The Llangollen Canal

Everyone you speak to that has passed along this canal has nothing but positive and beautiful things to say about it and I am not about to contradict this general feeling. Ever since we went up through the first difficult lock after the sharp turn to the left at Hurleston Junction, I have found everything to be sheer bliss.

There are just about enough locks and lift bridges along the way to keep the single hander busy without the process beginning to become tiring, though this never ceases to be anything but a labour of love for me.

Then from Grindley Brook there is the wonderful long and continuously changing pound as far as Ellesmere, where we now find ourselves. It has been a superb experience even though the weather has been heavily overcast and showery for most of the time and quite cool in the moderate westerly breeze that has been with us.

The scenery, always very green at this time of the year, changes frequently from rich pastorally fragranced cow meadows strewn liberally with predominant yellow Buttercup and the almost overpowering scent  from nearby hedgerows across the towpath, of sweet smelling Honeysuckle as it climbs great distances up and along its host flora, to mighty wetland fens and mosses that seem to stretch for ever on both sides.

However this latter observation might have something to do with the speed at which ‘Futurest’ travels. The slow pitch of her chug has never seemed to change as if she too is quite happy and contented with the countryside we pass through.

The only draw back we have experienced is that the internet signals along this quiet (though busy) thoroughfare remain almost non-existent. Today, though the speed very slow, is the best that I’ve experienced since leaving Nantwich and hopefully I will be able to upload this posting. At all other times I haven’t even managed to get onto the internet, which is sad as I’ve taken many photos as well as having plenty to say at the time. I shall endeavour to recap as I proceed further.

Janis and I have both agreed that we need to see everything on the canal that we can, so on Friday last we visited the short Whitchurch Arm and remained at its end till Tuesday where we shopped, walked, both had haircuts and Janis entertained her two friends Tina and Jane who stayed for the weekend.

Then yesterday we travelled as far the marina at the end of the navigable Prees Branch and walked for about a mile even further along the canal which is still in water and has been turned into the most beautiful nature reserve. It has all been quite wonderful.

Finally today we were treated to an extravagant pageant of Nature as we passed beneath low tunnels of green branches that have at times gently stroked ‘Futurest’s chimneys and past large lakes on both sides called meres. It reminded me very much of a mini Lake District (with a canal of course) and the weather was warm while the Sun began shining for us again.

This evening we are tied up at the busy little town of Ellesmere and tomorrow we plan to explore the shops as well as the various walks around. In Nicholson’s Guide the adjacent mere looks very enticing.

All will be revealed.

‘Roots and Wings’

I don’t know what was going through the Skipper’s head this morning when Janis brought ‘Roots and Wings’ back to the mooring after their short trip with a friend yesterday but he did have that silly faraway look on his face which I know for sure means that he’s excited about something. I’ve seen now it many times before.

Could it be that he was pleased just a bit to see Janis?

But if he did feel that way then I have to say for a change, I’m pleased, as it’s exactly how I felt at seeing the return of my new friend ‘Roots and Wings’.

It’s been over a year now since we first met and she saved my life then by towing me back on the tidal Trent to Newark for which I was very grateful. And since leaving there last month we have been in very close company.

But I didn’t realise until today how  things would seem without her and it took one night away to make me realise that I had got used to just …. having her around.

She has kind of …. grown on me …. especially as she was breasted up to me all day and overnight before she left for her short trip.

And it’s lovely to know that she perhaps feels the same way as me ‘coz when she came alongside ahead of me this morning she made certain that she rubbed her button nose up against mine in such a lovely way.

…. It made me go quite funny!

And she didn’t need to have done that you know, unless she was pleased to be back, did she?

 

Ahhh! Ain’t that nice? Bless!

She ‘s not as old as me …. no more than four years I think …. so at thirteen I feel like a big sister to her and could teach her a lot about life ….  and in particular about the devious ways of humans.

She’d like that I’m sure.

The Skipper and Janis have gone off for a walk together …. they go as often as they can …. He’s suddenly enjoying it. I wonder why?

That’s super ‘coz it means that I can use the computer while he’s away and I needed to tell someone how I felt.

But I’ll end now as I know they’ll be back shortly. Morrison’s close at 4pm on a Sunday.

 

Audlem and the Secret Bunker

On Thursday last having negotiated the fifteen locks down into Audlem we tied up in the early afternoon a couple of miles further on at very pleasant visitor moorings near Mickley Bridge.

 

Approaching Audlem Top Lock

 

Looking down the Audlem Flight

 

‘The Shroppie Flyer’ at Audlem

 

In between the showers we walked across the fields to the Hack Green Secret Bunker as shown in Nicholson’s Guide.

… And what a strange eerie place it was too!

