Love Travelling Blog

Wrenbury Mill to Llangollen

This post details the first part of our seven night return cruise from the pretty village of Wrenbury in Cheshire along the Llangollen Canal into Wales. Our adventure would take us over the famous Pontcysyllte aqueduct known as the stream in the sky and a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Day 1: Wrenbury to Grindley Brook

After speedily checking-in at the office, we unloaded our bags and shopping onto the boat. There’s ample storage on board but I recommend taking several small bags rather than a couple of large cases as these are much easier to stow. We are not a family who travels lightly but still found that there was a place for everything we’d brought with us including cupboards for food, beer and wine. Once everything was safely on board we received a thorough handover from one of the marina technicians who ensured we were confident to handle the boat before leaving us to set off on our week’s adventure.

To exit the marina we needed to pass through an electrically operated lifting road bridge and this was opened for us by one of the marina staff who explained what we needed to do at the end of the trip when we returned.

It was 3.05 p.m. by the time we departed and being mid-summer with its long days we could make good progress on our first day aboard. It was lovely being afloat again and with hot sunny weather the Cheshire countryside looked beautiful. Continuing on our way we had a lock free hour followed by one more lifting bridge before arriving at Marbury Lock which was to be the first lock of our holiday. Ascending the lock at 4.15 p.m., we soon got back into the routine of working the locks with three more to negotiate before mooring for the night just below the Grindley Brook flight at 7.00 p.m.

After dining on board we enjoyed a stroll up the lock flight to discover what was in store for us the next morning. The previous year we had tackled the Four Counties Ring which covered 110 miles and 94 locks so a short staircase flight was well within our capabilities.

Day 2: Grindley Brook to Ellesmere

After a hearty breakfast of bacon sandwiches, fruit, yoghurt and coffee we were ready to tackle the Grindley Brook Lock flight. Volunteer lock keepers start at 9.30 a.m. and were there to lend us a hand as we entered the first lock ten minutes later. It was interesting ascending the flight of staircase locks as these differ from single ones in that they are joined together with the top gate of one lock becoming the bottom gate of the next lock. When teams of lock keepers are on duty batches of boats follow each other through the staircase, speeding the process up so we reached the top by 10.45 a.m.

There was a water point nearby so we made use of this to top up our supplies as even though canal boats carry large tanks its surprising how much water one uses in a day with showers, cooking, etc. This tap seemed to have low pressure and it took ages to fill the tank so it was a good opportunity to put the kettle on and have a cup of coffee whilst we waited.

By 11.40 a.m. we were on our way once again and aside from a few more lifting bridges, it was a gentle passage to our lunchtime mooring spot an hour and a half later. As it was a lovely warm afternoon we relaxed on the foredeck over a lunch of salmon sandwiches and glasses of beer.

By 2.20 p.m. we were ready to depart and enjoyed a relaxing journey along to Ellesmere. As there were no lifting bridges or locks to attend to I was able to sit out at the front of the boat taking in the views and to wave to the occasional dog walker or boat coming in the opposite direction. Just past Bridge 53, the canal bends round past Cole Mere, the first of several Ice-Age meres along this stretch then through the short Ellesmere Tunnel (87yds/80m long) on the approach to the pretty town of Ellesmere.

It was 8.10 p.m. by the time we arrived in the town but with long summer days it was still light and we had no difficulty in finding an overnight mooring at the Ellesmere visitor moorings. After cooking up a feast on board we then enjoyed a stroll into the centre of Ellesmere which was just a few minutes walk away.

This charming market town is nestled in the heart of the Shropshire countryside close to the Welsh border and even though the shops were closed we enjoying strolling along the high street with its characterful buildings.

Ellesmere takes its name from a series of glacial meres being known locally as the ‘North Shropshire Lake District’ and although we’d passed one whilst boating, we followed a footpath to the one nearest the town centre for a late evening wander. Heading back to the boat we noticed a large Tesco supermarket so decided to pop in there to stock up on provisions as it was open until late.

