TOWARDS LLANGOLLEN

Leaving Trevor with all systems working I cruised on towards Llangollen. As the BW Marina at Llangollen charges to Moore and the fact that it was by now late afternoon I decided to stop about a mile & half short of the town so that I could arrive early morning and have the benefit of the whole day plus the 2 nights I intended to stay. The charge is £6 per night, that`s 20% increase on last year don`t they know about the recession or more to the point do they care.
Still at least you get your own pontoon mooring with electric and water to each, gives the batteries a good charge and as it`s the only place i`ve come across that charges it was grin and bear it at least the town is just 4 mins walk.

As it happens I stayed outside town for 2 nights and had a walk in and a bus back. Sun Trevor hotel as i showed my bus pass, shock and horror came over me when he said the pass wasn`t valid in Wales! But it was worth the £1.20 as my feet were aching and I had a couple of bags of shopping.

Above is a view taken from the towpath as I walked in and below the second photo is a Black 5 but I am ashamed to say i don`t know what the engine immediately below is but I bet someone will tell me. By the way it was taken track side just off the towpath walking along the feeder from Horseshoe Falls so any railway fans like me it`s a good photo spot.

Below is the view from my mooring outside town, it`s Dinas Bran Castle and I intend to climb up there when i Moore in town.

Above is the Victorian Promenade looking towards Llangollen Town bridge.

This was taken from the town bridge and about a dozen canoeists rode the rapids with a couple ending upside down for a few brief moments.




Below the Horse drawn boat trip from Llangollen Wharf up the feeder arm towards Horseshoe Falls. Also can be seen the Marina where I shall be moored.

STRANDED AT TREVOR

So here I am, below front right of picture, moored up waiting for the drive plate to be fitted. The red boat to the front of me was as far as I got just about to go under the bridge to moor up.
So at least it gave me the chance to investigate below the aqueduct.

In the picture below boats coming over the aqueduct left of picture have to make a left turn

through the bridge to reach Llangollen. I am moored to the right and i can tell you it was entertaining watching the holiday boats getting it wrong and hitting the concrete edge on the right. Speed was the biggest cause of the catastrophe's.

Walking across the Aqueduct made a change from boating and above about half way is the handle
that if un-bolted and pulled up will drain the Aqueduct.

Above and below views long distance and zoom of the bridge that carries one of the roads from Trevor village.

The next 3 pictures give a view from below the Aqueduct. There are some real good walks along the River Dee down here.

Below the end of the basin I had originally intended to moor. This part of the canal was originally intended to reach Chester but instead this area became a large loading area with loads from mines up the valley being transported to the wharf on tramways and on the wharf opposite where I am moored some of the old tramway tracks are still in place.

ONWARDS TO PONTCYSYLLTE

Just before arriving at the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct the canal has to make a right hand turn at Froncysyllte but before the turn fantastic views through the gaps in the trees enabled me to take the pictures below. The first one is the railway viaduct and the second the Ponty Aqueduct standing where it has stood for the last 200 years.

Wonderful views as the boat drifts slowly across with a narrow towpath to one side and just air on the other. Look at the edge of the iron trough it just doesn`t seem strong enough but time

has proved otherwise. I always enjoy coming across here and today was no exception with the late afternoon sun i just sat and enjoyed stunning views all around.
After crossing the Aqueduct a sharp left turn takes you on a 3 mile journey into Llangollen but this time i wanted to carry straight on through the Anglo Welsh hire base where the boats are moored 3 abreast plus singly along the towpath side. The reason i was inching my way through the one boat width channel was to moor in the old Ruabon Arm a 100yds past the hire boats.

All was going well as i drifted through out of gear but as i engaged or tried to engage forward gear nothing happened. I quickly stepped off with a rope and pulled into the one and only gap.
My thoughts were the control cable had snapped and was not to worried as i had a spare and would soon be mobile again. But my luck was not that good today and after calling an engineer he
removed the gearbox etc and found the drive plate had broken up.

The old one above was 2 metal centre plates riveted to the large disc with lots of springs to absorb the movement of the central splined shaft.
The supplier of the plates no longer supplied the original part as he was fed up with the number that failed prematurely.

