Aqueducts and viaducts galore.

Boats had been passing us both ways from about 0630 but we just did our normal thing really.

Our different view of the twin bridges was by passing over it of course. The aqueduct is in an iron trough like at the Pontcysyllte but is covered in masonry.

You don't get that death defying look down to the ground with just an inch or two of iron saving you. It is still quite a nice view in either direction.

Right at the end of the aqueduct is the Chirk tunnel. This Llangollen Canal has the lot doesn't it?! A narrow boat left the little pool after the aqueduct and before the tunnel as we started across and we were to follow it all the way to day. The tunnel was started in 1794 and opened in 1802, so the aqueduct was completed first.

As we passed through the cutting at the other end of the tunnel a cheeky mallard decided to cadge a lift for several minutes. I had my fingers crossed as I had washed the boat the evening before. She behaved herself though.

Chirk Marina is a convenient base for day boats wishing to cross the aqueducts etc and they add to the chaos that sometimes can ensue in the busy area.

The short Whitehouses Tunnel comes next and two of the canoes set off behind the boat in front. The third stayed and came behind us. We weren't able to see the ones in front easily so we were well back. This wasn't so easy as the boat was going so slowly with caution and the current in the canal we were having to slip out of gear at times. It was to continue.

Through the Trees you get glimpses of the Chester and Shrewsbury Railway Cefn Viaduct it was opened in 1846 and the speed of its construction was assisted by having the canal to transport materials. It is 147' above the valley floor and has 19 arches.

As you get closer to the Froncysyllte there are moorings where once was a limestone quarry wharf. Plateways brought the stone down from quarries further away too. There are the remains of six lime kilns that were fed from the road level and discharged at the canal level for ease of loading. 

Our first glimpse of the 'canal in the sky'.

It always seems to be busy at the lift bridge at Fron and today was no exception. We passed about eight going down hill and then we were passing through. The bridge was up but nobody there to close it. As there was a queue of cars, and a bit of a gap to the next boat behind us, Helen jumped off to close it.

By now we had collected another boat ahead of us that was going even slower than the first. Almost everytime they met a boat they jumped off to let it pass, even though the canal was wide enough!

Finally Pontcysyllte is in sight.

Checking in to Chirk.

Well it is still warm! How are we going to react when it rains, run around naked thinking the sun God has been appeased or something?

After getting the jam to set after picking loads of cherries and getting all those stones out of them (is there an easier way?) we set off on a nice stretch of open and fairly straight canal. That get more of a rarity as you get closer to Llangollen. Just when you think that all those locks are finished with until you are on your way back down they chuck in a couple more, just to throw you as you meet the New Marton pair of locks.

A boat turned up at the top just as I was going to turn it round. They had got their boat the night before and hadn't done a lock yet so were pleased that we were handy to help them through. They also came back to watch us going up hill too. I hope they have a great week. The weather wont be a problem at least.

I can't remember where we met this chap but he had obviously been there for a while. He was in the shade though!

Once again the dappled shadow as we passed through wooded cuts gave relief from the sun and made very photogenic pictures.

The Portland Stone war memorial was designed by Eric Gill, one of several he produced. Gill was the 'Wild Child' artist of his day and would have been front page news regularly these days, but it was only after his death that his sexual appetites came out. He gave up a career as an architect to sculpt and create typefaces. I find it curious that the phrase 'habitants and indwellers' is used. Does this differentiate between native Chirk/Welsh people and newly arrived English people? Strange phrase.

Near the War Memorial is the Millennium Park and these lovely gates. On the body of the gates is a depiction of the Chirk Aqueducts and mines as well as the castel. Above are the obligatory dragons and the Red Hand. This is from a legend of the Myddleton family of Chirk Hall about 500 years ago. The dying father, not knowing which of his twin sons was born first, so who to leave everything to, set them a challenge of racing round the castle. The first one back to touch him was the winner. It was neck and neck until one tripped on the stairs near the bed chamber. Knowing he would lose he chopped off his hand and threw it to land on his father to win the race!? It could also be that there was always a warm welcome for visitors to Chirk Castle. Which ever, there are several Hand pubs in the area

By the above gates is also this plaque, which is self explanatory really, and shows how it used to be in sport before all this money got in the way of it all.

