Tuesday 19 May 2009

Beeston to Waverton, Shropshire Union Canal

Our picture shows access to a canalside shed denied to the gardener for a few more days yet.

We have reached our destination! Today is the last full day afloat for a couple of weeks, we have continued north towards Chester, had good fish and chips in Waverton, and now found a mooring, until we are able to return early next month.
We will retrieve our car from Brewood tomorrow, and then return home to deal with junk mail and vote of course!

So, that's all for now folks! Next time we plan to take in the Anderton Lift and maybe the Manchester Ship Canal, if we can sort out the necessary paperwork.

Monday 18 May 2009

Llangollen Canal north towards Chester, on the Shropshire Union Canal

Hooray - just heavy, sharp showers today! - we progressed north up the Shropshire Union and for the first time encountered 14 feet wide locks and one of them a lock made from iron, as our pic shows - but it wasn't rusty!

We set off on foot this afternoon to visit Beeston Castle, but it was just too far in the rain, unfortunately.

7 miles;4 locks

Saturday 16th and Sunday 17 May 2009

Above Grindley Brook locks on Llangollen canal back onto Shropshire Union canal, via Wrenbury

Well, it has been a really dreary 2 days, and today has been particularly hard going thanks to heavy persistent rain, especially doing locks. Consequently, the boat engine room has a fair sample of dripping clothes and footwear!

We treated ourselves to a meal out last night at a very friendly pub called The Dusty Miller at Wrenbury, which we recommend. It is alongside the canal and right by the electric road bridge, which in summer must provide light entertainment for diners.

We moored just below the last lock down off the Llangollen and lo and behold within an hour or so it became evident that a boat going onto the Llangollen had become wedged - too wide for the lock! At one time the boat was perched in the lock a foot above the water level. Eventually British Waterways arrived and sorted it out with a crowbar!

over 2 days: 19 locks

Friday 15 May 2009

Whixall Marina to Grindley Brook Locks

Another grey day, damp, so not much incentive to get going, but we do and move back up the Prees Arm, with 2 lift bridges en route back to the Llangollen.One bridge was opened by swinging on a chain, which had been very heavy to raise yesterday but today was much much heavier due to overnight rain having soaked the bridge deck, and so it took a great deal of rather undignified pulling and struggling and rolling around in the grit to raise. Sorry, no photographic record, trust me!

After lunch and shopping in Whitchurch, we set off again, and had barely got underway when we encountered three ladies on the towpath who were getting agitated about a distressed lamb on the far side that had slipped into the canal. Bob managed get to the boat close to the poor, tired thing, and lying down flat on the rear deck he successfully pushed the lamb back up the bank to its mother. The towpath trio were so impressed they gave him a very loud round of applause, but alas again, the camera was not to hand to record the incident!

In fact the day has been so dreary, we have not taken any pics, sorry, and as I write this this evening, it is absolutely throwing it down.

Thursday 14 May 2009

Ellesmere to Whixall Marina, Prees Branch Llangollen Canal

We have moored up this afternoon in a very quiet spot at the end of a short branch off the main Llangollen waterway, at a place called Whixall Marina. The canal continues on here, but is unnavigable and has become a nature reserve. We walked down the well trodden towpath, and yet again found a really serene and quiet situation, with a couple of attractive cottages alongside, with neatly tended vegetable gardens, and private gardens. No people! Our picture shows the water lilies and celandine growing quite unchecked where swans were nesting, totally unused to human intrusion.

Saw a couple of hotel boats leave Ellesmere this morning - a huge alsation on board one! not quite as we remember hotel boating!

Wednesday 13 May 2009

Maesbury Marsh, Montgomery Canal to Ellesmere, Llangollen Canal

Today we left the peace and tranquillity of the Monty and returned to the relative hurly burly of the Llangollen. Another slightly earlier start to make sure we were back at Frankton locks between 12 and 2 to leave the Monty, as British Waterways operate very strict controls, as apparently they were fined last year for allowing too many boats onto the Monty. (Of mild interest to at least one of our readers, is that we pass down an absolutely straight stretch of water, about a mile, which we now know was used for testing the WW2 'bouncing bomb', except balls were used!

