Wrenbury to Llangollen July 2014 Day 6

Woke to another hot sunny day again with not a cloud in the sky. Already quite hot after breakfast, the day was to get in to the 28s. We set off towards Frankton Junction and Ellesmere, after the Maestermyn hire base the canal was very quiet again, nice rolling country side here, interspersed with lovely simple bridges.

Cloudless sky.

We passed Frankton Junction before reaching Ellesmere where we dropped of the rubbish and turned down the arm. Yes, another WiFI fix at Tesco, plus some top up of essentials. A lot of people walking up and down and peering in the windows made up our minds to have lunch elsewhere so we winded (turned) the boat, then carried on through Ellesmere tunnel.

Lovely scenery.

Frankton Junction.

Ellesmere Arm.

We moored for lunch at Blake Mere, lovely sandwiches with fresh bread and the refreshing Pimm's came out again as it was by now very hot, we where in the shade under the trees and quickly joined by a few other boats seeking shade.

Blake Mere

After an hours break we headed off again down the canal. Past Lyneal Wharf and the curvy sections near Hampton Bank, we had a water fill at Bettisfield, and a quick wash down of the very hot roof, then down the long straight section to Pree's Junction, we where passed here by an impatient boat, good job this bit was wide and deep.

Nice cottage at Hampton Bank.

We spotted a Bull cooling of in the canal near Hampton Bank. He did not seem in distress or stuck as he moved after we had passed him.

Bull.

After Pree,s Junction there was the lift bridge, followed by one at Fenns Wood.

Pree's Lift Bridge.

Whitchurch was next, we had 3 more lift bridges to raise/lower, all hand hydraulic turned by hand before calling it a day just round the corner after the Whitchurch lift bridge. We expected a quiet evening here, but a word of warning. Thursday nights in summer various large motorbike clubs all congregate at Whitchurch services, coming from Chester, Wolverhampton, Stafford, and Birmingham, etc the roar of the bikes opening up on the Whitchurch Bypass carries on till gone 10-30, so if its peace you want moor elsewhere. Despite this we got in some fishing, just glad to sit in the shade with a cider after a very hot day. My turn to cook dinner as Gill had gone on strike, this due to Toni and Stephen, she had her bare feet stretched out of the front of the cratch and they deliberately steered in to a patch of nettles! Gill not pleased:-(

Plenty of dock leaves required.