Whitchurch to Llangollen
21st--28th October
Wednesday, 21st October
I had a quiet night, and in the morning I went into town to have my eyes tested. I have them done at Jane Smellie's every two years. It was fortunate that we were near the optician's as, about a month ago, I somehow managed to end up with my glasses in bed with me--I had slept on them and broken them! So now I have a new prescription which I can take to Specsavers in Wrexham when we're moored in Llangollen. Trev got back in the early afternoon and we decided to stay on the same mooring overnight.
Thursday, 22nd October
We set off today for Ellesmere. I love this part of the canal, I think the best part of the Llangollen Canal is from Ellesmere up to Llangollen. I walked the first mile or so, as there are two lift bridges. We were lucky with the second one, another boater opened and closed it for us. The weather was good and we decided to keep going, all the way to Ellesmere to moor up at the top of Frankton Locks. We've booked a passage down the Montgomery Canal for tomorrow.
Friday, 23rd October
We were all on our own overnight, but several boats appeared behind us during the morning. Whilst we were waiting, a BW man came along to repair the fence, and gave us some wood for the fire. At noon, Colin the lockie came along and let us down through the four locks. Then we tied up in the Weston Arm, to use the facilities. Besides getting rid of rubbish, we gave the boat a really good wash. We took everything off the roof and washed it, washed one side of the boat and then turned it round and washed the other. It looked really good when we'd finished. The n we went on down the Monty and moored up at Perry Aqueduct. It's a lovely spot and there was no noise except for a tractor working in the fields, collecting the hay and bagging it into huge rolls.
Saturday, 24th & Sunday 25th October
We went on down to the end of the navigable section and moored up at Maesbury. It's so lovely down here, we never want to leave. We had an excellent meal at The Navigation and then on Sunday we walked on along the canal as far as Crickheath. More work had been done since we were down here with Cherry, the Trust is really trying hard to get the work done. I wonder if we shall ever be able to cruise along here?
Monday, 26th October
We went back up to Perry Aqueduct to moor. Here Trev blacked one side of the boat below the gunwhales, to prepare it for the winter. and then, in the morning, when I woke up, I found he'd moved the boat onto the other side of the canal, so that he could black the other side!
Tuesday, 27th October
We reluctantly left the Monty today, and went back onto the Llangollen Canal. We turned left at Frankton Junction, not far to go now before we're in Llangollen, We weren't looking forward to being back on the Llangollen Canal, because it's half term, and there are lots of hire boats about, but in the event it wasn't too bad. We travelled a couple of miles and then moored up at the Jack Mytton pub. Although it was really past his lunch hour, the landlord served us and, what's more, kept us company. He's an interesting character, and we enjoyed his company. He had some good old fifties and sixties music playing , and I mentioned to him about a song I really used to like when I was in my teens--"The Day that the Rains Came Down" by Jane Morgan. (If you remember that you're nearly as old as me!) Two minutes later, "The Day......" was coming through the loudspeakers! Brilliant! He uses a website which will find any music you want.
In the evening, Judy and Eric came to join us and we had a good meal.
Wednesday, 28th October
We went on along the canal and through the last two locks--New Marton locks. We filled up with water here, and then carried on, over the Chirk Aqueduct and through Chirk Tunnel (459 yds). We were really lucky here, because nothing was coming through the tunnel from the opposite end, and so we went straight through. But as we emerged there was a whole flotilla making its way towards the tunnel--we counted eleven boats. If we had had to wait for them, we'd have been waiting for an hour or more.
Click here to see a video of Liberty Belle Crossing the Chirk Aqueduct and Going Through the Chirk Tunnel
After Chirk Tunnel, we went through Whitehouse Tunnel (191 yds) and towards the Pontcyssyllte Aqueduct, but here we weren't so lucky. We waited for a couple of boats, to cross as it's single file. But every time we were about to start, another boat started from the other end, and eventually, I walked across the aqueduct and asked people to wait to let us through. The Aqueduct Trip Boat driver wasn't too happy, but he did wait and eventually we got across. We pulled into the Anglo-Welsh marina to fill up with diesel for the last time this winter, and then set off on the last four miles to Llangollen.
Our plan was to moor at Sun Trevor for a night, and then onto the lift bidge for a night, before getting into Llangollen for the 30th. Boaters are allowed to have 48 hours in Llangollen and so if we took the 48 hours, we would then be ready to start our winter mooring on Nov 1st. But we had a phone call from another winter moorer who said they were moored up in Llangollen. They had paid for extra nights and been allowed to arrive early. So we decided to go on into Llangollen, and pay the extra. So, here we are, moored up safe and sound, and this is where we shall stay at least until the end of February, maybe into March. Work is going to be done on the canal further up, along the feeder section from the Horseshoe Falls, and the water level has to be dropped after Christmas to facilitate this. So we shan't be able to move until the level is restored. No one seems to know when this will be, though it will be by the end of March. Thank you for coming to read my website, I hope you've enjoyed it. I also hope that it isn't becoming too repetitive, we generally cover the same ground nowadays. Have a good winter and a Happy New Year. Come back towards the end of March to see if we've started again!