Noswaith dda!

Wednesday, 24 March 2010 15:45

I am getting into practice!

I popped into Audlem early this morning for a blood test at the surgery - details of this and the pharmacy in Audlem are on our "Cruising with medical needs" pages.

We left our mooring around 9.15 am to go down the final two locks of the Audlem flight. The diggers were working at the Overwater Marina and we spotted two hire boats in the Marina. They were there the other day but have moved! Are they testing out all the pontoons?

Narrowboats in Marina

Coole Pilate moorings and picnic/barbecue area was deserted by all but moles! We carried on towards Hack Green Locks, where a BW workboat was moored on the moorings after Burrows Bridge 85.

At Nantwich, the moorings after the aqueduct were full and BW are working on the sani-station before the old terminus of the Ellesmere and Chester Canal, now Nantwich Basin.

Thomas Telford intended to build the Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal (now the southern Shropshire Union) to this terminus. However the owner of Dorfold Hall and Park, through which the canal would need to pass, refused to allow it. This meant that the long embankment around the Park (and Nantwich) had to be built, with the attendant problems of expense and repeated collapse.

Nantwich Aqueduct

Pretty soon after Nantwich comes Hurleston Junction; this is where we turned and entered the Llangollen Canal via the four Hurleston Locks. The section to Trevor was once part of the Ellesmere Canal. This canal was originally intended to link Ellesmere Port with Shrewsbury via the Rivers Dee and Severn. The section north of Trevor was eventually built as a navigable feeder canal to the River Dee.

Hurleston Locks sign

Epiphany was on new territory again! This is the fourth time John and I have been on the Llangollen and we have good memories of this lovely canal.

Looking up the Hurleston Locks

I worked the locks (that made a total of 6 for me today!) and John brought Epiphany up, encountering a very shallow pound between locks 2 and 3. The Lock Keeper had only been on duty for two days and was still getting used to the amount of water needed for the flight. He helpfully emptied the top two locks for us.

Lock Keeper at top lock

At the top of the locks, BW were dredging and working on the sani-station. We presume this is all to be ready for the Easter influx of narrowboats! It was hard to get past the dredger and we scraped over the "arms" a little.

Top lock behind us and the dredger

Immediately we felt the flow of water against us. The navigable feeder canal from Horseshoe Falls on the River Dee causes this and it takes longer to travel up the canal than down! We moored up just before Platt's bridge (5) as by this time the odd rain shower was becoming more common.

Shropshire Union Canal, Audlem Lock 14 to Platt's Bridge 5, Llangollen Canal

4 hours 4 minutes, 8.88 miles, 8 locks