Keeping up with the Reids: Narrowboating the Llangollen Canal 26 August

Wednesday 24^th August

Last day in Skelton. A few things to organise and some schoolwork to finish off for the week so we can have some time off on the narrowboat. The weather was damp anyway.

Aaron and the kids ducked out in the afternoon to the supermarket for some ready meals for dinner and we spent the evening relaxing and watching the bake off.

Thursday 25^th August

Up and ready to leave this morning and on the way by 10.30am. No traffic hold ups and we arrive in Wrexham at about 1.30 after a short motorway stop. A bit early for check-in so we drive on a bit until we come to a small village area with a bakery, tea shop, barber and a few other little shops. Feeling a bit peckish, we cross the street to a very small tea room, Mario’s, run by an elderly man and a young woman. It looks like Mario runs the kitchen out the back. We have tea and cakes and fancy milkshakes for the kids then we go back across to visit the barber and Aidan and Aaron get very schmick haircuts. Shortest Aidan has ever had, a lot of thinning and shaving was done.

Afterwards we go back to the hotel and check in, I have a lie down to rest my shoulder and the kids watch an episode of supergirl, then the end of the Flash Gordon movie. Afterwards we go in to the centre of Wrexham for a look around and some dinner at the Nags Head.

Friday 26^th August

Breakfast in the hotel restaurant this morning to fill us up for the day. Pity about the hard poached eggs, even on the 2^nd go when we requested runny. The it is up to our room to sort out the packing for the boat as we won’t have much room. Then off to Tesco for a stock up shop before finally making it to the Marina shortly after 3pm.

A frantic ½ hour stashing everything on the boat, then we have our instruction on how everything works which goes smoothly. Finally at about 4.30 we are on our way. Our instructor stays with us until we are through the tunnel then we are on our own for the short journey to the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. First we have to negotiate our first lift bridge, which Aidan manages and only a bend or two later we are on the approach to the aqueduct. There is a boat coming towards us, so we have to wait briefly, giving the Japanese tourists plenty of time to take photos, before it is our turn to cross. Not nearly as frightening as I had anticipated.

Reaching the Trevor basin on the other side, Aaron negotiates the turn around and we moor up to have dinner before crossing the aqueduct again in the peaceful quiet of the evening and mooring up just across bridge 28.

setting off

Trevor basin

entrance to the Llangollen arm

back over the aqueduct after dinner

Saturday 27^th August

Wonderful, glorious sunshine greets us through the windows this morning and we set off at 8.15am. Back through the tunnel and then on past Chirk, through the tunnel and over the Chirk Aqueduct we go as Aaron gets the feel of the steering, until we moor up just before bridge 12 for water at 11am.

morning cuppa

Whitehouses Tunnel

first of several border crossings

There is a queue waiting for water and to pass through the following New Marton locks, so it is 12.30 by the time we leave the bottom lock, having successfully negotiated them.

passing the Montgomery arm and the Frankton locks

We steam along happily until Ellesmere, where we pull up just before the turn and take a short walk to the supermarket. Carnival at Ellesmere tonight we have been told by the crew of Eddie who we were behind at the water point and lock, and we can hear it. Only a 5 minute walk so we are soon done and back to the boat, casting off again at 4.20pm and successfully negotiating the turn and head up through the Ellesmere tunnel. Not far past, the lakes begin and it is quickly plain that this is an idyllic part of the canal, so we pull up at 4.45 to end our day’s cruising just behind Eddie who has also chosen this place for the night

Particularly stunning part of the canal, so sighting some moorings we pull up in the Shropshire lake district and enjoy the incredible scenery.

Sunday 28^th August

The view from the window this morning is out of this world, with the morning sun reflecting on the lake.

view through the window when I first open the curtains

Blake mere in the early morning sunshine

We cast off at 9.10, pulling up at 10.40 for water just after Bettisfield bridge. Only a quick stop and we are away again in 15 minutes. A couple of lift bridges to negotiate on this section, then I take the tiller as we pass through the quiet of the mosses.

winding up the bridge

We are going really well for time and reach the Grindley Brook staircase by 2.45, so continue on through and pull up on the other side at about 3.25pm so we can go back and see if internet is available at the nearby pub.

going down

winding the paddles

coming through the gates

On the way however we get chatting with a boat and discover that there is a very pleasant pub not much further up, so we decide to continue on until there and stop for the night, so we negotiate 2 more locks and moor up just after Willey Moor for the night. The wifi is not enough to do the uploading we need, but the pub is pleasant and well patronised by the camp ground over the canal.

Monday 29^th

Yet another sunny start to the day, and we are off by 8.30. Not sure how far to go, as we need to keep an eye on where the winding holes are and also the weather, as if it turns wet we don’t want to have to press on endlessly in the rain to get back in time.

There is Quoisley lock soon after we set off, then Marbury, then a straightish section before the Thomason’s Bridge winding hole, which has been the goal. As we now know there is a basin to turn in at Wrenbury, we press on through to the keyed lift bridge and arrive in the basin.

lift bridge at Wrenbury Mill

Wrenbury basin

It is only 10.30, but potentially a few more hours to the next winding hole so we make the turn in the basin. All goes well to start with, but we have a bit of a head on bang on the side of the basin and a few wine glasses don’t survive the jolt. The boat man at the marina however doesn’t even blink an eyelid, clearly not an unusual event. Back through the bridge, then we moor up on the other side for a wander through the village of Wrenbury. We call in at the Dusty Miller but it is not open. A few yards further on is the Cotton Arms, so we stop for a coffee (big mistake) and use of their wifi – still not enough for uploading, but I get to check the emails and look at some house sits. Nothing else to the village of Wrenbury, so by 12.20 we are back at the boat on beginning our journey back

ready to start back

. A couple of hours cruising sees us back at the Grindley Brook flight. There is a little wait while they bring a couple of boats down, then with the lock keeper’s help, we make our way up the staircase, before continuing on at a leisurely place until we reach Whitchurch where we moor for the night.

