trip out of Llangollen next day was uneventful, well that was until we moored up, and it seemed like every man and his dog went by us, one hire boat was so fast they could have been towing a water skier (they got yelled at). Then as I looked up from Candy Crush another boat rammed the front of us, I really don’t know how he managed it, but there was no acknowledgment or apology from the Captain of NB Sceptre.
We have decided to go up the Monty, so that will be fore next time.
42 miles, 2 locks, 5 lift bridge, 2 tunnels (twice) and 2 aqueducts (twice)
That brings back some memories! Xx
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