Before 1595 the Trevor and Edwards familys were the big noises in the area and they are represented with memorials around the St. Mary's church. That year the Myddleton family bought the castle and muscled in. They also worshiped at the church and are represented with some lavish tombs. This one dates from 1677.

Adorning the roof beams of the oldest part of the church are these roof bosses from the late 15th Century. The bestiaries were a common feature of the time. They were repainted in the 1970's. This one may represent some animals from the old testament

It appears to say David on this one, who of course is the patron saint of Wales.

Of course the mythical Welsh dragon had to put in appearance somewhere.

As we walked back via the road I got this photo of the lower canal aqueduct, started in 1796, designed by Thomas Telford, and completed 1801 and 70' high, as well as the railway viaduct that was built between 1846 and 1848, designed by Henry Robertson, and rebuilt min 1858, and is 100' high. We will get a different view tomorrow.

Winding up.

I just have to say something about the speed of boats here on the Llangollen. It maybe that I still haven't go used to being on small and narrow canals but it seems that the big majority of boats seem to make very little attempt to slow down when passing. I like to make sure I am moored up properly so it affects me only slightly. It is certainly not just the myriad of hire boaters, but the big majority of the privateers too. The privateers must feel a little guilty as they obviously think that by changing the note of their engine as their stern passes ours will magically slow you down. It will be interesting to see if the phenomena continues when we get back on to a busy Shroppie.

The next morning we decided to walk to the Mere via the path through the woods. It was another lovely day and to be hand in hand walking by the water on the promenade was like been on holiday. The visitor centre was really just a cafe but they did good coffee and cake, so we stopped.

This is one of the sculpture trail items around the Ellesmere area. I'm glad that they don't come this big. Mind you the size of the flies that stung Helen were described as this ones big brother!

After Helen had got some earings and some Christmas/birthday presents from a shop with a sale, we got back to the boat for lunch and then headed off. Beech House was where Thomas Telford did much of the planning for the Ellesmere Canal and it was a great place to be, at the junction with the arm to the town.

Just nextdoor to Beech House is the boatyard and services. There was nobody there at all so we stopped to top up. There is a dry dock here and many workshops and stores, and a working forge. You can see the roving bridge over the arm that leads to the town. The main canal leads off to the right.

This yard hasn't been sold off for housing or something similar and appears to be quite busy, at least I saw 5 or 6 C&RT people having their lunch at a bench outside when we passed.

From Ellesmere the canal seems to develop a good few bends and it certainly keeps you on your toes as many of them are impossible to see round. You can see the next bridge near the left of the picture as we are heading right. The countryside is really beautiful and I can't understand why I don't remember it at all from past visit.

Another bend in the canal as it winds round Val Hill, reminding us of being out in the wilds at the top of the Leeds and Liverpool canal.

The canal was set to head down to the left at the Frankton Junction and the bridge numbering follows it. This bridge is 69 but the next one in the distance is No.1. A 'W' has been added to not remind you that you are heading for Wales, but equally implausibly, so you don't think you are back at Hurleston again! 

We will hopefully head down the Montgomery Canal on the way back down. It will be brilliant if and when they get it open all the way as it passes through some beautiful countryside.

When in Ellesmere we saw that part of the railway embankment near Hindford was up for auction with a guide price of £10,000. It was not next to the canal but up towards the road. The bridge abutments are still there for the old Cambrian Railway that closed in 1965.

We stopped for the night near the Jack Mytton Pub but it was all closed up. However there are a line of cherry trees by the canal, along the car park. We moored up under them so I could reach plenty and got a good few pounds to eat and make jam with. Of course I paid for it with the birds bring the fruit down on the roof after dawn, which is very early at the moment!

Heck, its Ellesmere.

And another cracking day and we were off well after many others who have moved early once again.

