Today promises to be one of the highlights of our narrowboat holiday. We woke up, had breakfast and was underway by 8 AM. It was an early day because we have a lot of features on the canal that can take time to get through depending on the number of boats out there.
The morning started out chilly. You can see steam coming off the canal. By the way...that is the pub we hung out in yesterday.
The morning started out chilly. You can see steam coming off the canal. By the way...that is the pub we hung out in yesterday.
The steamy canal on a brisk morning.
It may be a chilly morning, but it is all sunshine and blue skies.
Less than an hour into our day, we arrived at 2 locks. They weren't too annoying since it has been about 20 miles since the last lock. Although, when we arrived there was 2 other boats waiting to enter the first lock. The first boat got through and I helped the family in the second boat work the lock. This was their first lock since being on the boat since yesterday. After they cleared I emptied it, Tim entered, I filled it, Tim exited, and I walked on to the next lock. The second was a repeat of the first with helping the family then getting us through.
There was a convenient water point at the top of the second lock, so we took the opportunity to use it.
There was a convenient water point at the top of the second lock, so we took the opportunity to use it.
It was now 10 AM and we were about to enter the 11 miles of the Llangollen Canal listed as a World Heritage site. And from the beauty, it is no wonder.
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Just past the town of Chirk is the Chirk Aqueduct followed closely by the Chirk Tunnel. The Chirk Aqueduct, completed in 1801, 40 feet long, and 70 feet high. What is kind of cool is that it runs parallel to a railway viaduct.
Approaching Chirk Aqueduct.
A view of the Chirk Aqueduct.
Boating across Chirk Aqueduct
Getting there
Enjoying the ride across the Chirk Aqueduct
I jumped off the boat and got a photo of Tim steering Fjord Princess across the Chirk Aqueduct.
Another cool thing about the Chirk Aqueduct is that it takes you into Wales.
As soon as you exit the Aqueduct, it is time to enter the 460 yard Chirk Tunnel. Because the tunnel is straight, you can look into and tell if another boat is coming, so there is no need for the tunnel to be manned or have a time schedule.
As soon as you exit the Aqueduct, it is time to enter the 460 yard Chirk Tunnel. Because the tunnel is straight, you can look into and tell if another boat is coming, so there is no need for the tunnel to be manned or have a time schedule.
Notice the signs in English and Welsh.
We exited the tunnel exactly 10 minutes later.
On the other side of the tunnel we entered a beautiful wooded area of the canal.
This canal is quite popular. There were more boats around than we have seen since boarding Fjord Princess over 2 weeks ago.
Boats coming and going and moored.
Tim relaxed at the helm.
We arrived at the next highlight 1.5 hours later...the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. This is the true highlight of this canal and the reason there are so many boater and pedestrians in this area. The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, completed in 1805, is only 12 ft wide, 336 yards long, and 126 feet tall. It is the longest aqueduct in Great Britain and the highest canal aqueduct in the world.
 Entering the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. |  Looking back. |
No...we don't have a drone to capture this image...I stole this photo from the Canal & River Trust website to show you what this amazing aqueduct looks like.
Image taken from Canal & River Trust website
Wow! After the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct we continued to experience amazing scenery.
Oh...this part of the canal is a 0.3 mile section that is so narrow that only one boat can travel though it at a time. The problem is that it is on a curve and you can't see around it to tell if there is another boat coming. Signs state that you should send someone ahead to ensure the canal is clear. On our boat, that someone is me. So, Tim pulled over and I hopped out. I had to go almost the entire distance to see that it was clear, but the issue is that we only have 1 phone, so I had to run back to the point that Tim could see me and signal to him the all clear, and then run back to the end to ensure another boat doesn't enter the section. OY! I am earning that pint tonight.
Narrows ahead.
The advantage of me running ahead is that I reached the epic end of the Llangollen Canal, the town of Llangollen, before Tim. Wait...is that really an advantage? I guess I am just trying to find the silver lining in the last 10 mantes of stressful running around.
We continued to the end of the canal and parked in a marina...this is a first for us. We have always only moored the boat on the side of the canal.
Llangollen Marina
We got settled in and then left for the walk to town where we hit 3 pubs for the real ale. The best of the pubs was the last pub we hit, The Corn Mill. A mill has stood here for 700 years, although the building how it now stands is from 1786. Beside it being a cool building, they had 5 real ales on cask!
Enjoying the real ales...well, at least I am.
Check out the cool view out the window of The Corn Mill.
OK...we had to go and see the view up close. Wow...the town of Llangollen, Wales is beautiful.
Quite the view.
After we finished the ales, we walked 0.7 miles to Aldi's to pick up some groceries, then walked back to the boat which felt like a very long walk carrying all these groceries with us. I then made pizza that we bought in Aldi's, I blogged, and then we went to sleep. What an incredible day this was. Tomorrow we get to do it all again since we made it to the end of the canal and now we have to return.
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