Hoylake

The mooring we chose for last night was another very peaceful one, just off the main canal with no passing boats or nearby cars.

With much regret, we handed the boat back this morning. We had the most fantastic time, just as good as the first time for Gill & Rick and Gary & Jan are now converts to the canal boat way of life.

As the village of Whittington was close by, we called in and had a look at the remains of the 13th century Whittington Castle.

We headed for Chester and parked for 4 hours so we could have a good look around. We very quickly found out that big horse races were on yesterday and today and that there was no accommodation available in Chester. As you’d expect, there were people everywhere. Our question as to why so many girls/women were tarted up was therefore answered. We went to the spectacular Chester cathedral, rebuilt from about 1250 onwards, taking about 275 years, resulting in the current building. It is huge, with so many bits off the main space. We sat and listened to a great sounding orchestra rehearsing for a concert tonight. The sound was amazing. The cathedral has so much intricate carving, a beautiful ceiling and spectacular stained glass windows. Many of the “other spaces” are used for displays, kids’ play areas and the 13th century monk’s dining hall is used as a cafe. It is great to see this wonderful building used by the community for other activities as well.

 

We stopped for coffee and scones before walking to the Shropshire Union canal that runs alongside part of the city wall, then walked along the wall to reach the remains of a very early cathedral. Much to Rick’s delight, there was a very pleasing suspension bridge near by.

By the time we left Chester, it was about 4:30 pm and we headed off and followed the coastal road to Hoylake. We had to try a few places before we found accommodation for the night and we are now in a very nicely presented B&B. There are things we don’t take for granted at the moment. We have a bathroom that you can spread arms in to dry, a toilet that only takes 1 flush instead of 4 or 5, we have a bed that is almost twice as wide as that in the boat and the room doesn’t move.

Montgomery Canal branch

Friday:

Not far from the Pontsycyllte Aqueduct when we started this morning. There were many boats in the Trevor Basin, with hire boats being returned to the marina in the basin, boats coming over the aqueduct and boats, including us, coming out of the narrow canal from Llangollen. We had to wait ‘til the masses had sorted themselves out and moved out of our way before we could enter the basin and turn towards the aqueduct. We motored across the aqueduct, turned around at the winding hole just past the aqueduct and came back across. We just squeezed past a tour boat and hire canal boats berthed 3 abreast and continued up a very narrow dead end arm to a very tight turning area, turned around and crossed the aqueduct again. Thank you Gill & Jan for not saying no.

We went on to Chirk and had to wait for a couple of oncoming boats to leave the tunnel before we, and 2 others, could enter.It took just over 9 minutes to get through the tunnel. Between the other side of the tunnel and the start of the Chirk Aqueduct, there is a “waiting pond” and this was very congested and boats were going in all directions. After a while we were able to move and went across the aqueduct. Still good fun, but we didn’t turn around and cross again.

We stopped at another peaceful spot for lunch and then cruised on, past our marina, to the Montgomery Canal branch, about 1/2 hour past. We had planned to go down the Montgomery Canal a few days ago, but changed plans when we found out that there was an embankment collapse at one of the locks about 1 hour down the canal. We had booked passage through the staircase locks (only between noon and 2 pm) for Tuesday and return on Wednesday. Only 12 boats are allowed each way each day because it is an environmentally sensitive area, We got much better value/experiences going through the Grindley Brook locks.

 

We are spending tonight at the Montgomery Canal branch and only have to motor back to the marina in the morning for about 1/2 an hour.

Just near the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct on the return leg

Thursday:

Matt from Maestermyn Marine came this morning to fix the battery problem. We’re still not sure what the problem was, possibly moisture or an alternator with an intermittent fault. There was a lot of water in the bilge, the float switch was not working properly. All is OK now.

We had a very good run into Llangollen this morning. There were 2 sections of one way canal. The first had a passing bay and we managed to tuck ourselves away in the passing bay while one boat coming down the canal passed us and we were able to pull out and keep going. We left the 2 other boats that were following us, and the one going down, to sort out who was going first. Unfortunately we were too busy to take a photo of the confusion. Gill & Rick loved Llangollen when they were there 2 years ago and it was just as beautiful this time. The sun was out, the sky was blue and it was warm. It’s such a pity that photos don’t do justice and words can’t convey just how attractive Llangollen is.