There is no doubt that we will return to enjoy this waterway again and watch restoration progress closely.

So, after catching up with the towpath talk from the lockkeeper at Frankton, we have now moored up again at Ellesmere to stock the fridge and most importantly get the latest waterway mags!

Quite a dreay day as our picture of the bouncing ball stretch shows!

8 locks; 11 miles

Tuesday 12 May 2009

Queen's Head to Maesbury Marsh, Montgomery Canal

Another good day from every point of view. Lovely weather, totally serene waterway, hardly a soul about. We estimate that there are less than a dozen other boats moving on this stretch!

We boated to the current end of the restored length at Maesbury, turned and moored up to enjoy the peace and walked around the village which had a very relaxed and genteel air about it. We have discovered that this waterways is one of the most important sites in the world with very rare species of aquatic vegetation here. The result is that there are lots of aquatic flies including the white-legged damselfly, which we haven't spotted, yet!

Todays pic shows what is thought to be the only surviving example of a 15cwt crane built by Omerod & Crierson of Manchester, very anorakish this!

Monday 11 May 2009

Rhoswiel, Llangollen Canal to Queen's Head, Montgomery Canal

Well it's been another hard day in the office! blue sky, warm sun and a gentle breeze. Slightly earlier start today as we had booked a passage onto the Montgomery canal and there is only a 2 hour slot, and a strict control of boat numbers as the 7 navigable miles of the restored 'Monty' is a special site of scientific interest and also in a special conservation area. Speed is no more than 3mph so as to conserve the vegetation and wild life en route. It is rather like having turned onto a waterway sanctuary- no boats, no people, no litter, and only nature to listen to. We would say don't go on the Llangollen without taking in this treat.

Pic shows Commemorative stone to graham Palmer who was instrumental in getting the Waterways Recovery Group going and working on the Monty to get it reopened.

This evening we have moored at one of the few places we can, in a village named Queen's Head which has grown up around the pub.

Glad to be doing locks again - 7 today, including a staircase.

Sunday 10 May 2009

Llangollen Marina to Rhoswiel Bridge

A rather leisurely start late morning from Llangollen Marina became quite frenzied as soon as we got to the Llangollen trip boat base and the start of the first narrow section wide enough for one boat! So the walkie talkies were useful afterall and we were certainly lucky with the timing of boats moving up and down. We got to Trevor basin for lunch before having to wait our turn to cross back over the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. There were boats and people absolutely everywhere - goodness knows what it is like in mid summer. We passed back over Chirk aqudeuct and tunnel much more quickly as the flow is in our favour now.

Moored up after quite a long day, no locks, but plenty of walking and backtracking down the towpath.

Saturday 9th May

Chirk Marina to Llangollen Marina

We made it! Thankfully the wind had dropped, but it was still like pushing water uphill. A few day boats were out and gave entertainment along the way.

Our passage across Pontyscyllte aqueduct was slow and the wind whipped up halfway across and nearly took the lifering off! At the end of the aqueduct we had to make a 90 degree turn left towards Llangollen.

Very narrow and shallow all the way with two sections (300m and 500m long) where it was too narrow to pass other boats so someone has to rush ahead to check. (The walkie-talkies proved very useful)

There is a new mooring basin in Llangollen with water and electricity to each jetty but it costs £6 for a 24hr stay. Llangollen has the feel of a seaside resort with all the tourists and gift shops.

Spent the afternoon on the llangollen railway on a trip hauled by a steam engine.

Friday 8 May 2009

Ellesmere to Chirk Marina

Another day of a real battering from the wind which makes it so difficult for boaters steering around narrow bends and negoiating tight spots. At times it has seemed that we have been pushing water uphill , but it is just the strong current against us. We finished the day going over the Chirk aqueduct, and then through the Chirk tunnel.

Our picture shows the start of our passage in the aqueduct trough, with the higher arches of the railway viaduct alongside, as we moved over the border from England at one end, into Wales at the other.

Tomorrow, at last the real point of all these miles we reach the Pontyscillte Aqueduct and Llangollen.

