{"id":1197,"date":"2016-02-20T20:57:15","date_gmt":"2016-02-20T20:57:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/?page_id=1197"},"modified":"2017-12-08T18:58:02","modified_gmt":"2017-12-08T18:58:02","slug":"llangollen-canal","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/llangollen-canal\/","title":{"rendered":"Llangollen Canal"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/d\/embed?mid=zIAbc2LzMJ18.kIC2pUhMkkkg\" width=\"100%\" height=\"480\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.jmpearson.co.uk\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecx.images-amazon.com\/images\/I\/51K03GqtMsL.jpg?resize=219%2C161\" alt=\"\" width=\"219\" height=\"161\" \/><\/a>Here\u2019s my problem: How to describe a trip on the Llangollen Canal without gushing so much that anyone reading this guide can still take me seriously. Because my narrowboat trip through the Vale of Llangollen and then through the Shropshire countryside was the most beautiful, pleasant, breathtaking and enjoyable experience of my life, and my need to relate that joy to others seems almost a religious calling.<\/p>\n<div class=\"canal-summary\">Difficulty: Easy to moderate (because of congestion)<br \/>\nLocks: 21<br \/>\nBridges: ~120<br \/>\nTunnels: 3<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.new.llangollen.org.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Llangollen website<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.pontcysyllte-aqueduct.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pontcysyllte Aqueduct<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ellesmere.info\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ellesmere website<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.northshropshire.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">North Shropshire tourism\u00a0website<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/whitchurch.info\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Whitchurch website<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.visitwales.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Visit Wales<\/a><\/div>\n<p>A boat trip on the Llangollen will appeal to almost any taste. If you like quaint, you will melt at the sight of the picturesque town for which the canal is named. If you like thrills, you can look out over the edge of your boat as you cross the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. If you like history, you can enjoy exploring Chirk Castle and if you like a country walk, then you can enjoy the hike up to that castle while smelling chocolate wafting from the Cadbury plant. And if you like serene, you can enjoy the early morning mist as you pass through a bridge and see a field where sheep may safely graze (and occasionally butt heads).<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\"  id=\"_ytid_32231\"  width=\"800\" height=\"450\"  data-origwidth=\"800\" data-origheight=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LJIGENvg90g?enablejsapi=1&#038;autoplay=0&#038;cc_load_policy=0&#038;cc_lang_pref=&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;loop=0&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;playsinline=0&#038;autohide=2&#038;theme=dark&#038;color=red&#038;controls=1&#038;disablekb=0&#038;\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__  epyt-is-override  no-lazyload\" title=\"YouTube player\"  allow=\"fullscreen; accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-skipgform_ajax_framebjll=\"\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The Llangollen Canal is really an arm or branch of the Shropshire Union Canal, and if we go back in time before the merger that created the Shropshire Union, the Llangollen would have been a branch of the Ellesmere Canal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"aside\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"168\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/note-icon\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/note-icon.png?fit=500%2C438\" data-orig-size=\"500,438\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"note-icon\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/note-icon.png?fit=300%2C263\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/note-icon.png?fit=500%2C438\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-168\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/note-icon.png?resize=100%2C88\" alt=\"note-icon\" width=\"100\" height=\"88\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/note-icon.png?resize=300%2C263 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/note-icon.png?resize=260%2C228 260w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/note-icon.png?w=500 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 100px) 100vw, 100px\" \/>Actually the history is even more complicated than that. The Ellesmere was never originally intended to reach Llangollen, but when other stretches of the Ellesmere were never built for various reasons, a new source of water for the Ellesmere was needed. The Llangollen arm was then created to supply water from the River Dee at Horseshoe Falls. So the amazing Llangollen was really just a workaround or bodge.<\/p>\n<p>The Llangollen Canal runs 45 miles from its water source at Horseshoe Falls just west of the town of Llangollen until it meets the Shropshire Union Canal at Hurleston. The canal crosses the Wales-England border several times as it travels southeasterly toward its junction with the Montgomery canal and then turns toward the northeast. The topography is pretty dramatic through the Vale (valley) of Llangollen, but after it crosses the River Dee the countryside is relatively flat. There are only 21 locks on the canal and only two of them are on the first 17 miles (Llangollen to Frankton Junction).<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1217\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1217\" style=\"width: 2000px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/horeseshoe-falls.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-1217\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1217\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/llangollen-canal\/horeseshoe-falls\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/horeseshoe-falls.jpg?fit=2000%2C1500\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1500\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"horeseshoe-falls\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/horeseshoe-falls.jpg?fit=300%2C225\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/horeseshoe-falls.jpg?fit=800%2C600\" class=\"hairline wp-image-1217 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/horeseshoe-falls.jpg?resize=800%2C600\" alt=\"horeseshoe-falls\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/horeseshoe-falls.jpg?w=2000 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/horeseshoe-falls.jpg?resize=300%2C225 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/horeseshoe-falls.jpg?resize=1024%2C768 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/horeseshoe-falls.jpg?resize=960%2C720 960w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/horeseshoe-falls.jpg?resize=260%2C195 260w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/horeseshoe-falls.jpg?w=1600 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1217\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Horseshoe Falls<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"aside\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"435\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/locks-bridges-and-tunnels\/tip-icon\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?fit=500%2C611\" data-orig-size=\"500,611\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"tip-icon\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?fit=245%2C300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?fit=500%2C611\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-435\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?resize=100%2C122\" alt=\"tip-icon\" width=\"100\" height=\"122\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?w=500 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?resize=245%2C300 245w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?resize=213%2C260 213w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 100px) 100vw, 100px\" \/>If you have limited time or if you want to minimize locks, then you might want to travel between Llangollen and Ellesmere (about 20 miles). You could hire a boat at either Trevor or Chirk, on either side of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, near the junction with the Montgomery Canal at Frankton Junction, or at Ellesmere. Obviously if you start from Ellesmere, you\u2019ll travel east to west and back. If you start from Trevor or Chirk, you might want to go west to Llangollen first, then east and over the aqueducts toward Ellesmere and back. If you\u2019re starting near the Monty, then it\u2019s 50\/50 which direction you go, although you\u2019re much closer to Ellesmere.