Light up our tiny foil bbq and cook up some sausages and hamburgers. The kids have a play with the lovely cockapoo Poppy who’s boat is moored next to us and we enjoy a chat with her owners. Another stunning evening as the sun sets on the canal and we retire indoors for the night.

Whitchurch Arm

reading

Tuesday 30^th

Aaron is first up today. The morning is a bit greyer but still quite mild and we cast off at 8.40am

Stop to take on water and dispose of our rubbish at Bettisfield then putter on through the Whixall Moss until we pass the backstroking badger who has drifted all the way to the end of the lakes. Pause at the top of the lakes opposite Cole mere and cross the bridge for a walk around the lake to the sailing club there, the kids do some swallows and amazons exploring. Not too far along after this is Blake mere where we moored on the way up, so by about 3.30, we pull up at the mooring spot a bit further down, at the bottom end of the lake where there is a little jetty and a swan and settle up for the night.

As we are needing some more supplies we walk the couple of kms through the tunnel and up the arm to the Tesco there and collect supplies for a couple more dinners.

chocolate box cottage by the lake

Cole Mere

Ellesmere Tunnel

Once back at the boat the kids go off to the lake to do some makeshift fishing off the jetty and Aaron and I settle ourselves in the bows with a drink and a relax while the sun goes down.

Wednesday 31^st

Kids are up and back into the fishing this morning, so it is a while before we start off.

The fishing lines made from reeds are not proving too successful, so at the end of the arm, Holly and I dart up to the supermarket in search of string, while the boys take on water. Once we are back we are on our way in earnest and a good deal of time is taken up manufacturing fishing rods and doing some whittling as we cruise along. The weather looks like turning at last and there is a hint of drizzle, but it comes to nothing and shortly afterwards clears to glorious sunshine again. We retrace out route with no problems and shortly after 12 we are through the mosses and nearing the Jack Mytton. Too good to pass up, so we moor up alongside and the kids fish off the boat for an hour while we go in and have a drink in the garden.

Shortly after this we reach the last of the locks on the canal and pass through. There is a queue going the other way, but no one else going ours, so we don’t have to wait and are through quickly and easily. We are now into a very pretty part of the canal, with nice farmland and some attractive houses alongside and we cruise along comfortably in the sunshine. I believe, as I am reliably informed with a smile by several passing boats, that Aaron has snooze on the front deck.

We negotiate the Chirk aqueduct but then have to wait a while while a number of boats come the other way through the tunnel, so the kids get in some more fishing.

A long quiet stretch after that as we make our way along, hoping to moor up just before the pontcysyllte. The guide indicates that there are moorings, but they turn out to be long term ones so we disobey the rules and join several boats moored up near the water point. It is nearly dark and there will be no more boats along tonight, and we are planning an early start, so hopefully we will get away with it. Time for a spot more fishing before dinner and bed.

Thursday 1^st September

Early start this morning, as a nearby boat starts its engine well before 7. Another boat pulls up alongside to fill up with water, and we follow suit and are on the canal shortly after with Holly still in bed. The early morning sun casts an amazing shadow of the huge arches of the aqueduct as we fly over the top in silence in the peace of the morning.

Aaron negotiates the turn and we on the last section of the Llangollen canal. Simply stunning. A few other early risers are coming back down, and I scout ahead to negotiate the 2 narrow sections. Second time we wise up and I take the phone, though of course there is no reception at the far end when I need it!

Only about 2 hours all the way and we arrive in the basin and pull easily into a mooring at 10am. Room for 30 boats and only about ½ full this morning. The kids are straight onto the roof for some fishing while I make them a late breakfast.

Impressive moorings here with power and water laid on. Free for 4 hours, so after checking whether we need a mooring ticket, we set off for the 2 mile walk to horseshoe falls where the canal begins. The horse boat has just set off so we follow it for a while then continue on to the end, after a stop for the kids to poke around down at the river and me to slip over on the wet rocks!

Returning to Llangollen we make our way into the town and stop at the Dee Café for lunch. Excellent steak and minted lamb baguettes, complete with salad and chips fills us up. Short walk back to the marina (via the Riverside Taxidermi shop) and the kids get in yet more fishing while I chop and cook chicken ready for dinner later.

By 3pm we are ready for off and with some slow and careful maneovering Aaron gets us out with nary a bump. Outside the entrance canal I take over the helm and Aaron takes the job of runner through the narrows. 2 quiet hours later we are again at the end of the Llangollen arm and facing the aqueduct.

A bit of an audience for our crossing this time, then around the corner through the final lift bridge and we find moorings just past the limekilns. Kids get stuck into some more fishing, I enjoy a glass of wind in the bows before cooking up some dinner and then taking a stroll down the canal with the kids in search of the whinnying horse. We find his companion, then meet piebald Donny just back from a ride. After a pat and a bit of a chat we return to the boat and shortly afterwards light rain starts to fall. First rain of the journey.