Canal Holiday - Llangollen Canal

Wednesday 4 June to Saturday 7 June 2008 - Barbridge to Chirk

After Stephen, Lucy and Merry turned the boat at Barbridge Junction, we return to collect the pudding eaters from the Barbridge Inn.

Llangollen is our direction, watched by this couple with a splendid view of all the comings and goings at the junction and locks.

Jane, Stephen, Sheila and Helen by the lock gate as Lucy takes Rosa up the Hurleston locks

One boat emerges from a lock as Lucy approaches from the lower lock

Looking down Hurleston locks. From the top lock, Jane, Mary and Stephen made a detour to Park Farm to pick up some Snugburys ice cream (which is highly recommended) returning by way of field paths to Bridge 4.

An interesting mixture of expressions as the boat nears Wrenbury again.

A provisioning party departed at Bridge 18 for a cross-field walk to the stores in Wrenbury: meanwhile the boat party takes Rosa through Bridge 19.

The nine of us, moored at the same spot as the previous night, albeit pointing the other way.

Thursday morning and we have said goodbye to Jane, and this time it is Helen who is holding up the traffic on the mechanised lift bridge. Those moored boats at the boatyard do make the turn rather tricky.

Helen, apparently reluctant to be photographed

That fierce bywash, mentioned earlier in the week, now thwarts Helen as she tries to steer Rosa into the next lock

On the way in to the lock

After the individual locks comes the staircase of three (where the top gates of one lock form the bottom gates of the next)

A round-fronted Telford lock cottage

We moored at the end of the Prees Branch, which is above the level of the surrounding land, and during the evening a temperature inversion developed, with a little mist on the canal but lots on the surrounding land.

Next day we stopped at Ellesmere for lunch. The branch canal was almost completely empty of boats (in contrast to earlier in the week, when there had been no space at all) but we moored by the junction and walked into town.

The canal twists and turns quite a bit after Ellesmere: as we turn to the right, across the field can be seen a bridge and another boat going the other way

A cheerful Lucy as we wait below Marton Locks

Sheila and Alan working the bottom lock

Sheila and Stephen at the top lock - the last lock of our holiday

Helen, Merry, Alan and Mary wait for the lock to fill

Crossing Chirk Aqueduct and the journey is nearly over. We stopped once again between the aqueduct and the tunnel, leaving just a short journey for the morning.

Saturday morning and we make our way through Chirk Tunnel. The constant stream of boats making their way to Chirk Marina this morning was rather a frustration for the American couple waiting at the far end to go south, as by the time one boat emerged, another had entered the tunnel.

Journey's end, and the boats are neatly lined up ready for servicing in preparation for the next week's holidaymakers.

Another great week on the canals - where shall we go next year?