<\/p>\n<p>For our trip, we picked up our boat in Trevor and traveled east (well actually southeast) toward Ellesmere, the siren call of the Pontcysyllte being too much resist (and because we\u2019d already spent a day in Llangollen). For the purposes of this guide, however, we\u2019ll begin at the beginning.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1213\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1213\" style=\"width: 2000px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/taff.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-1213\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1213\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/llangollen-canal\/taff\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/taff.jpg?fit=2000%2C1500\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1500\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"taff\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/taff.jpg?fit=300%2C225\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/taff.jpg?fit=800%2C600\" class=\"hairline wp-image-1213 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/taff.jpg?resize=800%2C600\" alt=\"taff\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/taff.jpg?w=2000 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/taff.jpg?resize=300%2C225 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/taff.jpg?resize=1024%2C768 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/taff.jpg?resize=960%2C720 960w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/taff.jpg?resize=260%2C195 260w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/taff.jpg?w=1600 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1213\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Taff pulling a boat back to Llangollen Wharf<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>Horseshoe Falls<\/h3>\n<p>A circular weir (a low dam) diverts the water of the River Dee into the canal, which is a pretty prosaic way to describe the very lovely Horseshoe Falls, although honesty compels me to admit that the word falls incorrectly suggests something pretty dramatic. In reality, Horseshoe Falls is tranquil and beautiful and the water drops only a few feet. The water supply produced by the weir, however, is sufficient to make a noticeable current for the first thirteen or so miles of the canal. You\u2019ll need to remember that when you\u2019re traveling upstream your boat will be going slower, an important consideration when you\u2019re rushing to return the boat.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1283\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1283\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1283\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/llangollen-canal\/valle-crucis-abbey\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/valle-crucis-abbey.jpg?fit=640%2C427\" data-orig-size=\"640,427\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"valle-crucis-abbey\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Valle Crucis Abbey&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/valle-crucis-abbey.jpg?fit=300%2C200\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/valle-crucis-abbey.jpg?fit=640%2C427\" class=\"hairline cutline wp-image-1283 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/valle-crucis-abbey.jpg?resize=300%2C200\" alt=\"Valle Crucis Abbey\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/valle-crucis-abbey.jpg?resize=300%2C200 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/valle-crucis-abbey.jpg?resize=260%2C173 260w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/valle-crucis-abbey.jpg?w=640 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1283\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Valle Crucis Abbey<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>So close to the source, however, the canal is too shallow for narrowboats (and they\u2019d be unable to turn around). You will have probably arrived at the falls by walking the 1.75 miles from Llangollen, although you could have traveled part of the way on a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.horsedrawnboats.co.uk\">horse-drawn boat tour<\/a>. As you\u2019re walking back to Llangollen, you could take a half-mile detour north to the picturesquely ruined <a href=\"http:\/\/cadw.gov.wales\/daysout\/vallecrucisabbey\/?lang=en\">Valle Crucis Abbey<\/a>, which dates back to 1201.<\/p>\n<p>When you return to the towpath, you might hear the sound of a steam locomotive, which is no surprise because the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.llangollen-railway.co.uk\">Llangollen Railway<\/a> travels beside the Dee twelve miles to the little town of Corwen. The train will take you past the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.llangollenmotormuseum.co.uk\">Llangollen Motor Museum<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.chainbridgehotel.com\/index.htm\">The Chainbridge Hotel<\/a>, more sheep than you can possibly count and through the Berwyn Tunnel, stopping at a number of twee stations like Carrog and Glyndyfrdwy. Near Llangollen, the railway also passes by the <a href=\"http:\/\/llangollenpavilion.co.uk\">Llangollen Pavilion<\/a>, where the <a href=\"http:\/\/international-eisteddfod.co.uk\">Llangollen International Music Eisteddfod<\/a> is held each July.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<p class=\"adsense\"><script src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\" async=\"\"><\/script><br \/>\n<!-- Responsive --><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-0547811741421919\" data-ad-slot=\"1418022537\" data-ad-format=\"auto\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\/\/ <![CDATA[ (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \/\/ ]]><\/script><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/d\/embed?mid=zIAbc2LzMJ18.kIC2pUhMkkkg\" width=\"100%\" height=\"480\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>Llangollen<\/h2>\n<p>The railway station is just to the west of Llangollen Bridge, which crosses the Dee and connects the northern part of the town with the larger southern part. Just up the hill from the train station is Llangollen Wharf, where you can get a ticket for the horse-drawn boat, enjoy the tearoom or book a day boat.<\/p>\n<p class=\"aside\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"435\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/locks-bridges-and-tunnels\/tip-icon\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?fit=500%2C611\" data-orig-size=\"500,611\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"tip-icon\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?fit=245%2C300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?fit=500%2C611\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-435\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?resize=100%2C122\" alt=\"tip-icon\" width=\"100\" height=\"122\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?w=500 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?resize=245%2C300 245w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?resize=213%2C260 213w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 100px) 100vw, 100px\" \/>Just east of Llangollen Wharf you can find paid overnight mooring berths along the towpath or just west of the wharf you can find a 32-berth marina (which is as far west as you can go on a narrowboat). Unfortunately it\u2019s first come, first served and you can\u2019t pre-book. There\u2019s an attendant during the summer months, but the best thing to do is call 01606 723800 for more information. If you <a href=\"http:\/\/www.waterscape.com\/things-to-do\/boating\/guides\">download a canal guide<\/a>, it will have up-to-date information about these moorings.