The Mammoth Tower

Sunday 9^th June; Hampton Bank to Old Man’s bridge no 38

It’s such a lovely mooring here that we were reluctant to move on, but we were keen to have another walk on Whixall Moss – that’s something we couldn’t have done if we’d gone down the Monty.  I started off steering when we left, as Dave needed to walk Jess.  I’m getting more confident and things are fine till I lose concentration, which isn’t happening as often as it used to.  But I drive rather slowly, so after a while Dave got back on so we could achieve normal cruising speed!  We moored at the western end of the Mosses, just before the ‘no mooring’ stretch, around mid-morning.  The weather had been overcast and cool, but the cloud was thinning and the weather warming up a bit by the time we started.  We picked a different route from last time, starting on an open section near the western edge.  With areas of standing water, rushes and cotton grass, and fewer shrubs or trees than nearer the canal, there was less birdlife to start with – just the familiar call of a curlew in the distance.  But suddenly a loud unfamiliar call sounded behind us and a large bird banked around us – a curlew, which flew round us in large circles, taking in a couple of birdwatchers walking towards us about a hundred yards away.

It continued circling and calling, a loud short call, obviously a warning to its mate and friends of danger, although everyone was keeping to the track with their dogs under control.  I took several photos, but the others were all sky.  Eventually there were other curlew calls and it flew back to the other two who were in the air, and then all was quiet.  We left Wales and entered England part-way through the walk.

 We rejoined the canal by the trail we followed last time and walked back along the towpath past the Mammoth Tower.  Of course, we had to go and have a look.

The bones of woolly mammoths have been uncovered in the peat, hence the name.  Reproduction tusks adorn the top of the steps.

When you consider that wet peat bogs hold more carbon than a woodland for the same surface area, it’s sobering to think of the damage done to the atmosphere through draining peatlands – dry peat loses its carbon to the atmosphere very quickly.  The height of the tower matches the depth of peat that has dried out or been removed over the centuries.  I’ll let the pictures do the talking.

On the way back to the boat we heard more warblers in the trees, and had lunch listening to birdsong.  We had re-entered Wales on foot along the towpath – now we left it for the last time this trip, by boat.

There is nothing on the other side of the post to say you are entering England!  Through Morris and Tilstock Park lift bridges we went, both of them very heavy work.  The sun had disappeared behind thick cloud and we continued in intermittent drizzle.  With a poor forecast for later we pulled in between bridges 38 (Old Man’s) and 37 (Duddleston), on one of the few short stretches without trees to drip on the roof.  It started raining almost at once and rained on and off all evening.  There were lots of boats on the move during the afternoon, especially ABC hire boats on their way to Llangollen.  A damp cruise for them!  and the aqueduct is going to be busy in a few days’ time.

7 miles, 2 lift bridges

The least we can do, wouldn't you agree?