October Cruise up the Llangollen Canal

Gill and I have just returned from a glorious week on the Llangollen Canal. We had brilliant weather all week, misty most days for the first hour or so but burning off quickly with temperature's heading into the teens. We left Wrenbury Mill on the Saturday, cruising up the canal, it was reasonably quiet lower down the canal, our Saturday evening mooring was above Marbury Locks.

Near Marbury

On Sunday we carried on up the canal, up the single locks then past a very quiet Grindley Brook and Whitchurch, then along the long straight parts up to Prees Junction and Whixhall Moss. Our mooring for the evening was at Hampton Bank.

Misty Sunday Morning at Marbury

Soon cleared up with lovely blue sky

Reedy section near Quoisley Lock

Leaving Tovey's Lock

Grindley Brook Bottom Lock

Nice view of Grindley Brook Lock 2

Near Whitchurch

Approaching the lift Bridges after Whitchurch

Gill at the helm.

Saw lots of Kingfishers, impossible to get a decent photo of the
speedy little things though, this is the nearest I got.

Lovely sky and views over to the Mosses.

Our Sunday overnight mooring at Hampton Bank

On Monday morning we where away around 10am after a leisurely cooked breakfast, cruising past Cole Mere and Blake Mere, then through Ellesmere Tunnel, we called in at Ellesmere where the arm was nearly empty, after a coffee in the town we winded at the end of the arm and carried on past Frankton Junction.
After Maestermyn the canal was busy with hire boaters, the last week of September is usually busy with hirer's as the hire boat bases lower their fees, our first queue was at New Marton Locks, the queue was 5 boats as we arrived with first time hirer's causing havoc. We moored for Monday evening at St Martins Moor above New Marton Locks.

Lovely twists and turns near Lyneal Wharf.

Lonely watcher.

Blake Mere.

Near Tetchill.

Lovely view over into Shropshire.

Near Hindford.

Near Hindford.

Queue for New Marton Locks.

Sunset at St Martins Moor.

On Tuesday we only went as far Trevor, firstly crossing the Chirk Aquaduct then onto Pontcysyllte Aquaduct before turning round at Trevor,the towpath gossip was that the canal from Trevor up to Llangollen was a heaving mass of hire boaters with congestion at the narrow sections and a full mooring basin at Llangollen so we gave it a miss.

Congestion ahead at Chirk Bank.

Chirk Aquaduct.

Entering Whitehouses Tunnel.

Leaving Whitehouses Tunnel.

Canoeists crossing the Aquaduct.

Gill crossing Pontcyscllte Aquaduct.

River Dee below.

Return Journey to follow.