First obstacle today was another lift bridge. They take a little winding but are easy enough. Helen said that one of them had a bucket of water and a notice saying that if it was stiff chuck the water over the hydraulic unit and it would work. No need for her as the sun was not directly on it.

Before and after the Prees Branch Junction there are areas of mosses or raised bog lands that together are quite important in the UK and are now a nature reserve after being used for commercial peat cutting

A nice little mooring with an original bridge in the quiet village of Bettisfield.

The many curves of the canal took the cut through wooded cuttings and the shade was very welcome, and a relief.

We were tempted to stop in the shade by any of the meres that the canal passes through. There are many meres in the area which are remnants of the ice age 12000 years ago when the area was half a mile under ice. When it melted great chucks were left and the last bits to melt sank into the saturated ground leading these kettle holes. 

The Llangollen Canal has everything, even a tunnel or two. They are all one way, and just when you may have looked forward to a cool shower of water coming through the roof, it was all dry in Ellesmere Tunnel.

We moored up just before the marina and later walked into town. We passed the Ellesmere Hotel that used to be called the Royal Oak, and it was here that on 10th September 1792 the shareholders meeting was held to set up the Ellesmere Canal Company. It is said that from noon to sunset a million pounds had been pledged by shareholders who were local business men and dignitaries.

We found a nice micropub in the vaults below the old Town Hall, called the 'Vaults' funnily enough. The old town hall was built in the 1830's by the Countess of Bridgewater. The area was marshy previously and it is said that there are piles 30' long into the peat. The ground floor was open as a market at first before it moved to a purpose built place. Upstairs had a fine assembly room that has been used as a Mechanics Institute, a museum and a cinema before the council made the building redundant in 1966. The pub is in the cellars and has a lovely vaulted roof.

We walked back via the short arm as we had a little shopping to do at Tesco's there. The canal warehouse at the end of the arm has not been put into any better condition but you would have thought it would have made a good site for something or other, especially with the foot fall on a great day like this.

Way to Whitchurch.

We were off at our normal time and it was already warm.

We were very soon at the first lock of the day Marbury Lock. I loved the house that was on three levels, I really loved the barley twist railings. I like the fact that there was time and money to do more than just a straight rail!

There were to be quite a few locks today and Helen was relishing the challenge of getting us up Quoisley, Willey and Povey's Locks.  Before arriving at the first of the Grindley Brook Locks the canal passes the Land of Canaan, that on a day like today could well be the Promised Land.

At the foot of the 6 Grindley Brook Locks is this old wooden warehouse that has been put over to a new commerce. I had time to have a quick look to see if there were any books that appealed, but none did. The building reminded me of the little warehouse at the Burton end of the river section near Alrewas,

There were voluntary keepers on the three lock staircase and we were soon up at the top.

There are several taps above the locks and nobody on them so we stopped to fill up. Helen took the rubbish down to the bins and came back with an ice cream for us.

We went on a little further and stopped before the Whitchurch Arm, just in case there was no room. We did walk into the town via the footpath over the top of the hill. I loved this building, the former stables of the Temperance Hotel.

Whitchurch was called Mediolanum in Roman times and means the place in the middle of the plain. St Alkmund's Church was built in 1713 after its predecessor fell down a couple of years previously. There is a similar church in Banbury

Having being born on Trafalgar Day I have a long term interest in all things Nelson. It seems that the Lieutenant saved the Admiral Collingwoods ship as he countermanded an order given by him in error. He was promised a reward and HMS Pickle was the fastest ship in the fleet so he sent him back with the news of Victory and Nelson's death. He had to pay his own fare from Portsmouth to London and burst in to the Admiralty with the news. He was rewarded with £500 and Lloyds gave him a sword worth 100 guineas.

The inside of the church was bright and airy and nice and cool in the heat of the day.

Outside, by the door, were these cast iron plaques that were a modern tombstone. I have never seen these anywhere else. They didn't catch on though it seems.

We walked back via the stub of the Whitchurch Arm that survives. There are hopes that the arm will be extended a bit further beyond the bridge and to a small basin with moorings.