The new one is made by R & D and has one thick central disc and heavy duty material to absorb the movement, no springs less parts and in my opinion a better quality product.
So stranded for 3 nights but at least there was a local shop and the Telford pub opposite.
Also gave me plenty of time to go down below the Aqueduct to the R. Dee and get a different view of the canal in the sky what i stopped here for anyway.

FOLLOWERS

Cruising along the other evening my attention was drawn to a lady waving from the front of a boat. It turned out to be Debbie who with partner Chris are `followers` of the blog. had a quick
chat but i was in a hurry to get to my chosen mooring for the night so i could watch the Arsenal- Man U match. Later in the evening i got to thinking that i really must add links to the blogs of my followers and so on the right the job is done. If i have missed anyone please complain loudly.

Followers of a different kind below, i think the Lamb is saying " mum stop eating the bushes and follow me our field is along here somewhere"


A modern take on butty towing above with the fold down hitch and the tow ball on the bow of the butty. For those not aware a butty is an un-powered boat. In working boat days usually the motored boat would pull the butty which would be steered by the wife or often one of the children but unlike the above pair a rope would be the tow line.

CHIRK

Chirk is where the Rivers Dee and Ceirog converge, it is also on the border of England and Wales and just a short distance on from where i took the picture below the Llangollen canal crosses the
border on the Chirk Aqueduct. Alongside the Aqueduct carrying the canal is a viaduct pictured below carrying the rail line built in 1846 some 30` higher than the Aqueduct`s 70`. Each have ten arches.
Chirk Aqueduct has no iron trough like the Pontcysylite but just a bed of ironplates and sides of stone. It was built in 1796/1801 by Telford & Jessop and although it lacks the height and length of the Ponty.... i still enjoy the trip across both just the same. The canal after the Aqueduct with just a winding hole(turning point) between plunges into Chirk tunnel 459yds long wide enough only for 1 boat. Hardly a plunge at 459yds, on the southern Gd. Union lies Braunston Tunnel
at 2042yds and Blisworth at 3057yds both wide enough for 2 boats to pass carefully. Still for the holiday boater, and i haven`t forgotten i was one in a past life, it must be quite a scary moment entering the darkness.

Above one of the Rail Viaduct arches and below zoom in for the view.

Below the Chirk tunnel entrance and i am still on the Aqueduct with the boat just about to enter the winding hole. I had to wait while a convoy of 6 boats came through the tunnel.

After exiting the tunnel i decided to moor and walk the 2 miles to Chirk Castle not to "case the joint" as i felt i was being accused of "No photography inside for security reasons" said the guard when i took a picture inside the Castle, to late mate it`s lower down for all to see so start making plans everyone.



These gates below were made in the early 1700`s and have stood in several positions around the Castle grounds before being erected here in 1888. If you can zoom in on the pic you will see the amount of work that went into their making.

Chirk Castle built in 1310 by Edward 1 sits high above the Welsh Border and it`s said has views over 9 counties.

Ssssh! Don`t tell anyone i took this pic of a room inside the Castle and for security reasons you had best not look at it.

The gardens are very well cared for with the Topiary 130yrs old mostly Yew (Taxus baccata).
Two tons of Yew clippings are collected yearly and used to make Cancer treatments. Now like probably a great many of you this big C thing caught my attention and looking on the net it seems that the bark and leaves of Yew contains Paclitaxel, now i`ll leave you to do the Google search as i don`t want to do a link to `C` . Try English Yew as cancer treatment.

Right something a bit more pleasant i photographed these from amongst the many flowers in the Castle garden as i liked the look of them but can anyone tell me what they are called.

LEAVING ELLESMERE

I walked around town to get a few things and the Market Hall above was in full swing if you call 9 stalls swinging but i suppose in it`s day this hall was probably packed with stalls bearing local produce and perhaps some fowl and maybe the odd goat or two.

