Right to the very beginning.

We are back at the Poacher pub now after a very soggy cruise from Llangollen. The surrounding hills were shrouded in mist today, giving a totally different feel to the area. Also different (as suspected) was the feel of the canal. Cruising downstream is a joy! Add to that no holiday boats (it must be turnaround day) and today was a much smoother if damper experience.
We called in at Chirk Marina for coal and the prices are still falling. I got 75kg for £25.50. Three years ago we were paying £12 for 20kg. We will enjoy it while it lasts.
Yesterday we walked up to Horshoe Falls and the very start of the Llangollen Canal where the feed water is taken from the river Dee. The water is crystal clear here and some of the houses are very well placed to appreciate the beauty of the scene and, indeed, to add to it.

Apart from the horse drawn trip boat no other craft is allowed up here apart from these

A mile and three quarters later and we were at the head of the canal which, admittedly, isn't much to look at.

However, just beyond here are the falls. Actually, it's a J shaped weir created by Thomas Telford to feed the canal, and very pretty it is too.

Don't fall in!

On the way back we diverted to the Chainbridge Hotel, so named because of this

A bit wobbly - and so is the bridge!

It would have been rude to photograph the bridge without availing ourselves of their hospitality so....

Llangollen at last!

Given a favourable forecast we went all the way yesterday. At times it was tortuous - struggling holiday boats and running aground where fairly frequent hazards. By far the worst, though, is the combination of trying to go upstream in areas where the canal narrows. Unlike other canals the Llangollen flows from here down to Hurlston. It's mostly not a problem but in the tunnels and two single lane sections you are virtually stopped dead as the water has nowhere to go.
So we did the two aqueducts and the two tunnels and the beautiful but frustrating last section to the marina at the end and, still, I'm in two minds about this canal. I'll deliver judgement after we cruise back, maybe going easily downstream will have a bearing.
I promised lots of pics and Elaine (with the assistance of an Aussie tourist who took our camera for a couple) got the job done. Here they are.

What's with this weather?

The sun is heating my back through my dark top but my chins are freezing in a northerly blast! Yesterday we left Ellesmere and twisted and turned our way past Frankton Junction before I finally gave up just by the Narrow Boat pub.

It was tough going yesterday in winds gusting to mid thirties but at least there weren't too many boats on the move. The theme of stunning scenery in splendid isolation continued as the canal cut its lonely way through the farmland. It really is beautiful up here and with the reduction in boat numbers I was in a happy place, even if the pub landlords are crazy. Take the Narrow Boat, behind us in the picture. This, along with many others, closes from 3pm to 6pm every day. About a mile in front of us the famous Jack Mytton (as featured in Carry on Barging recently) is closed all day Monday and from Tuesday to Thursday only opens at 5pm. Luckily, the Lottie D Arms never closes!

Today was again breezy as we set off, aiming to get as close to Chirk as possible. The difference today was the number of boats we encountered, probably close to twenty. My guess is that they spent the weekend in Llangollen and were into the second day of the return journey. At the last of today's pair of locks there were around eight boats queuing to come down. God knows what it's like in summer, but the outdoor facilities (beer pumps and barbecues and lots of tables) at a lot of the pubs are a good indication that this canal is best avoided (if you're as antisocial as me) in the summer months.

This afternoon we stopped at the Poacher, a Marstons pub.

Is that close enough?

Better yet, we both downloaded one of these from their website.

Free beer!

Back in a happy place again!

Tomorrow we will cross Chirk Aqueduct then do Chirk and Whitehouses Tunnels. The day after that it's the big one at Pontcysyllte. I promise plenty of pics!

Ellesmere

The meres of Ellesmere (there are seven in total) were at their finest as we cruised to the town itself on Saturday. With the sun shining brightly (chilly wind though) they gave the best of themselves to Elaine's camera

At Ellesmere there is a short branch leading to what was the town wharf. With 72hr moorings and Tesco's right on the basin this is a popular place to stay and our decision to get here in the early afternoon was a wise one. We were tied up before the next raft of holidaymakers took to their boats at the nearby marina and got another big shop in (25% off six bottles or more 🍷).

Yesterday we walked around the biggest mere, rather boringly called The Mere. After Cole Mere, Blake Mere, Kettle Mere, White Mere, etc I guess they simply ran out of ideas! However, the walk itself was anything but boring, clouds of midges notwithstanding.

Clouds of bluebells - much better!

Today I've got the stern gland tightened up (water, water everywhere. Well, not quite but it's all dry now) and we will probably move on after another shop - the fact that the wine offer ends today being entirely coincidental!

A longer day

We ended up doing much longer than planned yesterday for reasons I shall explain later. Setting off from Whitchurch the canal enters a very remote phase as it skirts along the Welsh border. With no locks for the next twenty miles you would be forgiven for thinking that it was going to be easy going but that would be to ignore these.

Put your back into it!

Windlass operated lift bridges proliferate here and they can be hard work (not for me, obviously!). You have to cross the bridge from the towpath side, raise it then lower it as your boat passes so that you can rejoin your boat. Or that's the supposed method of operation. 

At the first bridge we encountered a holiday boat was coming through towards us. As it passed under the bridge the winder jumped onto the side of the boat midships, slipped and almost fell off then just managed to crab back to the stern deck before getting guillotined between the underside of the bridge and the boat roof.

"Is there anyone still at the bridge?", asked Elaine as we passed each other.

"No, we've left it open for you", was the reply.

"Then how the hell do I get across to lower it?", asked Elaine (it wasn't the bridge in the photo with a nice landing area opposite the towpath).

"Oh, er.....", was the reply.