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1215\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1215\" style=\"width: 2000px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/llangollen-canal\/dinas-bran\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-1215\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1215\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/llangollen-canal\/dinas-bran\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/dinas-bran.jpg?fit=2000%2C1500\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1500\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"dinas-bran\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/dinas-bran.jpg?fit=300%2C225\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/dinas-bran.jpg?fit=800%2C600\" class=\"hairline wp-image-1215 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/dinas-bran.jpg?resize=800%2C600\" alt=\"dinas-bran\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/dinas-bran.jpg?w=2000 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/dinas-bran.jpg?resize=300%2C225 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/dinas-bran.jpg?resize=1024%2C768 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/dinas-bran.jpg?resize=960%2C720 960w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/dinas-bran.jpg?resize=260%2C195 260w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/dinas-bran.jpg?w=1600 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1215\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Castell Dinas Br\u00e2n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Northeast of the town is Castell Dinas Br\u00e2n, the ruins of which offer a panoramic view of the Vale. The castle, built in 1260, is about a one-mile walk from Llangollen Wharf (about 750 feet of elevation gain). The name of the castle can be variously translated as Crow Castle or Br\u00e2n\u2019s Castle and it was the home of the Princes of Powys Fadog, although it didn\u2019t last long after Welsh defenders tried to destroy it rather than let it fall to English forces in 1277. Take a jacket. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/d\/edit?mid=zIAbc2LzMJ18.kNM-7eIs3HR0&amp;usp=sharing\">Click here for a map<\/a> to the castle or to walk a section of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nationaltrail.co.uk\/offas-dyke-path\">Offa\u2019s Dyke<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1237\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1237\" style=\"width: 2000px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/loocmotive.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-1237\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1237\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/llangollen-canal\/loocmotive\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/loocmotive.jpg?fit=2000%2C1500\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1500\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"loocmotive\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/loocmotive.jpg?fit=300%2C225\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/loocmotive.jpg?fit=800%2C600\" class=\"hairline wp-image-1237 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/loocmotive.jpg?resize=800%2C600\" alt=\"loocmotive\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/loocmotive.jpg?w=2000 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/loocmotive.jpg?resize=300%2C225 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/loocmotive.jpg?resize=1024%2C768 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/loocmotive.jpg?resize=960%2C720 960w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/loocmotive.jpg?resize=260%2C195 260w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/loocmotive.jpg?w=1600 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1237\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Check the schedule to make sure the steam locomotive runs the day of your visit<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.az.co.uk\/?nid=60&amp;iid=11395#.VskibcdUi14\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecx.images-amazon.com\/images\/I\/51tBIWOABUL.jpg?resize=208%2C287\" alt=\"\" width=\"208\" height=\"287\" \/><\/a>The canal runs north of the Dee. If you walk south from the canal, you can cross into Llangollen proper over the bridge (Castle Street). There are many pubs and restaurants along the southern bank of the Dee and the town has many little hotels, cottages and bed and breakfasts. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.llangollenhostel.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">There\u2019s even a hostel<\/a> if you\u2019re trying to save money. As you walk down Castle Street you can stop at the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.llangollenmuseum.org.uk\/index.htm\">Llangollen Museum<\/a> and the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.visitwales.com\/attraction-search\/attraction-search-results\/attraction-search-details?id=917384&amp;industry=TEA&amp;location=llangollen&amp;radius=10\">tourist information center<\/a> (a good source for local maps and books, including about Castell Dinas Br\u00e2n). If you drove to Llangollen, there\u2019s also a large lot west of Castle Street where you can park your car for \u00a37 a day.<\/p>\n<p>Southeast of town is <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nationaltrust.org.uk\/plas-newydd-country-house-and-gardens\">Plas Newydd<\/a>, the home of the celebrated Ladies of Llangollen. Lady Eleanor Butler and Miss Sarah Ponsonby were two (possibly) lesbians famous in the Georgian era for their story of defying their family and convention. They attracted the attention of the rich and famous who traveled to their home to admire them. The house and grounds are quirky and purposely romantic.<\/p>\n<p class=\"aside\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"168\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/note-icon\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/note-icon.png?fit=500%2C438\" data-orig-size=\"500,438\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"note-icon\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/note-icon.png?fit=300%2C263\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/note-icon.png?fit=500%2C438\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-168\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/note-icon.png?resize=100%2C88\" alt=\"note-icon\" width=\"100\" height=\"88\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/note-icon.png?resize=300%2C263 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/note-icon.png?resize=260%2C228 260w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/note-icon.png?w=500 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 100px) 100vw, 100px\" \/>There are Google map street views all the way from Horseshoe Falls to Bridge 19W, about 11 miles in all. You can familiarize yourself with the towpath, identify narrow spots and pick a choice mooring from the comfort of your home computer.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<p class=\"adsense\"><script src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\" async=\"\"><\/script><br \/>\n<!-- Responsive --><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-0547811741421919\" data-ad-slot=\"1418022537\" data-ad-format=\"auto\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\/\/ <![CDATA[ (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \/\/ ]]><\/script><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/d\/embed?mid=zIAbc2LzMJ18.kIC2pUhMkkkg\" width=\"100%\" height=\"480\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>A narrow canal<\/h3>\n<p>As I mentioned earlier, the Llangollen Canal all the way to Ellesmere is almost lock free, which makes it a good choice for a beginner crew, but it is also a very narrow canal. Not only does the canal narrow under bridges, but there are several sections of the canal close to town where boats must take turns to go through. If possible, send someone ahead with a phone or radio (cellular reception is spotty) to scout ahead. In addition, there are several blind corners caused by buildings along the towpath or cliffs on the northern bank.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1218\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1218\" style=\"width: 2000px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/narrow-canal.