Deep in the middle of a wet quiet meadow with placid cows and sheep grazing peacefully nearby we came across this large rectangular concrete building surrounded with a high barbed wire fence which reminded me of a set out of ‘Dr Who’. It had been built during the ‘Cold War’ when at any moment we could have been devastated by long range nuclear weapons. This was the place that the government would have retreated to to keep them free of the effects of the blasts. There was a self supporting little village within the thick concrete walls.

 

The Information Board

It is now open to the public as a museum and Janis and I decided to investigate.

 

The original Dalek?

 

Goodbye cruel World

Of course there is no daylight to be seen anywhere inside and bright tungsten lights glare into one’s eyes almost continuously. Alternatively other strobe-like effects flash from 1970’s and 1980’s electrical spy equipment that now appears as obsolete and eerie to today’s technology as the hair styles and clothes of the mannequins do that man the rather ghostly settings. And overall there is the slightly acrid smell of dampness that adds to the feeling of unease about the place.

It was a most interesting experience to see everything but it was wonderful to return to beautiful daylight even though it was filtered through an overcast sky heavy with rain showers. Thoughts of what might have happened then, make me eternally grateful for what I have now come rain or come shine.

Nantwich

At Nantwich, where we arrived yesterday, we are at the northern end  of what used to be called the Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal. At Hurleston Junction two miles beyond it joins the Chester Canal as was and the Llangollen Canal, which are now all called the Shropshire Union Canal. This waterway has carried us majestically for forty miles from Autherley Junction, through one small tunnel and only twenty nine locks.

 

Tudor and Georgian Nantwich

 

The shopping area at Nantwich

 

It was the last of the man made locks to be dug before the growing influence of the railways became to strong to make them economical any more and it was certainly the last canal built by Thomas Telford, who died before it was completed in 1835. However in an endeavour to make it competitive it was built as straight as possible over high steep embankments and through deep sharp cuttings unlike the previous canal procedure of following the contours of the land. This from the boaters point of view has changed what could have been a boring unchanging journey in a straight line into a never ending change of rural features, which have been both impressive as well as beautiful.

 

Breasted up in Nantwich

 

However the canal has been busy all the way up and on our arrival at Nantwich we could only find one berth available to fit a fifty seven footer so we needed to breast up together to make the most of the one spot.

By midday we were tied up and later after a friend of Janis’ had arrived to stay aboard for the weekend, we spent the rest of the afternoon chatting to Nigel and drinking tea before Janis provided a wholesome Spaghetti Bolognaise. Afterwards we all went ashore for a couple of pints to ‘The Oddfellows’ pub to watch the England v Sweden match. Not being a normal football spectator or even a follower of the game, I found it nonetheless quite exciting and it was a pleasant change to see England actually win a match.

This morning Janis has taken ‘Roots and Wings’ with Nigel aboard for a short trip further north to return here tomorrow morning, when her friend has to return to civilization.

….. And of Wightwick Manor

 

The south face of Wightwick Manor

 

The friendly Foxglove

 

Better weather today

 

The Woodland Walk

 

Yellow Iris

 

Across the lake

 

Greater Celandine

Late Photos of Moseley Old Hall

Here are some late pictures of our visit to Moseley Old Hall, Wolverhampton on our way down the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal. The signal then was so poor that I was unable to post them then.

 

The panelled Sitting Room

 

The then illegal Roman Catholic Chapel easily hidden if necessary

 

The priest hole hidden beneath the floorboards of the Privy

 

A wet return to the moorings at Laches Bridge

 

Looking a bit waterlogged on return to the ships

An Extra Day

After Janis and I returned from our shopping expedition into Market Drayton yesterday and as we considered we had seen all there was to see, we thought we would continue our journey this morning.

However soon after arriving back at the ship I realised I had forgotten half my proper shopping list and filled the heavy bag with stuff I hadn’t intended to buy at all. I had erred so seriously in this respect that I needed a second visit.

 

The old Sandbrook Vaults dated 1657, Market Drayton

 

We thought also that as England had managed to scrape a draw yesterday, the town might be more relaxed and therefore more exciting. The inhabitants might even actually have gone to work so we expected to be able to visit lots of the small busy shops in town.

 

Herb Robert on our way back to the ships

 

….. and Creeping Buttercup

But even on our second visit I found that apart from the thriving supermarkets of Morrison's and Asda, everywhere else was as quiet as yesterday. The charity shops were open but were empty of customers and I was surprised at the number of shop windows that were boarded up or with empty windows like gaping eye sockets. In fact the liveliest part of the town was inside the parish church where we disturbed three ladies who were doing some quiet bible studies together.

After the church we made our return pilgrimage to Asda and remembering all my shopping this time we returned by a round about footpath back to the ships.

 

‘Futurest’, patient as ever at her mooring in Market Drayton

 

As it is now the afternoon we have decided to remain here for a further night and to proceed into the unknown region of darkest Shropshire tomorrow.