Off in search of somewhere quiet after 2 days in the Ellesmere Arm i set off about 12 and filled the water tank and managed to cruise 3 miles before it started to rain. As i was just approaching Frankton Jct. where a staircase and 2 locks takes boats down onto the Montgomery Canal i
turned in and moored to have a cuppa and await dryer weather.

Above a picture of the staircase locks taken late evening when the rain finally stopped and below the following morning having had the whole arm to myself. In case you`re wondering the other boat had no one on board overnight, it was being returned to it`s hire base by an engineer after one of the holiday makers had a bad accident just 2 days into a weeks holiday.
Below looking back towards Ellesmere through Brdg. 69, the higher numbered bridges continue down the Montgomery and ahead of me towards Llangollen we start again at No. 1W. Could it be the W is for Wales?. I have briefly entered and exited Wales back near the Prees Arm but will not cross the Welsh border again until Chirk so not to sure on that guess.

Those Welsh hills are getting nearer.

The bridge below, note the W, caught my eye because of the wooden beams and looking up as i went under the beams were just supporting wooden planks with daylight showing between the gaps. Perhaps the brick arch had weakened at some time and the beams were a cheap quick fix for what is only a farm crossing.

Nos-da.
Entering Wales soon so just getting a few phrases together.

ELLESMERE

Entering Ellesmere two large expances of water are right alongside the canal and make very nice moorings. These water lakes are in fact Meres a result of the ice age and were created when the ice melted.

Below is the Ellesmere arm a very convienent mooring for the 18c Market town. A lot has been demolished here and on the right Mr Tesco has managed to aquire land for a new store. On the

left i`m glad to see the old canal warehouse is still standing not i would imagine with the developers consent but more likely a preservation order. According to the plans i saw a pub/restaraunt will be built alongside the warehouse and an old peoples home next to the pub.
Think i`ll put my name down as i won`t want to walk far for a pint in my old age.
Also being built will be a new Medical centre and housing so this little arm where you can sit on your boat and watch a game of cricket taking place on the pitch next to the canal will end up like mooring in the middle of a housing estate.

Just on the edge of town is The Mere largest of perhaps 5 or 6 around Ellesmere, the 1st photo looking east and the 2nd West giving some idea of it`s size.A nice visitor centre and a snack bar have been provided along a very pleasent promenade and trips around the Mere can be made aboard the 3 yrs old diesel fired steamer Kathleen.

MAN POWER

This is the very short video of me closing the lift bridge on the Prees Arm. It`s the only one that is operated by sheer physical strength and a chain instead of using a windlass to operate the hydraulic mechanism on the other bridges.

WHITCHURCH & PREES ARM

The Whitchurch arm is about double the length you see in the picture and about a mile walk into town mostly along the old canal route as some has been built over with housing.
The Whitchurch waterways trust was formed in the 1980`s with the aim to open up the arm almost into the town with plans including Lakes, moorings and a boat lift or inclined plane.
So far what you see is the start with this part having been restored in the 1990`s.
After coming through the lift bridge from the left i reversed down and spent a couple of days chilling out in the sunshine reading and watching boats go by on the mainline, it`s a hard life. That`s NB Valerie the first boat in.




Whitchurch is home to Joyce & Co. est. 1690 makers of clocks for churches and public buildings.
On the left i have dug out a picture taken in Chester on a 2006 cruise.
The mechanism of this clock was the work of Joyce & Co.











One of the old timber framed buildings in Whitchurch.







Below is the entrance to the Prees branch, the main Llangollen canal goes from where i am standing to the left under the footbridge. The Prees branch built in the 1800`s is now just about a mile long and has 2 lift bridges. At the end is a marina constructed on the site of an old clay pit the rest of the arm is now a nature reserve. The arm never did reach Prees only the hamlet of Quina Brook.



Above lift bridge No. 1 on the arm is grade ll listed and the only bridge operated by pulling on the chain. I did a very short video of myself operating this bridge and will blog it when i can get a good enough net signal to download it.

The end of the arm

The shallow canal now forms part of the nature reserve

I walked as far as the first bridge and found it had been filled in where the fence is under the bridge probably by a farmer as the infill is wide enough for tractors etc, beyond this the shallow water continues.