Day 3: Ellesmere to Froncysyllte

One crew member, namely my husband was up early so he called back into the nearby Tesco for some fresh bread before we untied the ropes at 9.25 a.m. It was another leisurely morning with no obstacles in our way until we reached our first lock of the day at 12.45 p.m. There was a small queue for the lock but as the boat in front decided to stop for lunch and waved us past, we weren’t waiting too long. A highlight along this stretch of canal was watching a herd of sheep cross a bridge which isn’t something one sees very often. There were also a large number of cattle grazing in fields close to the towpath.

We entered our second lock at 1.15 p.m., topped up with water just above the lock and then moored up for a late lunch at 2.10 p.m. where we stayed for just under an hour. Off once again, our next stop was in Chirk where we arrived at 4.45 p.m. so we quickly tied up the boat and hot footed it into town hoping that the shops hadn’t closed for the night. It was a ten minute walk into the centre and we found Chirk to be an attractive small Welsh town on the Shropshire border. The high street boasts some fine architecture, two churches and several independent shops and restaurants, a few of which were still open.

Back on the boat we decided to press on further with the excitement of crossing the Chirk aqueduct at 6.15 p.m. The aqueduct is Grade II listed and 70ft in height. It was constructed with 10 spans of 40ft each to carry the canal over the river with the railway viaduct alongside.

Shortly after the aqueduct, we progressed through Chirk Tunnel and as this is one way we had to wait patiently until 7.00 p.m. whilst three boats came through from the opposite direction. It took us just ten minutes to pass through the tunnel with the weather turning much cooler as we continued on our way, finally mooring for the night at 8.05 p.m. at Froncysyllte.

Day 4: Crossing the Pontcysllte Aqueduct to Llangollen

The sunshine deserted us this morning as we left our mooring at 8.40 a.m. Twenty minutes later we made a brief stop to top up our water tank as it’s always a good idea to re-fill daily as sometimes there can be lengthy distances between taps.

Shortly afterwards we were traversing the famous Pontcysllte aqueduct which is undoubtedly a highlight of a boat trip along the Llangollen Canal. Pontcysyllte aqueduct is the longest and highest aqueduct in the UK at 1007ft long and 127ft high, and spans the River Dee in the valley below. Built by Thomas Telford and William Jessop, the aqueduct was completed in 1805 and is considered one of Telford’s greatest engineering achievements. The aqueduct and 11 miles of the Llangollen Canal, built between 1795 and 1808, stretching from Chirk to the Horseshoe Falls in Llangollen were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009. The aqueduct is known as the ‘stream in the sky’ and it definitely felt like that as we crossed it, making it a truly memorable experience.

The canal becomes very narrow on the way into Llangollen with occasional passing places to tuck boats into. On this stretch it’s necessary to send one member of the crew ahead to determine whether another boat is approaching and for us to wait in a passing place until there is space to continue.

By 12.25 p.m. we had moored Sand Lark in Llangollen Basin. Moorings are free for up to four hours with longer stays £13.50 per 24 hours. Our plan was to stay overnight so we bought a ticket from the nearby canal side cafe to display on board.

Unfortunately it had started to rain heavily but this didn’t dampen our spirits as we enjoyed a 45 minute Horse Drawn Boat Trip along the canal, pulled by Dakota.

The boat had a canopy cover to keep us dry and it stopped raining for a time whilst we explored the charming town centre.

On our wish list was a ride on the Llangollen Steam Railway but as it wasn’t operating that day, we opted to take a walk to the Horseshoe Falls instead, a round trip of 2.5 miles. Despite the rain, it was a pleasant stroll and an opportunity to walk across the impressive chain bridge and call in for a drink at the Horseshoe Falls Hotel.

Back on board Sand Lark I challenged my son to a game of Rummikub whilst my husband watched one of the Women’s Euro football matches on TV.

…… to be continued

Details: Drifters Boat Hire, Wrenbury Mill to Llangollen – duration 7 nights, 24 locks and an average cruising time of 5.5 hours per day.

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We were guest of Drifters Boating Holidays and as always, all views and opinions are entirely my own.