Wrenbury to Llangollen July 2014 Day 1 and Day 2

Day 1
We left Norfolk early on Saturday to travel to Wrenbury Mill for a week on our shared owner narrow boat Centurion, crew being myself, Gill, Toni, and her friend Stephen, on the A14 near Kettering the heavens opened and the big storm arrived. We had atrocious driving conditions from there all the way to Norton Cannes services, with long delays at Kettering and the A14/M6 junction. Things improved on the run up the A5 under Stretton Aquaduct and the A41 to Whitchurch and Wrenbury.
Having loaded up the boat, stocked up on food and drink we set of around 4pm, working through Marbury lock and mooring short of Quoisley Lock.

Evening sky clearing on Saturday.

Day 2

After a quiet, early night we worked through Quoisley and Willey Moor locks, purchasing duck eggs and mushrooms from the old guy who has set up a small stall here, before hitting a quiet Grindley Brook locks, no queue's, so straight up the staircase with volunteers on hand.

Grindley Brook Staircase locks, very few gongoozler's about

We continued on to Whitchurch, tackling the lift bridge on the bend, then 2 more lift bridges the other side of Whitchurch.

Whitchurch Lift bridge

Bridge Opening.

We had lunch, along with a welcome glass or two of Pimm's near the bridge which used to carry the Cambrian Railway between Whitchurch and Welshpool.

After lunch we carried on passing Fenns Wood with its lift bridge, the canal is quite narrow through here with trees overhanging the banks making visibility difficult on bends.

Vegetation cutback needed.

The canal was surprisingly quiet around here, hardly any boats around and we wondered where all the hire boats were, the weather was improving all the time with the temp rising towards 25 degree's. We pressed on through the wider section up to and past Pree's junction and Whixhall Moss, passing briefly into Wales before mooring for the night at Bettisfield.

Bettisfield Moorings, 

After a good dinner we spent some time fishing, landed a good number of small perch and roach, before having a good night on a quiet mooring.