Wrenbury to Llangollen July 2014 Day 7

Yet another very hot day, we have been really lucky with the weather. It was shorts again today. After a very welcome full breakfast, it was the last day, so we where using up all the bacon, sausage, mushrooms and eggs. Not in a rush today we set off about 10am with a short hop to Grindley Brook for a water fill and rubbish disposal. We seem to have the timings right for Grindley Brook, no queues again, and a boat just coming up, the volunteer locky told me he had 35 through on the Thursday, mostly going down.

Lovely clear sky at Grindley Brook Staircase.

Stephen was giving some tuition here on locking down, we kept our eye on him, pointing out the white lines marking the cill and the importance of keeping the boat forward of the cill, but not up against the gate and importance of been vigilant.

Staircase Lock Cill,

Stephen watching for the cill.

After the Grindley Brook locks we moved on through the relatively flat Shropshire countryside, then entered Cheshire near Quoisley lock. We moored for a couple of hours before Marbury Lock to do some Brass cleaning, clean the windows, and generally tidy up the boat in the shade of some tree's. Gill prepared a salad lunch which was enjoyed with the last of the Pimm's before we set off on the last leg to Wrenbury.

Our lunchtime Cratch view.

Last lock of the week, Marbury Lock.

Nursery lift bridge, Wrenbury. The home straight.

We negotiated the chaos at the Wrenbury Mill lift bridge then reversed into Wrenbury Mill boatyard to moor up. There then followed the usual loading of the cars with everything not needed for our final nights stay on board, then more cleaning and polishing before relaxing. Wrenbury lift bridge is a good place to watch boaters messing up the approach to the electric lift bridge, quite a few bumps to the bridge walls.

Wrenbury Mill Lift Bridge.

After refreshing showers and changing we spent the early evening in The Dusty Miller, very nice meals here washed down with Strawberry Cider before returning to the boat for coffee and bed.
Saturday morning was the final packing, final cleaning, a couple of small maintenance jobs, then a pump out of both Loo,s, fill with diesel, and change a gas cylinder before handing over to the next share owners.
All in all a fantastic week with great weather, our objective of getting Centurion to Llangollen easily achieved without long days, the boat ran well with no problems, diesel usage was quite reasonable and engine hours was about 36 hours. Stephen enjoyed his first ever week on a narrow boat and was sad to leave, as we all where. No canal fix now until September. Boo! It will be down the Shroppie then.