Thursday 7 May 2009

Whitchurch to Ellesmere

The Llangollen certainly tests ones steering and manouvering skills especially in the strong wind. Todays route has been very twisty with moored boats hidden round blind corners, goodness knows what it is like in mid summer. Saw our first hotel boat today - rather disappointing as it was just a narrow boat - no motor and butty. We could see the crew inside doing the ironing! the guests must have been on a trip, or there weren't any!

We moored at Ellesmere at lunchtime and haven't moved since. This place is rather attractive and quiet but alas a Tesco is being built at the end of the canal arm into the town, so no doubt all will be changed thereafter.

Our picture today shows how we nearly had an extra mouth to feed! (Note e bay flower boxes!)

0 locks; 10.5 miles

Wednesday 6 May 2009

Wrenbury to Whitchurch

We started the day with a road lift bridge, and of course things didn't go to plan - another boat pulled out in front of us and made a bit of a meal of the procedure, whilst the traffic queued up! We also had some manual lift bridges just like the Mon and Brec all very well maintained, and low and behold spot on lunchtime we came across a lock perfectly situated alongside an open pub selling Theakstons - so of course had to do some quality control. Onwards after lunch and up the staircase locks at Grindley Brook (picture) and we have found some very personable British Waterways people along the way.

10 locks; 8.5 miles

Tuesday 5 May 2009

Nantwich to Wrenbury

Today, we turned left and left the Shropshire Union Canal and moved on to the Llangollen canal, and so Vagabond has returned to truly Welsh waters again. We are keen to do this stretch now as it is an extremely popular route in summer, having said that there are plenty of boats doing the same as us today. We learn that there is to be an impromptu closing of a lock tomorrow to allow British Waterways to deal with a very badly leaking lock gate. We easily get beyond this particular lock and arrive at Wrenbury (a Domesday village) for the night. Here there is a lift bridge just like the one in Talybont on Usk, where you can stop the traffic, so we will enjoy that tomorrow.

It could take about 5 days to get to Llangollen as we plan to boat along the navigable length of the Montgomery Canal on our way.

Monday 4 May 2009

Audlem to Nantwich

Very soon after setting off, we find ourselves alongside the secret bunker site, at Hack Green.

We spent a very interesting 2 hours inside the concrete bunker, built in the 50's and refurbished in the 80's at taxpayers expense of £32m as a place for a selected few to go in the event of a nuclear attack, but was declassified in 1993 and is now privately owned. Much of it is 2 floors below ground and contains a mass of communication equipment and decontamination facilities, and has the equipment used by Mrs Thatcher to order the sinking of the Belgrano during the Falklands war.

The pic shows Bob sat a very dated telephone switchboard .

Sunday 3 May 2009

The sinking boat was pumped out during the early hours and the boaters transported back to the boat base to another hire boat. Apparently, the hull had sprung a leak, rather than the water tank! What a problem for the hire boat company!

Today, in cool but welcome sun, with a blustery chill wind we, no I did 20 locks all in the space of 4 miles. They brought us to Audlem where we enjoyed a very welcome Theakston beer, at The Shroppie Fly pub - see picture.

We didn't get to the secret bunker but it is open tomorrow.

Shropshire Union Canal - Brewood to Market Drayton

Saturday 2 May 2009

Hi everybody - we are back afloat and making our way steadily north up the very pretty and rural Shropshire Union Canal. We left Brewood on Thursday and are now moored just north of Market Drayton, just above 5 locks to do after breakfast tomorrow.

We set off on Thursday with lots of large dead fish floating around us, pike mainly that had died apparently having been starved of oxygen due to a recent leak of ammonia into the canal. (Must take care not to fall in!)

Yesterday, very unexpectedly, we passed some of our old customers on another boat coming towards us - we recognised them but we are not convinced they remembered where they had seen us before!

The pleasant weather this bank holiday has brought out many boaters, and it is all very polite and considerate so far!

Our picture is a well known shot of a double arched bridge, with a mini telegraph pole, we passed under along one of the many narrow cuttings en route.

Tomorrow we are planning a visit to the secret nuclear bunker at Hack Green near Nantwich, but don't tell anyone.

Late evening drama - the hire boat next to us are sinking! so Bob has gone to help bail them out! Never off duty! The end result was that long after we had gone to bed, the Police and Fire Brigade arrived!