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-1218\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1218\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/llangollen-canal\/narrow-canal\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/narrow-canal.jpg?fit=2000%2C1500\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1500\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"narrow-canal\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/narrow-canal.jpg?fit=300%2C225\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/narrow-canal.jpg?fit=800%2C600\" class=\"hairline wp-image-1218 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/narrow-canal.jpg?resize=800%2C600\" alt=\"narrow-canal\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/narrow-canal.jpg?w=2000 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/narrow-canal.jpg?resize=300%2C225 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/narrow-canal.jpg?resize=1024%2C768 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/narrow-canal.jpg?resize=960%2C720 960w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/narrow-canal.jpg?resize=260%2C195 260w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/narrow-canal.jpg?w=1600 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1218\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The canal gets even narrower than this<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"aside\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"435\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/locks-bridges-and-tunnels\/tip-icon\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?fit=500%2C611\" data-orig-size=\"500,611\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"tip-icon\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?fit=245%2C300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?fit=500%2C611\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-435\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?resize=100%2C122\" alt=\"tip-icon\" width=\"100\" height=\"122\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?w=500 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?resize=245%2C300 245w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?resize=213%2C260 213w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 100px) 100vw, 100px\" \/>During the height of the season, it\u2019s not a bad idea to moor to the east of the winding hole near Bryn Howell Bridge 38. Admittedly that\u2019s about a 5-mile walk into town (or a relatively short bike ride). If you travel west of the winding hole, you won\u2019t be able to turn around until you reach the marina just past Llangollen Wharf.<\/p>\n<p>Because the canal is so narrow, be prepared for some confusion and commotion. You\u2019ll hear boat skippers shouting at crewmembers who have gone ahead on the towpath to scout out the traffic or well-meaning gongoozlers trying to direct traffic. As night approaches you\u2019ll see boaters with anxious faces hoping there\u2019s still a berth near town\u2014and you might be one of them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"aside\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"435\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/locks-bridges-and-tunnels\/tip-icon\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?fit=500%2C611\" data-orig-size=\"500,611\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"tip-icon\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?fit=245%2C300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?fit=500%2C611\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-435\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?resize=100%2C122\" alt=\"tip-icon\" width=\"100\" height=\"122\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?w=500 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?resize=245%2C300 245w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?resize=213%2C260 213w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 100px) 100vw, 100px\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/www.whitewateractive.co.uk\">WhiteWater Active<\/a> in Llangollen rents bike by the day, as does <a href=\"http:\/\/www.hirecycles2.com\">Hire Cycles 2 Go<\/a>, although the latter will also rent bikes by the week. Both services will deliver bikes to you and WhiteWater Active also offers rafting and climbing adventures.<\/p>\n<p>But it\u2019s all worth it. I can\u2019t adequately tell you how pretty the canal is along the valley. Because the canal is higher than the valley, you\u2019ll often have spectacular views of the Dee but in other spots, with the cliffs on the north side and the canopy of trees, you\u2019ll feel like you\u2019re in some lost world. We call these <em>Heart of Darkness<\/em> sections from Joseph Conrad\u2019s book about traveling on the Congo searching for the elusive Kurtz, but they only last a few minutes before you see a field with grazing sheep to destroy the illusion.<\/p>\n<h3>Trevor Basin<\/h3>\n<p>Although Trevor is only four miles from Llangollen, it might take two or more hours to get there because of the traffic or because you must stop to take pictures. If you need to do anything in Trevor (like visit the giant Tesco there), I\u2019d suggest mooring somewhere between bridges 34 and 33 and then walking into town. You can theoretically moor in Trevor Basin, but because <a href=\"http:\/\/www.anglowelsh.co.uk\">AngloWelsh<\/a> boat hire and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.canaltrip.co.uk\">Jones the Boat<\/a> day trips are based here, you might want to avoid mooring there. There is a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.canaltrip.co.uk\">visitor center for the aqueduct<\/a>, The Telford Inn and very nice public restrooms in the basin, however, that you may want to visit, which is why I suggest mooring elsewhere and walking to the basin.<\/p>\n<p class=\"aside\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"435\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/locks-bridges-and-tunnels\/tip-icon\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?fit=500%2C611\" data-orig-size=\"500,611\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"tip-icon\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?fit=245%2C300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?fit=500%2C611\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-435\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?resize=100%2C122\" alt=\"tip-icon\" width=\"100\" height=\"122\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?w=500 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?resize=245%2C300 245w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?resize=213%2C260 213w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 100px) 100vw, 100px\" \/>The double L sound in Welsh is difficult to pronounce. The name of the town and canal is more or less pronounced lan-GOTH-en, while the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is variously pronounced. The most basic way to pronounce it is PONT-ker-suck-tay, but more correct would be PONT-kuh-suth-teh. Actually, there\u2019s another syllable somewhere between the \u201csuth\u201d and the \u201cteh\u201d but I think you need to be Welsh to manage it convincingly.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<p class=\"adsense\"><script src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\" async=\"\"><\/script><br \/>\n<!-- Responsive --><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-0547811741421919\" data-ad-slot=\"1418022537\" data-ad-format=\"auto\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\/\/ <![CDATA[ (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \/\/ ]]><\/script><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/d\/embed?mid=zIAbc2LzMJ18.kIC2pUhMkkkg\" width=\"100%\" height=\"480\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\"  id=\"_ytid_93365\"  width=\"800\" height=\"450\"  data-origwidth=\"800\" data-origheight=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2glI0zCHCjI?enablejsapi=1&#038;autoplay=0&#038;cc_load_policy=0&#038;cc_lang_pref=&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;loop=0&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;playsinline=0&#038;autohide=2&#038;theme=dark&#038;color=red&#038;controls=1&#038;disablekb=0&#038;\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__  epyt-is-override  no-lazyload\" title=\"YouTube player\"  allow=\"fullscreen; accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-skipgform_ajax_framebjll=\"\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>Pontcysyllte Aqueduct<\/h2>\n<p>You may have to spend a little time waiting at the Trevor Basin winding hole for clear passage across the bridge, which is only wide enough for a single narrowboat. Once you\u2019re on the bridge, you can\u2019t stop or back up, but you can get off the boat and onto the walkway that\u2019s next to the trough in which your boat is floating. Eighteen piers hold up that cast iron trough, which is 126 feet high over the River Dee. The piers are hollow to save weight and the mortar that binds the stonework is a mixture of ox blood, lime and water. The metal plates that make up the trough were made watertight by strips of flannel dipped in molten lead and hammered into place. <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/nqeCu6jd9W0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Click here to see an animation<\/a> of the building process.