Into Llangollen Basin

Well the rain and thunder was all a bit pathetic really, a few claps of thunder, black skies for a while and a occasionally a bit of heavy rain but nothing much really.  It was a damp evening though and as it got dark it was really misty, I did try to get some photos but not much success I am afraid.

This morning the promised sun was hiding and has done all day, I suppose that is Wales for you (or the British weather).  We set off heading for Chirk Aqueduct and tunnel.  The aqueduct has a railway viaduct alongside and are both are impressive structures, the aqueduct is quickly followed by Chirk tunnel, both were free of boats so we made good progress, again, at the one lift bridge of the day, unusually for us a boat opened it for us and waved us through.

Chirk approach

Looking through the viaduct

Aqueduct & viaduct

and with a train

Entrance to the tunnel (lovely flowers on the top)

It really is amazing cruising along this stretch, along the valley of the River Dee, but the canal on the hillside so looking down the valley.  We crossed the River Dee (only 126ft above it)  and the valley on the Pontcysylite Aqueduct, the aqueduct is just over 1000ft long, again straight over not having to wait for it to be clear as it is one way traffic.   This structure never ceases to impress no matter how many times we cross it.

the first glimpse through the trees

crossing the valley

We made the turn at Trevor onto the last stretch of the Llangollen canal, this last 4 miles is very narrow in places (one boat width) with passing places, a bit like a very narrow country lane, so I walked the narrow sections, but we only passed two boats and both were in the slightly wider sections.

Looking down on the valley

through the first narrow

and the second

We made it into the basin which surprisingly for the lack of boats we have seen on the move was about three quarters full, although a number have left later this afternoon.  We have had a walk down into Llangollen and watched the white water rafting on the River this afternoon as well as paying our mooring fee at the Horse Drawn Boat office.

John has been fishing this evening, he has had a few small fish and a few that apparently got away... then he got this..  not a bad roach!

11 miles, Chirk tunnel 459 yards & Whitehouse tunnel 191 yards