Wednesday 5th June; Whitehouse bridge to Llangollen
We were on our way just after 8, being keen to get across the aqueduct before the boats started arriving from Llangollen. It was bl***y freezing! Hats, gloves, multiple layers, and very little sun filtering through the trees. At the Fron lift bridge we were at last in sunshine, and raising the bridge certainly warmed me up – 95 turns and it still wasn’t right up … Dave squeezed through with sadly a small scrapy contact on the handrail. A passing dog walker – ‘I used to be a boater, it’s 78 turns up’ – annoyed me by implying I was rubbish at raising the bridge. But who cares? It was easier winding it down, of course. We arrived at the southern end of the aqueduct. A bow was visible at the end of the aqueduct but going straight across, not pointing towards us, so we started across at once. There was still a brisk wind, but nothing like as bad as Chirk aqueduct yesterday, and the sun was shining.
,Jess likes to sit on the stern locker when she isn’t standing on the counter. Clearly she couldn’t be allowed to stand on the counter while we crossed, but she is very lively, so as well as closing the stern doors, we attached her harness to the cabin door with the lead so she could still be outside with us - if a bird had flown across close by she might otherwise have tried to get across the side of the boat!
 |
| The river Dee far below |
Although it was still early, there were quite a few walkers coming across. One poor lady was finding the crossing very challenging – nearly across by the time we saw her, she was still holding tightly to the towpath handrail but still managed to raise a smile.
 |
| What a view these residents must have when they get up in the morning! |
By the time we were across, another boat had arrived in the basin to join the one we had seen emerging under the bridge from the Llangollen direction. We made the tight turn under the bridge without incident, and started the final stretch towards Llangollen. The downstream flow was becoming very noticeable, especially through the narrow sections. We had to wait for one oncoming boat to come through the longer stretch but not for long.
 |
| Emerging from the narrows |
Llangollen was quite busy, with the online moorings almost full, but there were plenty of spaces in the basin. The sun was now quite strong but the wind still keen. We had lunch, and went off to walk to Horseshoe Falls. We had to go via the trip boat wharf, as you pay for your mooring in the booking office. The area was absolutely heaving – the horse was standing outside the stable and surrounded by trippers oohing and aahing and it was a challenge to get Jess through without tripping anybody up. At Horseshoe Falls a group of young people were being trained in rafting over the falls, which involved a lot of shouting.
 |
| Stuck on the edge |
They all seemed to get stuck when half-way over. Last time we came up here it was raining, and I have a photo of Dave and Meg under this tree. Rather warmer and drier today!
We walked on up the river path as far as St Tysilio’s church. As many churches are now doing, including our own at home, large areas, espeially round the older graves, are being mown just one a year for the sake of the wildlife. Even though this church is in a fairly sparsely inhabited area, they still manage one service a week.
 |
| St Tysilio’s church |
The last of the rafters was getting stuck on the falls as we returned to the canal. It’s quite low-key – the Dee goes one way, and a small flow comes through a sluice area, then under the pumping station through a pipe with a paddle at either end.
 |
| The start of the Shropshire Union Canal – that’s what it says |
On the way back we took a detour across the Chain Bridge, which was closed for repair last time we were this way. We might have stopped for tea and cake, but the wind was whipping along the river so we didn’t.
Jess had been enjoying a long walk off the lead, but suddenly came to a halt. What could it be but a squirrel?
 |
| Patiently waiting |
Back at the boat, we had a cup of tea and debated whether to go out for a meal. The Corn Mill had no tables till 8, which is later than we like, so we didn’t go out. But we were about to run out of bio laundry liquid, which is what we use for the pump-out holding tank. Own-brands are much cheaper than Ariel or Persil, but you only get them in the larger supermarkets – for example the Tesco in Ellesmere didn’t have it. So I went for a lovely evening stroll along the Dee, following the Riverside Walk from the Corn Mill. People were exercising their dogs on the flat rocks.
There is a big Aldi at the end of the Walk, and a large bottle cost less than £3 – a bottle of Ariel half that size was £7.99 in Tesco – so no contest, well worth the walk.
6 miles, 1 lift bridge, Pontcysyllte aqueduct
No comments:
Post a Comment