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s a railing that protects pedestrians on the walkway but the other side of the trough is unprotected. You can lean out your boat and look straight down at the River Dee below. It really is an unbelievable view and thus the aqueduct\u2019s nickname, The Stream in the Sky.<\/p>\n<p>After crossing the aqueduct you\u2019ll arrive at Froncysyllte, a small town south of the canal. You\u2019ll also find the first lift bridge here that you\u2019ll actually have to move (there\u2019s one in the Vale that\u2019s permanently open). A little further along you\u2019ll see the remains of the limekilns that essentially created the town of Froncysyllte.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1221\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1221\" style=\"width: 267px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/aqueduct.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-1221\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1221\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/llangollen-canal\/aqueduct\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/aqueduct.jpg?fit=750%2C1024\" data-orig-size=\"750,1024\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"aqueduct\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/aqueduct.jpg?fit=220%2C300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/aqueduct.jpg?fit=750%2C1024\" class=\"hairline wp-image-1221\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/aqueduct.jpg?resize=267%2C365\" alt=\"aqueduct\" width=\"267\" height=\"365\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/aqueduct.jpg?w=750 750w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/aqueduct.jpg?resize=220%2C300 220w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/aqueduct.jpg?resize=190%2C260 190w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 267px) 100vw, 267px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1221\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Crossing the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Next you\u2019ll encounter the first of two tunnels, the 191-yard long Whitehouse Tunnel, followed by the 460-yard long Chirk Tunnel. Both tunnels have towpaths and are straight so it\u2019s possible to send someone ahead to see if passage through the tunnel is clear (the tunnels are only wide enough for a single narrowboat). Just after the Whitehouse Tunnel you\u2019ll pass Chirk Marina, where the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.black-prince.com\">Black Prince<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.hireacanalboat.co.uk\/location_chirk.php#topsearch\">Hire A Canal Boat<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/crestnarrowboats.co.uk\">Crest<\/a> boat hires are based.<\/p>\n<p>Your reward for making it through both tunnels is the 237-yard Chirk Aqueduct, which crosses the River Ceiriog and the Wales-England border. Though not as stunning as the Pontcysyllte, the adjacent railway bridge offers nice framing for photographs of the river valley. It&#8217;s especially cool if there\u2019s a passing train on the railway bridge as you&#8217;re crossing aqueduct.<\/p>\n<h3>Chirk<\/h3>\n<p>Chirk\u2019s chief attraction is the castle, just to the west of the town. The castle was completed in 1310 for Edward I to guard the entrance to the Ceiriog valley and subdue the Welsh, and it has the usual delightful mix of styles. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/d\/edit?mid=zIAbc2LzMJ18.kh7USeHLAlhE&amp;usp=sharing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Click here for a trail map<\/a>\u00a0to Chirk Castle.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1227\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1227\" style=\"width: 2000px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/chirk-castle-2.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-1227\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1227\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/llangollen-canal\/chirk-castle-3\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/chirk-castle-2.jpg?fit=2000%2C1005\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1005\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"chirk-castle\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;This is my cutline&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;This is my cutline&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/chirk-castle-2.jpg?fit=300%2C151\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/chirk-castle-2.jpg?fit=800%2C402\" class=\"hairline wp-image-1227 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/chirk-castle-2.jpg?resize=800%2C402\" alt=\"chirk-castle\" width=\"800\" height=\"402\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/chirk-castle-2.jpg?w=2000 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/chirk-castle-2.jpg?resize=300%2C151 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/chirk-castle-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C515 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/chirk-castle-2.jpg?resize=960%2C482 960w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/chirk-castle-2.jpg?resize=260%2C131 260w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/chirk-castle-2.jpg?w=1600 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1227\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chirk Castle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>You can explore several of the five towers and most of the rooms in the curtain walls that define the square footprint of the castle. The towers will give you the strongest medieval flavor, while the long gallery and the saloon are Stuart. Neo Gothic reigns in the library, which is understandable as it was designed by Pugin, one of the designers of the rebuilt Houses of Parliament during the reign of Victoria. The drawing room, however, captures the 1920s and \u201930s and you expect to see <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nationaltrust.org.uk\/chirk-castle\/features\/twentieth-century-indulgence\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bertie Wooster come tripping in for tea<\/a>. The South Range meanwhile is a Tudor wing and contains the laundry and kitchens.<\/p>\n<p>If you want to visit the castle or the town, you should moor before the north entrance of Chirk Tunnel. It\u2019s about a mile and a half walk to the castle if you cut through the fields (which is allowed). If you don\u2019t like sheep, cows or pasture pies, you can walk the longer route following the road. There\u2019s a shorter route to the castle on the south, but that\u2019s blocked by the impressive Davies gate.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t go directly to the castle; you\u2019ll first need to get your ticket at the complex of buildings just to the northwest of the castle. If you\u2019re lucky, the van driver who shuttles tourists from the ticket building to the castle may agree to return you to the Davies Gate or even into town in exchange for a donation.<\/p>\n<p>If you decide to go into the town of Chirk, there\u2019s really not a lot to see. You can visit the very charming <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stmaryschirk.org.uk\">Church of St. Mary<\/a>. In the church, there are several markers and tombs inside for prominent families in the area, including the Myddeltons who moved into the castle at the end of the 16th century. A convenience for boaters is that there is a small grocery store on the Holyhead Road (B5070) and a tearoom and tandoori restaurant near the church.<\/p>\n<p>After the aqueduct the canal continues its southeasterly course through Chirk Bank, an even smaller town than Chirk. The canal skirts several industrial areas on its path but trees largely shield your view of those. Once you pass under the A5, which runs north-south, the canal\u00a0becomes quite rural with fewer trees along the banks\u00a0to block your views of sheep and cows. Two miles after the A5 you\u2019ll encounter the first of the two New Marton locks (shown on the cover of my book).