I managed to get close enough to the moored boats at the bridge that Elaine could jump for it and she lowered it whilst chatting to a local boater about idiot holidaymakers. Next thing, she runs over, grabs my phone telling me to hold on a minute and goes back over the bridge with her new friend.

She returned with photos of a nesting duck, something we here never seen so far.

Blurred - sorry!

We proceeded, with the intention of mooring down the Prees Branch, a mile long offshoot the "makes a satisfying diversion from the main canal, often used by discerning boaters for overnight moorings" according to our guide book. Well, I'm nothing if not discerning so down we went.

Ladies and gentlemen, here is the Prees Branch (admittedly, the worst part)

Seriously, it's barely wider than the boat and I've had deeper baths than this! Amazingly, there is Wixhall Marina at the bottom so we turned straight around and got back on the main line, a diversion that added an extra ninety minutes to our day.

Much better!

We've moved a little bit closer to Ellesmere now having stayed at Bettisfield last night. We are just past the village of Balmer Heath which is actually back in England (I think). Took us a while to get a Sky signal through the trees but all done now. Of course, no sooner do we tie up than another boat pulls in right next to us. Hopefully, they will move on after lunch and leave us alone again!

Lottie goes abroad

We will be leaving Whitchurch later today having spent the past two days here. There's a short length of the spur that used to run into Whitchurch still in water and it makes a convenient mooring spot. We hadn't intended to run all the way from Marbury to here but oncoming boaters told us that Grindley Brook was very quiet so we went for it. At Grindley there is a rise of three locks then a triple staircase lock and the queues can be terrible. You pass through a narrow passage under the railway

then its straight through the first three locks and onto the staircase. This was manned by two C&RT personnel so we had to do as we were told. Put it this way, the water was let in very carefully!

At the top we stopped to use the services. Twice I was asked by holiday boaters "are you waiting for the locks?". Surely the fact that I was pointing in the opposite direction was a bit of a clue?

As with the run from Marbury to Grindley Brook, the rest of the trip into Whitchurch was beautiful but still no kingfishers, deer, etc. It seems that Wigan is the place to be if you want to see wildlife!

Here at Whitchurch we big shopped, bought another lump hammer (grrr!), fixed the bedroom lights and finished off the polishing of Lottie that we started at Marbury. She's looking good now.

Before 

After

It's a quick window wash today (Elaine is insisting) then I think our next stop will be in Wales. Hwyl fawr am nawr (look it up!). 

Just beyond Marbury.....

....is where we are as I write. 4G, great Sky signal, short grass so we can get to the side of the boat and rings to tie to. Yes, it's everything that Wrenbury wasn't (not quite, we did get a Sky signal).
Saturday's cruise to Wrenbury was very pleasant, especially when the sun shone. The marina at Swanley Bridge was a convenient refuelling stop on the way and we coped with the five locks and the pesky side wind easily. It was fun to watch the holiday boats fare rather worse - been there, done that!
In all honesty the jury had been out for me as far as the Llangollen was concerned down to the amount of boat traffic. Of course, the traffic you see if you are also moving is much less as no one overtakes you and I have to say I really enjoyed the trip. It was all open farmland bisected only by the canal. We didn't see a road until we were almost in Wrenbury, by which time I had recalled the jury and was in a happy place. However, as we got to Wrenbury the jury was sent straight back out again.

There were boats everywhere! I know it's Easter but come on! Then, we found the reason. That damned Broken Cross boat club had invaded the place and hogged all the moorings. If you remember, we came across them a couple of years ago on the T&M and the Macclesfield. Just our luck that they had chosen this place for their Easter get together.

Undeterred we plodded on until we found a spot to knock pins in and settle down. As mentioned earlier we had no internet connection or reliable phone signal and we really don't like that. What's the point of living a little bit off grid if you can't get on the grid to blog, download, etc! 😉

We headed into the village and filled the granny trolley for £24. The shop assistant definitely cocked up there, probably because she switched tills half way through because the scales weren't working. Oh well, another few quid saved!

We had a pint and troughed out at the Dusty Miller

which was very nice then hit the othe pub the Cotton Arms, which wasn't.

This morning it was up sticks pronto but we've barely moved for ninety minutes before tying up again before the rain came. We can get the boat waxed here so will stay maybe two nights. Plus the rings here mean I don't need to knock pins in, which is just as well as I left my lump hammer on the towpath in Wrenbury 😡

Oh well, another few quid lost!

Just the two of us

So we're back to situation normal. Logan and Wilson left us yesterday, our Easter child minding duties complete. Having them with us is a wonderful, contradictory experience. We can't wait for them to arrive but two days later we are high fiving when we get our space and freedom back. And then, just like last night, we sit here in ordered tranquility and miss the mayhem!
They love us and love being with us and we will make the most of that whilst it lasts. No doubt, as we all get older, the boys will have better things to do than hang with us old pair. But, for the moment, they are happy to stay with us for two nights at least, even if they do occasionally yearn for Mummy.
This time we couldn't offer much in the way of entertainment but we did our best. Wednesday was a pub lunch at the Old Barbridge Inn bracketed by bouts in the play area (not me and Elaine!)

Yesterday we followed the white marker posts across fields and stiles to Snugbury ice cream farm where, sadly, Logan didn't partake due to toothache. There isn't much there actually other than a few pigs and a solitary goat.

And a hollowed out tree!

The farm always builds an amazing straw sculpture that is visible from the busy main road. In previous years it was a giant Dalek and the last one was Peter Rabbit in celebration of some Beatrix Potter anniversary or other. Unfortunately, someone decided to burn it down a few weeks ago so poor old Peter is in rebuild at the moment.

As for us, we're staying put today (double RL on Sky) then moving on towards Wrenbury tomorrow. More later.