The second section of one way was about 500 m long and one of us walked to the end and rang the boat when it was all clear to go. It was a really picturesque section of canal, cut into the bank and we all enjoyed the cosiness of the narrow canal.

The Llangollen moorings were just around the corner and we chose to berth along the canal, rather than go through to the marina. We started to fill up with water, but with half the water spraying out from the tap, we gave up after we finished coffee and went for a walk. Gary & Jan walked into town, found wifi, had all sorts of difficulties connecting but managed some email. There was lots going on in town, with lots of music.They were back to the boat before Rick & Gill, so were able to finish filling the water. Rick & Gill went into the eisteddfod and listened to a great Swedish choir and then a superb harp-flute duet. Unfortunately we weren’t able to stay ‘til the end. We’ve wondered for a while what the Eisteddfod here was like and can now tick it off as a good experience.

We wanted to move away from Llangollen for the night to save a little time tomorrow morning.

We’ve found a very peaceful mooring for tonight, unfortunately with other boats in the distance both ways, but I suppose we have to share.

Back over the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct again tomorrow, and perhaps over and back again, just because we can, and if Gill & Jan humour Gary and Rick. It’s a big thing for Gill & Jan because neither of them is very keen on heights and the trough is so narrow with just the trough wall on one side.

Just finishing pre dinner wines and great sausage, onion and mash cooking smells wafting around. Time to go.

‘Til next post.

Llangollen Canal between bridges 40W & 41W

Wednesday:

We were at the New Marton bottom lock 5 minutes after leaving our overnight stop.We had one boat ahead of us waiting to go up through the lock after one came down. Boat came down, the one in front went up, another came down, we went up and on it went. The 2 New Marton locks were busy. While filling up with water again, we met a Maltese family who were waiting to go down the lock and they were terrified, it was their first one. Gary helped them through the top lock, explaining about raising and lowering paddles before opening the gate. They were so grateful and seemed a bit more comfortable to tackle the next lock.

Onwards to Chirk, with the reasonably impressive Chirk Aqueduct and the Chirk Tunnel (Darkie Tunnel).The aqueduct was built between 1796 & 1801, is 21 metres above the Ceiriog Valley and spans 220 metres. The Tunnel was built in 1801 and is 420 metres long. Both are one way. Before we entered the tunnel, we turned on our headlight to let anyone at the other end know we were in the tunnel and therefore not to enter. We had to wait for 10 mins or so to let 2 other boats out of the tunnel before we could enter. Going through the tunnel was quite eerie. There is no real frame of reference to give perspective. All we see is a dark tunnel with a light from the boat shining on the inside of the tunnel, giving the impression that we’re not moving. It was good fun.

   

Our next event to look forward to was crossing the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. It became a world heritage site in 2009. It took 10 years to build and was opened in 1805, is 307 metres long and 38 metres above the River Dee. We didn’t have to wait, so straight across. Hope the videos we took work out. Across the other side, we turned the boat around and Gary hopped off to follow the road town to a vantage point on the road bridge way below. We crossed back over the aqueduct, turned around again and came back so Gary could take some more video of us crossing the aqueduct. We picked Gary up and managed a 9 point turn back into the basin to head up the much narrower canal to Llangollen.

 

We planned a reasonably early stop tonight, about 5 pm, with the final stage into Llangollen in the morning. A few minutes before the formal moorings, an alarm went off in the boat and the battery warning light came on. We hammered a couple of stakes into the ground to tie up to and stopped for the night and to ring the boat yard. They think it is probably a broken belt and will be here around 9 tomorrow morning. No real hold up.

The canal has so many turns that Gary is spending a lot of time working out whether our photos were taken in Wales or England. We’ve been in and out many times. At least we know that from here to Llangollen is Wales.

Next stop Llangollen and, hopefully, a short visit to the internationally acclaimed Eisteddfod which started yesterday and ends this weekend.