<\/p>\n<p>I really can\u2019t say much more about this stretch of the canal other than that you should\u00a0sit back and relax. There\u2019s the Jack Mytton Inn at Bridge 11W, the very pretty Bridge 9W (especially in morning mist), and the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.maestermyn.co.uk\">Maestermyn<\/a> boat hire and Narrow Boat Inn at Bridge 5W.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<p class=\"adsense\"><script src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\" async=\"\"><\/script><br \/>\n<!-- Responsive --><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-0547811741421919\" data-ad-slot=\"1418022537\" data-ad-format=\"auto\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\/\/ <![CDATA[ (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \/\/ ]]><\/script><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/d\/embed?mid=zIAbc2LzMJ18.kIC2pUhMkkkg\" width=\"100%\" height=\"480\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>Montgomery Canal<\/h2>\n<div class=\"canal-summary\">Difficult: Easy to moderate (because of congestion)<br \/>\nLocks: 8<br \/>\nBridges: 14<br \/>\nTunnels: 0<\/div>\n<p>The Llangollen continues northeast after the junction with the Montgomery Canal. If you\u2019re considering going down the Montygomery, then be warned. If you thought the Llangollen Canal was peaceful, then be prepared for the blissful Monty, which travels southwest from Frankton Junction. Access to the canal is controlled (essentially limited to 12 boats a day) and you\u2019ll need to call 48 hours ahead. To book a passage Monday-Friday, call 0303 040 4040, Option 3. If you are calling on a Saturday, Sunday or bank holiday, call 01606 786777, Option 8 (Anderton Boat Lift). You can only enter or leave the canal at Frankton Junction between 12 and 2 pm.<\/p>\n<p class=\"aside\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"168\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/note-icon\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/note-icon.png?fit=500%2C438\" data-orig-size=\"500,438\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"note-icon\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/note-icon.png?fit=300%2C263\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/note-icon.png?fit=500%2C438\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-168\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/note-icon.png?resize=100%2C88\" alt=\"note-icon\" width=\"100\" height=\"88\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/note-icon.png?resize=300%2C263 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/note-icon.png?resize=260%2C228 260w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/note-icon.png?w=500 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 100px) 100vw, 100px\" \/>Definitely download a canal guide immediately before your trip and check for any <a href=\"https:\/\/canalrivertrust.org.uk\/notices\">stoppages<\/a> at the Canal &amp; River Trust website. On our trip we discovered the canal had only been reopened a few weeks before our arrival.<\/p>\n<p>The first two locks form a staircase and you will need to check in with the lockkeeper, who may not be precisely on time (they don\u2019t live on site). Two additional locks are just below the staircase. Again there\u2019s not much else to say but relax. The canal has many several dead straight sections with nothing to see but farmland and orchids and birds, and if you\u2019re extremely lucky a water vole. It\u2019s dead quiet except for the putt-putt of your boat and very pretty.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1229\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1229\" style=\"width: 2000px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/montgomery-canal.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-1229\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1229\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/llangollen-canal\/montgomery-canal\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/montgomery-canal.jpg?fit=2000%2C1500\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1500\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"montgomery-canal\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/montgomery-canal.jpg?fit=300%2C225\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/montgomery-canal.jpg?fit=800%2C600\" class=\"hairline wp-image-1229 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/montgomery-canal.jpg?resize=800%2C600\" alt=\"montgomery-canal\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/montgomery-canal.jpg?w=2000 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/montgomery-canal.jpg?resize=300%2C225 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/montgomery-canal.jpg?resize=1024%2C768 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/montgomery-canal.jpg?resize=960%2C720 960w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/montgomery-canal.jpg?resize=260%2C195 260w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/montgomery-canal.jpg?w=1600 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1229\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">You can go hours on the isolated Montgomery Canal without encountering another boat<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Unfortunately the entire 33-mile length of the canal is not navigable. The top seven miles connects to the Llangollen but most of the middle of the canal is choked with vegetation, although this protects some rare varieties of plants and those water voles and <a href=\"https:\/\/canalrivertrust.org.uk\/montgomery-canal-trail\/stop-10-otterly-amazing\">river otters<\/a>. Sections of the canal around Welshpool and Llanymynech are navigable but I don\u2019t know of any boat hires on the canal.\u00a0If you\u2019d rented a bike you could explore much more of the Montgomery.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.shropshireunion.org.uk\">Shropshire Union Canal Society<\/a> has been steadily extending the navigable reaches of the canal but it\u2019s slow going. Even in the restored upper seven miles you\u2019ll see stretches where the canal banks are ill defined.<\/p>\n<p class=\"aside\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"435\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/locks-bridges-and-tunnels\/tip-icon\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?fit=500%2C611\" data-orig-size=\"500,611\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"tip-icon\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?fit=245%2C300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?fit=500%2C611\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-435\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?resize=100%2C122\" alt=\"tip-icon\" width=\"100\" height=\"122\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?w=500 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?resize=245%2C300 245w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?resize=213%2C260 213w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 100px) 100vw, 100px\" \/>There are two inns on the upper stretch of the canal\u2014the Queen\u2019s Head and the Navigation Inn. By the way, always order the lamb (assuming you\u2019re not a vegetarian) and anything involving potatoes and leeks. Be leery of burgers because some restaurants want to get fancy and introduce unnecessary spices and I can\u2019t explain some of the food pairings we experienced along the canal, like lasagna and chips.<\/p>\n<p>The next day (if you ventured onto the Monty because you have to spend a minimum 24 hours) you can continue on the Llangollen toward Ellesmere.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<p class=\"adsense\"><script src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\" async=\"\"><\/script><br \/>\n<!-- Responsive --><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-0547811741421919\" data-ad-slot=\"1418022537\" data-ad-format=\"auto\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\/\/ <![CDATA[ (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \/\/ ]]><\/script><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/d\/embed?mid=zIAbc2LzMJ18.kIC2pUhMkkkg\" width=\"100%\" height=\"480\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>Ellesmere<\/h2>\n<p>After a day of isolation on the Montgomery, you may welcome the hustle and bustle of the market town of Ellesmere. There are some who may have decried the development at the Ellesmere Wharf, including a giant Tesco supermarket, but if you need groceries or toilet paper, you\u2019ll really appreciate the convenience. And despite the canal-side development, the town still has a lot of charm, especially if you arrive during the somewhat annual boat rally in September. (Do a Google search to find out if there is a festival\/boat rally and don\u2019t confuse the Ellesmere on the Llangollen Canal with Ellesmere Port on the River Mersey.)