Easter 2012
Lllangollen to Trevor
April 2012
5 miles - 2 hours
Our day started with the intermittent growling of overrevved engines as dozens of hire boats winded in the mouth of the marina. I don't know about 50 ways to leave your lover, but we must have seen 50 ways to cock up turning your boat round that morning!
Llangollen trip boats
However, we had no plans to join the throng scurrying east. Its Easter Sunday we we are paying a visit to St Colen's the parish church of Llangollen. I rose early and sought out some croissants and hot cross buns which were demolished by the crew who were still in bed when I returned.
St Colen, Llangollen
We crossed the river and made our way through the narrow streets of Llangollen, reaching the church with about 10 mins to spare. It was refreshing to share Christs resurrection celebration with other believers and particularly good to have bit of Welsh thrown in for good measure - I have never heard the Lord's prayer said in Welsh before.
The Lord's prayer - in welsh
Back at the marina the boats continued to turn and we sat watching, munching our bacon butties and praying for the rain clouds to pass, and pass they did. We were off and away at 2.00pm by which time there had been no sign of the mooring attendant looking for his fees. I spied him in his hut and in a moment of honesty I stopped mid channel and shouted that I had a fiver for him if he wanted to come out and get it. All this church stuff must have had a positive impact on me....
Canal side sculpture at Trevor
I had planned to take a walk up to Horseshoe Falls but time was against us so there is yet another reason to return. Not that I need an excuse to visit this lovely canal. We made much quicker time on our return journey, the flow speeding us through the narrows and on to Trevor.
Quiet moorings in the Ruabon Arm
I like aqueducts and have never posted any photos of the mighty Pontcysyllte. I have felt that this iconic structure deserves a few hours exploration and today is the day. We turned left at the Trevor Junction and moored at the far end of the old Ruabon Arm, a quiet location well away from the hustle and bustle of the junction - an unexpected find in such a busy area.
This isolation didn't last!
And so concluded one of our shortest cruising days - a mere two hours. More about the aqueduct in my next post.
3 comments:
"I...have never posted any photos of the mighty Pontcysyllte." This pedant asks if you have looked lately at the photo on the header of your aqueducts blog. Great blogs, both of them. Regards, Bill
As one of the many hire boaters who once cocked up turning my boat in Llangollen, I apologise for the disturbance :-)
After a 30 minute practice run on a straight part of the canal, we were told that all would prove itself and the "trainer" jumped off the boat. There you are with a 20m (60') boat, on a canal with strange side currents on locks and other funny bits, like full wind ahead in a busy Ellesmere turn. Finally in Llangollen, for the first time in your life you have to turn a boat and no winding hole present. On the contrary the current from the feeder canal at one end of the boat disturbs the little experience you have. And then 20 people are looking at you.
O yes, I survived. And yes I love talking about the experience. And no, I don't mind experienced people laughing about hireboaters. Just wanted to tell my bit.
Keep up the stories!
Fair point Bill - maybe I should say that I have never posted any of my own photos... I got the header image from the internet as it is the only full length view I have come across.
Post a Comment