Yesterday we crossed the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct ( pronounced pont-ker-sulth-tee) twice. It's like flying in a boat. The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is over 1000 feet long and 127 feet tall at its deepest point, and consists of an iron trough supported by 18 stone piers. The aqueduct was completed in 1805, it is ranked as one of Thomas Telford's outstanding achievements.
I have seen photos of it, but it is not until you cross it in a boat that you get the full sense of scale and grandeur. As you can see, on one side is a footpath with a railing but on the other side an open 127 foot drop!
From our over-night stop at Chirk, the canal wound through some interesting twists and turns towards the Chirk aqueduct. The canal certainly was a 'cut' where the banks over-shadowed the water making the going very narrow in some places; however, a very interesting passage. The aqueduct seemed to be a practice run for the big one to come but, though smaller, it still had spectacular views across the valley.
Lots of traffic today on the cut, many of which were hire boats and we were held up before crossing the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct - one way traffic only. As the photos below show, the views from the aqueduct were breathtaking. It was certainly an experience not to miss.
Photo above is to just to prove that Jan stayed above for the crossing, contrary to her fear of heights when she was adamant she was going to lie belly-down below in the cabin!
Chirk Tunnel - 459 yards and very straight. Amazing feats of engineering to build these tunnels.
Due to the number of craft on the water, we decided not to go down the canal arm to Llangollen: this is a very narrow stretch and would entail Jan walking most of the tow path in front to check for passing places. Also, as we had already learnt on our way through the tunnels and over the aqueducts, many of the boaters were either day hirers or very inexperienced.
Passed NB Ramsden with Robin and Alex on board - first met them at Hurleston Locks and seen a couple of times since then. This is a great way to make and renew friendships.
Finally moored for the night at Hindford Bridge, just down from the Jack Mytton Inn, first decent pint for a few days.
Now we heading back towards the Shroppie it is noticeable that we are now going with the flow from the river Dee. Progress in much faster so we can run at low revs and still cover the ground.
I can't help feeling you've missed the best bit. While there are a couple of narrow stretches, it's by no means the whole way, and the end result is worth it. The entry to Llangollen is great, and the mooring basin is in a nice spot. But then I find quite a lot of the Llangollen canal (like the bits through those marshes) rather dull!
ReplyDeleteIf you have time, book and go down the Monty. It's a nice break from the hire boats, and there's excellent atmosphere and food at the Navigation Inn at Maesbury Marsh. A real gem of a waterway.