<\/p>\n<p class=\"aside\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"435\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/locks-bridges-and-tunnels\/tip-icon\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?fit=500%2C611\" data-orig-size=\"500,611\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"tip-icon\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?fit=245%2C300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?fit=500%2C611\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-435\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?resize=100%2C122\" alt=\"tip-icon\" width=\"100\" height=\"122\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?w=500 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?resize=245%2C300 245w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/tip-icon.png?resize=213%2C260 213w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 100px) 100vw, 100px\" \/>If there is a boat rally, you might be able to visit the historic <a href=\"https:\/\/canalrivertrust.org.uk\/news-and-views\/news\/get-a-behind-the-scenes-look-at-ellesmere-canal-yard\">Ellesmere repair yard<\/a>, which dates back to the creation of the canal. The repair yard still makes and repairs the gates and paddles for the locks on the canal.<\/p>\n<p>There are a number of restaurants and pubs in Ellesmere, the remains of a motte-and-bailey castle and the first of many meres that you\u2019ll enjoy along the canal as you travel northeast. It\u2019s pretty satisfying to pick up a pastie at Vermeulen &amp; Son on Cross Street and take it to the mere to eat while being mobbed by ducks.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_545\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-545\" style=\"width: 1500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/07-mirrored-water.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-545\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"545\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/how-to-steer-a-narrowboat\/07-mirrored-water\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/07-mirrored-water.jpg?fit=1500%2C1125\" data-orig-size=\"1500,1125\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"07-mirrored-water\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/07-mirrored-water.jpg?fit=300%2C225\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/07-mirrored-water.jpg?fit=800%2C600\" class=\"hairline wp-image-545 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/07-mirrored-water.jpg?resize=800%2C600\" alt=\"07-mirrored-water\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/07-mirrored-water.jpg?w=1500 1500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/07-mirrored-water.jpg?resize=300%2C225 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/07-mirrored-water.jpg?resize=1024%2C768 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/07-mirrored-water.jpg?resize=960%2C720 960w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/07-mirrored-water.jpg?resize=260%2C195 260w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-545\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mooring next to Blake Mere just east of Ellesmere<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Ellesmere, as mentioned earlier, is where you could have started your canal trip at the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.abcboathire.com\">ABC<\/a> boat hire in the nearby Blackwater Marina. Or you may have decided to turn around at Ellesmere, but if you continue just a little further eastward, you can see one of the most beautiful stretches of the canal next to Blake Mere. The trees obscure the sky in spots and the reflections of those trees on the water turns the whole scene into an impressionist painting. Even better, there are several picnic tables along the mere and mooring is very easy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"aside\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"168\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/note-icon\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/note-icon.png?fit=500%2C438\" data-orig-size=\"500,438\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"note-icon\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/note-icon.png?fit=300%2C263\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/note-icon.png?fit=500%2C438\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-168\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/note-icon.png?resize=100%2C88\" alt=\"note-icon\" width=\"100\" height=\"88\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/note-icon.png?resize=300%2C263 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/note-icon.png?resize=260%2C228 260w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/note-icon.png?w=500 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 100px) 100vw, 100px\" \/>These meres are <a href=\"http:\/\/www.themeresandmosses.co.uk\">glacial kettle lakes<\/a>, created when melting chunks of glaciers caused depressions in the landscape.<\/p>\n<p>After the excitement of Ellesmere the canal predictably returns to the placidity of the countryside. (By the way, I\u2019m not being sarcastic here. After a tranquil day or two on the water, even a town of 4,000 seems hectic.) You still have another 13 miles to go before your next lock so there\u2019s little to slow you down. Of course you might have picked up your boat at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bettisfieldboats.com\">Bettisfield<\/a> or at Whixall Marina at the end of the short Prees branch (either at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.peagreenboats.co.uk\/\">Pea Green Boats<\/a> or <a href=\"http:\/\/www.hireacanalboat.co.uk\/location_whixall.php\">Hire A Canal Boat<\/a>), although both these locations are in the middle of nowhere.<\/p>\n<p>Along this stretch of the canal, the only items of interest I can offer you are the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/shropshires-national-nature-reserves\/shropshires-national-nature-reserves\">Fenn\u2019s, Whixall and Bettisfield Mosses<\/a> and the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.shropshirewildlifetrust.org.uk\/reserves\/wem-moss\">Wem Moss<\/a> national nature reserves. These reserves are peat bogs that are home to a lot of wildlife. Until the 1990s, the peat was cut up and used for fuel or compost. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/travel\/activityandadventure\/walkingholidays\/4207360\/ShropshireClwyd-border-Walk-of-the-month.html\">Visually the nature reserve is flat, brown and squelchy<\/a>, but it\u2019s worth a visit. All you have to do is moor near bridge 46, right at the junction with the Prees Branch, and walk a 1,000 feet to get there. So why not get out of the boat and enjoy the view.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<p class=\"adsense\"><script src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\" async=\"\"><\/script><br \/>\n<!-- Responsive --><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-0547811741421919\" data-ad-slot=\"1418022537\" data-ad-format=\"auto\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\/\/ <![CDATA[ (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \/\/ ]]><\/script><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/d\/embed?mid=zIAbc2LzMJ18.kIC2pUhMkkkg\" width=\"100%\" height=\"480\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>Whitchurch<\/h3>\n<p>Once you\u2019ve brooded over the peat bog, you only have another five and a half miles before arriving at the market town of Whitchurch. At 10,000 people, it\u2019s the largest town on the Llangollen Canal. It\u2019s also quite pretty and has both a large Tesco and Sainsbury, a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.whitchurchfarmersmarket.co.uk\">farmers market<\/a> the first Saturday of the month and an annual <a href=\"http:\/\/whitchurchwaterway.uk\/rally\">boat rally<\/a> in August. There\u2019s also a launderette in town, many restaurants and even a short branch of the canal that the <a href=\"http:\/\/whitchurchwaterway.uk\">local canal society<\/a> hopes to extend further into town. There&#8217;s also a boat hire at Whitchurch, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.viking-afloat.com\">Viking Afloat<\/a>\u00a0(booked through \u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.abcboathire.com\">ABC<\/a>).<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_66\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-66\" style=\"width: 1500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Bridge-9W.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-66\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"66\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/about-this-book\/bridge-9w\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Bridge-9W.jpg?fit=1500%2C1125\" data-orig-size=\"1500,1125\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Bridge-9W\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;Bridge 9W on the Llangollen branch of the Shropshire Union Canal&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Bridge 9W on the Llangollen branch of the Shropshire Union Canal&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Bridge-9W.jpg?fit=300%2C225\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Bridge-9W.jpg?fit=800%2C600\" class=\"hairline wp-image-66 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Bridge-9W.jpg?resize=800%2C600\" alt=\"Bridge 9W on the Llangollen branch of the Shropshire Union Canal\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Bridge-9W.jpg?w=1500 1500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Bridge-9W.jpg?resize=300%2C225 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Bridge-9W.jpg?resize=768%2C576 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Bridge-9W.jpg?resize=1024%2C768 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Bridge-9W.jpg?resize=960%2C720 960w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Bridge-9W.jpg?resize=260%2C195 260w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-66\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bridge 9W on the Llangollen branch of the Shropshire Union Canal<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>From Whitchurch it\u2019s only a mile to the Grindley Brook locks. The first three gates make a staircase, followed by an additional three locks in quick succession. The next lock is another mile away, followed by another three locks in under three miles. In fact 19 of the 21 locks on the Llangollen are to be found in the 12 miles before the canal meets the main line of the Shropshire Union, and there are four locks just in the last 1,000 feet before the junction at Hurleston.<\/p>\n<p>You can view this as your penance for the serenity you enjoyed for most of your journey on the eastern half of the Llangollen, or if you enjoy turning locks your reward. At least there\u2019s an ice cream shop only a half mile away from this final set of locks. In fact it\u2019s an entire ice cream factory.<\/p>\n<p>Incidentally, if you want to start your trip at the eastern end of the Llangollen, there are two narrowboat hires at Swanley Bridge Marina, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.dragonflynarrowboathire.co.uk\">Dragonfly<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.marinecruises.co.uk\">Marine Cruises<\/a>, a little under two miles from Hurleston.<\/p>\n<p>So that\u2019s the Llangollen Canal, which only exists because of a last-minute workaround and which would have died in 1944 except for the fact that last-minute workaround provided the water for so much of the canal network. It\u2019s confounding how the canal combines the beautiful, the spectacular, the serene and the breathtaking. Even before I traveled the canal, just knowing it existed filled me with happiness and I hope you get the chance to someday travel it.<\/p>\n<h3>Transportation<\/h3>\n<h4>By plane<\/h4>\n<p>The closest large cities with international airports to the Llangollen Canal are Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham.<\/p>\n<h4>By automobile<\/h4>\n<p>Most of the boat hires along the Llangollen Canal are accessible by A-level roads, notably the A5, which runs through the Dee Valley and the Vale of Llangollen.\u00a0It turns south after the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and goes through Chirk.<\/p>\n<p class=\"aside\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"168\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/note-icon\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/note-icon.png?fit=500%2C438\" data-orig-size=\"500,438\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"note-icon\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/note-icon.png?fit=300%2C263\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/note-icon.png?fit=500%2C438\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-168\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/note-icon.png?resize=100%2C88\" alt=\"note-icon\" width=\"100\" height=\"88\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/note-icon.png?resize=300%2C263 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/note-icon.png?resize=260%2C228 260w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/note-icon.png?w=500 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 100px) 100vw, 100px\" \/>The A5 is also the Holyhead road, which runs from Holyhead on the Isle of Anglesey (Holy Island to be accurate) to London. It was designed by Thomas Telford who also designed the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct.\u00a0The A5\u00a0also more or less follows the old Roman\/Anglo-Saxon Watling Street. History pervades even when driving\u00a0a two-lane highway.<\/p>\n<p>The A495 connects to the A5 near Oswestry, a small town south of Chirk. The A495, also known as Ellesmere Road, runs northeast and connects to Ellesmere\u00a0and then continues\u00a0to Whitchurch. The A41 and A49 also feed into Whitchurch. So it&#8217;s possible to travel to most of the boat hires along the Llangollen via two-lane roads, with the exception of the boat hires at Bettisfield and Whixall Marina at the end of the Prees Branch.<\/p>\n<h4>By train<\/h4>\n<p>The two train stations that serve the Llangollen Canal are in Chirk and Whitchurch (and Nantwich at a\u00a0stretch). My impression is that the most direct train service is from Birmingham to Chirk and travel times average about an hour and a half. Train service in Wales is provided by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Arriva Trains Wales<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h4>By taxi<\/h4>\n<p>I&#8217;ve identified several taxi services in Chirk and Whitchurch (see the map above for more information), although you could walk to\u00a0a boat hire from the train station in either town, about one and a quarter miles from Chirk or about 1.75 miles from\u00a0Whitchurch.<\/p>\n<h4>By bus<\/h4>\n<p>There is <a href=\"http:\/\/www.wrexham.gov.uk\/english\/travel\/bus\/maps\/chirk.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">bus service in Chirk<\/a> that should get you almost directly from the Chirk train station to Trevor Basin although a little walk would still be required to get to Chirk Marina. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wrexham.gov.uk\/assets\/pdfs\/transportation\/pontcysyllte_map.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">This pdf map<\/a> by the Wrexham borough government shows the public transport options in the area.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately I have not found any purely local bus service for Whitchurch, even though it is a larger town than Chirk, so taxis remain your best bet for local travel.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here\u2019s my problem: How to describe a trip on the Llangollen Canal without gushing so much that anyone reading this<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1199,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1197","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-canal-guide"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P74kO9-jj","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1197","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1197"}],"version-history":[{"count":75,"href":"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1197\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2197,"href":"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1197\/revisions\/2197"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1199"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1197"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1197"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1197"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}